New Melbourne Hot Spots
Cuisine lovers are salivating at the news that two major players in the Australian foodie scene are opening new premises this month. Also, a hot international bar group sets up its first Australian venue in Melbourne’s QV building.
Gigibaba Turkish Tapas, 102 Smith St, Collingwood, Ph: (03) 9486 0345
Gigibaba is a new Melbourne enterprise from Ismail Tosun, the young chef named Best New Talent by Gourmet Traveller in 2006 on the back of the success of Perth-based restaurant, Eminem. This modern Turkish-inspired café is all about tapas-style eating and drinking, specialising in Turkish meze, a degustation-style menu of small courses to be shared. The restaurant’s interior is appropriately designed to reflect this convivial style of dining with an eight-metre long bar down the centre of the restaurant and a communal dining table. The wine list features more than 20 wines by the glass.
Match Bar and Grill, QV Building, 249 Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne 3000, Ph: 9654 6522
The Match Bar and Grill is the newest venue from English bar impresario Jonathon Downey, whose chic watering holes also inhabit such sexy locales as Ibiza, Soho and the French Alps.
The fact that Downey has brought the Match Bar brand to Melbourne (an Australian first) speak volumes about the cache of the city’s bar culture. And make no doubt about it – Match’s team of collaborators have serious bar credentials. Among them is legendary barman Dale DeGroff, known as the man who made cosmopolitan famous in New York , and who is also on board as their Director of Drinks; international DJ Gilles Peterson who is on board as Director of Music; as well as local boy Matt Skinner, the author of several successful wine books and head Sommelier at Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen in London.
Match comprises three separate spaces including a restaurant (complete with locally created graffiti art), and a large outside deck which overlooks Swanston Street. The cocktails are a highlight, and there’s also an impressive list of wine which is served via Match’s state-of-the-art ‘Enomatic’ Wine Samplers, a do-it-yourself drinks system which preserves the wine’s integrity once the bottle is opened – thereby enabling a much greater variety of wine to be available by the glass, including Penfolds Grange.
Hellenic Republic, 434 Lygon Street, East Brunswick Ph: 9381 1222
Creating a buzz in gourmet circles of late is news of the opening of Hellenic Republic, a new eatery from George Calombaris, acclaimed chef and owner of The Press Club. Hellenic Republic is Calombaris’ take on a modern Greek taverna, and is a more informal dining experience featuring tasty and healthy Hellenic cuisine. Food is cooked simply on a custom made timber char-grill (no frying!) and uses the freshest products that Melbourne and Greece has to offer. Like its sister restaurant, Hellenic Republic offers an extensive Greek wine list as well as serving wine by the half-kilo and kilo, the traditional Greek taverna way.