New hot spots for Spring
100 Mile Café
Level 3, Melbourne Central, 211 La Trobe St, Melbourne VIC.
Ph: 03 9654 0808
Taking over the space once occupied by SOS, Paul Mathis' new venture 100 Mile Café is a sustainable eatery which maintains a strong ethical and environmental approach to dining, serving product sourced within 160 kms of Melbourne All meat products are organic and free range and all fish are caught from sustainable environments as per the Australian Marine Conservation guide. Some of the product is sourced a little further a field, but every effort has been made to lesson the ‘foot-print’, with coffee and tea provided by an organic producer in Byron Bay. The cuisine is modern Australian with a Japanese accent. The menu choices, price and service make it all a beautifully complete package.
Tiffins
Ph: 1300 TIFFINS [843 346] or visit www.tiffins.com.au
City workers in Mumbai have been enjoying ‘Tiffins’ for decades…now, it’s Melbourne’s turn! ‘Tiffins’ are portable, stackable, temperature-controlled lunchboxes of nutritious, delicious, authentic Indian cuisine delivered straight to CBD doorstops. City workers simply choose their order the day before and Tiffin will delivered to their doors at lunch time at no extra cost. Tasty vegetarian meals are only $7 and non vegetarian dishes start from $8. Lunch has never been so easy.
Journal Canteen
Level 2, 253 Flinders Lane, Melbourne.
Ph: 9650 4399 (ask to be transferred to the Canteen)
Perched above Journal café in Flinders Lane, a new communal-tabled dining space is serving up fabulous Sicilian meals every weekday. Owned by Melbourne café entrepreneur Con Christopoulos, Journal Canteen has a small menu which changes daily and offers Italian favourite such as ricotta fritters and antipasto platters. There are also Italian wines, ideal to sip on whilst watching the world go by below on Flinders Lane and Centre Place.
Le Petit Gâteau
458 Little Collins Street, Melbourne
Ph: 03 9944 8893
Step into a little world of Parisian charm at Le Petit Gâteau, a new contemporary patisserie and cake shop located in the heart of the CBD. Chic and enchanting, Le Petit Gâteau is a must-visit, if only to sample the unrivalled creations of Pierrick Boyer and his team of pastry chefs. Who needs to go all the way to Paris when you have this on your doorstep?
Peninsula
Ph: 03 8623 9600
www.peninsulaagv.com.au
Located in a 1914 heritage-listed cargo shed in the heart of the Docklands, Peninsula is a new warehouse conversion that fuses the shed’s industrial past with the refined glamour of today’s cutting-edge and sophisticated design. Inspired by London’s iconic Tate Museum, Peninsula’s vast open space features high ceilings, original exposed trusses, huge floor to ceiling windows and a 69-metre crystal chandelier designed by Melbourne lighting guru Dean Phillips that spans the length of the room. Out on the deck there are stunning views across Victoria Harbour out to the Bolte Bridge, the perfect place to enjoy a glass of champagne while the sun sets in the west.
The Commoner
122 Johnston Street, Fitzroy
Ph: (03) 9415 6876
www.thecommoner.com.au
Small and casual, with a terrazzo floor, bare tables and white moulded chairs, The Commoner is a the new addition to Fitzroy’s bursting food and wine scene. Owner Jo Corrigan, who cooks on Sunday nights, worked for many years in London and learnt about seasonality and freshness from the bright new stars on the scene. Chef Matt Donnelly worked at Moro’s in London, picking up similar ideas but with Middle Eastern influences. The result of the collaboration is great food that’s fresh as can be.
Self Preservation
70 Bourke Street, Melbourne
Ph: 0424 047 628
www.selfpreservation.com.au
Con Christopoulos' (the founder of Supper Club) latest venture, Self Preservation, on Bourke Street, is a jewellery store with a difference. This stunning European-styled space sells one-off jewellery pieces from local and international designers as well as showcasing artwork and serving up delicious coffee, tea, wine and scrumptious filled pides. Impressively, every second cabinet displays pieces from a local Melbourne designer, which guarantees visitors a unique purchase. All food served at Self Preservation is prepared freshly at another of Christopoulos' establishments, Commercial Bakery.