Just Open: Academy Kitchen & Bar, Richmond

Academy Kitchen and Bar is the latest addition to Richmond's Bridge Road burgeoning culinary strip. Owner-chef Will Manning, formerly of Toorak's Townhouse, has overseen the design, which combines exposed brick walls, high ceilings, repurposed timber tables and wood panelling to create a contemporary bistro mood.

Manning's background is in fine dining (La Trompette and Foliage in London), but people in Melbourne seem to favour casual, more accessible food, he says, "so I'm trying to meet them in the middle".

Weekend brunch might be crushed avocado and feta on toast, spruced up with lemon myrtle, while at lunch he's serving things like chilli cheese dog and cayenne-dusted fried chicken with apple slaw and smoked mashed potato and gravy. Evenings step up a notch or two with crisp-skinned snapper, with vadouvan puffed rice and battered mussels, or slow-cooked lamb shoulder for two.

A concise wine list offers several by the glass, along with two local beers on tap, and coffee by Seven Seeds.

Open Wed–Fri noon–11pm, Sat–Sun 9am–11pm.

318 Bridge Road, Richmond 03 9427 8231, academykitchenandbar.com.au