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Just Open: Proper & Son, South Melbourne

Hilary McNevin

Seasonal brekkie: Market-best fruit with toasted muesli and yoghurt.
Seasonal brekkie: Market-best fruit with toasted muesli and yoghurt.Supplied

An Irishman walked into a market … and took over a potato cafe. Chef Eugene Lavery, who moved to Melbourne from his native Northern Ireland 20 years ago, has taken over what was Pato's Potatoes in the South Melbourne Market and turned it into a shmick operation called Proper & Son.

The space was empty for six months before being fitted out by Ivanhoe-based design studio Two Feathers, and their brief from Lavery was for the room to be "utilitarian, to embrace the market and the people who use it," he says. They've come back with a functional, open, light room with blond wood furniture, lots of white tiles and black beams over the open kitchen.

Lavery, who has co-owned and operated Cafeteria in Black Rock for the past 10 years, moved into his second business to "open a place to support the community here," he says.

Proper & Son at South Melbourne Market.
Proper & Son at South Melbourne Market.Supplied
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He has taken the produce-to-plate concept quite literally by using much of the market vendors' produce to create an evolving seasonal menu. This is highlighted through breakfast dishes such as market-best fruit with toasted muesli and vanilla yoghurt, and the weekly changing salads where the current favourites are grilled pears, walnut, tahini and ricotta, or smoked trout, kipfler potatoes, rye crumb and mustard dressing.

There are also some sturdy staples, like "market roast rolls" filled with corned wagyu brisket with pickles, cabbage and mustard, or free-range roast chicken with sage, onion and cranberry stuffing.

The changing sweet treats are also worth a look – banoffee pots and red velvet tea cake stand up to the well-made Toby's Estate coffee.

Market roast roll: Corned brisket with  pickles, cabbage and mustard.
Market roast roll: Corned brisket with pickles, cabbage and mustard.Supplied

Lavery has had a few people ask if he's going to be serving baked potatoes and while he was initially hesitant, he's decided to bake a tattie and fill it with a good traditional filling of black pudding, apple and mustard – like any good Irishman would.

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Open Wed, Sat-Sun 7.30am-4pm; Fri 7.30am-5pm.

Shop 13-14 South Melbourne Market, 322 Coventry Street, South Melbourne, 9699 7057, properandson.com.au

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