The Sydney Morning Herald logo
Advertisement

Piccolo: Melbourne restaurant bites

Hilary McNevin and Roslyn Grundy

Zhou Zhou bar above David's.
Zhou Zhou bar above David's.Supplied

■ Arguably Australia's first Chinese-Mexican bar, La Chinesca, opens on Friday in the basement of Harley House (71 Collins Street, Melbourne). Chef Daniel Salcedo will serve up bar snacks like hot numbing pork with tomato salsa and master-stock poached chicken wings with arbol chillies. Artist Vincent Fantauzzo has teamed up with Andrew Lewis and Rob Hargrave in the business.

■ Inspired by the US south, Le Bon Ton opened last week at 51 Gipps Street, Collingwood. With room for 300 and a menu loaded with absinthe and oysters, smoked meats and bourbon, it's ready to let the good times roll.

■ Prahran's Hanoi Hannah is having a baby. Hanoi Hannah Express Lane opens at 186 High Street on March 3, with a 15-seat banh mi bar and takeaway window.

La Chinesca crew: Andrew Lewis, Vincent Fantauzzo and Robert Hargrave.
La Chinesca crew: Andrew Lewis, Vincent Fantauzzo and Robert Hargrave.Supplied
Advertisement

■ It's out with fine dining and in with share plates and local craft beer when Bendigo's Whirrakee Restaurant reopens as Mr Beebe's Eating House on March 7. It's named after prominent gold rush-era architect William Beebe, who designed the 1908 bank, which is getting an industrial/French provincial makeover.

■ David Zhou has opened a bar above his Oriental Tea House at 455 Chapel Street, Prahran. Called Zhou Zhou, it serves craft beer, cider and sake, and a snacky bar menu with things like dumplings, pork buns and chicken ribs.

Chiara, an Italian restaurant from chefs Gavin Baker and Pete Evans, in partnership with Collins Square developer Lang Walker, will join Docklands stablemates Bar Nacional and cafe Long Shot at the end of May. A chef is yet to be appointed.

Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox.

Sign up
Roslyn GrundyRoslyn Grundy is Good Food's deputy editor and the former editor of The Age Good Food Guide.

From our partners

Advertisement
Advertisement