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Half Acre brings winery mood to former South Melbourne mill

Anna Webster

Half Acre occupies a former fabric mill in South Melbourne.
Half Acre occupies a former fabric mill in South Melbourne.Supplied

Although it covers 0.2 hectares (half an acre in the old measure) in an industrial part of South Melbourne, the exterior of Half Acre is so low-key you might miss the whole thing.

But behind the naked brick facade is a new 75-seat restaurant and bar, and an adjoining events space that can accommodate up to 400 people.

It's the creation of Adam Wright-Smith (ex Fat Radish, New York), who is joined in this venture by Asaf Smoli and Leigh Worcester, the duo behind Carousel, Aerial, Harbour Room and White Lane.

Flathead fillet, pickled carrot and okra at Half Acre, South Melbourne
Flathead fillet, pickled carrot and okra at Half Acre, South MelbourneTom Ross
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There are echoes of the building's industrial past as a fabric mill in Half Acre's rustic brick, timber and stone interior.

A courtyard is littered with pebbles and lined with ferns, and there is custom lighting by Studio Pasquale. "It feels a bit like a country winery but in the city," says Wright-Smith. "The only difference is you don't have to worry about how to get home afterwards."

Israeli-born chef Eitan Doron (ex-The Deli Counter) is in the kitchen, dishing up a casual but technique-driven menu that focuses heavily on vegetables, such as a dish of grilled cabbage with torched goat's cheese and chimichurri; another of roasted cauliflower, dukkah and tahini; and a wedge of roasted pumpkin topped with blood orange, thyme and spiced pepitas.

There is also a range of wood-fired pizzas and a couple of desserts. Wines are a mix of local, international and natural, all at a reasonable price point.

"We want it to be somewhere you can come on your way home from work and grab a bite or a pot of Carlton Draught, or a pizza to take home," says Wright-Smith.

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Open Tue-Wed 4pm–11pm; Thu-Fri noon–1am; Sat 11am–1am; Sun 11am–11pm.

112 Munro Street, South Melbourne, 03 9999 1191, halfacre.com.au

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