Rufio restaurant and rooftop brings Latin American fusion to Carlisle Street, St Kilda

The renaissance of Carlisle Street continues with the arrival of Rufio, a Latin American fusion bar and eatery from the team that opened Elwood's Repeat Offender in autumn 2021.

They've carried the Latin American theme across the highway to St Kilda, but where Repeat Offender explores Mexican ideas, Rufio seeks inspiration in Peru, Brazil and Argentina. Both restaurants lean into corn, which means they're able to make the menus entirely gluten-free.

Rufio has taken on the 100-seat upstairs bar and rooftop that previously housed the original Uncle (now in Collins Street) and the short-lived Land of Plenty.

"We've been keeping an eye out for the right space to express ourselves more," says co-owner Eli Bury. "It's a casual fine dining step up from what we're doing at Repeat Offender. The cocktails are more fancy and we can do more with the food in a bigger kitchen with a beautiful wood grill. There aren't many rooftops around, so we jumped at it."

Key dishes from chef Simon Winson include a bright, spicy snapper ceviche with plantain chips, tamales with pepita puree, and tostadas piled with lobster, coriander and lime.

Picanha – a classic Brazilian steak cut from the rump cap – stars on the grill but there's plenty of joy in the pork belly too, pull-apart tender, slathered with spicy peanut sauce and topped with chicharon (puffed crackling).

Vegans are showered with love throughout the menu: miso-glazed eggplant is wood-roasted and served with bean sprouts and puffed quinoa.

The drinks list digs into South American wines and the tequila and mezcal selections are strong, served both neat and worked into cocktails.

The Cherry Sour riffs on the pisco sour, shaking Peruvian pisco with Maurin cherry liqueur and lemon juice to lip-puckering effect.

There are six different margaritas, including an Italian version with Aperol and blood orange.

Bury is happy to be contributing to the St Kilda portion of Carlisle Street, west of Chapel Street near buzzing Local Taphouse. A few hundred metres east in Balaclava, Moonhouse, Pretty Little and Tulum hold up their end of the strip.

"Carlisle Street was grungy but it's popping off a bit more now," says Bury, who lives nearby. "There's room to grow, the council is supportive and we feel like we're part of something. It's the right time."

Open Wed-Sun 5pm-11pm.

188 Carlisle Street, St Kilda, 03 7003 4393, rufio.co