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Gertude Street Enoteca's Brigitte Hafner to open Osteria Tedesca in Red Hill

Gemima Cody
Gemima Cody

Brigitte Hafner is taking her nonna-style cooking to Red Hill.
Brigitte Hafner is taking her nonna-style cooking to Red Hill.Rebecca Hallas

Gertrude Street Enoteca's chef-owner, Brigitte Hafner, one of Melbourne's great trailblazers of refined home-style cooking, is opening a double-threat boutique B&B and osteria in Red Hill.

The property, which used to operate as Noels Gallery Cafe, overlooks the farm Hafner owns with architect husband Patrick Ness. The pair have renovated the main house and cottage into bespoke, art-filled accommodation to sleep eight, featuring a clawfoot bath, and breakfast supplies from the restaurant. Pre-cooked dinners like coq au vin will be available. Bookings for Graceburn will be available from mid-November, with Osteria Tedesca following in late December.

Tedesca ("German" in Italian) has long been Hafner's nickname in the industry. "There won't be much of a menu," says Hafner, who likes the approach of former mentor Stefano di Pieri in creating menus daily in response to produce, much of which will come from locals Mary Loucas, Transition Farms and Hafner's own property.

Hafner is opening an osteria with bespoke accommodation.
Hafner is opening an osteria with bespoke accommodation.James Broadway
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Hafner will maintain her "nonna-style", cooking Mediterranean dishes over wood and in an Alan Scott brick oven. "I might do homemade dolmades from fresh vine leaves. Grilled mussels and calamari. Slow roasted shoulder of lamb, shawarma style, and agnolotti with goats curd from local dairy."

The kitchen will be "live", the hearth central and all action on display. The cellar, in a converted underground water tank, which diners can browse, has the same hallmarks of Gertrude Street Enoteca. James Broadway is across both collections and says there will be "everything from locals we love like Hurley Vineyard, Avani and 10x Tractor... and a solid smattering of international benchmarks plus the best of the natural gurus in the Loire, Spain and elsewhere."

Graceburn will open in November with Tedesca opening in December for lunches Thu-Mon, Dinners to follow. 1175 Mornington-Flinders Road, Red Hill. Follow @graceburn_tedesca.

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Gemima CodyGemima Cody is former chief restaurant critic for The Age and Good Food.

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