First look: Meet Juniper, the new South Melbourne cafe from the team behind hugely popular Florian

Following up a debut like Florian, the Rathdowne Street cafe that’s easiest to identify by the throng of people out the front, is a tough ask. But Dom Gattermayr and Rose Richards are giving it their all with their second cafe Juniper in South Melbourne.

Despite being smaller and geared to takeaway, Juniper, which opened on June 27, is no less ambitious than its chic older sibling.

“The idea is to have a market eatery or market canteen,” says Gattermayr.

Chef Emily Grant (who’s come from Florian) is exploiting the cafe’s proximity to South Melbourne Market, offering a vibrant salad line-up that changes weekly and buying chickens each morning, which she roasts for rolls filled with salsa verde and leaves.

A large cabinet greets people, brimming with sandwiches and three different salads, all of which play nicely together. This week it’s miso-roasted potatoes with Japanese turnip, freekeh and herb with barberries, and celery with celeriac, apple and persimmon in a buttermilk dressing.

Baguettes filled with ham, cheddar and kasundi or broccoli and stracciatella baguette join the chicken rolls and other sandwiches.

The team are baking their own focaccia, to serve alongside soups such as French lentil or Polish mushroom.

There are only 24 seats inside, but if you nab one you might order trout cured in juniper-berry, an update on a Florian signature, or the market breakfast plate, a seasonal line-up of pickles, cheese, meat and bread. Porridge and a handful of other favourites from the north-side cafe will also jump across the Yarra.

Tucked down a laneway off Coventry Street, the cafe is defined by a long wooden bar and mirrors along the opposite wall, with dusty blue, red and yellow adding pops of colour.

Gattermayr, who grew up in South Melbourne, says the two cafes make a perfect pair. “Florian is on the cusp of the city, it’s suburban and green and leafy, and Coventry Street [where Juniper is] is similar.”

Open daily 8am-3pm.

Rear, 269 Coventry Street, South Melbourne, floriancarlton.com.au