Australia really is spoilt for choice when it comes to our fine hospitality offering. So much so, we’ve collated our six favourite hospitality spots in 2019, combining great food and outstanding design. Consider your 2020 weekend plans sorted.
When it comes to restaurants, eateries and our local cafes, they often represent much more than simply a place to eat. They’re a place where memories are made, occasions are marked and where celebration takes place. So what better way to start a new year, than by rounding up some of Australia’s best dining spots? From the rustic yet refined Bentwood Cafe in Fitzroy, to the seaside tropical Tasmania restaurant Sisterhood; these dining spots are ones that you must visit in 2020, where considered design takes centre stage.
Via Porta Eatery and Deli by Studio Esteta
Via Porta Eatery and Deli was designed by Studio Esteta director Sarah Costentino and her team, in partnership with Sarah’s three siblings Simon, Ryan and Jonathon. Reminiscent of the narrow streets of Southern Italy, their Via Porta Eatery and Deli reflects on family childhood memories with their Nonna, mastering authentic Italian dishes.
Located in Melbourne’s Mont Albert, Via Porta Eatery and Deli is filled to the brim with locally-sourced and imported cold meats, cheeses and artisanal foods, take-home meals and house-made condiments. It would seem only inevitable four siblings – two top-tier chefs, a hospitality aficionado and a leading interior designer – would convene to create a unique foodie hub like this one.
Bentwood Cafe by Ritz & Ghougassian
You’ll find Fitzroy’s Bentwood Cafe in one of Melbourne’s most iconic food spots. It’s not on the main drag but that doesn’t mean it attracts any less attention. That’s because it’s the most recent hospitality collaboration between Melbourne’s famed cafe owners Julien and Kristy-Lea Moussi and Directors of local firm Ritz & Ghougassian, Gilad Ritz and Jean-Paul Ghougassian. The result of this perfect team? An extra special eatery brought to life, by drawing on the rich history and the materiality of its landmark building.
Staying true to the existing building’s heritage, Ritz & Ghougassian stuck to red-pressed bricks and buttery leather custom seating, segmenting the space with locally-sourced Blackbutt timber. It’s a space that must be experienced for yourself in order to truly appreciate its beauty – and stellar brunch menu.
Many Little by Hecker Guthrie
Leafy and picturesque, Red Hill on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula has solidified itself as an epicurean destination with the addition of all-day-eatery Many Little. Designed by one of our favourites here at est, Hecker Guthrie, Many Little was created off the back of its successful sister restaurant run by the same family, Polperro.
Many Little draws on inspiration from its rural surrounds. The seasonal and locally-derived menu has been constructed with nourishment and comfort front of mind and the interior décor follows suit. The space feels refined, where varying textures, natural tones and rich terracotta and timber accents draw the neighbouring vineyard landscape in.
Edition Roasters by Amber Road
Winner of the Best Hospitality Interior in the 2019 Belle Coco Republic Interior Design Awards, Edition Roasters cafe in Haymarket Sydney, designed by Amber Road, is definitely one to visit. Epitomising Wabi-sabi style, Amber Road have emulated traditional Japanese rural life, encouraging cafe-goers to ‘reflect back on simpler times’.
The humble coffee roastery is the perfect juxtaposition to its bustling surrounds. An almost all black interior full of organic and sculptural elements demands a sense of calmness and relaxation when you walk through its doors; exactly the place to satisfy your 2020 coffee habits.
Sisterhood by Biasol
Sisterhood, by Melbourne firm Biasol, brought a bit of Melbourne flair to the Tasmania food scene in 2019. The restaurant was inspired by a trip to Tulum, where food, design and community accentuate the tropical paradise’s charm.
The layout of Sisterhood was designed to accommodate dine-in and takeaway through open areas and cosier zones. Those dining in for Sisterhood’s fresh, everyday meals ‘with a modern twist’ can enjoy a seat at the bar, communal table, at a banquette inside the restaurant-cafe, sunroom or even on the patio. The interiors were designed as a ‘scene of escapism’; so whether you feel like a quiet dinner for two or a catch up with friends, Sisterhood is the place to visit.
Blacksmith Provedore by The Stellar Collective
Interior design studio The Stellar Collective collaborated with Liz Bayles to devise a new standard for hospitality in rural Australia, with the Blacksmith Provedore.
Blacksmith Provedore offers local wines and fresh produce in a relaxed atmosphere, located on the banks of Lake Mulwala in New South Wales. Owner Liz Bayles enlisted The Stellar Collective to marry her hometown’s quaint country aura with contemporary accents, and to blend the white pavilion with the existing mid-century hotels. Paying homage to the region’s long-standing reputation of the quintessential Australian getaway, the Blacksmith Provedore is a destination eatery you must seek out in 2020.
