Because we’re feeling nostalgic for the days when you could dine out, we’ve compiled a list featuring five of our favourites in hospitality design across Melbourne (a.k.a Australia’s culinary capital).

Di Stasio Citta — Hassell Studio

Fresh off its 2020 win of the AIDA Premier Award, Di Stasio Citta is an experience wholly its own—bordering on theatrical—where art gallery meets fine-dining institution. Bathed in pockets of red light, its walls adorned with projections of works by Australian artists, the restaurant provides a sensory experience moving beyond just the taste of chef Rinaldo Di Stasio’s impeccable cuisine. As you know by now, we’re big fans of concrete; the space is rooted in the principles of brutalist architecture and minimalism (it doesn’t even have a sign or building number!) whilst remaining warm and inviting, intimate and immersive.

Society, The Lounge — Russell & George for Society

If you cracked open the inside of a gemstone and walked inside, we imagine you’d walk into something like The Lounge; a glittering, angular chamber carved from sparkling surfaces and notched with pockets of glowing light. A rich and sophisticated colour palette with luxurious finishes, it’s a setting which fuses old-world Upper East Side elegance with the edginess of contemporary Melbourne. And yes, that’s X-Bond on some of the walls and flooring! We don’t often get to see it in a maximalist setting, and we think it looks right at home in the ritzy glamour of a big-city bar. 

Lune Croissanterie — Studio Esteta

The Lune HQ in Fitzroy is the epitome of industrial chic, a space-age warehouse where concrete, brick, and ambient lighting coalesce to create what is probably one of the most Instagrammable croissanteries in the world. We’re especially impressed by how that signature Lune design identity is reflected in the lighting scheme hovering above the croissant/cruffin station. It’s a cavernous yet interactive space perfect for accommodating and engaging the (approximately) thousands of people who walk through its doors every day to seek out Lune’s world-famous delicacies.

Via Porta — Studio Esteta

An eatery, wine bar, deli, and provedore all in one; Via Porta is a little slice of Southern Italy in Melbourne’s very own Mont Albert. The terrazzo flooring and limestone counters invoke the charm of Italy’s cobblestone streets. The colour palette, which can be described as earthy, sandy, and organic, speaks to those little beachside towns dotting the Southern coast. Rough yet refined textures embody the wild Italian countryside as well as the owners’ ethos of polishing Nonna’s rough-spun homestyle cooking with a high-end flourish. It’s a space which demonstrates the power of architecture to allow us to escape into another world. Although International travel might be far off, Via Porta is the next best thing to feed your wanderlust!

The Budapest Cafe — Biasol Design Studio

Inspired by Wes Anderson’s uniquely surreal and eccentric on-screen worlds, The Budapest Cafe is whimsical and imaginative, striking and stylised, contemporary and nostalgic all at once. Featuring arched silhouettes and a pastel colour palette reminiscent of the fantastical setting of Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel, it looks like a film set come to life—an effect enhanced by the almost two-dimensional interplay between crisp geometry and a monochromatic colour scheme. It’s quirky,  playful and memorable like the food itself—there’s even something called a ‘croffle’ (croissant + waffle) on the menu that we’re dying to try out.