The Street Food Collective Has Transformed into Pop-up Restaurant Gypsy Caravan

A shadowy bubble has enveloped food vendor gathering spot The Street Food Collective of late. Closed for the past two weeks for an "exciting relaunch", the laneway has now resurfaced as an entirely new pop-up restaurant called Gypsy Caravan.

The rotating spread of street food vendors are gone, and The Street Food Collective as we know it has been reimagined to imitate the streets of Greece, Turkey and Morocco - think bead curtains, hanging lamps and Persian rugs. Former travelling slow cookers and owners of the space, Ryan and Annelise Clarke, see Gypsy Caravan as a natural progression in their journey from bohemian food vendors to established restauranteurs.

"For the past year we have opened our kitchens as an incubator to vendors from all backgrounds and have drawn inspiration from their varied mix of cuisines. As the next step, we want to further our journey and present you with our interpretation of high-end street food in an eclectic setting! The pop-up restaurant is the natural progression for any street vendor, we have seen many of our vendors come through here and go on to launch their own pop-ups or restaurants. So we want to keep exploring our food journey and present something a bit different and interesting in this space!"

The menu will stay true to the pair's curb-side roots, with former Odettes head chef Reginaldo Richard at the helm of a menu promising a fresh and light take on traditional street food dishes from Europe and the Mediterranean. Alluring items from the menu include: Moroccan spiced lamb tagine, Jerusalem artichoke with puffed quinoa, polenta chips, panfried ouzo cheese, a selection of gyros - pulled brisket, braised vegetable, soft-shell crab - and a dessert playfully titled 'Big fat gypsy wedding'.

The venue's resident bar-on-wheels 'Herbie' has also been given a vibrant makeover and will continue to serve classic beverages, as well as a range of shared cocktails and new concoctions following the gypsy theme. Collaboration with street vendors and a calendar of special events are expected for the months to come.

Gypsy Caravan opens on Friday 22 July, 2016. Find it at Lot 3, 130 Ponsonby Rd.