Beloved Bakery Chain Rustica Has Opened Another Go-To Brunch Venue in the Melbourne CBD

Rustica Sourdough, the Melbourne institution and baker of all things sour and delicious, has opened a new bakery and cafe in Melbourne's central business district.

Located on the corner of Little Collins and Queen Street and adjacent to the famous Gothic Bank building, this new opening is a slightly moodier Rustica than we've previously seen. Architect Fiona Drago took inspiration from its famous neighbour with an interior filled with Venetian gothic colours, textures and tiles.

Carey C

But just like its siblings, the new 70-seat outpost of Melbourne's iconic bakery-brunch hybrid has both easy grab-and-go options for busy inner-city workers in need of a brew and a bite, as well as a dine-in menu for those wanting to leisurely take their time over lunch.

Developed by head chef and long-running team member Chatelle Saba, the menu features delights like a breakfast surf-and-turf lineup of lobster and prawn eggs benedict, accompanied by crispy potatoes and salmon roe. For those who can't go past a pasta, there's a prawn, clam and mussel linguine with white wine, chilli and garlic, and if you're in desperate need of a burg, wrap your laughing gear around a buttermilk fried chicken burger, complete with Korean hot sauce, aioli, pickles and slaw — all stuffed inside a milk bun.

C Bass Creative

As for the pastries, expect to see all the goodies Rustica is known for holding court in the cabinet, including almond and chocolate croissants, brioche doughnuts, cronuts, and other sweet treats. Because no pastry is complete without a good brew to accompany it, the team are serving up their signature coffee blend First Love Coffee, a roast that has become synonymous with Rustica cafes city-wide and now even has its own signature flagship cafe in Collins Arch.

It's yet another location for the famous chain, which was first established in Fitzroy back in 2012. Since then there have been numerous openings across the city, including in Hawthorn's Power Street and in Rialto Towers in 2017, before an opening in Melbourne's west with ex-Chin Chin chef Sam Mills leading the menu in 2018.

Rustica Little Collins and Queen Street is open seven days a week, from 7am-4pm Monday to Friday and 8am-4pm on weekends.

Images: LR Photography, C-Bass Creative and Carey C