Ten Stunning Restaurants and Bars That Are Located in Melbourne's Most Historic Buildings

One of Melbourne’s original grocers has made a major comeback, with King and Godfree reborn as a three-level Italian food mecca in the space. The Carlton grocery shop dates way back to 1884, and has been under the Valmorbida family ownership since 1955 — Carlo Valmorbida is said to have introduced parmesan cheese, olive oil and pasta to the Carlton community. Now, the Valmorbida grandchildren are in charge, and they’ve revealed a fully refurbished fit-out that pays homage to the original heritage digs, but with modern twists.

Designed by Melbourne architects Herbert & Mason, the fit-out combines elements of old-world Italy with a modern Melbourne espresso bar. There is bespoke everything, from the custom-built lighting and furniture down to the handmade deli plates, by local ceramicist Ingrid Tuft. The original K&G crest has also been rebuilt by an old-fashioned terrazzo maker and inlaid at the entrance. The Roman-style delicatessen aims to be your ‘one-stop shop’ for everything Italian, and houses an espresso bar, deli and traditional grocer. And upstairs is Johnny’s Green Room for rooftop drinks and snacks.

Steeped in history, this craft gin distillery is named after the infamous red light district that sat between Lonsdale, Spring, Exhibition and La Trobe streets. The notorious area — that operated around 150 years ago and had bootleggers, prostitutes and sly grog aplenty — was divided by small laneways and cottages. Most were destroyed in the 1950s — but the site of the distillery, on Casselden Place, is one of the few historic spaces that remain.

The heritage-listed cottage from the 1800s has made a passion project a reality for owner Brad Wilson, who launched it in 2018. DIt’s churning out batches on regular rotation, featuring local ingredients and fragrant notes such as rosemary, oranges and lemons — all things which have historically grown in the area. At the moment it’s open Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights for cocktails and gin tastings.

Image: Julia Sansone

Last year, The Mulberry Group (founders and past owners of The Kettle Black, Top Paddock and Higher Ground) gifted Melbourne with two new venues inside the historic T&G Building at 164 Flinders Lane: Hazel, and late-night basement bar Dessous. The building itself was built in 1928 and served as the office of Melbourne insurance firm Temperance & General, and is one of Melbourne’s best examples of renaissance revival architecture. Inside, the light-filled space has been transformed by award-winning interior design firm The Stella Collective with a mix of gentle curves, natural linens and polished floors.

It’s also the group’s first venue to open nights. Helming the kitchen is Head Chef Zac Nicholson (Rockpool Bar & Grill) who’s cooking with a woodfired grill and oven both fuelled by Australian-grown ironbark. Expect small bites like a charcuterie and calamari with garlic butter, alongside larger plates like the woodfire-grilled lamb and linguine puttanesca. There are also seven different things on toast, such as mussels and white wine, anchovy and kefir butter, and duck liver pâté with caramelised onions.

Image: Pete Dillon

Best known to most as the long-running antiques haven Young’s Auction House, the historic site at 227–229 Camberwell Road has swapped the furniture and vintage treasures for vino and Mediterranean fare, stepping into its new role as Young’s Wine Rooms. Imagined as a multifaceted wine bar and dining destination, it’s the latest venture from the Klapanis family, who also brought us Hawthorn East’s contemporary southeast asian hit, St Cloud Eating House.

Step through the door into a space that respectfully blends old and new, with brick walls and exposed beams now married with natural tones and contemporary textures. A diverse collection of spaces makes this a spot for all occasions, from tapas and wine sessions in the Champagne and cocktail bar, to lazy lunches in the sun-drenched internal courtyard. Classic southern European flavours combine with traditional French technique for a menu that’s full of snacks and sharing plates – matched with a wine list with bottles from everywhere from Croatia and Greece to Australia.

Cromwell Streat is a project from local social enterprise Streat (and, yes, it’s located on Cromwell Street), which, since 2009, has offered opportunities and hospitality training to at-risk young people, via employment in their numerous cafes.

Streat was gifted use of this epic 150-year-old heritage-listed mansion by a very generous supporter and — having secured funding through a successful crowdfunding campaign — was able to turn it into a multi-purpose space. It’s not only a cafe, but an artisan bakery, coffee roastery, function space and youth training academy, too. The 80-seat eatery also features a big outdoor area (with hammocks!), all-day breakfast and lunch from 11am. Pastries and fresh loves of bread are available from 7.30am and Streat’s own blend is going into coffee cups.

If you’ve walked past the impressive Bank of Australasia building on the corner of Collins and Queen streets and always wanted to go in — well, you can. Inside its heritage-listed walls is a CBD pub serving up good lunch options and a good after-work happy hour.

Another example of Melbourne’s renaissance revival architecture, the building has thankfully retained its grand atmosphere in its new life. The restaurant and bar is split across the ground and mezzanine levels, and now has a 17-metre-long bronze bar, 18 copper beer taps, three gold wine taps, a private cocktail area and a private dining room that caters to 20–24 people. On weekdays, the venue offers a $25 express lunch option complete with a schooner or glass of wine — a pretty excellent option for CBD office workers. Later on, happy hour runs from 5–7pm with $5 glasses of house wine, $6 schooners, $7 spirits and $12 cocktails.

This lofty space was once home to a 1860s Port Melbourne courthouse, but after a healthy dose of Italian flavour — and a $1.5 million makeover — the historic building is now home to fine diner Ciao Cielo and casual sister bar and eatery Ciao Cucina. Here, both the warm, contemporary design and the generous menu offer a modern spin on Italian tradition. Atelier Wagner Architects’ David Wagner worked closely with Ciao Cielo owner Kate Dickins to take the historic building into its next phase of life, the soaring ceilings and heritage features now offset by New York-style booth seating, striking marble bars and cosy fireplaces.

Take the fine dining route and you’ll discover a menu of modern classics, like the seared scallops with blood orange, a Sardinian-style goat leg with polenta dumplings, and the one-kilo grass fed bistecca alla Fiorentina, made for sharing. They’re backed by plenty of old favourites, with the kitchen’s flair for house-made pasta shining through in dishes like the spanner crab spaghetti and a bolognese ragu with tagliatelle. Meanwhile, Ciao Cucina is dishing up a more casual affair within a 150-seat Amalfi-inspired marquee covered in fairy lights, which is next to the main dining room. It’s your go-to for more pasta, traditional woodfired pizzas and a lineup of spritzes.

The site at 275 Exhibition Street has been home to a lot of things over the years. It was initially built for use as one of Melbourne’s first synagogues in 1859, and then went on to be used as a women’s shelter, a free kindergarten for underprivileged parents and various other social welfare services. In recent years, the heritage-listed red brick building has been home to Trunk Bar & Restaurant and – most recently — has become Pepe’s Italian & Liquor.

The restaurant is taking its cues from New York in the 1930s and 1940s (think, The Godfather) with burgundy banquettes, red-and-white chequered floors and a sprawling 13-metre-long zinc-topped bar. A mural splashed across the back wall comes courtesy of Belgian artist Jan Van Der Veken. Pull up a seat and trip back in time, digging into dishes like baked buffalo ricotta matched with a pesto crostino, pork and veal polpette in napoli sauce, and Casino Clams done with garlic butter, guanciale and pangrattato. A solid spread of pasta features the likes of a mushroom fettuccini with parmesan, garlic and thyme, and a spicy vodka rigatoni, as well as a cheesy baked gnocchi. And it’s business as usual next door at Trunk Diner, which continues to serve up burgers, fries and doughnuts.
Image: Gareth Sobey.

Fitzroy cafe Bentwood proves a fitting homage to the Thonet furniture showroom that previously occupied its Napier Street home, not only named for the brand’s iconic chairs, but boasting a dining room filled with them. They’re set beautifully against a warm, rust-hued fitout, where soaring ceilings, concrete pillars and walls of exposed brick give another nod to the building’s industrial heritage.

Here, Julien Moussi is delivering another stand-out cafe, where attention to detail extends well beyond the decor, into the coffee cup and onto the plate. The caffeine offering comes courtesy of Moussi’s own Inglewood Coffee Roasters, with a tidy range of specialty options to satisfy the coffee connoisseurs of Fitzroy. Food here packs as much of a punch aesthetically as it does for the tastebuds, across a generous menu of brunch and lunch creations. You’ll spy elevated classic like meringue-loaded hotcakes and an eggs benny with braised beef cheek, sitting alongside contemporary hits like a poke-style assembly that comes atop slices of dark rye.

Image: Kate Shanasy

Market Lane Collins Street is a top destination for fee — and the fact that this one is located in the historic Portland House at the top end of the CBD makes it even sweeter. The Collins Street store was designed by Sarah Trotter of Hearth Studio, with eucalyptus-green walls and tessellated floor tiles meant to reflect the building’s Victorian heritage. Textured fabric walls and seating, matte walnut cabinetry and the use of cloudy marble stone are influenced by the work of Australian painter Clarice Beckett, who studied at the College of Art across the street.

Here, you can grab Market Lane’s always-good espresso and filter, as well as bags of beans and equipment for home brewing. The cabinet is usually harbouring a selection of cakes, too.