Michael Greenlaw x Kanji Kobayashi Collaboration at Atria

Overview

When it comes to 2024's Melbourne Food & Wine Festival, the hype is real. The crew behind it has put together 300 unique events in public spaces like Federation Square, as well as within some of Melbourne's best restaurants.

And one of the most exciting in-restaurant events has got to be at Atria, high up within the Ritz-Carlton. From Tuesday, March 19–Saturday, March 23, Executive Chef Michael Greenlaw will be joined in the kitchen by the famed Michelin two-starred Chef Kanji Kobayashi.

Greenlaw managed to get Atria hatted within its first year of opening, bringing his expertise working at Michelin-starred restaurants abroad and local fine-dining institutions like Vue de Monde to the sky-high eatery. But while he is a top Aussie chef who you really need to check out, get excited about Kobayashi's appearance. He's coming in from rural Wakayama in Japan, where he runs Villa Aida, one of the very best restaurants in the world. This spot has two Michelin stars and has frequently made the list of Asia's 50 Best Restaurants.

Michael Greenlaw

His Italo-Japanese cuisine celebrates local and seasonal vegetables (most coming from his restaurant's own garden), turning them into spectacularly delicious and visually stunning dishes. And for five nights, he'll bring all of this to Melbourne's Atria.

Kobayashi is working with Greenlaw and some of Victoria's most sustainable harvesters and growers — and graziers and fishermen as well — to create a one-of-a-kind six-course feast.

Diners will have to fork out a hefty $390 for the food and then choose if they want to go for wine pairings on top of that. It isn't cheap, but a dining experience like this is almost unheard of in Australia.