Meet Hungry Bear, Melbourne's New Great Outdoors-Inspired Pizza Bar

Moving from the world of fashion into the pizza biz might seem a stretch, but for husband and wife duo Candice and Nick Hirons, it's simply natural progression. Once the exclusive retail licensees for G-Star in Australia and New Zealand, the pair has shifted their focus to food — and they're out to share their serious passion for pizza with Melbourne.

Their latest venture is Hungry Bear pizza bar, which launches on November 24 on Menzies Alley in the CBD. Inspired by the owners' love of camping and the great outdoors, it's a cosy haunt, decked out with lots of timber logs and sporting a healthy serve of forest green.

The 15-strong pizza menu is simple, seasonal and a little less naughty than others around town. Here, you'll chow down on the likes of the Paul Hogan, with marinated prawns, red peppers and chickpeas; or the Bear-saola, featuring asparagus, caramelised onion and bresaola. There's even one dubbed Holy Cheeses, made with nine different kinds of cheese, plus a dessert pizza with peanut butter, banana, strawberries, coconut, pistachio and chocolate salted caramel sauce. It's all very budget-friendly too, with pizzas starting at just $9.

To wash it down, there's an all-Aussie drinks offering of boutique wines, craft beers and artisan sodas, while a hole-in-the-wall coffee bar will be slinging two exclusive blends (the Polar and the Grizzly) from 7am each weekday.

Find Hungry Bear in Menzies Alley at 211 La Trobe Street, Melbourne (enter via Little Lonsdale St), open daily.