Overview
Two years ago The Saint Hotel was a regular haunt for young club kids, now it's all grown up. After extensive renovations and a huge shift in focus, the newly branded St Hotel is set to launch within the month. With a new devotion to Thai cuisine and quality service, this enormous site is set to be the next Chin Chin — a place where people get suitably rowdy over a coconut curry and a cocktail rather than a few vodka raspberries.
Headed up by Paul Nguyen and Simon Blacher, the owners of Saigon Sally and Hanoi Hannah, St Hotel looks set to expand upon Melbourne's enduring love of Asian cuisine. Distancing themselves from their signature Vietnamese style, the owners have turned to a Thai master to take charge. Their new head chef, Sean Judd, has comes straight from the kitchens of Longrain and Chin Chin; he's even worked under David Thompson of award-winning Thai favourite Nahm.
Just like at Chin Chin, most dishes will be made to be shared, but we won't judge you if it's so good you eat the whole thing. So far we know the menu will include a crispy caramel pork hock, coconut braised lamb shoulder, Chian Mai hotdog, and stir-fried mud crab. Judd says the menu will be "a mixture of traditional Thai dishes ... and contemporary dishes with authentic Thai flavours and ingredients." And better yet, nothing will be over $25.
But it's not just the kitchen that will delight. This huge double-storey venue is being transformed into a huge multi-purpose space. The dining room, sunken dining space and supper club will seat a combined total of 200 people, but there will also be a public bar, private event space and nightclub that fits a further 200.
Time to ditch the scungy clubs and late-night kebab stops, St Kilda is growing up in style. Though there's no launch date set in stone, you can expect St Hotel to be open by the end of October. Keep your eyes glued to their Facebook. Fitzroy Street is about to get a new favourite.
