Slowpoke's New Kitchen Brings Serious Fun — and Hash Brown Fries — to Its Collingwood Rooftop Setting
The Collingwood venue continues to flip the script with its new food menu — and there's not a slice of kingfish crudo in sight.
In addition to its laidback house-party energy and sweeping city views, Collingwood rooftop bar Slowpoke Lounge & Lookout is giving guests more reasons to settle into one of its plush leather banquettes with the launch of its new kitchen. And, in keeping with the playfully cheeky spirit of the venue, the food is flipping the script when it comes to bar menus — there's not a slice of focaccia or kingfish crudo in sight.
Instead, you'll find a thoughtful selection of refined comfort classics on a menu that takes its cues from old-school American diners. The tight menu — designed by Slowpoke Co-Founder and Head Chef Bradley Wynne — will always feature three hearty mains, as well as a seasonally rotating list of specials that riff on fast food classics, sans nasties.
That means that instead of focaccia, you'll find hash brown fries: golden savoury churro-style sticks served with a secret sauce. And in place of the ubiquitous steak tartare, you'll be able tuck into the Slowpoke Cheeseburger: a grown-up take on the Maccas classic featuring two smashed beef patties encased in a soft bun. And for dessert? What else but a slice of apple pie, served with your choice of cream or ice cream.
Slowpoke's eschewal from the typical small-plates-and-pâté wine bar formula that Melbourne knows all too well is very much in keeping with the ethos of the venue. Says Wynne: "The kitchen is a natural evolution of our vision to create a space that invites people into our lounge room — a place where they can relax, connect, and enjoy familiar tastes elevated to something truly special."
The kitchen's launch also sets the stage for guest chef collabs and one-off events with some of Melbourne's most creative culinary minds — itself a nod to the venue's broader ambitions as a community space and creative playground.
The food is also a clever complement to the equally fun but serious cocktail program, which showcases fresh produce and surprising combinations, as well as considered booze-free options like house-brewed iced tea and homemade lemonade.
Slowpoke's kitchen is open Wednesday–Friday from 5–10pm, Saturday from 2–10pm and Sunday from 2–9pm. Find it at Level 4, 50 Gipps Street, Collingwood. For more information, head to the venue's website.
Images: Chege Mbuthi.
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