Overview
Melburnians are about to score a sophisticated introduction to the concept of 'new Nordic' cuisine, with elevated all-day diner Freyja set to open its doors in June.
The restaurant will make its home in Collins Street's 130-year-old heritage-listed Olderfleet building, as sibling to existing residents, co-working space Work Club and Scandi-inspired underground bar Valhalla. And not one, but two of its chefs boast Michelin Star experience.
Named after the legendary boar-riding Norse goddess, the 130-seat Freyja will unfold over two levels, featuring minimalist interiors by designer Clark Bardsley (Head of Design for Work Club Global). Expect striking details throughout, with contrasting hues played cleverly against earthy-toned textiles, natural timbers and metallic elements.
Freyja's sibling and neighbour Valhalla
Head Chef Jae Bang is no small deal, coming to us via Norway's Michelin-Starred 21-seater Re-naa. Not only that, he'll be joined in the kitchen by former Lee Ho Fook Head Chef Daniel Gordon and yet another Re-naa alum, Aaron Caccia.
Together, they'll be delivering a menu that fuses modern Australian sensibilities with a taste of new Nordic cuisine — a blend of traditional Northern European technique and more experimental new-school leanings. At breakfast, lunch and dinner, that'll be showcased across an offering of contemporary fare built around practices like pickling, smoking, curing and even lacto-fermenting.
A matching drinks list is set to celebrate both local and international drops, including a range of Northern European craft brews. Beer fiends will hope the latter means appearances from the likes of Norway's own Lervig, Denmark's Mikkeller and To Øl, and Omnipollo out of Sweden.
Find Freyja in the Olderfleet building at 477 Collins Street, Melbourne, from June. It'll open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.