Overview
They're the team behind 2020's multimillion-dollar refurb of inner-city boozer Public House. And now, the De Fraga Group are at it again, unveiling their makeover of fellow Richmond pub, The Kingston.
It's taken just over a year of construction and a reported $1.5 million, but the 168-year-old Highett Street boozer has barrelled into a new phase of life with a refreshed public bar and parlour, and sophisticated new dining room dubbed Marble & Pearl.
The historic front bar has been stripped right back to basics, then reworked with plenty of timber panelling and dapper leather banquettes, with a deck overlooking the new-look beer garden.
Here, you're in for elevated public bar fare — yellowfin tuna niçoise, a wagyu beef burgundy pie, pork or duck bangers with mash, and a grilled cauliflower steak with capers and oregano. Oh, and maybe some caviar, or a retro-leaning prawn cocktail to start.
Down the stairs sits the light-filled Marble & Pearl, with its chic pops of marble and sea-green tones — this isn't your average pub restaurant. A dry-aging cabinet and the kitchen's charcoal parrilla grill hint at the meat focus that awaits you on the menu; the work of Head Chef Yallambar Bantawa, who trained in South America with Argentinian master Carlos Lopez.
A caviar cart is doing the rounds, offering beluga and oscietra varieties, and with caviar bumps paired with chilled Grey Goose for $25 a pop.
You'll find some carry-overs from the upstairs menu, such as the miso-glazed bone marrow, crispy fried Brazilian pastéis and a rich seafood chowder. Meanwhile, Marble & Pearl exclusives include both a classic Peruvian red snapper ceviche and a vegan take done with king browns and silken tofu, plus a hand-cut steak tartare.
Premium seafood options abound, with the likes of southern rock lobster (grilled, or done mornay-style), a pan-fried whole flounder and buttery Alaskan king crab legs. But it's the steak fiends who'll really be in heaven, choosing between no less than 11 cuts, all done on the parilla, and served with a housemade red and green chimichurri. If you're feeling glam, there's a swag of luxe add-ons, too; from sliced foie gras to grilled lobster tail.
Find The Kingston and Marble & Pearl at 55 Highett Street, Richmond. It's open 12–11pm Wednesday and Thursday, and 12pm–12am Friday to Sunday.