When Nordie opened its doors in Red Hill in late 2017, Mornington Peninsula wine country scored a dose of Scandinavian cool. With its smart, minimalist design, this Danish-inspired cafe is the work of Tom Portet (Yarra Valley winery Dominique Portet) and wife Rina, a Copenhagen native.
The all-day menu champions clean, simple flavours, top local produce and contemporary techniques. Expect dishes like the signature Nordie Green Bowl ($18.5), loaded with quinoa, kale, avo, hummus and beetroot — or the potato and sumac rosti ($19.5) matched, perhaps, with smoked salmon ($5.5) and truffle hollandaise ($3). A range of smørrebrød ($15–15.5) and a Copenhagen hot dog ($17.5) fly the flag for the homeland.
Nordie's tidy retail offering runs from coffee beans through to stylish homewares from famed Danish design house Hay. And, while in Red Hill, you might as well take advantage of Portet's winemaking heritage and visit the duo's wine store, Red Hill Wine Collective, located two doors down. Here, you can pick up a bottle to enjoy in-house, corkage-free.