Let’s eat: this week’s hospitality news

8th December 2020 | Eativity editors

As the hospitality industry takes its first tentative steps back into normality, new eateries are opening up to offer foodies some truly memorable dining experiences. But it’s not just about the food – every good restaurateur knows that the setting is just as important as the menu, which makes the new arrivals we’ve featured here very special indeed. But even as the horrors of 2020 fade into the background, it’s unlikely the business “pivot” is going anywhere, as eateries cotton on to the benefits of value-adding. We’ve shared one such venture here, which will allow you to offer guests a very merry (and delicious) Christmas feast, complete with soundtrack. And once Christmas is done and dusted, it’s time to start planning for New Year’s Eve, and we’ve got Melbournites’ night sorted.

Stunning views, spectacular food: L’Héritage is a delight for the senses.

Mosman says “bienvenue” to new French dining destination

Mosman’s spectacular Chowder Bay is home to Sydney’s newest French bistro, L’Héritage. Situated in a historic building overlooking Clifton Gardens and Sydney Harbour, L’Héritage will tempt Sydneysiders and visitors with classic French, home-cooked dishes.

L’Heritage is the fourth restaurant venture for owners, Pierre and his Sydney-born wife Alena Rayrolles. They have now partnered with Pierre’s best friend of many years, Julien Audibert-Lebon, who will be Head Chef at L’Héritage, to realise a shared dream of bringing French heritage to the table in an Australian heritage location.

Browsing the lunch and dinner menu transports diners straight to the heart of Paris. Dishes include classic French entrées like chicken liver pâté, escargots and salmon rillettes.

Mains include sanard à l’orange, entrecote frites, bouillabaisse, poisson du jour and gnocchi ricotta aux petits legumes. Sumptuous French desserts include mousse au chocolat, poire Belle Helene and a selection of house-made gelato.

Bistro L’Heritage opens today. To book, call (02) 9968 1658 email  info@l’heritage.com.au or head to lheritage.com.au

Where coast meets country: The Growers is the perfect pit stop for lunch.

A new food destination on NSW’s south coast

Located within the Shoalhaven region on the NSW South Coast, The Growers – a new 450-seat indoor/outdoor casual eatery and bar – opened its doors in November.

Celebrating the best of the area and its surrounds, the venue will showcase the region’s diverse agricultural producers, wineries, fromageries and breweries.

American-born chef Patrick Haney (Sydney Opera Bar and Pok Pok, Portland Oregon) will spearhead the kitchen at The Growers. Haney has created a menu that will comprise a selection of shared dishes, including oysters from Greenwell Point and Batemans Bay; squid and whitebait fritto; and wood fired pizzas. More substantial items include house-made pasta made with local vegetables; and roast chicken with kale polenta and mushrooms.

The Growers will feature multiple dining areas and enclosed event spaces. There’s an expansive outdoor garden area that includes seating under planted pergolas, a fire pit, kid’s play areas and kiosk which will offer a weekend menu that focuses on barbecue-style dishes such as slow-cooked pulled pork seasoned with The Growers’ spice rub, made from ingredients out of the venue’s kitchen garden.

Bookings can be made at thegrowersshoalhaven.com.au

Get the party started with a bang.

New Year Street Feasts take the party outside in Melbourne

New Year Street Feasts – presented by the City of Melbourne, the Victorian government and Melbourne Food & Wine Festival – is a New Year celebration that will bring the city’s streets to life with open-air dining unlike anything Australia has seen before.

Eleven outdoor dining precincts will set the stage for thousands of people to ring in the New Year at their favourite restaurants with friends and family across two days. From the Paris end of Little Collins Street right through to Hardware Lane and beyond, each precinct will bring together restaurants and bars from the surrounding streets and lanes, offering diners more than 50 premium venues to enjoy on December 31 and January 1. The precincts are:

Some of Melbourne’s best-loved venues are involved, including Bar Margaux, Bar Saracen, Flower Drum, Hazel, Izakaya Den, Lee Ho Fook and Tipo 00. The program has something for everyone: Japanese hot dogs, beers and cocktails at Hihou; a family-friendly menu of lasagne and tiramisu at Pellegrini’s; a suckling pig bo ssäm at Supernormal; and a $1000 all-inclusive menu with premium wine and flowers to take home at Cecconi’s.

The New Year Street Feasts initiative takes some of its cues from the piazzas and squares of Europe, opening up precincts all over the City of Melbourne, including some of the city’s most popular eat streets such as Flinders Lane and Little Bourke Street.

More information and bookings are available via mfwf.com.au. Booking New Year Street Feasts in advance is essential to keep the celebrations running smoothly and safely.

Chef Martin Benn outside the new venue.

Melbourne’s new SOCIETY dame

Restaurateur Chris Lucas and chef Martin Benn have announced further developments in their creative partnership, with the launch of SOCIETY – a landmark establishment of diverse dining and drinking experiences.

Located at the prestigious and historic 80 Collins Street building in Melbourne, the long-awaited project is scheduled to open in late March 2021.

Dramatic in scale but intimate in style, the restaurant has 180-degree views over Collins and Exhibition streets. A contemporary reimagining of mid-century attitude, SOCIETY will encompass distinctly different experiences – the SOCIETY dining room, customised private dining, the Lillian Terrace (indoor and outdoor dining) and a luxurious lounge bar.

The series of connected spaces remain independent in menu offerings. The lounge bar seamlessly interconnects both restaurants while maintaining its own identity; its small menu will be the perfect accompaniment after sipping a martini or two, or for those seeking a pre- dinner taste of what’s to come.  The main SOCIETY dining room boasts vast ceilings, while the Lillian Terrace is a more verdant affair with an open-air terrace for outdoor dining.

To enquire about reservations and receive up-to-date information on SOCIETY, head to societyrestaurant.com

Everything you need for a festive feast – including the music.

QT launches first at-home sensory dining experience

If the idea of the fast-approaching holiday season is causing more heart palpitations than heart-warming feelings, the newly launched Christmas by QT at Home meal kit is here to help. Artfully curated by a team of QT Hotels and Resorts’ best chefs from Australia’s finest and award-winning restaurants – including Santini Grill, Yamagen Japanese, Capitol Bar & Grill and Gowings Bar & Grill – QT’s first-ever holiday box for home cooks delivers a slice of QT at home, with a smack of Christmas indulgence.

Culinary magicians are not required. The easy-to-follow kits have been expertly crafted for simple assembly and include helpful and quirky instructions for cooking. You won’t find any directions to place your meals neatly in the oven here; Christmas by QT at Home encourages home chefs to cook with a flourish and a generous pinch of holiday fanfare.

As an added garnish to the dining experience, each dish has been paired with a Christmas song to deliver a unique sensory amuse bouche as you cook, eat and digest your meal.

Christmas by QT at Home caters for 4 to 6 people, with options to add additional items such as market lobster, extra desserts and drinks. Available for pick-up from the Gold Coast, Sydney, Perth and Canberra. Orders must be made before December 17, and pick-up is available on December 23 and December 24. For more info, head to qtathome.com