Hospitality Spotlight – Melbourne

Hope Street Radio – Peter Frederick Cole Architect

Part wine bar, part restaurant and part radio station, Hope Street Radio by Peter Frederick Cole Architect is an optimistic expression of creativity and community. Located within Collingwood Yards by Fieldwork, the space radiates a certain friendliness, pairing vibrancy and colour with a pared back utilitarian edge. The walls come to life with an extensive mural, hand painted by Peter and artist Alice McIntosh, alongside original steel framed windows, custom joinery with poured resin benchtops and simple pieces of loose furniture in timber and steel.

Nomad Melbourne – Clare Cousins Architects

Tucked beneath the Adelphi Hotel on Flinders Lane is Nomad Melbourne designed by Clare Cousins Architects. It appears rather inconspicuous from the street; if you’re not looking for it, you may very well miss it, and perhaps that’s all part of the charm. Descending into the restaurant, you’re met by a sleek yet unstuffy design. Original concrete columns and beams dating back to the 1930s are exposed alongside steel wall cladding, timber and grey tiling. Much like the food, the design focuses on locality, incorporating texture and haptics as part of the experience.

Part wine bar, part restaurant and part radio station, Hope Street Radio by Peter Frederick Cole Architect is an optimistic expression of creativity and community.

Gimlet – ACME

Entirely immersive in its food and design offering is Andrew McConnell’s latest venue, Gimlet by ACME. Occupying a corner block along Russell Street and Flinders Lane, the handsome Chicago-style architecture of Cavendish House signals the drama and grandeur within. The open kitchen and bar sit at the centre of the vast room, framed by four columns and surrounded by tables across two tiers. Cocktails are best enjoyed at the bar, lower booths are great for casual dining and pockets on the podium level offer the best vantage point. Soaring ceilings, original windows and parquetry floors recall a romantic time of opulence alongside glass chandeliers, leather booths and indoor plants. The food is one thing, but you’ll likely find yourself returning for the splendour of this space as well.

Society – Russell & George

There’s a sense of anticipation ahead of dining at Chris Lucas’s new restaurant Society, fed in large part by the evocative, moody design. Architects Russell & George drew on multiple design influences, from art deco and art nouveau to modernism and brutalism, to create an inherently contemporary design language. Luxurious materials and sumptuous shades coat the interiors of the two restaurants, the bar and private dining spaces. From the turned, two-tone dining tables to the lounge chairs, almost every element was designed by Russell & George. There’s artwork by Victorian artist David Noonan, too. A celebration of the junction between food and design, Society is Melbourne in so many ways.

Bar Bambi – David Hicks

Bar Bambi is an homage to the owners’ Nonno, who 80 years ago ran a venue of the same name in their hometown of Trieste in Italy. Channelling its namesake’s 1940s Italian charm, interior designer David Hicks has created a playful, contemporary identity for this new haunt on Melbourne’s AC/DC Lane. Broad design influences from an array of eras collide in this animated space; there are dark timber panelled walls, parquetry floors and curved banquettes. A Murano glass chandelier with 150 dusky pink globes hangs above the bar and small tables are dimly lit with brass mushroom lamps. Bar Bambi is where contemporary eclecticism meets old-school supper club.

It appears rather inconspicuous from the street; if you’re not looking for it, you may very well miss it, and perhaps that’s all part of the charm.

This Spotlight feature originally appeared in the inaugural issue of The Commercial Project. Spotlight features aim to shine a light on a curated selection of people and places under a certain banner – be it projects within the hospitality sector or architects pioneering sustainable practices. These features are short, sharp and easily digestible.