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Everything you need to know about the MFWF Gippsland takeover

Words by Tehya Nicholas
Images supplied

Each year, Melbourne Food and Wine Festival celebrates the produce and the people that make eating in Victoria great. But it’s not just merrymaking in the CBD. As part of this years Regional Edition, the festival is pitching up in Gippsland’s tiny town of Thorpdale for one weekend of food, fun and wonder.

You may not have heard of Thorpdale. Home to just 180 humans (and a few more potatoes), you’d be forgiven. But when MFWF comes rolling in on Saturday 19 to Sunday 20 November, there’ll be nowhere in the state with as much culinary star power. The grassy hamlet will host two very full days of activities, demonstrations and tastings, with some of the biggest and brightest stars in Victoria and Australia’s culinary scene. So strap yourself in for our full rundown of this weekend of indulgence.

The Village Feast

First stop on this extravaganza: The Village Feast. This is the “umbrella event” from which all good things flow. This ticketed event—purchased as individual day passes via the MFWF website—is almost like a country fair, but with next level food and drink. Punters can stroll through the 19th Century town (which we hear has been given a fresh lick of paint), stop by the various pop-ups, markets, and stalls to fill up their tummies and tote bags with top-tier produce.

An exceptional array of Gippsland food, wines, beers, ciders and spirits will be flowing across the day and across locations. Beloved Argentinian-born, Gippsland-championing chef Alejandro Saravia from Farmer’s Daughters and Victoria will be dishing up his deli classics with a twist. Danielle Alvarez, former head chef of Sydney’s Fred’s restaurant, will be slinging her famous choripan, a decadent hot-chorizo-on-a-bun type situation. Tasmanian chef and How Wild Things Are author Analiese Gregory will be cooking up a storm on the grill. While Trout tartare with Baw Baw wild herbs and gaufrette potatoes will be grilling on charcoal under the guidance of Hogget chef Trevor Perkins.

And that’s just for starters. There’ll be desserts and other sweet treats made by the talented Patti Chimkire from Mali Bakes. Gippsland wines will be poured by the experts at a pop-up wine bar inside the former general store. And some of Thorpdale’s homegrown heroes are set to be baking pies and potato bread at the Thorpdale Bakery.

Of course, no day in Gippsland would be complete without sampling some of the region’s famous dairy. Sallie Jones from Gippsland Jersey is at the helm, accompanied by The Fromagerie by Loch Grocer and That’s Amore Cheese to dole out milkshakes, cheese platters and cannoli.

While you let the food settle, you can head off to one of many Meet the Maker booths dotted around the main drag to learn about the region’s produce from the growers and makers including a paint n sip’ express workshops from acclaimed Gippsland artist Lucy Hersey. Or try your hand at creating a bouquet at a flower market setup by the ladies from Pepperberry Flora and Quite Contrary Flower Farm .

The Community Table, hosted by our very own Richard Cornish, will bring together chefs, farmers and special guests to share their knowledge. Hands-on experiences are encouraged.

Live Music

No country fair is complete without live music, so MFWF has partnered with Always Live to corral a hoard of talented acts to play across the The Village Feast.

Saturday 19th features Grace Cummings, a folk-rock musician whose recent album has earned her a global audience. Her set comes mid-afternoon at 2.15pm. Also featured across the day: avant-garde electronic duo Tim Shiel and Mindy Meng Wang, South Gippsland-born singer-songwriter William Blackley, and epic jazz eight-piece Jazzparty.

The darling of Triple j, Mia Wray, whose powerful voice has seen her indie-pop ballads skyrocket in popularity, is playing a mid-afternoon set on Sunday 20 November. Also on Sunday, Melbourne’s cult band Dorsal Fins, now a trio, are playing their horn-infused funk-pop at 2.15pm. They’re supported by Pirritu, proud Wangaaypuwan mayi of the Ngiyampaa clan, whose songs are stories: sad and sweet. And Australia’s answer to HAIM, Little Quirks, is playing a folk-pop set at 1pm.

The Village Feast Weekender

If all this excitement has got you thinking “I need to book accommodation in Gippsland and stretch this out for a full weekend” you are in good hands. The festival has organised four extra food and wine adventures to max out your weekend. Breakfast, lunches, dinners prepared by the most celebrated chefs are now available to book.

On the evening of Friday 18 November, Embla x Hogget Kitchen is kicking off the feast with a mighty city-country collab in Warragul. Dave Verheul is joining his country cousin Trevor Perkins to create a fresh, flame-grilled, farm-to-table feast. Enjoyed in stand-up, family-style way, this romp will leave your belly full and eager to enjoy the rest of the festival.

The Gippsland Farmers’ Grazing Brunch will ease you into Saturday morning. A general admission ticket will see you enter the Warragul Farmers’ Market at the leafy Civic Park and sample some of the regions spoils at the hot breakfast buffet and grazing tables.

An epic lunch is set to be served at Thorpdale Town Hall on Saturday, with Provenance, Fire & Wine by Alejandro Saravia. The celebrated chef, whose love for Gippsland produce is evident at his restaurant CBD Farmer’s Daughter, is cooking a five-course menu over a campfire. A scrumptious blend of European technique, his Latin American heritage, and the finest Gippsland produce, this is one not to be missed.

Seize the last day of the festival with Wake Up With A Winemaker where wine from A.R.C Wines, Bandicoot Run, Cannibal Creek Vineyard, Fleet Wines and Lightfoot Wines are poured by the winemakers themselves, alongside a European-style breakfast banquet. Arranged by one of Gippsland’s most charming eateries Meeniyan’s Trulli Pizzeria & Bakehouse, there will be fresh pastries, charcuterie, cheese, bacon and egg burgers, breakfast focaccia, yoghurts and fruit.

Tickets for each event are selling fast and accommodation options are also filling up quickly. You can head to Visit Gippsland or Airbnb to find available spaces.

THE DETAILS
WHAT: Village Feast & The Village Feast Weekender from MFWF
WHERE: Gippsland
WHEN: Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 November
TICKETS: $32 Early Bird price / $45 Full Price 
MORE INFO: Melbourne Food and Wine Festival

We wish to acknowledge the Gunaikurnai people as traditional owners of this land and to pay our respects to their Elders, past and present.

All Saints new multi-million dollar cellar opens in Rutherglen

Words by Richard Cornish
Images supplied

It is a stunning addition to Victoria’s wine culture. A beautifully designed and executed cellar door inside the historic 1864 castle at the winery by the banks of the Murray at Wahgunyah.

Guests to the new cellar door follow a concrete walkway to the smooth and soft-lit bullnose timber-topped terrazzo tasting bar. Behind the bar are the exposed walls of handmade bricks and the old supporting timbers and beams. A suspended modern fireplace sits in one corner and the All Saints Wines line the cabinets on the walls.

Like many Victorian wineries, the Brown Family who own the winery have chosen the curated format of wine tasting, which gives a slow and respectful experience where true wine lovers can get to really know the wines. Guests are asked to choose between the Estate Tasting, Family Cellar Tasting and Muscat Experience.

The entry-level Estate Tasting costs $15 and features classic varieties sourced from carefully selected sites. Curated with approachability in mind, including a few fortified options, for a great introduction to what the estate and the region offer.

The $45 Family Cellar Tasting is a small pour, five wine access to limited-release wines that are hand-crafted using traditional winemaking techniques with fruit from old vineyards. Then there is the $60 Muscat Experience, a deep dive into the dark and delicious fortified wines for which the Rutherglen region is famous around the world.

We are waiting with bated breath for the opening of the much-anticipated new restaurant KIN to replace the much-loved All Saints Terrace. KIN will have a new chef, a new menu and a dining room with stunning views across the vineyards and duckpond. KIN could be open before Christmas, but we will let you know as soon as we get word.

THE DETAILS

Where: All Saints Estate, 205 All Saints Road, Wahgunyah
When: Now
Why: Stunning new cellar door
More Info: All Saints Estate

We wish to acknowledge the Yorta Yorta people as traditional owners of this land and to pay our respects to their Elders, past and present.

SenseFest: A mind-blowing festival combining food, wine, music and art

Words by Richard Cornish
Images Supplied

This is a mind-blowing festival that combines food, wine, music and art and questions how we perceive those experiences all by examining how our senses work.

It’s the brainchild of Berlin-based Hong Kong Canadian piano virtuoso Avan Yu. A lover of the Yarra Valley and its wines he workshopped a three-day festival with local chefs, winemakers and artists to create an event that goes beyond the consumption of food, wine and music.

SenseFest is immersive, exploratory and a lot of high-level fun. “It seems to me that there could be a lot more involved in an event, rather than people just sitting there and listening to music,” says Avan. “All our senses are more or less engaged all the time, and it can be really rewarding to consider how these various stimuli interact and work together.”

The three-day event will be held at Seville Estate with four performances in the Seville Estate Barrel-room by Avan Yu showcasing his own talents and exploring the capabilities of a Fazioli grand piano, where he’ll be joined on Friday evening and Sunday afternoon by highly-regarded local musicians Wilma Smith (violin) and Zoe Knighton (cello).

They’ll be playing evocative 19th and early 20th-century compositions selected especially for their capacity to stimulate the imagination. In two successive concerts on Saturday afternoon, Avan Yu will perform the entire repertoire of Maurice Ravel’s works for solo piano—a feat not previously attempted in Australia, and equivalent to a double marathon.

Australia’s premier wine writer Max Allen takes centre stage on Sunday 20th November. The highly-esteemed author, academic, journalist and mandolin player Max Allen takes participants through a sensory exploration of subjectivity, involving 6 related but unique episodes of live music, different wines, and on-the-spot art-making, interrogating the interplay between our thoughts, our feelings, and our senses.

With food and wine for sale between events, this is a beautiful location for a stunning and elevated event.

THE DETAILS:

What: Multi-Sensory Food, Wine, Music, Art, Environmental Festival
Where: Seville Estate, 65 Linwood Road, Seville
When: November 18-20
Why: Mind-blowing event for eaters, drinkers and thinkers
More Info: SenseFest

We wish to acknowledge the Wurundjeri people as traditional owners of this land and to pay our respects to their Elders, past and present.

The Stanley Pub reopens with high-end, Asian-inspired menu

Words by Richard Cornish
Images Supplied

Up in Victoria’s North East, in the historic gold mining town of Stanley, is an old pub with ancient wisteria vines clinging to the veranda. The Stanley Pub has been serving locals and visitors since she first opened her doors in 1854.

During the late 1990s, this gold rush era boozer became a gastronomic destination, where food tourists would book a room and a table and make a weekend of it.

The news that restaurant impresario Peter Bartholomew, the man behind MoVida and Lee Ho Fook had bought the pub along with Beechworth chef Michael Ryan sure had tongues talking.

This week, after months of renovations and rejuvenation, the Stanley is open for business once more.

The new licensee is local chef Sally Wright. She is an accomplished chef who started her career in pubs running the kitchen in the halcyon days of the Argot and Alexandra hotels in South Yarra.

Recently she has been wowing locals with her catering company Taste Trekkers, and for the last months has been working up a menu for the Stanley.

The old pub retains its ochre yellow exterior but inside, it is a wonderland of antiques with a warm gothic bohemian feel.

The wine has been put together by local consultant Stephanie Eyles and consists of 40% local wines, 30% Australian, and the remainder wines of the world.

The menu is a joyful expression of Sally’s love of Asian food. The karage chicken is served with burdock, contract grown for her by a local co-operative of vegetable growers. There could be the classic Indonesian snack of ikan bilis – crunchy hot anchovies with peanuts mixed up with pork crackling.

In what is set to become a signature dish is a soft, white bread sandwich filled with slowly braised smoked pork hock that has been formed into a flat croquette, crumbed, and fried until crisp and golden.

There are red and green curries, tempura fried fish with yuzu, and miso tartare.

Sally is not re-booting the accommodation, instead focusing on the new produce and wine store opening in spring and the sprawling garden that will be ready for summer.

THE DETAILS:

WHAT: Top-end Asian-inspired gastro pub food
WHERE: Stanley Pub, 6-12 Myrtleford-Stanley Rd, Stanley
WHEN: From August 18

 

We wish to acknowledge the traditional owners of this land and to pay our respects to their Elders, past and present.

Wayward Winery to open doors in the Pyrenees

Images Supplied

A sprawling new vineyard and accompanying restaurant, function space, accommodation and cellar door is set to open up its doors over the coming months along the gateway of the Pyrenees Wine Region.

The project of Ballarat wonderpreneur Teddy Powlett, Wayward is situated just 20 minutes down the road from the city in the quaint township of Waubra.

‘It’s the first winery as you hit the gorgeous Pyrenees Wine Region,’ Teddy says, ‘and we are close to opening the restaurant for weekenders and functions with plans for accommodation and a cellar door later this year.’

With the Pyrenees renowned for its exceptional cool-climate wines, and Teddy known for his curation of refined dining experiences in the region (he is partially responsible for the likes of Ballarat’s Ragazzone, Moon and Mountain and Renard Social Club), lovers of fine vino can only imagine what is to be expected when this boutique space beckons them in.

According to Teddy, working in such a creative industry is what keeps him going back for more.

I love the people I work with and the creativities elements of the industry. It’s been a tough few years but the resilience shown by our staff has been amazing.

THE DETAILS

WHAT: Wayward Winery
WHERE: Waubra, Pyrenees Shire
WHEN: 2022
FIND OUT MORE: Wayward Winery

We wish to acknowledge the Dja Dja Wurrung people as traditional owners of this land and to pay our respects to their Elders, past and present.

Introducing Traditional French-style Piquette, Pique Season 1

Words by Richard cornish
Images Supplied

It’s light, dry, low in alcohol, very refreshing and made in the traditional French Piquette style of fermenting the grape marc pressings. This new local release is called Pique Season 1, made by Lyon-born French woman Manon Houg who has collaborated with Victorian winemakers in the Grampians wine region.

“When I was growing up, my grandparents would make their own Piquette,” she says. “They would take marc (pressed skins) from Syrah and Gamay or whatever they could get their hands on,” she says. She says they would soak the marc and then drain it. The water extracted leftover sugars in the skins, and this was then fermented.

It is a low alcohol drink, and it was something that children were allowed to sip on to train their palates at the dinner table.

The Melbourne-based wine industry marketing specialist has had her eye on the rise of Piquette in the global wine industry, especially in the US. There Piquette is often blended with fruit or fruit wines to make novel versions of the original. Manon wanted to make something more akin to the clean, lean piquettes of her home country.

She teamed up with winemakers in the Grampians to create Pique Season 1. This delightfully spritzy, dry, yet well-rounded drink is made with the marc of eight different grape varieties, including Roussanne, Marsanne, Riesling, Cabernet Franc but mostly Nebbiolo, Syrah and Pinot Noir. The skins are hydrated with filtered rainwater and then pressed hard to extract as much flavour and residual sugar. This mix is then fermented using natural yeasts with a little experimentation with the ferments to build layers of flavour.

The different batches are blended, filtered, carbonated and filled into glossy aluminium cans. The drink is just 3.5%, similar to mid-strength beers, has a pleasant rosy hue and should be served chilled, and is a fun drink for a weekend lunch or after-work tipple. It’s light body and low alcohol make it ideal for those wanting a better choice when reaching for a drink.

Pique Season 1 sells for about $8 for a 330ml can.

THE DETAILS

What: Traditional French-style Piquette
When: Now
Where: Blackhearts and Sparrows, NotWasted, Drnks

We wish to acknowledge the traditional owners of this land and to pay our respects to their Elders, past and present.

Lead architect of MONA opens cellar door and sculpture park in the Macedon Ranges

Words by Amanda Kennedy

Mount Monument Winery in Romsey proves true the old adage good things come to those who wait. First acquired by Nonda Katsalidis in 2005, the multi-stage project has been ageing, almost like a fine wine. If the name rings a bell, it’s because Nonda is one half of Fender Katsalidis, the highly-awarded architectural practice responsible for Hobart’s MONA, the Eureka Tower at Southbank and many more structures around Australia and internationally.

Over the years, the 45ha property has been planted with 1500 olives trees and the area under vine increased by almost half.
‘I think what we’ve been building over the last few years has been really more about water management and trying to increase the bird life to the area by taking the animals of the property and just letting areas self-seed.’ explains Jane Collins, Katsalidis’ partner. ‘We’ve just enjoyed seeing it regenerate, like turning the dam that existed with the previous farming approach into more of a wetlands. That was our starting point.’

A relatively high altitude of 630m makes it possibly the coolest climate in Australia in which to grow grapes and produce wine. Thankfully, winemaker Ben Ranken is no stranger to producing wine in such a cool climate. His own vineyard, Wilimee Wines, is located less than half an hour away.

‘We’re pretty excited about having Ben Ranken wine-making for us, he is a very intelligent, careful, great communicator. It’s been lovely having him involved,’ says Jane. As winner of the 2021 Young Gun of Wine Vigneron amongst his accolades, wine might just run in Ben’s veins. His ancestor, George Ranken, planted some of the first vines in Australia in 1841 in Bathurst, NSW. While the finishing touches are still being made to the whole project, Ben was able to press the first grapes in the winery in March this year.

The winery forms the lower half of a two-storey building which nestles into the hillside. The 60-plus seat restaurant is located upstairs overlooking the vines and east towards the township of Romsey. A cosy cellar door will face onto sculpture-filled grounds, accessible via a vine-covered pergola. The buildings have included water tanks and composting worm farms as part of their design and are built using fire-resistant materials, essential in such a high-risk fire zone. Short term future plans also include several small eco-lodges to provide the full Macedon Ranges accommodation experience complete with stunning sunsets and crisp mornings.

While the winery might be named for the nearby volcanic rock formation, Brock’s Monument, it may soon be eclipsed by the outstanding architecture and sculptures which seem destined to become a drawcard themselves. Jane  explains, ‘It was very organic; it’s not like we had a business plan or anything. It’s more of a passion project than anything … and then Nonda just invited a few friends who were sculptors and artists.’

The playful structures invite the observer to look at the environment in new ways – whether it’s Tom Borgas’ Active Form (2019) all hard angles and striking in its Yves Klein electric blue or The Birth Of Zarathustra by Richard Stringer (1991) which will keep an eye on diners with its prominent restaurant position.

They’re all so different, but I think thematically there is something that is very much about a sense of place or how fragile the environment is. There’s something that really connects all of the artists in terms of their connection to conservation. So even though it looks like a random collection in a paddock, when you actually read about the works, there’s something that really ties them all together.

Get inspired with the swoon-worthy Instagram gallery and keep an eye out for opening dates, slated for this Queen’s Birthday long-weekend (11-13 June 2022).

THE DETAILS

WHAT: Mount Monument Winery
WHERE: 1399 Romsey Rd, Romsey
WHEN: Opening Queen’s Birthday long-weekend (11-13 June 2022)
MORE INFO: Mount Monument

We wish to acknowledge the Wurundjeri people as traditional owners of this land and to pay our respects to their Elders, past and present.

Introducing Athletes of Wine new Pet Nat

Words by Richard Cornish
Images Supplied

From Melbourne sommelier turned winemaker Liam O’Brien comes this tight, bright, cheery pet nat from the Macedon Ranges. A few years back Liam (Cutler and Co.) and Matt Brooke (Crown) decided to spread their wings and do a crash course in winemaking that saw them immerse themselves into the arcane art and explore every aspect from viticulture to bottle ferment.

We saw ourselves as if we were in training. So we called ourselves the Athletes of Wine.

Matt stepped away 12 months ago but Liam carries on the ethos of spartan winemaking working with Brian Martin at Kilchurn in Romsey.

This week Liam released his latest wine, Vino Atletico NV Macedon Pet Nat. It’s a beautiful expression of cold climate Chardonnay grapes, grown at 560m altitudes in the Macedon Ranges. Low-yield, fully-ripe grapes were hand-picked then whole bunch press and fermented in a tank using Champagne yeast. Whilst still undergoing fermentation the young wine was transferred to bottle for further fermentation in a manner the French refer to as method ancestrale.

The wine was then stored in bottle, on lees, for 7 months. The result is a straw-coloured wine that is more misty than cloudy. The bottle fermentation gives the wine bubbles that are fine, which give way to reveal a clean line of acidity. This marries the fresh green apple aroma and the richness of the living yeast. There’s some soft tannins on the front of the palate and a gentle round richness. One mouthful and this wine is screaming out for a food friend. Think seared scallops and cauliflower puree; a bite of pork belly and roast apple sauce; or gnocchi frito with green olive mortadella.

This is a beautiful example of a pet nat, or petite natural wine. A lot of criticism has been thrown at this style of wine-making as there have been a lot of sloppy Australian versions of this old method of putting bubbles in wine. But here Liam is at the top of his game when it comes to understanding how wine is enjoyed. He has gone out of his way to make a pet nat that suits the palates of a broad range of modern diners, who enjoy their wine in the context of dining, not just quaffing. This is a young, fun wine that will stand up for itself in a serious dining context, whilst not taking itself seriously for one moment. It hits the shelves this week and you can order online direct from $35 per bottle.

THE DETAILS:

WHERE: Online and Woodend Wine Store; Union Wine Bar, Geelong; Winespeake, Daylesford.
WHEN: From April 4
MORE INFO: Athletes of Wine

We wish to acknowledge the traditional owners of this land and to pay our respects to their Elders, past and present.

St Huberts reopens as Hubert Estate after multi-million dollar development

Words by Jay Dillon

Locals of the Yarra Valley have been observing the slow rising of the ground from the Maroondah Highway for the last two years. It’s either a giant mole that’s dug its way from the UK or there’s a new cellar door on its way. 

The St Huberts vineyard was established in 1862 by Charles Hubert de Castella, contributing to the first wave of vine planting which began with Yering Station to the west. The estate built a huge reputation for high-quality cabernet wines, particularly in the late 1970s and 1980s. Through these years the estate passed through many hands, most recently; publicly listed winemakers and distributors Treasury Wines Estate.

Around 2016 the vineyard property was sold to entrepreneur Gerry Ryan, who was responsible for the $16 million redevelopment of Mitchelton Wines, Nagambie. Treasury Wines has clearly not been willing to give up the heritage wine label and instead will continue to own the St Huberts brand and rent back the newly developed property, renamed as Hubert Estate, from Gerry Ryan.

‘For visitors, it will be an fantastic proposition, as you go there and do a number of interesting things across the day. Rather than just a tasting at the cellar door’. Explains Tony Layton, Business Manager St Huberts.

The property’s soft launch today (March 31) will focus on the ‘mole mound’ centrepiece building which will house St Huberts Cellar door on the top floor and a wine retail shop called Notes. Here visitors will be able to access over seventy different labels from the Treasury Wines portfolio, as well as the ‘Notes’ brand of wines that targets emerging varietals and unorthodox winemaking techniques. The basement level opens as a gallery space featuring indigenous artists from Victoria and beyond.

Quarters at Hubert Estate restaurant will open on April 8, which is built around a fast-casual and high-quality menu. Expect pizza, pasta, burgers, salads and of course an extensive wine list. As the team finds their sea legs, the restaurant will open for five days for the first month.

It’s a massive investment into the Valley, with a function and event space called ‘Harriet’ and an eighty room hotel slated to be completed by the end of the year. There are other food and wine offerings to be added in the future, in addition to a high-end day spa.

Hubert Estate is shaping up to be a centrepiece of the Yarra Valley’s ‘golden triangle’, bringing something new whilst paying respects to the heritage of the site. One imagines Charles Hubert de Castella would approve.

THE DETAILS

WHAT: Hubert Estate
WHEN: Cellar door, retail store and gallery open today March 31. Quarters at Hubert Estate restaurant will open on April 8.
WHERE:3 St Huberts Rd, Coldstream
MORE INFO: Hubert Estate

We wish to acknowledge the Wurundjeri people as traditional owners of this land and to pay our respects to their Elders, past and present.

Latin American cuisine is now cooking in the heart of East Gippsland

Words by Teyha Nicholls
Images Supplied

East Gippsland has never been known for its Latin American dining scene, but there’s a new restaurant setting out to change all that.

Arturo’s Latin Cuisine Restaurant is busting open the repertoire with authentic Peruvian, Argentinian and Colombian dishes for lunch and dinner. Charcoal-grilled meat plates and tapas with traditional spices have been flying out of the kitchen for one month now, something owner Mark Wheeldon couldn’t be happier about — both professionally and personally.

“I left [Gippsland] at 19 and returned at 54. I was sort of semi-retired when I saw this venue and contacted my friend, Arturo, who is a Peruvian chef. I said to him, “c’mon we’re going to start up a restaurant,” Mark explains.

Arturo, who emigrated from Peru six years ago, was cooking in the RACV City Club kitchen before the pandemic hit. But like many other venues, customer shortages during 2020 meant several staff were forced to find other work so Arturo found a job in a factory.  Fast forward two years and the duo are breaking new ground by building one of Gippsland’s finest Latin American restaurants.

We don’t call it a restaurant, we call it a venue. It’s somewhere people come to experience some nice food, to chat with friends. There’s a certain sort of ambience to it.

That ambience was designed by Mark’s niece, an interior designer with an intimate knowledge of what makes a venue sing. The team completely renovated what once was an uninspired 1960’s brick shopfront into a modern, glass-fronted restaurant with subtle homages to Latin America. The space feels bright yet warm, spacious yet cosy and, of course, the lake view is the hero.

“Arturo’s is all about helping out a friend, giving me something to do and also doing something unique in Paynesville. And that’s what we’ve done.”

THE DETAILS
WHAT: Arturo’s Latin Cuisine Restaurant
WHERE: 59 Esplanade, Paynesville
WHEN: Thursday – Sunday 10:30 am –9:00 pm
MORE INFO: Arturo’s Latin Cuisine Restaurant

We wish to acknowledge the Gunaikurnai people as traditional owners of this land and to pay our respects to their Elders, past and present.