MELBOURNE FOOD
Pierre opened his new restaurant Camus this year in the northern suburb of Northcote. Camus celebrates Pierre’s North African heritage with share plates like Algerian paella and slow-cooked goat, caramelised onions and apricot. In other cities, debuting a new cuisine this far from the CBD might be a risk, but Camus has been packed since opening. And it isn’t the only show in its part of town, with cafes like Top of the Hill, and high-end dining like ESP: Estelle by Scott Pickett (245 High Street, Northcote; estellebysp.com) on the same strip. In mature foodie cities, a small neighbourhood diner can also hold a Michelin star, and Pierre thinks that’s where Melbourne dining is heading. “People love neighbourhood restaurants. Now we have a little bit of backstreet Paris in Northcote,” he says. But just as Melbourne has embraced the idea of top-drawer dining away from the CBD, so too has Paris picked up some of Melbourne’s habits. Pierre says share plates and casual dining have finally broken through in the change-resistant City of Lights, and he credits Australian chefs with helping make the shift. “That’s Melbourne now; at Camus I didn’t compromise on the glassware or tables and chairs, but it’s very affordable, very relaxed. You can walk in here in shorts and thongs and still have a great meal,” he says.
ANA ROS (LEFT) IS ONE OF THE INTERNATIONAL GUESTS HEADING TO MELBOURNE
TIP OF THE ICEBERG Melbourne is really just the apex of the Victorian food pyramid, with the regions funnelling amazing produce into the city for the chefs to fry, knead, slice and dice. The diversity, quality and passion that goes into these regions is a key part of what makes Melbourne’s food so special. On a recent trip to the King Valley, three hours north of Melbourne, I had the pleasure of dining with the Pizzini family on their vineyard as part of an Ultimate Winery Experiences tour (ultimatewineryexperiences.com.au). One-time tobacco growers, the Pizzinis switched to wine and are now leaders in traditional Italian varieties like ê prosecco, nebbiolo and sangiovese.
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