Spring restaurant openings

Son in Law - my little tribe photography

The flavours and colours of spring have well and truly arrived in Melbourne and in the city’s many renowned eateries. From the north to the south, a spate of openings and new seasonal menus will excite the locals and tempt visitors further afield in their culinary discovery this October.

ChatoAs Melbourne’s dining scene continues to inch further away from the city centre, Chato, an intimate Spanish street style bar and restaurant in Thornbury is offering an authentic street style Spanish menu. Chato chefs are using local ingredients and providers to create traditional Spanish dishes such as Carmen Sevilla. Chato, meaning small glass of wine, will offer a wine list made up of equal parts Australian and Spanish wines to match the flavoursome dishes. 921 High Street, Thornbury, +61 3 9484 8554

EntrecoteFollowing in the footsteps of its South Yarra sister restaurant, a second steakhouse and cafe, Entrecote City in Alfred Place is expected to be equally popular with city workers and visitors. Hearty breakfast menu items include croissants, baguettes and omelettes, while lunch and dinner highlight dishes include onion soup and sirloin steak with herb-butter sauce, salad and fries. A crustacean bar offering seafood platters will no doubt prove popular with visitors wanting to experience Australia’s famous seafood. 6 Alfred Place, Melbourne, +61 3 9654 8184

Hawker HallFrom the makers of Chin Chin comes a hawker market-style venue taking inspiration from the eating malls of Asia. Set to open in October, at the Windsor end of Chapel Street, the venue is as much about beer as it is South East Asian inspired street food. At least 24 beer taps will pour the best independent beers from Australia and beyond, meanwhile the 60-dish menu will have diners coming back to sample the barbecue, dumplings, curries and noodles. Like Chin Chin, the 180 seats will have a no booking policy, but one table will be set aside for groups. 98 Chapel Street, Windsor, +61 3 8560 0090

Lady CarolinaThis new ‘Latin Feasting Experience’, located at the top end of Lygon Street in trendy East Brunswick, will be welcomed by both locals and visitors. Lady Carolina will feature two distinct areas: the indoor cevicheria and pisco bar, where diners will feast on the likes of octopus ceviche, purple corn clam ceviche and Tijuana style lamb barbecoa, and the outdoor Latin street kitchen, which provides a more casual space in which to enjoy street food, washed down with complementary cocktails. 175 – 177 Lygon Street North, East Brunswick.

Lamaro’s BodegaAfter 10 years, iconic South Melbourne pub Lamaro’s has undergone a transformation and has re-opened as a Spanish-influenced restaurant and bar. Lamaro Bodega menu will source the majority of the kitchen’s produce from Victorian farms including Cape Schanck Farm and Greenvale Farm. With a focus on ethical dining, and nose-to-tail cooking, dishes include Greenvale Farm whole suckling pig, Blackmore pasture-fed rib eye on the bone and Flinders Island pasture-fed lamb. 273-279 Cecil Street, South Melbourne, +61 3 9690 3737

Son in LawDeep-fried spiced chicken ribs with nam jim jaew and minced pork and prawn rice paper rolls with mint, coriander, tangy tamarind sauce and crushed peanuts. If this sounds appetising, so will the rest of the menu at Collingwood’s newest Thai street food haunt, Son in Law. With a design that is colourful and bold and cocktails that are the same it’s already got a steady local clientèle. Diners are loving the marshmallow and Nutella Pastry Puff dessert. 56 Johnston Street, Collingwood, +61 3 9410 0399

Toko MelbourneMelbourne can’t get enough of izakaya dining and this new opening in Greville Street, Prahran will excite those in the know. By Sydney restaurateur Matt Yazbek, the food is designed to share, with bite-sized dishes to more filling meals, examples include marinated lamb cutlets, with chilli miso and pickled eggplant and tenaga ebi no nigiri – scampi nigiri with foie gras and truffle oil. With a red fabric wallpapered Whiskey Room and 60 sakes to try – a sumptuous dining experience awaits. 142 Greville Street, Prahran, +61 3 9521 3155

EmiliaThis Northern Italian style trattoria takes the place of Gill’s Diner, which was opened by Con Christopoulos and Chris Kerr eight years ago. Con and Chris remain at the heart of this Little Collins Street eatery, and now have realised their dreams of turning Gill’s into an authentic Italian restaurant. Chefs Francesco Rota and Luca Flammia and front of house manager Matteo Neviani have been integral to this transformation. All three hail from Modena, a Italian small town known for its slow food and fast cars, and the menu pays homage to traditional Modenese dishes. Gills Alley, 360 Little Collins Street, Melbourne, +61 3 9670 7214