6 of the best new restaurants opening in Melbourne in September 2019

If winter is a test of restaurant success, spring is the season of rebirth. Smith & Deli has reopened after a minor renovation as a full-throttle vegan deli, Vincent Vegetarian Food has bloomed up the road in Fitzroy, and what was Ramblr in South Yarra is now a pizza slice joint and bar. Russell Place institution Sarti has closed with plans to deliver a different Italian concept later in the year, while the Glen’s new dining precinct continues to open exciting restaurants. New bars include a rock’n’roll Japanese-inspired cocktail haunt and pop-up dessert bar celebrating the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory musical.

Wonka Bar \ CBD
The Westin Melbourne hotel is joining forces with Burch & Purchese Sweet Studio, inspired by the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory musical.

Must order: the Golden Ticket, a gold chocolate bar with dark chocolate mousse, smoked vanilla ice cream and salted caramel cream

Mono-XO, Fitzroy
Joe Jones (Romeo Lane) and Sam Stafford (ex Momofuku Seiobo, Nomad, Town Mouse and Clever Polly’s) quietly opened a Japanese-inspired bar where Cafe Rosamond once was. The pitch? “Charcoal and rock ’n’ roll”, nailed in the form of a 25-seat, concrete-neon space that stirs perfect cocktails and charcoal-grills kushiyaki (food on sticks).

Must order: braised tripe and salt and pepperberry tofu

300 Grams, Northcote
Surprisingly, this new shop is Northcote’s only dedicated burger bar, flipping the patties of your childhood in a modern space on High Street beside Northcote Social Club. Named after the weight of the signature burger, there are also vegan options and a contender for Melbourne’s best fish burger.

Must order: Dlish fish burger and a coconut-water vegan sundae

Masizzim, Glen Waverly
Part of the Glen’s new dining precinct, this Korean concept specialises in galbi jjim braised meat stews and deconstructed rice bowls that you assemble into balls with your hands. The stew recipe is from the founder’s mother.

Must order: spicy pork stew

Leo’s by the Slice, South Yarra
From the team at Leonard’s House of Love and Leonardo’s Pizza comes this late-night slice joint, specialising in oversized slices, subs and salads on Chapel Street. Up front is an orange-and-white tiled floor with a takeaway vibe, while up the back is a bar with a pool table, a list of tinnies and succinct wine selection.

Must order: Leo’s take on meat lovers

Vincent’s Marketplace, Fitzroy
Brought to the inner north by the owner of Vincent Vegetarian Food (established in 1996), Vincent’s Marketplace caters to vegan and environmentally conscious locals with a stylish vegan supermarket selling hard-to-come-by vegan products and a standing-room coffee cafe.

Must order: St Ali coffee and pastries by Weirdoughs

Say goodbye to…
After 13 years, Italian institution Sarti is closing its doors, with plans to open a new venue towards the end of 2019. The site will remain Italian but present a “younger, more playful concept,” according to co-owner Joe Mammone. Also in the city, Fancy Free has shut, as planned – the Black Pearl alumni always intended the bar to be a six-month pop-up.

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