Hazel

The Verdict

Flinders Lane’s dual-level diner Hazel has been a pillar of the Mulberry Group (Lilac Wine, Square One, Liminal) since opening back in 2019. 

Housed in the historical Richard Allen building (built in 1897) the upstairs restaurant is a luminous white-walled dining room—it's got a New York bistro-style feel with well-spaced tables and booths and a large open kitchen with a wood-fired oven. 

Now with the new addition of head chef, Aleksis Kalnins, who has honed his culinary expertise on an international scale with Michelin-starred establishments (Ron Gastrobar, Dinner By Heston) and locally as head chef of Scott Pickett's Matilda 159 in South Yarra. 

Aleksis alongside the kitchen team has brought have imbued their own Euro-leaning take on Hazel’s menu committed to a DIY philosophy, celebrating local producers and evolving as the seasons do.

Known for their house-made charcuterie plates, Hazel crafts their own cheese, bread and cold-cut meats, including Bundarra Berkshire pork and Alpine trout with salted cucumber and horseradish.

For more delicate bites, start off the evening with a thick pork cracker with whipped cod roe, crab hash and aioli, or the witlof leaves cupping apple and raw fish. 

Many of the dishes unveil vegetables from The Mulberry Group’s Common Ground Project in Freshwater Creek—promoting food security and sustainability. Straight from the earth to your plate, expect mains like buttery sugarloaf cabbage with cultured cream and hazelnuts, or hearty Cape Grim striploin with burnt carrot and miso. 

Hazel’s ethos continues to the drink menu, featuring producers who focus on sustainable agriculture, across Australia and European regions, as well as cocktails using the finest produce based on the time of year.

The venue’s natural tones, rustic exposed brick and contemporary furniture are basically asking to host some seriously elegant functions, with the Hazel Atrium private room or the full venue available to book out.

Image credit: Tim Harris (supplied)