Molli

With a new chef at the helm and girl dinners to boot, Molli is back baby. The funky diner, heavy on the smoky grill and local produce has flipped their own script after feedback from locals that it wasn’t quite what they were after.

Headed up by international darling chef Caitlin Koether who has worked at Bar Tartine in San Francisco and Relæ in Copenhagen (they’re a big deal, if you haven’t heard of them) her ethos on colour, texture and flavour has given the venue the overhaul it (apparently) needed.

The venue is now noticeably more relaxed, but that doesn’t mean they’ve lost anything in the process, in fact, quite the opposite. The addition of ferments and pluck—that’s a nice way of saying hearts, livers and all sorts of wonderful other things—on the menu make Molli the kind of fun place you want to come back to and check in on to see what’s new.

The fitout is giving big austere grandparent's office, which we love. Little touches like the antiques, which are seemingly erratically scattered around the venue, has been done with such precision it seems natural. Then the funky retro art and vinyl player complete with mid-century style speakers bring you right back to the relative modern.

Our rec for what to do when you’re there? Grab a pal, perch up at the bar and indulge in a full girl dinner (they actually do what’s called a girl lunch as well, FYI) with all their pick plates and work your way through Kayla Saito’s incredible cocktail list.

If you're after a more seated affair you can start in the conversation pit or window-side tables, or even on he terrace and sip on a martini or if you’re with mates, the clarified milk punch (so hot right now) is an affair, built to serve four and completed by chunky 1920s-style ice bricks.

Bigger plates, dishes like the Hazeldene’s chicken served with sweetbreads, or the fried bread and mussel dip, lacto-fermented pickles and beef heart pastrami show a dedication to sustainable dining and make the menu a curio. You wonder what something will tatse like, or how it will come together before you order.

“The menu is nourishing, colourful and sometimes a little bit thought-provoking. Our food is ever-changing, a bit unexpected and genuinely informed by seasonality,” Koether says.

We're calling it, the spot is part of Melbourne's new wave of neighbourhood dining. You could live upstairs from Molli, and rightly so want to eat there every day. You can find it just a short walk up from Victoria Street.

Image: Molli | Supplied
Words: Navarone Farrell