Despite Melbourne past two years of devastating lockdowns and the hospitality industry’s struggle, there are heaps of new restaurants popping up in Melbourne and we’re oh so grateful.
With many set to open post-lockdown 6.0, some have already emerged quietly doing their thing, offering takeaway in the lead-up to opening for service.
MORE: Check Out These New and Upcoming Melbourne Restaurants
These three new restaurants are offering some incredible takeaway and it’d honestly be rude not to support them (also, any excuse for yum wine and food).
Public Wine Shop
Fitzroy North
This is a very aesthetically pleasing, very Melbourne inner-north feeling drink-in bottle shop, with an opening team who each have rich hospitality careers under their belt. Owned by Campbell Burton (former wine guy for City Wine Shop and the Builders Arms), Public Wine Shop opened earlier this year, selling some favourite Australian, French and Spanish minimal intervention wines for all of us thirsty picnic-ers. Recently, chef Ali Currey-Voumard, who according to Good Food, earned Tasmania’s Agrarian Kitchen Eatery two hats in its inaugural year, came on board to create and cook a divine seasonal menu. Currently operating with takeaway only, this joint is going to be a gorge spot for weekend snacks and wine.
Operating on a pickup basis, if Public Wine Shop is in your 10km, you can go pick up charcuterie, cheeses and wine to match, any day of the week. On the weekends, their offering extends to grab-to-go dishes and a make-at-home menu, rotating around one dish, with an array of delicious sides. It also operates as a takeaway wine store, which is always a vibe. You can always shop for wine online here.
Big Esso
Federation Square
Federation Square has a new restaurant and it’s bright and beautiful; just like it’s offering. Owned by Nornie Bero, whose Footscray cafe Maby Mabu has a focus on native Australian ingredients, Big Esso elevates an already fantastic ethos, with sustainability and First Nations-owned producers at the forefront. When lockdown lifts, we’ll be seeing things like ginger-poached periwinkles, zurra blue-eye (fish broth) served with green ant caviar and wild boar with pig’s blood jus on the menu.
Heat-and-eat packs are on offer each fortnight and they’re pretty out there – in the yummiest of ways. We’ve seen things like yam empanadas, tamarind chilli pipis and scones with golden syrup butter on the menu so far.
Also on offer from Thursday-Sunday, you can pick up grazing boxes, with things like taro crisps, tzatziki crunched up with samphire for salty vim, bush tomato chutney and emu salami, as well as some out-of-this-world taco kits.
Big Esso is looking outside the box, taking dishes we know and love and turning them on their head, with an edgy Australian focus which is refreshing and new.
You can browse offerings online here.
Jaen Jumah
Collingwood
These guys aren’t technically new, but you’ve probably not heard of them. Jaen Jumah is a takeaway-only business, started by three international students trying to stay afloat during the pandemic. Opening just over a year ago, they’ve been going strong, serving up incredible Balinese favourites, with a strong vegan offering.
Although these guys were hoping to open up a physical venue this year, they’re currently planning a few pop-ups for when lockdown is over and still hope to get their venue open at some point in the future.
For right now, you can enjoy these delights at home and you really don’t want to miss out. Jaen Jumah is offering their greatest hits in one big shared serve; a nasi campur platter featuring the meats and salads customers loved most in 2020. Expect bites like sweet, salty caramelised tempeh chips, a zingy, spicy, fresh coconut salad with strips of jackfruit, and babi merah, fall-apart braised pork with torch ginger sambal. The entire platter, which also includes crispy pork crackles and jackfruit skewers is meant to be shared between two, and is only $35 a pop.
You can order online here.
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