
Daphne, a new public house from restaurateur Hannah Green, known for Etta, is now open on Lygon Street, Melbourne.
The venue combines a walk-in friendly front bar with a bistro-style dining room, designed for everything from quick snacks to late evenings. A private space at the back seats up to 30 guests, and Pip Littore, former Restaurant Manager at Etta, has joined to manage the floor.
A produce-focused menu has been designed by Head Chef Diana Desensi, making use of a custom woodfire hearth. The hearth was built by Samuel Frararracio of The Brick Chef.
Snacks include heirloom tomatoes with pickles and olives, grilled potato flatbread with mussels and whipped cod, and beef tartare with potato crisps.
Larger dishes range from a Cobb salad to ricotta tortellini with artichoke and radicchio, a half fire-roasted chook with blistered grapes and a pork cotoletta from Bundarra Farm.
A children’s menu covers burgers, chicken and vegetables and spaghetti Napoli.
From 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays, a supper menu takes over with terrines, tinned fish, midnight spaghetti with anchovies and capers and gelato topped with shoestring fries.
Daphne will also run weekly neighbourhood nights. Martini Club takes place on Mondays with a short list of snacks. Tuesdays are Steak Night, offering rotating cuts or a vegetarian pie with fries and leaves for $30. Wednesdays are dedicated to pasta, with $25 plates such as calamari cavatelli or linguini with pistachio pesto and stracciatella.
Drinks hotshot Sam Peasnell leads the cocktail program.
The list includes an Olive Oil Sour finished with a crack of black pepper, a Rhubarb Spritz lifted with white balsamic and a Guinness Americano.
The martini line-up features classic styles and the 3057, a reverse martini served over ice and made with vermouth, El Maestro Fino Sherry and a celery gin created with local distiller White Possum.
On tap, wines by Dom Valentine pour by the glass or carafe, alongside Daphne Draught produced by Hop Nation Brewing Co.
Sommelier Ashley Boburka has curated a compact wine list focused on fresh, food-friendly bottles, with access to the full Etta wine selection also available.
“It’s a restaurateur’s answer to a pub,” said Green. “The mood is fun and easygoing, the food is highly delicious but not too fancy.”
“Our rules are that my dad should be able to read and understand everything on the menu, and it should be as accessible for after-school snacks and casual catch-ups as it is for milestone celebrations and midnight martinis.”
Designed by IF Architecture, the 125-seat space features walnut timber, stainless steel, glass brick, Australian marble and restored terrazzo flooring. Music is played through the original Bar Romantica sound system, with playlists curated by DJ JNETT.
Daphne brings together everything Green does best in a lively, new local that strives to be here for both a good time and a long time.
Source: Sunday Lunch
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