Death & Co Melbourne opened last month as the first international venue from the US cocktail bar, bringing the brand’s drinks-led approach to a two-level space on Flinders Lane. Alongside the cocktail list, the venue has introduced a food menu designed specifically for bar dining rather than formal meals.
The menu is built around small, savoury dishes intended to be eaten alongside cocktails. Rather than traditional bar snacks, the focus is on texture and balance, with dishes that lean salty and crisp to suit the drinks program and encourage sharing.
Old format, new setting
The food offering was developed by executive chef Telina Menzies with head chef Paul Turner, adapting Death & Co’s established format to a Melbourne setting.
“We are massive fans of Death & Co and what they do. They are an institution and they’ve set the bar, with so many people looking to them as leaders in the industry,” says Menzies.
“We stayed true to the brand and the blueprint, but added our own Melbourne style. With inspiration from the US offerings, which really have the recipe for success in the cocktail world, we tweaked flavours so the dishes feel familiar, but still feel like home with some native Australian ingredients.
“The bar is all about flavour profiling, so the food had to speak the same language. The menu is full of things for guests to snack on to enhance the experience. To us, it is one-handed snackery, crunchy, salty and fun.”
The menu
Dishes include a chips and dip plate made with seasonal vegetables and taramasalata, kingfish with gin botanicals, rhubarb and olive brine, triple cheese scrolls with Vegemite butter, shisito peppers with torarashi and vinegar, and a dry-aged beef cheeseburger with house pickles and cheese.
Cheese plays a more prominent role than at most cocktail bars, with a dedicated section offering both straightforward and more experimental pairings.
“The blue cheese and carrot cake blows my mind. It’s a chance for guests to experience a succulent carrot cake with creamy blue cheese that’s both familiar and surprising. The cheese section is a little more challenging for diners, but perfect for any food lover. Dishes will change with the seasons, and it’s exciting to see people enjoy them,” says Menzies.
Options include a hard cheese served with tete de Moine tart and fruit preserve, gorgonzola dolce paired with spiced carrot cake and candied walnut, and a soft cheese matched with apple tarte tatin and thyme. Guests can order individual plates, a tasting selection or a more traditional three-cheese option with crisps and fruit preserve.
Several Death & Co staples have carried over to Melbourne, including Uncle Wes’ Drunken Cookies, served warm with Gippsland dairy milk foam. The bar’s Dealer’s Choice format remains central to the experience, with bartenders guiding drink selections based on guest preferences and suggesting food to match.
“Speak to the bartenders, make the most of Dealers Choice, enjoy conversation, and you might be lucky enough to get access to one of Paul’s off-the-menu specials,” says Menzies.
In addition to the main menu, the kitchen runs off-the-menu weekly specials for the team, with occasional access for guests who ask.
Death & Co Melbourne is located at 87 Flinders Lane, Melbourne.
Source: Sense Communications
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