Michelin-recommended taqueria El Vilsito is coming to Australia this March

Former Kiln chef Brad Crowle joins Elliott’s Balmain as Head Chef

Pallavi MathurJune 10, 2026

Elliott’s Balmain has appointed former Kiln chef Brad Crowle as Head Chef, with his new open-fire menu now on the pass. Crowle joins the Atticus Hospitality venue after stints at some of Australia’s best-known kitchens, including Kiln, Oncore by Clare Smyth, Aria and Barangaroo House. Most recently, he worked alongside Noma alum Beau Clugston at Kiln before making the move to Balmain. The chef has wasted little time putting his stamp on the menu, with the restaurant’s open-fire kitchen now driving much of the offering. Among the new dishes are blue swimmer crab tartlets with avocado and grape, BBQ king prawns served with prawn bisque and Murray cod with parsley velouté, cucumber and makrut lime. The menu also includes butterflied chicken with warrigal greens and karkalla, alongside a dedicated steak section featuring producers from New South Wales and Victoria. Options range from Tajima Wagyu flank and Riverina Scotch Fillet through to an 800g Brooklyn Valley T-Bone from Gippsland. Desserts include whipped vanilla with melon, strawberry and hibiscus sorbet, plus a combination of chocolate, malt, coffee and hazelnut. Crowle’s cooking is shaped by a year spent working throughout France in 2024, along with experience gained across some of Australia’s most respected dining rooms. His approach centres on seasonal produce and cooking over fire, with the menu expected to evolve throughout the year as ingredients come into season. Opened by Atticus Hospitality in 2025, Elliott’s occupies the former Casa Esquina site in Balmain and combines a dining room, bar, private dining space and weatherproof courtyard. The venue also hosts regular DJs throughout the week. Elliott’s is located on the corner of Elliott Street in Balmain. Source: Pendulum Communications Find more dining out updates on Crumb Wire.

Bar Privé is opening inside Melbourne’s former Safety Deposit building

Pallavi MathurJune 10, 2026

Bar Privé is opening beside Reine & La Rue this July, with Martinis, Sazeracs and private dining on the menu. Located at 90 Queen Street in Melbourne’s CBD, the new venue is the latest addition from Edition Hospitality Group and the first cocktail-focused concept from the team behind Reine & La Rue and Florentino. Occupying the ground floor of the former Melbourne Safety Deposit building, Bar Privé pairs classic cocktails with a menu of French-leaning bar snacks, while a collection of private dining rooms caters to everything from celebrations and corporate events to smaller dinner parties. Leading the drinks program is group bar manager Felix Woods, whose resume includes Melbourne favourites The Everleigh, Above Board, Black Pearl and Romeo Lane, along with London’s Rushmore Group. Guests can expect Martinis, Champagne cocktails, French brandies and Sazeracs, alongside a concise list of house cocktails and tableside service. Drinks highlights include a Kir Royale and a Cognac-led Sazerac. The food menu comes from group culinary director Michael Greenlaw and Reine & La Rue executive chef Andy Roche. On the menu are pork scratchings with French onion dip, duck liver and foie gras parfait with burnt orange marmalade, panisse with roasted garlic aioli and a French dip baguette. “We’ve seen strong demand for private dining and event experiences at Reine & La Rue, but we also wanted to create a destination people could enjoy in a more flexible way. Bar Privé gives us the opportunity to create a cocktail experience that stands on its own while also sitting naturally alongside Reine,” said Rebecca Yazbek, founder and CEO of Edition Hospitality Group. “Whether guests are joining us for a martini before or after their reservation at Reine, settling in for the evening with cocktails and bar snacks, or celebrating a special occasion, we wanted the atmosphere to feel intimate, personal and welcoming. “The building itself shaped so much of the direction. There’s an intimacy and warmth to these rooms that naturally lends itself to cocktails, private dining and smaller gatherings, while still carrying the character and history of the precinct. We wanted guests to feel as though they had been invited to a private dinner party.” Across the hallway from the bar sits The Dining Room, Privé’s principal private dining space, which accommodates up to 32 guests. The room can also be divided into two smaller spaces, The Verdon Room and The Wardell Room, for more intimate gatherings. Reservations for Bar Privé and The Dining Room open on June 10 ahead of the venue’s official opening on July 15. Bar Privé is located at 90 Queen Street, Melbourne and will trade Tuesday to Saturday from 5 pm until late. Source: The Cru Find more dining out updates on Crumb Wire.

Bang Bang opens new Frankston venue with disco, funk and late-night eats

Pallavi MathurJune 10, 2026

Bang Bang has opened in Frankston with its biggest venue yet and a new late-night concept designed to keep the party going after dinner. Located on Playne Street in Melbourne’s south-east, the new restaurant seats up to 134 guests across indoor and outdoor dining areas, making it the largest Bang Bang venue to date and the group’s first in Frankston. The opening also marks the debut of Bang Bang After Dark, a new Friday and Saturday night offering that will see the venue shift from dinner service into a late-night drinks and music destination. DJs will spin disco, funk and retro tracks into the evening, while a dedicated late-night menu will keep guests fed long after dinner. After Dark snacks include prawn toast, chicken bao, spring rolls, sweet potato fries and Bang Bang’s popular eggplant skewers, alongside the venue’s full cocktail offering. Leading the kitchen is Executive Chef Dan Poyner, who has overseen the Bang Bang menu since the restaurant first launched in 2016. Drawing inspiration from Japan, Thailand and India, the menu combines long-running customer favourites with newer dishes that continue to evolve alongside the restaurant group. Signature dishes include crispy fried Sichuan eggplant, 12-hour beef brisket gua bao, twice-cooked pork belly and butter chicken curry, while other menu highlights range from beef short rib and Thai roasted cauliflower to katsu sando and Atlantic salmon. For groups, guests can choose from three Feed Me menus, while dietary requirements are catered for with gluten-friendly, dairy-friendly, vegetarian and vegan options available throughout the menu. Behind the bar, cocktails include the Midnight Rose with vodka, Chambord and strawberry, the Chilli Chilli Bang Bang with tequila and green chilli and the Sloe & Cherry featuring sloe gin, amaretto and cherry liqueur. The venue is also introducing Bang Bang Hour, with $2 oysters and eggplant skewers, $15 cocktails, $10 wine and bubbles and $8 schooners available during selected afternoon and early evening hours throughout the week. Bang Bang Frankston is now open at 24 Playne Street, Frankston VIC. Source: Sense Communications Find more dining out updates on Crumb Wire.

Grill’d and Oscar Piastri launch nationwide fundraiser for childhood cancer charity

Pallavi MathurJune 9, 2026

Grill’d is putting My Room Children’s Cancer Charity in the spotlight this June, committing $90,000 to support families affected by childhood cancer. Throughout June, My Room will take over every Local Matters jar across Grill’d’s 178 restaurants nationwide, with the burger chain committing a total donation of $90,000 to support family services, clinical care and childhood cancer research. Customers who purchase a burger at any Grill’d restaurant during the month will receive a token that can be placed into a My Room Local Matters jar as a show of support. The campaign takes place in partnership with Grill’d ambassador Oscar Piastri. The Formula One driver first became involved with My Room in 2025 after meeting Kruz, a young patient battling a rare form of leukaemia at the Melbourne Grand Prix. Piastri later auctioned a race-worn helmet, raising $107,000 for the charity and becoming an official My Room ambassador. His mother, Nicole, has also become involved in supporting the organisation. A life-changing journey Founded more than three decades ago, My Room Children’s Cancer Charity provides support to families navigating childhood cancer while also funding clinical care, research and trials aimed at improving outcomes for young patients. “For more than 33 years, My Room Children’s Cancer Charity has been there for families when life changes in an instant, from the moment their child is diagnosed and throughout every stage of the journey that follows,” said Margaret Zita OAM, CEO of My Room Children’s Cancer Charity. “Through this partnership with Grill’d, we have the opportunity to reach more families, raise greater awareness, and help ensure more children and young adults receive the care, support, and access to research they need. “We are incredibly grateful to Grill’d for getting behind My Room, and to every customer who chooses to show their support for us this June. It may seem like a small token, but together those tokens are an act of support that helps us change lives.” Local matters The June campaign marks one of the largest national charity partnerships undertaken through Grill’d’s Local Matters program, which has donated more than $7 million to community organisations since launching in 2011. Simon Crowe, Managing Director and Founder of Grill’d, said, “Local Matters has always been about giving back to local communities across the country and we’re proud to have donated over $7 million to tens of thousands of local community groups since 2011. “Childhood cancer impacts families right across Australia and we are hoping to raise awareness of the extraordinary work My Room does for these kids and families who rely on their support every day. This partnership is about supporting My Room and this incredible cause, and we’re honoured to play a small part in that.” Customers can support My Room throughout June by purchasing a burger at any Grill’d restaurant nationwide and placing their token into a My Room Local Matters jar. Source: ID Collective Find more food and drink updates on Crumb Wire.

Australia’s first Peanut Butter Cold Foam has landed at Two Slices

Pallavi MathurJune 9, 2026

Australia’s first Peanut Butter Cold Foam has landed in Sydney and Perth thanks to a new collaboration between Pic’s Peanut Butter and sandwich destination Two Slices. Available until June 13, the limited-edition menu pairs the nutty cold foam with a nostalgic PB & Jelly Sandwich, giving foodies a new excuse to stop by the Bondi or Scarborough location this week. Created using smooth Pic’s Peanut Butter, the Peanut Butter Cold Foam is available on both coffee and matcha, bringing the trending cold foam format into peanut butter territory for the first time. “We’re thrilled to launch the first peanut butter cold foam in Australia with our friends at Pic’s Peanut Butter. We know our customers in Sydney and Perth are going to go nuts for it. We’re always looking for ways to take familiar flavours and elevate them through quality ingredients,” said Jacob Spasevski, co-founder of Two Slices Sandwich Bar. “We love the idea of reimagining the nostalgic PB&J and bringing peanut butter into the coffee space in a way people haven’t experienced before.” The collaboration also includes a limited-edition PB & Jelly Sandwich, which combines freshly baked Two Slices focaccia with Pic’s Peanut Butter, homemade raspberry jam and a drizzle of olive oil. The response so far has been positive, with social media commenters and creators praising it for being an innovative surprise. Perth creator @habibiinperth said: “I honestly didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I did. The Peanut Butter Cold Foam was such a fun surprise. I’m not even a huge fan of peanut butter, but somehow it just worked and ended up being so delicious.” While peanut butter has long been a staple in smoothies, desserts and breakfast dishes, the collaboration marks a new take on the ingredient, bringing it into the coffee space through a creamy, savoury-sweet cold foam. The limited-edition menu is available at Two Slices Sandwich Bar’s two locations until June 13. Source: Good Appetite Find more food and drink news on Crumb Wire.

Former Kiln chef Brad Crowle joins Elliott’s Balmain as Head Chef

Bar Privé is opening inside Melbourne’s former Safety Deposit building

Bang Bang opens new Frankston venue with disco, funk and late-night eats

Grill’d and Oscar Piastri launch nationwide fundraiser for childhood cancer charity

Australia’s first Peanut Butter Cold Foam has landed at Two Slices

Firehouse Subs is opening its first Australian restaurant in Brisbane