Etta, a contemporary neighbourhood bistro on Lygon Street, Brunswick East will open on 23 March.
Co-owners, Hayden McMillan, Dominique Fourie McMillan and Hannah Green will oversee the new 80-seat restaurant, open Wednesday to Saturday from 4pm and on Sundays from 12pm.
Chef McMillan’s menus is designed to share, with a strong focus on vegetables as well as an emphasis on Australian produce. The regularly changing menu will begin with dishes such as mozzarella pasta with peas and broccoli; hens egg, mushroom, and smoked celeriac; and larger plates like King George whiting, lentils and lemon pil pil; or charcoal lamb rump, goats cheese and cumin ash. To finish, there will be apricot sorbet, elderflower and chilli; and coconut fromage, nectarine and verjus.
Green is restaurant manager and will also be responsible for the wine program at Etta. She has created a concise list showcasing artisan local and international producers from Victoria, Western Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Italy, France and South Africa. The list will comprise accessible, food-friendly choices from Pt-Nat from Le Facteur, Loire to a Chardonnay from Victoria’s Fighting Gully Rd and The Wanderer Shiraz from the Yarra Valley.
"I'm thrilled to have a team of this calibre on board for the opening of Etta, many of whom I’ve had the privilege of working alongside already at restaurants. I look forward to embarking on this new venture with them and sharing our passion for good food and great hospitality with our new neighbours,” Green said.
The team has worked closely with IF Architecture to create a homely feel for the new restaurant. A botanical mural by local artist, Robert Bowers is the focal point for the space, and the interiors feature marble bench tops, custom bar stools and backless banquettes.
