Kirbie Tate has opened the doors on her new neighbourhood “bar, bistro and caff”, aptly named ‘Kirbie’. The restaurant has taken the place of Tate’s Korean-Australian diner James, which closed in August.
The eatery aims to deliver a European-style local bistro, in an intimate 40 seat dining space.
“I’m a long-time local and have always felt like the area was missing an offering I like to call “local done well” – somewhere you can go 2-3 times a week for any occasion,” says Tate.
“Kirbie is for the young and the young at-heart; it’s somewhere that feels like it could belong on the other side of town.”
A purveyor of “no-fuss” and “high quality comfort food”, patrons can expect a range of snacking plates, mains and substantial sides for lunch and dinner. Snacks feature the likes of pate toast and and mussels and fennel in Pernod; mains include a New York strip steak with “Kirbie butter” and parsley sauce; while rotating daily specials comprise a soup of the day, a braise, and a bistro sandwich.
The dessert menu features galaktoboureko (a Greek filo pastry filled with semolina custard); a chocolate tart; and lemon sorbet with EVOO.
Classic cocktails see top shelf spirits take centre stage rather than ostentatious garnishes, and the wine list melds local and international options.
The interiors are moody and low lit, illuminated by a neon sign emblazoned with the restaurant’s name. Alfresco seating is available along the street front and in an internal courtyard.
“Kirbie is an amalgamation of a little bit of everything I’ve done before. Ultimately, it’s a space that will be about the people who fill it, and the kind of venue that I want to hang out in,” says Tate.
Kirbie is 11am – late Monday to Saturday at 323 Clarendon Street South Melbourne.
