BOOM TOWN

Melbourne is all fired up with a post lockdown optimism that’s ushering in a boom of new restaurants, bars and hotels, as MICHAEL HARDEN discovers.

- MICHAEL HARDEN

Melbourne may be a little punch-drunk post-lockdown number four, but there’s plenty of life in the city yet. In fact, despite the many obvious signs that Things Have Changed, it’s not stretching the truth to say the city is also experiencing a boom of sorts, given the number of restaurants, bars and hotels that have opened in recent months. There are more on the way too. While some of them were planned pre-pandemic, many others followed it. The best thing? It’s not just the safety of business as usual. Risks are being taken, new ideas are being explored, optimism is present and accounted for. It appears the city enjoys a challenge and it’s fired Melbourne up.

“That we’ve been able to get through this last 12 months and actually open is exciting in itself,” says restaurateur Chris Lucas whose mammoth Society in the new 80 Collins complex can seat 300 people over several lavishly kitted-out areas. “But what’s really exciting is that we’ve realised an ambition to make something really special – Society is a statement about Melbourne, about Australian talent and how far we’ve come on the world stage.”

If there was ever a time for a local hospo industry cheer squad, this is it and Society doesn’t shy from spruiking Australian greatness. Every part of its impressive acreage, from the high-ceilinged main dining room, plush lounge bar, expansive indoor-outdoor Lillian Terrace (named for Lillian Wightman, the fashion doyenne who owned legendary high-end Collins Street boutique Le Louvre) and a series of private dining spaces, one with a flash dedicated kitchen – has been created by Australian designers utilising Australian materials from timber and stone to fabric and dramatic geometric chandeliers.