Earlier this year, we said goodbye to a pillar of Brunswick East’s drinking and dining community when Bar Romantica closed its doors, but the romance isn’t dead along north Lygon Street. In September, the Etta crew opens Daphne on the old Romantica site, and it’s set to be a casual affair that offers a little something for almost everyone.
“This site has meant so much to Brunswick East over the years, and I feel incredibly fortunate to be its next custodian,” says Green. For her, the community comes first across the new venue’s two drinking and dining rooms. Happy meals for the kids are in the works, there’s space for walk-ins and casual counter meals up front – where rumours of a Daphne Draught and roast chook sound like a knock-out after-work combo – and towards the back you’ll find the linen-lined dining room featuring Green’s signature brand of warm, welcoming service.
Green has called in a killer line-up of familiar names for her latest venue, too. There’s a custom wood-fired grill by Brick Chef Samuel Fraraccio, there’s a cocktail list by local drinks specialist Sam Peasnell, and most excitingly, in the spirit of having something for almost everyone, Etta’s sommelier Ashley Boburka is tapping into Etta’s 400-reference program for Daphne’s wine list.
You’ll be excited by the newness at Lygon Street’s new local, and equally by the nods to the site’s past lives. Cafe Romantica’s original terrazzo flooring and Bar Romantica’s custom-built sound system are both sticking around, as is the late-night licence for anyone partial to a drink and a snack well into the evening.
Daphne is expected to open this September. Keep up to date at @daphne.3057.