Etta’s Hannah Green has found the sweet spot between the pace of the pub and the polish of a finer diner at her new venue Daphne. And in the kitchen, chef Diana Desensi (of Montalto and Pt. Leo Estate fame) is all in on the proposition with fancy riffs on pubby classics leading the menu alongside a grip of dishes that will feel more familiar to an Etta diner.
What does that look like on the table? We’re talking hot sauce-spiked tartare to start, we’re talking one-plate winners that puts the pork cotoletta front and centre, and we’re certainly talking a fire-roasted charcoal chook adorned with sweet and smokey blistered grapes.
And the not quite a pub but not quite a fine diner model means Desensi can flex without having to get too fancy. Snacky plates traverse through a familiar flatbread with mussels, whipped cod and celery hearts, and radicchio drenched in milk sauce. And on the more substantial side of things, meanwhile, you’ll find a hefty pig’s head hot dog plus a supper menu featuring an anchovy-charged “midnight spaghetti” reserved for the late-night revellers.
“It’s a restaurateur’s answer to a pub,” says Green. “The mood is fun and easygoing, the food is highly delicious but not too fancy. Our rules are that my dad should be able to read and understand everything on the menu, and it should be as accessible for after-school snacks and casual catch-ups as it is for milestone celebrations and midnight Martinis.”
Drinks are done right, too, with booze boss Sam Peasnell leading a cocktail program of 10. Highlights include but certainly aren’t limited to a riff on an Americano where Guinness is the star of the show, a peppery Olive Oil Sour and a dedicated Martini menu that gets as wild as you want it to – in some cases with a housemade celery gin. Wines, meanwhile, start at $10 for a glass of Dom Valentine and finish somewhere in the 450-reference list that Daphne shares with Etta.
Looking out from one of the 125 seats in either the linen-lined bistro or walk-in-friendly front bar, you might well remember Cafe Romantica’s original terrazzo floor – but that’s about it. Daphne has gone for the full venue revamp calling on plenty of walnut timber and glass bricks to hit that aforementioned sweet spot.
Daphne, 52-54 Lygon St, Brunswick East, @daphne.3057; bookings open Wednesday 29 October ahead of opening on Monday 10 November.