The keys to The Pinnacle were on the market for about as long as it takes to pour a Guinness before one of Melbourne’s slickest operators, Michael Bascetta, snapped them up. And while you might not know the name, you’re likely familiar with the venues he’s had a hand in. His nothing-but-bangers CV includes Carlton’s Capitano, the Falco bakery empire and one of the city’s more influential spots when it comes to lo-fi and natural wines, Bar Liberty – so what can we expect when this mogul in the making opens the doors at his Fitzroy North pub?
Rather than live, loud and local music, food is the focus at the new and improved Pinnacle with chef Scott Eddington (from Kensington hit Arnold’s) headlining the kitchen. And while there’s still some finessing on the cards for the new menu, the specials board suggests pubby favourites with a little flair – including dry-aged T-bone, grilled Berkshire pork chops, house-made sausages and steaming pots of mussels – to kick things off.
Eddington is excited to hit the pans. “To me, a pub should be two things; classic and consistent,” he says. “I’m excited to work with some awesome little producers that will inform how we balance a menu of familiar hits with dishes that feel a bit more contemporary. The plan is to maintain all the things we love about pub food, but stay as seasonal as we can and still have a bit of fun.”
There’s 10 taps at work by the bar, with the lines mostly filled with local beers by Bodriggy, Stomping Ground and Bridge Road Brewery. Outstanding exceptions to the rule include guest appearances from Tasmania’s Two Metre Tall Brewery and their wild ales, plus delicious creamers all year round for all your G-splitting needs, wants and desires.
Wines, meanwhile, stick a little closer to home with an all-Australian by-the-glass list, and cocktails are largely powered by Bascetta’s pals at Marionette Liqueur. Depending on the weather, that might look like a zingy house Daiquiri, a Strawberry and Yuzu Cosmo, or an Elderflower Spritz live and direct from the tap.
With an ambitious opening date of Wednesday 18 February – just weeks after officially taking on the venue – Bascetta and the team are already at work to turn the landmark corner site into something the locals can fall in love with again. It’s less of a full-throttle refurbishment and more of a reset: think a fresh lick of paint, a fresh set of furnishings inside and out, and a bigger bistro once the stage is removed.
“Sometimes a refurb can result in losing a bit of the soul that comes with an old building,” says Bascetta. “The Pinny already has such great architectural features and original design elements, so we want it to continue to feel lived in, but make it just a little more comfortable for eating and drinking.”
The Pinnacle reopens on Wednesday 18 February. Open 4pm-late Mon-Thu, 12pm-late Fri-Sun, thepinnacle.melbourne, @thepinnaclemelbourne