The Estelle Wine Bar & Restaurant
243 High Street, Northcote
(03) 9489 4609
Website
The freshly done Estelle features a passion for tantalising tastes, whether in the form of liquid concoctions or plated dishes.
Owner and Chef, Scott Pickett, commenced his restaurant dreams with a small budget and six tables, which has since grown into an establishment featuring private dining upstairs and a covered courtyard with additional seating. Now re-established as the Estelle, Scott expanded the space to create a restaurant and wine bar out of the previous Estelle Bistro and Estelle by Scott Pickett.
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- Scott Picket. Image: Simon Shiff
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- Scott Pickett and Valentin Barrere. Image: Simon Shiff
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- Valentin Barrere. Image: Simon Shiff
Estelle is a venue designed to suit all occasions; whether stopping by for a glass of wine and share plate or a full tasting menu experience. Collaboratively, Pickett and newly appointed Estelle Head Chef Valentin Barrere (ESP, Vue de Monde, Marque) have crafted a menu in line with contemporary Australian dining.
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- Bonito and Beets. Image: Simon Shiff
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- Oysters. Image: Simon Shiff
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- Veal tendon, sesame seeds & coffee. Image: Simon Shiff
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- Lamb tartare, fermented peppers & almond. Image: Simon Shiff
Expect dishes including; Sardine on toast, rouille and bottarga; BBQ baby corn, truffle cream and cornbread; Eggplant, miso, quinoa and wood sorrel; Hand rolled macaroni ‘cacio e pepe’ and guanciale; Whole flounder, black bean and mussel XO; Berkshire pork, mustard leaf and kohlrabi; and Saturn peach, jasmine kombucha and lychee.
Sommelier and Restaurant Manager Fabien Moalic has curated the wine list, which features nearly 200 predominately-Australian references, with a succinct wine-by-the-glass selection. The accompanying cocktail list highlights the classics while including a handful of ‘Estelle signatures’ such as Spicy Smokey Sour – a take on a sour, smoked and spicy rum; and Pickett and Co, featuring Pickett and Co Gin, honey and thyme.
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- Kangaroo, blood plum, endive & macadamia/Baby corn, truffle & parmesan. Image: Simon Shiff
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- Spanner crab, rockmelon & sunrise lime. Image: Simon Shiff
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- Calamari. Image: Simon Shiff
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- Eggplant, quinoa, white soy & brown butter. Image: Simon Shiff
The new bar space was designed by Alexandra Green and retains the skeleton of Estelle Bistro. Expect stretches of exposed brick, tones of emerald green marble, floor to ceiling wine racks, banquette seating, tarnished mirrors and two provincial-style internal windows that combine the two previous restaurants.
A new opening allows guests to pass into the adjacent 65-seat dining room, which now features window-side seating and round tables for groups of four to six, along with front-row seats to the kitchen inherited from the venue’s former iteration.
Estelle is now open seven days for dinner from 6pm, and for lunch Friday to Sunday from 12pm.
