MELBOURNE | Nicholson Street in Abbotsford in one of the inner city suburb’s most interesting streets. It’s an architecturally diverse, mixed use street, where old worker’s cottages, historic pubs, new apartments, nondescript warehouses and offices, all combine to form a snapshot of the area’s past and present. One of the newest additions to the street is Molli, from Nathan Toleman’s Mulberry Group (Lilac, Dessous, Hazel). I was recently invited in to check it out.
Molli is a neighbourhood bar and bistro that’s warm and welcoming, with a vintage, French-bistro inspired feel. There’s dark timber flooring, light wood art deco furniture and fittings, plush green banquet seating, and a curved green marble bar.
Like Mulberry Group’s other venues, the focus is on sharing good food and drinks, with a menu that showcases top quality, seasonal, Victorian produce. Where possible, produce is sourced direct from the group’s Common Ground farm, and Molli’s rooftop herb garden. Head chef Aleksis Kalnins has come across from Hazel to head up the kitchen, and you’ll recognise flourishes from his cooking there.
Snacks are the star of the menu. BBQ scallops come doused with punchy fermented bullhorn butter. Order them, along with the charred asparagus, shio koji, and cured egg yolk; and a stout custard and pickled onion tartlet.
Hand made casarecce pasta, with a fermented tomato sauce and lots of shaved parmesan, is an umami bomb. If it’s steak you’re after, get the Westholme wagyu rump cap MB 4-5, with piperade. Barbecued over cherry wood in a Josper oven, it’s a delight.
Also over from Hazel (and Dessous) is Kayla Saito, who has but together a tidy, sustainability focused drinks list. Wines are diverse, showcasing interesting and independent local and international winemakers. House cocktails, developed in collaboration with the kitchen, feature house ferments and preserves, with a number of interesting non-alc options too.
Next door, you’ll find Molli’s sister break fast and lunch spot, Little Molli. Visit for brekkie rolls, pastries, sandwiches, and salads. There’s also a little retail section filled with things like Falco bread, cheese and charcuterie, and pickles, for home.
Molli
20 Mollison Street
Abbotsford
Victoria 3067
Australia
Telephone: (03) 8597 0981
E-mail: [email protected]
Website
Open
Wed – Thu: 5:00pm to 11:00pm
Fri – Sat: 12:00pm to 11:00pm
Sun: 12:00pm to 5:00pm