Flash flooding, fine dining and risking it all: Shannon Bennett on the changing face of Melbourne’s hospitality scene
When Australian chef and entrepreneur Shannon Bennett moved his fine dining restaurant Vue de Monde from Carlton to the 55th floor of the Rialto in 2011, he mortgaged his house twice to make the dream come true.
A year before the move, he moved from the suburbs to live in the city when the family home he shared with his ex-wife Madeline West and their six children was inundated with water during the flash fooding that took place in Melbourne on 6 March 2010.
At the time, Bennett relocated his family to an apartment at 99 Spring Street in the CBD for 15 months. Being based in the CBD got him excited for the city again, and inspired him to move his restaurant to Grollo’s Rialto Towers thereafter.
Shannon Bennett, who now resides in Byron Bay, still comes to Melbourne regularly. Picture: Getty
The father of six is also about to climb the highest point in Africa, Mt Kilimanjaro, with his daughter Xascha, 15, to raise $100,000 for Smiling Mind – a free app that helps kids with their mental health.
“I have seen mental health struggles with lots of my kids’ friends, and doing this walk, and raising money for an app that has helped a lot of children, is the least we can do,” Shannon Bennett told realcommercial.com.au.
“By doing this with my daughter I’m all about showing younger people that the problems we microdose on aren’t that big when you see what you can achieve over five days scaling the summit. Every problem feels tiny by comparison, and if we can raise $100,000 to raise crucial funds for a life-saving app, then I’m in,” he said.
Pop-up restaurant BistroX, by Shannon Bennett and members of the original Vue de Monde, will become a permanent fixture at The StandardX due to its success. Picture: The StandardX
Bennett, who lives in Byron Bay, still comes to Melbourne regularly. His pop-up restaurant BistroX at The StandardX, Melbourne will become a permanent fixture on the rooftop due to its success.
Bennett spoke to realcommercial.com.au about those formative memories of dining in Melbourne in the early 2000s and reflects on how the hospitality scene has changed.
Earliest Memories
I first moved into an apartment at 99 Spring Street, Melbourne in 2010 for a year and a half. I wasn’t looking forward to it, but ended up loving it. Our home was flooded in 2010 – it was on a Saturday and I remember Madeline ringing to tell me our house had two feet of water in it, and the same happened at the bistro. I hadn’t moved to the Rialto with Vue De Monde yet – we were still in Carlton. The whole family moved in and I was so surprised how lively Melbourne was on weekends and what a beautiful community of people. A year later I open Vue de Monde, in 2011.
Bennett and his family moved into the iconic 99 Smith Street for a year after their home was flooded. Picture: realcommercial.com.au
It was in this critical time that I made the decision to take risks in business. I met with Lorenz Grollo – he asked if I would like to relocate Vue de Monde to the 55th floor of the Rialto. Why would I do that? We had won Restaurant of the Year two years in a row. I was happy going gangbusters, but he described the new site as the Ayers Rock (Uluru) of Melbourne. It stuck with me. I had to mortgage everything twice over to make that move, but I did it. I found in that moment in my life, I was freer than ever – living the dream by taking the risk. I felt young enough to start again and old enough to learn from it.
We then moved into Sam Newman’s son’s apartment. We stayed there for a while and started to discover the top end of Melbourne and why it was so unique.
When we opened Vue De Monde, Melbourne’s CBD was a very different place back then. It wasn’t buzzing quite like it is today. It was emerging from a bit of a slumber, but if you knew where to look, there were these incredible little secrets tucked away.
A classic no longer
One of my favourite spots was Bar Americano. It felt like a portal to another world – tiny, perfectly formed, and completely dedicated to the art of the cocktail. It wasn’t flashy, but that’s what made it magic. Back then, a great drink didn’t cost the earth, and there was something about the understated confidence of the place that really spoke to me. It was brave and unique. Tiny bars normally would only exist in old cities with large massive populations – like Paris or New York with massive populations of 20 million. And they actually don’t exist in those cities, but they should, because they’re the cities that have the volume for them.
Bar Americano, a hidden cocktail bar on Presgrave Pl, closed down in 2022.
Colin’s Quarter was another favourite area of the CBD. Melbourne at that time was an economy driven around hospitality. And while Bar Americano is also not around, owner Matt Bax showed bravery opening a tiny specialised bar in a tiny space that’s defines Melbourne’s culture, there was something about its early days, hidden away and whispered about, that I’ll always miss.
I also loved a little spot at Monaco House in Ridgeway Place, run by Danny Colls who also owned Café Racer St Kilda. It was my hideaway; a block before you get to the Windsor Hotel. A small narrow edgy building. I used to get a coffee there and my friend – florist Joost Bakker introduced me to this spot. The café is now called Liaison Cafe.
Stands the test of time
Cookie – inside Curtin House. I love the architecture, the way they respected the purpose of the previous space. It was a Thai restaurant that had nooks and crannies and it was ground-breaking when it opened in 2003. We’d always take people from out of town. There was nothing like it in Australia.
The band room upstairs The Toff in Town was also another spot I loved to visit.
Top end of Spring Street: Iconic hospitality zone
The European and The Supper Club
This neighbourhood of Melbourne had real characters who shaped its vibe. Con Christopoulos who owned and created The European, brought so much heart and energy to the area. You couldn’t walk past without feeling part of something special. I remember going there in 2003. Con was a big character and then I realised he had come to Vue de Monde in Carlton. He had a real presence about him.
The European and The Supper Club (upstairs) sit alongside The Princess Theatre, opposite Parliament House. Picture: realcommercial.com.au
The European and Supper Club captured Australia perfectly, where they didn’t replicate what was going on in France, but they took influences from what was going on in Paris and made it Australian casual.
The European restaurant. Picture: realcommercial.com.au
The late nights with my team at The Supper Club are some of my best memories – from those post-service evenings when we’d finally relax, laugh, and celebrate what we’d achieved together. It was casual and easy; milkcrates sitting in the corner had its place. From politicians to actors performing at the theatre. Hospitality people were there. Food conversation and wine blended perfectly here.
Favourite that’s no longer
I really loved Langton’s on Flinders Lane. R.I.P to a true Melbourne institution. It was one of those places that felt like a rite of passage for anyone who loved food and wine. Chef and owner Philippe Mouchel ran it, and then chef Jeremy Strode took his place. They both carried the mantel well. It had a special place in Melbourne. You’d see the who’s who of restaurateurs and the dining scene here in Melbourne. The place was always buzzing, and the wines by the glass were ones you’d never tried before and were incredible. And the food was just always beautiful – never complicated, but always inventive food. They were doing 300 covers for lunch back in this time.
Favourite that’s stood the test of time
Grossi Florentino on Bourke Street has been around for decades and is still a benchmark for classic Italian dining. I went there with my Nan as a kid. We went to Hoyts movies on Bourke Street to see Conan the Barbarian when I was quite small. I left to go to the bathroom and walked back into the wrong cinema and couldn’t find my Nan. After the movie she took me to Grossi to cheer me up. It was the best experience.
Grossi Florentino on Bourke Street remains a benchmark for classic Italian dining. Picture: realcommercial.com.au
Going back in 2000 I had just opened Vue de Monde and Guy had taken over Grossi. They took me there for a great lunch when I signed up to use San Pellegrino in our restaurant.
Favourite New Kid on the Block
I’m a big fan of Caretaker’s Cottage. It’s hidden, unpretentious, and has some of the best cocktails in the country. Their vodka martini – really cold, dry, with a twist – is my absolute favourite.
