Crofter Dining Room & Bar has opened its doors in Brunswick, Melbourne, under George Calombaris’ Made Establishment.
The venue has taken the place of Hellenic Republic, with chef Matt Wilkinson (The Pie Shop, Four Pillars, Pope Joan) heading up the kitchen.
Crofter is a mash-up of modern Australian and British cuisines. However, vegetables are the core focus, with local and sustainable meats taking on a lesser role.
Diners can look forward to starting their meals with house-made breads such as garlic naan or a classic loaf. Alternatively, a sweet potato doughnut with anchovy dipping sauce is also a good place to start.
Salads form a core part of the menu at Crofter. A CWA-inspired dish of mixed greens and cheese makes an appearance alongside wood-fired spicy cabbage and tomatoes with Vegemite dressing and red onion.
On the protein front, there’s cut-to-order free-range ham, kofta with pickled vegetables and crusted lamb shoulder.
The dessert section of the menu is plentiful, with options ranging from an Eton mess pav roll to mango rice pudding ice cream, grilled strawberries with coconut ice cream and more.
Crofter will offer the full Four Pillars range which will take pride of place in a number of cocktails. Local and international wines are also available and house-made digestifs (limoncello, amaro) are certainly worth trying.
Open Tuesday to Friday from 5:30pm till late and from 11:30am on the weekend. Bookings available here.