Celebrated Melbourne restaurant Atria, set on level 80 of The Ritz-Carlton, recently welcomed new head chef David Green — and he’s already making changes to the level-80 restaurant’s offering.
Drawing inspiration from the dining room’s stunning nineteen-metre-long table made from Victorian ash (from a Yarra Ranges tree that stood at 90 metres tall), Green has introduced Table Nineteen: an immersive and exploratory dining experience with paired wines for only 10 guests a night, available on Fridays and Saturdays only.
The ever-changing, five-course menu will share the kitchen’s close relationships with producers, bringing the preparation and plating out of the kitchen and into the dining room for Table Nineteen guests only. “When you book Table Nineteen, we have Atria chefs tableside — finishing plates, engaging one-on-one, encouraging you to try new things, ask questions, view, taste and touch some of the raw unprocessed ingredients on hand,” says Green.
With paired wines from head sommelier Felix Eralde, the Table Nineteen experience is only enhanced by the breathtaking backdrop of views, looking out from the 80th storey. “You can literally see the very locations our produce is sourced from,” says Green, “with stunning views over the Yarra Valley, up to the Macedon Ranges, the Mornington Peninsula, down to Gippsland and, of course, Port Phillip Bay.”
Some of said produce includes dairy from Meredith Farm. “They’re the supplier I have visited the most — a renowned, family-owned dairy farm located on the Victorian volcanic plains. It’s known for producing artisan cheese, yoghurt, sheep and goat’s milk,” says Green.
Goulburn River Rainbow Trout from the Victorian Alps is another favourite of Green’s. “I love using this iconic underrated fish. The texture is the real hero: by slow-cooking on a piece of paperbark, the flesh becomes jelly-like, making it ideal to spoon onto our sourdough crumpets with its roe and sour cream.”
Like Atria’s entire offering, the set Table Nineteen menu will change frequently, but might look like Jerusalem artichoke cream flan with pumpkin flower, Spargo Creek black truffle and an autumn harvest consommé, or wood-fired Terramirra Park venison with trompette mushroom ash, bread and butter pudding, parsnip, native mint and red cherry sauce Grand Veneur.
While he was born in Mount Macedon, Green’s career has seen him work across Scotland, in England for Michel Roux at The Waterside Inn, at Lake House Daylesford for over a decade, and open his own restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City.
“We are excited at the arrival of David Green and the sense of theatre and sheer love of the Victorian countryside that he brings to Atria,” said The Ritz-Carlton, Melbourne’s executive chef Jeff Gall in a statement. “Nowhere is that more evident than at Table Nineteen, with its invitation to engage with the making of the meal, not just its arrival.”
The Table Nineteen menu is available to book online for groups of up to 10 guests on Friday and Saturday evenings. Atria’s three- and five-course menus and a la carte dining are available seven days.
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