Restaurant Navi

If you’re looking for contemporary fine dining in Yarraville, Restaurant Navi should be next on your list. Nestled on a quiet side street, its unassuming entrance leads to a haven of creative cuisine curated by head chef and owner Julian Hills. He forages the ingredients, handmakes the ceramic crockery and develops each dish with a story in mind.

Featuring only enough space for 25 heads, the Melbourne eatery offers an intimate ambience, elevated by dim lighting, moody hues, concrete floor and a cork-lined ceiling. The hotspot offers two sittings a night, but tables are hard to get a hold of so get your bookings in early.

After being taken under the wing of indigenous foragers, Julian incorporates locally found ingredients into his menu. Choose from five or eight-course sittings, where you can chow down on a unique array of small plates from a regularly changing menu. Expect dishes such as rainbow trout with pickled wild blackberries and burnt macadamia, or fresh curd accompanied by zucchini, nettle and lemon aspen. Need a tipple to go with your meal? You can either go for the matched beverage option or just have a gander at their Australian-centred drinks list.