Karen Martini is heading back to her roots for her latest venue, which sees the celebrity chef front the opening of Italian grill Saint George in her hometown St Kilda.
The Melbourne restaurant, formerly known as The Saint, is slated to open before the end of summer after undergoing a brief renovation which will see the space split into two spaces: a grill and a tavern.
“Opening Saint George is like coming home,” says Martini. “My food is in constant evolution and I’ve been working on a menu that I think will be accessible and exciting, capturing the essence of a warmer, casual fare.”
Each space has its own menu, with launch plates at the grill covering tuna marinata, caper, and anchovy bruschetta; beef tartare with semolina yolk and parmigiano; whole flounder; bistecca di Fiornetina; and agnolotti with artichoke sauce.
Meanwhile, the tavern will focus on share-style dishes – think oysters, fritto misto, and paccheri Bolognese.
Saint George marks the second Melbourne opening for Public, which launched its first The Clifton Hotel in Kew with The Grossi Group last year.
Official opening date for Saint George to come.