Navi’s fire-focused sibling Bar Gabi opens this Saturday in Yarraville. But with its nostalgic cocktails and snacks like smoky mussel potato cakes, it’s set to pull crowds well beyond the neighbourhood.
Quincy Malesovas
Julian Hills is best known for his two-hatted fine diner Navi tucked into a quiet pocket of Yarraville. But for years, he dreamed of opening his own bar. The restaurant’s next-door spinoff, Navi Lounge, was a start, offering a less expensive taste of the menu and a spot for drinks before or after a meal. But it was still a little too polished for Hills’ taste.
“We want people to be able to walk in [wearing] shorts, but no one feels comfortable doing that at Navi,” he says.
Bar Gabi, which opens this Saturday, is a more complete expression of Hills’ vision for a relaxed community bar. Alongside partner Georgia Roberts, beverage manager Miriam Wahlhütter and chef Paul Turner, he’s created the sort of refined but everyday spot he wanted to see in the area, with considered drinks and dishes priced at $38 or less.
“We originally planned to open this in the city, but since COVID, we haven’t left the suburb,” Hills says. “We love Yarraville.”
Cocktails are the priority, designed by Wahlhütter, who also oversees the drinks program at Navi. Some draw on Victorian producers, like the signature martini using gin made exclusively for the venue by Rothwell Distillery, infused with native botanicals and warm baking spices. A smoked Tequila Sunrise and toasted wattleseed Whisky Sour incorporate flavours from the fire-focused kitchen. And house-made basil liqueur and mandarin limoncello reflect the drinks program’s emphasis on seasonal produce.
Food is no afterthought, especially when there’s a 700-kilogram Brazilian-made grill to play with. Fitted with 32 rotisseries and fuelled by redwood and compressed charcoal, alongside offcuts of saltbush and applewood, the behemoth is the centrepiece of the kitchen.
“We’re sort of treating it like a really big hibachi,” Hills says.
There’s no oven or other cooking equipment beyond a deep-fryer so, naturally, char and smoke run through the menu. Mussels are steamed, pickled, then finished over hot coals and served on a potato cake with Geraldton wax and white radish. Sourdough potato damper is cooked directly in the embers and served with whipped wattleseed and miso butter, while Murray cod ceviche gets a savoury boost from crispy fish “bacon”.
The grill is the only constant; otherwise, the menu draws on Melbourne’s breadth of culinary influences without adhering to a single tradition. Kangaroo sausage takes a distinctly Thai lean. Flavoured with lemongrass, chilli, makrut lime and shrimp paste, the snag is sliced and served with betel leaves, salted egg yolk and chutney for guests to assemble themselves.
Desserts combine nostalgia and unexpected touches. An “ice-cream sandwich” is made with a miso macaron and Jerusalem artichoke parfait. It sits alongside bourbon pecan tart inspired by Hills’ North American heritage. “My mum makes one every year for Thanksgiving and Christmas,” he says.
The venue is split over two levels with a front bar, a private nook at the rear and a mezzanine for extended dining and functions. Hills’ brother, Damon, of Finnis Architects, who also worked on Navi, has given the space a cosy 1970s feel, with terracotta walls and dimpled glass accents.
On Yarraville’s main drag, Gabi joins the suburb’s growing mix of pubs and wine bars. “We’re not trying to compete with anyone,” Hills says. “We’re trying to lift the overall community.”
Bar Gabi opens on Saturday, October 17, at 21 Anderson Street, Yarraville, bargabi.com.au
Open for dinner Wed-Sun and lunch Fri-Sun