South Yarra’s dining scene is shifting. The 2026 wave of openings leans toward focused concepts — venues doing a few things well rather than trying to please everyone. Wood-fired cooking, natural wine, single-protein restaurants, and day-to-night transformations. Here are the new arrivals worth knowing about.
The New Arrivals
1. Hearth & Vine — 28 Toorak Road
A large wood-fired hearth anchors the open kitchen. Chef Anya Petrov (formerly of a celebrated Tasmanian wood-fire restaurant) runs a menu built around Victorian producers. The dry-aged duck cooked over ironbark with black garlic and sour cherry glaze is the standout. The wine list leans into minimal-intervention producers from the Macedon Ranges and Geelong. Cooking with primal appeal, executed with precision.
2. Lune Epicerie — 421 Chapel Street
An offshoot of the famous croissanterie, focused on savoury pastry. Daytime only (7am-3pm). Lamb shoulder pies with rosemary and pine nut, leek and Gruyere tarts, and the classic almond croissant. Rotating single-origin espresso from local roasters. Watch the team laminate dough through the glass.
3. Vin & Volaille — 15 Bray Street
Wine bar with a narrow focus: natural wine and chicken. The chicken comes from a specific Yarra Valley farm and appears spatchcocked over charcoal, confit in duck fat, or as weekend-only ramen broth. The wine list runs through small-batch Australian and French natural producers. The chicken liver parfait with house-made brioche earns the visit alone.
4. The Brasserie at Como — 303-325 Toorak Road
Inside the refurbished Como Mews. High ceilings, marble tabletops, bentwood chairs, arched windows overlooking a courtyard. French brasserie fare with Victorian ingredients — the steak frites uses grass-fed local beef, the whole roasted flounder with brown butter and capers is a centrepiece dish. Pre-theatre menu and an afternoon tea pastry trolley.
5. Kissa — 567 Chapel Street
A Japanese kissaten (traditional coffee shop) with a Melbourne twist. By day: meticulously brewed pour-over coffee and wagashi (Japanese sweets). By evening: the lights dim and it becomes an izakaya with agedashi tofu, chicken yakitori, and a serious Japanese whisky and sake selection. Blonde timber, washi paper screens, and ceramic tableware from local artists.
6. Fieldwork — 89 Commercial Road
Wine bar and bottle shop with a strictly Victorian wine philosophy. Shelves stocked exclusively with wines from Mornington Peninsula, Beechworth, and the Grampians. The by-the-glass menu changes weekly. Food is designed to accompany wine: house-made charcuterie, terrines, sourdough with cultured butter, rotating cheeses. Communal tables and staff who are educators rather than sellers.
7. Nocturne — 671 Malvern Road (Toorak border)
Late-night venue (5pm-2am) for the post-theatre, post-dinner crowd. Deep blue velvet booths, low lighting, cool jazz soundtrack. Refined small plates: Wagyu sliders with truffle aioli, crisp school prawns with lemon myrtle salt, potato gratin dauphinois. A dedicated martini trolley circles the room. Fills the gap for a grown-up late-night spot.
8. Sol — 1127 High Street, Armadale (short walk from South Yarra)
Nordic-inspired cafe with minimalist design. Rye porridge with stewed rhubarb, open-faced sandwiches on dense dark bread with pickled herring or cured trout, and an exceptional cardamom bun. House-made kombucha and a non-alcoholic cocktail list built on shrubs. Calm alternative to the weekend brunch rush.
What These Openings Tell Us
The trend is specialisation. Vin & Volaille does chicken and wine. Fieldwork does Victorian wine and charcuterie. Kissa does Japanese coffee and izakaya. These venues aren’t trying to be everything — they’re confident in a narrow lane and execute it well.
The other trend is day-to-night flexibility. Kissa transforms from kissaten to izakaya. Lune Epicerie takes the croissanterie into savoury territory. Nocturne fills the 10pm-2am gap that most South Yarra restaurants leave empty.
What We’re Watching
Como Lane by Scott Pickett Group — Parisian-garden-themed cafe inside the Como House estate. Early reviews are positive (XO chilli scrambles, lemon-myrtle pancakes) but it opened late 2025 and we want to see a full year of service before adding it to a “best of” list. First impressions: promising.
The Verdict
This cohort of openings signals a maturing South Yarra dining scene. The emphasis is on doing a few things exceptionally well and creating spaces as considered as the food. For the diner, it means more reasons to eat in the suburb and fewer reasons to cross the river.
FAQ
What’s the best new restaurant in South Yarra? Hearth & Vine on Toorak Road for the wood-fired experience. Vin & Volaille on Bray Street for something more intimate.
Are there new late-night options? Nocturne on the Toorak border serves refined small plates and cocktails until 2am.
Any new cafes? Lune Epicerie at 421 Chapel Street for savoury pastry and excellent coffee. Kissa at 567 Chapel Street for Japanese pour-over.
More South Yarra: Best Restaurants | Best Cafes | Nightlife Guide
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