Lauded French-born America-based chef Dominique Crenn will open her first venue in the southern hemisphere in October, with Melbourne set to score Petit Crenn. The day-to-night dining destination will pull upon Crenn’s work at the Michelin-starred Atelier Crenn in San Francisco, which saw her become the first female chef in North America to be awarded three Michelin stars.
Crenn will translate the dynamic cafés and restaurants of Paris for a distinctly Melbourne mood, with a 40-seat venue that will house French bistro cooking by night and coffee and pastries in the morning. “Melbourne has a very special energy. There is a real curiosity there about food, wine, culture and where things come from, and that immediately resonated with me,” Crenn tells Gourmet Traveller. “For me, opening in Melbourne isn’t about bringing something from San Francisco or France and simply recreating it there. It’s about bringing the spirit of Petit Crenn and allowing Melbourne to shape its own expression.”
At the top of the morning you’ll find seasonal tartines, well-dressed salads and an elegant croque-madame with ham and Gruyère. As the menu moves into lunch and dinner, expect a steak tartare seasoned with the classic pepper steak sauce au poivre joined by an egg yolk jam; a savoury take on Madeleines with egg bavarois and pickled shallot served alongside caviar; and a chocolate tartine with French butter.
Crenn will visit Australia for training and consultations and will be here for the opening and to meet local producers too. “I’m inspired by the incredible produce Australia has to offer and, even more importantly, by the people behind it,” says Crenn. “I want Petit Crenn to have a sense of place, so I’m excited to build relationships with local farmers, growers, artisans and winemakers and allow those discoveries to become part of what we create.”
French technique and business acumen have driven Crenn’s success, growing up in Brittany before moving to the United States to pursue her hospitality career. In San Francisco she has Atelier Crenn, alongside Bar Crenn and Petit Crenn. Her accolades include receiving the World’s 50 Best Icon Award, while Atelier Crenn won the Sustainable Restaurant Award from North America’s 50 Best Restaurants. The venture is being facilitated by private equity and hotel investment firm Salter Brothers, who are also behind Rick Stein at Coogee Beach at the InterContinental.
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Share this post