Uncle St Kilda

Called Uncle, a term of endearment and respect in Vietnam, the restaurant aims to be genuinely Vietnamese, if not meticulously so. That means pate with crackers, steak with chilli and coconut butter - Vietnamese flavours mixed with Chinese and French influences too.

Perched above Blackhearts and Sparrows, the venue was designed by Adele Winteridge of Foolscap Studio, the aesthetic brains behind Patricia.

Design has clearly played an important part in Uncle’s conception, with furniture by Northcote’s Steve Edwards and handmade Crockery by Fork Ceramics (Ruth Laird Spence, Spence’s wife), complementing Foolscap’s fit-out.

With a working bar downstairs and al fresco dining above, Uncle is an enjoyable but affordable dining experience. Co-owner Rene Spence puts it this way: “The idea was for you to look at your bill at the end and say ‘Whoah, shit! Are you kidding me? Is it that cheap?’"