Sydney couple chef Ross and Sunny Lusted will open two venues – a basement bar and a restaurant – in Melbourne later this year.

Both venues will be on the same block as Dave Verheul’s Embla and the yet-to-open boutique hotel Melbourne Place.

The couple previously ran celebrated fine diner The Bridge Room and currently oversee the 260-seat Crown Sydney restaurant Woodcut, both in Sydney.

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Both venues will be inspired by the couple’s time living in coastal parts of Europe and Sunny says Ross, who will oversee the food at both spaces, has been particularly inspired by Melbourne’s European feel and markets.

“We lived in Europe for quite a long time. And I think travelling down to Melbourne echoes a lot of that,” Sunny tells Broadsheet.

The couple is yet to announce the names of the two venues but notes both will have coastal Iberian influence.
“It’s a complete departure from anything we’ve done so far,” says Sunny of the food and general atmosphere they’re going for in the two spaces. “So, it’s kind of got the creative juices flowing for both of us.”