At Dreamy Seafood Restaurant Cordelia, the Don’s Team Grows Up
Words by Sebastian Pasinetti · Updated on 10 Jul 2025 · Published on 10 Jul 2025
Rathdowne Street has quietly become one of Melbourne’s most exciting dining strips, anchored by staples like Fenton Farmhouse, Hot-Listed Muli and Bar Bellamy, and the latter’s soon-to-open bar Melitta Next Door. Now, the team behind Don’s – the much-loved Prahran wine bar – has added to the momentum with Cordelia.
The seafood-focused restaurant is a step-up from Don’s, which focuses on simple small plates and is known for its pasta-on-a-spoon specials. It brings European sensibility, local sustainable produce and a laid-back charm to Carlton’s north. Led by head chef Josh Norris (former head chef at Don’s), the menu shifts almost daily, guided by whatever is freshest and most in-season. Most of the seafood is sourced through Sydney-based supplier Andrew Joseph, with dishes built around what’s been caught that day. “One day it might be tuna, one day might be bonito and one day might be mackerel,” says Norris. “It’s completely dependent on what comes in.”
While seafood leads the charge at Cordelia, the team was careful not to go all-in. “It felt a little bit against our ethos to operate exclusively in seafood,” says co-owner Alex Gavioli. “Not everybody likes seafood, and we want to be a comfortable, fun, exciting place for as many people as possible.”
A standout on the opening menu is a beef and wallaby tartare, made with beef from Myall Springs, a certified organic farm in north-west New South Wales that Norris’s family has worked and operated for generations. “We’re the only restaurant ever to serve their beef,” he says. “It’s a really special connection to my family and the land.”
To match the ever-changing menu, Cordelia’s wine list leans seafood-friendly but doesn’t take itself too seriously. It’s a sharp, approachable selection that reflects the team’s personality with a mix of local and international bottles.
Cocktails follow suit, with a playful “With Love” section offering the team’s own takes on the Manhattan, Martini and Negroni. Most other classics are also available on request.
The fit-out, led by Studio Kae (run by Gavioli’s wife and Cordelia co-owner, Sarah Freudendal), makes use of the sun-drenched corner site on Rathdowne Street. “We just wanted to work with what was already here, it’s a beautiful space with so much natural light,” says Freudendal. Soft lime-washed walls with a finish containing grains of sand, matched with scallop-edged coasters and plates with softly curved edges, nod to the sea. Downstairs, a compact basement bar offers a moodier, more intimate counterpart to the ground-floor dining room. It’s a tucked away space where you can begin or end your Cordelia experience with a glass, or linger and enjoy anything from the upstairs menu.
At the core of Cordelia is a shared ethos between Norris and Gavioli. From how they source their produce to how they build their team, every decision is rooted in sustainability, intentionality and genuine care.
Cordelia
180 Rathdowne Street, Carlton
No phone
Hours:
Wed midday–9.30pm
Thu midday–10pm
Fri & Sat midday–11.30pm
About the author
Sebastian Pasinetti is a mental health first aid trainer and the co-founder of Minds en Place.
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