First Look: With Open House, Nathen Doyle Opens the Neighbourhood Cafe He Always Wanted

Nathen Doyle has a knack for creating neighbourhood favourites. Crowds spill onto the footpath outside Carlton cafe and wine bar Sunhands , which he co-owns. Heartattack and Vine , the bar he co-founded and has since left, has long been a reliable staple.

Now he’s bringing his hospo chops to his own neighbourhood, Clifton Hill, with new venue Open House. Doyle says he thought the area needed a neighbourhood cafe that “got back to the root of things”. For him, that means getting to know regulars, being flexible with menus and serving quality food with a welcoming attitude in a beautiful setting. And he’s brought on India Anderson and head chef Diego Leon, who he previously worked with at Heartattack and Vine, to lead the project.

They trio want their venue to be the kind of place where the team knows regulars by name. “Your local cafe should be an extension of home,” Doyle says. “We want to welcome everybody, be friendly for allergies and dietary requirements, allow for people to add and change up their breakfast with flexible sides,” Leon adds.

The short breakfast menu includes house-made granola; a three cheese toastie made with scamorza, cheddar and gruyere; and pieces of toast (which can be gluten-free) loaded with your choice of either braised mushrooms, avocado and tahini, or folded eggs and pickles.

Come lunchtime, you’ll find the Open House standout: a miso egg sandwich inspired by Leon’s recent trip to Japan. It’s a spin on a curried egg sandwich, “But instead of spice, we have gone for umami,” says Doyle. Hard-boiled eggs are mixed in a miso mayonnaise, and complete with kyurizuke (Japanese pickled cucumber). There are also plans to weave in Caldron’s Colombian background in the future, with corn arepas paired with rich hot chocolate.

Open House takes over the former Cafe Tarda site, and the interior mirrors the team’s welcoming approach with its cosy, lived-in feel. Behind the counter is a huge piece of art Anderson made out of vintage wallpaper.

A cabinet of baked goods is filled with cakes and pastries, some made in-house and some from Iris the Bakery. A highlight is the chocolate and coconut cream served with crème fraîche and lemon oil.

When the venue’s liquor licence comes through, the plan is to open at night on weekends over summer, with burgers, lasagne and flame-licked steaks served alongside wine, beer and basic cocktails.

Open House
122 Roseneath Street, Clifton Hill

Hours:
Daily 7am–3pm

open-house.com.au
@openhouse.cliftonhill