Espresso

Teage Ezard's Gingerboy is now open on Sundays for Melbourne's most expensive brunch. It's $98, which gets you an 11-dish set menu (think ox cheek potsticker dumplings with cashew soy, duck larb with lotus and pomelo) along with bottomless yuzu bellinis. Sundays from 11.30am until 2.30pm at 27-29 Crossley Street, Melbourne, gingerboy.com.au

Peter Gunn turns his experimental degustation-only Collingwood restaurant Ides into a dessert bar next Sunday night for a one-off event. He's partnering up with Shaun Quade (Lume), Sarin Rojanametin (Nora) and Clinton McIver (Amaru) to offer four desserts (pictured) over 45 minutes. It's a steal at $60, idesmelbourne.com.au

Latin American cafe, grocery and cooking school El Atino & Co is now open for dinner. Chef Martin Zozaya's menu is dulce de leche jaffles by day, cactus croquetas, zucchini ceviche and tiger prawns cooked in beer and coconut by night. At 366 Bridge Road, Richmond.

Mark Best's Pei Modern shut last weekend for a quick nip and tuck. It's only temporary. The crew expects to be back early November with a refreshed dining room and a grill-focused menu.  

Stokehouse returns

St Kilda's iconic beachside restaurant, the Stokehouse, will be back and better than ever in a three-stage rollout starting in early October. There will be a casual fish and chip kiosk called Paper Fish open only during daylight saving.

On the ground floor of what once was Stokehouse Cafe will be the casual dining room called Pontoon, a 350-seater with a split-level deck and an open outdoor fireplace. It is set to open by the end of October and promises char-grilled seafood and "frozé" (rosé wine slushies).

The 130-seat, top floor restaurant Stokehouse will be open for all-day dining from December 6. Interior designer Pascale Gomes-McNabb is taking care of the fitout, she is no stranger to the space, having designed the  2010 refurbishment and she is promising to recapture "that same Stokehouse feeling".

The kitchen will be overseen by head chef Ollie Hansford (Stokehouse City) and executive chef Richard Ousby (of Stokehouse Q in Brisbane)  – expect a seafood driven menu.

It has been an 18-month overhaul since the venue was destroyed by fire in April 2014; designed by architect Robert Simeoni, the new Stokehouse precinct is a five Green Star restaurant – this may be Australia's most sustainable, environmentally friendly dining experience.

A new look at the Builders Arms pub. Photo: Kristoffer Paulsen

Ricky and Pinky makes swift, enticing entrance

A quick recap: Andrew "Cutler and Co, Cumulus, and Marion" McConnell announced just two months ago that he'd be closing Moon Under Water, the fine-dining portion of the Builders Arms pub. The plan: unite the space with the bistro to create a modern Chinese gaff that feels like the glory years of Chinese dining (behold three luminous Tin and Ed portraits celebrating the likes of the napkin swan) but tastes mostly like 2016, if you discount the Japanese Slipper, Melbourne's Midori-fuelled cocktail legacy.

The transformation has been swift but effective, pulled off between Studio Round, Sibling and Tin and Ed. It's a big open space now, with a kitchen to the rear of the dining room framed in gold pipes, a curvy blue banquette in the mid-section and lazy susans throughout.

A fish tank is ready for pippies (for XO saucing and Chinese doughnut accompaniment) and abalone for a double-boiled soup.

We elbowed in for a sneak peek this week. Things look good. Here's your mapo tofu, steak with pepper sauce classics butting up against the veg-friendly, like cold marinated eggplant, fluffy kale and mushroom bao, cold noodle salads and smashed cucumbers with lots of chili.

You'll also be able to drop big dollars on dry-aged rib-eyes and wines with pedigree and skin contact grip. The banquets ($65 for eight share courses) should launch a few days in.

The front bar remains a pubby front bar, reopening from today replete with its trademark cod roe dip and a burger, so everybody be cool. Brace for the buzz.

Ricky and Pinky opens Monday, August 29, 211 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy 03 9417 7700 buildersarmshotel.com.au/introducing-ricky-pinky

Double helping of Fonda

After nearly a year of permit hurdles Tim McDonald and David Youl have started building Fonda Mexican Smith Street, due to open by the first week of December. In the meantime, get your taco fix in Malvern East, when the new Chadstone taqueria opens in mid-October.

The Chadstone operation is part of a multimillion-dollar redevelopment of the west mall. Fonda will be joined by Neil Perry's Burger Project, New Shanghai and a host of other high-end operators. McDonald says it's more of a food precinct than a food court. Expect a freestanding venue designed by Techne Architecture & Interior Design with alfresco dining and a view of the city skyline.

The Smith Street location takes over that hot pink cheesecake shop on the Stanley Street Corner (it's heritage listed, hence the delay) as well as the adjoining barbershop for a double storey restaurant with a retro theme by Wildhen and ST Style. The fitout plans include plenty of booth seating and a separate bar area, plus alfresco dining. Oh, and watermelon margarita spritzes on tap.

Fonda Mexican Chadstone and Smith Street will be venues six and seven respectively for the group but McDonald assures us there isn't going to be a Fonda on every Melbourne corner; he and his business partners have eyes on interstate locations.

Fonda Mexican will open at Chadstone shopping centre mid-October and at 236 Smith Street, Collingwood early December. Fonda Mexican currently has locations in Knox, Hawthorn, Richmond, Windsor and Flinders Lane, City.

Wine away the time

"Every town needs a wine bar," says Joe Staropoli of Williamstown newbie Lower West Side Wine Bar. "It's the cafe of the future … but for grown-ups." We couldn't agree more.

The Douglas Street locale is a bit out of the way if you're coming from the city but it's within walking distance of George Calombaris' new Hellenic Hotel and it's hands down the best place to stop for a glass of something and some classic wine bar-style snacks on the way home if you live in the area.

Co-owners Joe and Angela Staropoli, who also own Cafe Terroni in Yarraville are in business with Joe's sister Maria Staropoli, who looks after the kitchen, serving things like duck liver parfait, gorgonzola croquettes and potato gnocchi with beef and pork ragu.

It's a space that really lends itself to the evenings; upcycled timber specialist and ex-footy player Jason Winderlich of Just Eco helped with the fitout; take a pew at thick hardwood tables and consult the drinks list of local wines and beers alongside some French and Italian classics.

At the moment it's drink-in only but a take-away licence should come through soon.

Open Tue 4pm-11pm; Wed-Sun 11am-11pm.  Shop 4, 73-83 Douglas Parade Williamstown, 03 9397 6725.