Molli

THE VERDICT

Molli is an ode to modern Australian cuisine with a heavy focus on fresh, sustainably sourced ingredients and technique. The restaurant is part of Melbourne's new wave of suburban dining, located in the heart of Abbotsford, just a short walk up from Victoria Street. 

And when you walk in, you realize, Molli is cool. It’s a cool spot. Little touches like the antiques, seemingly erratically scattered around the venue but done with such precision it seems natural like an austere grandparent’s office or the lobby of a hotel from a bygone era.

Then the funky retro art and vinyl player complete with mid-century style speakers bring you right back to the modern. To start, there’s the conversation pit, casual bar seating, or tables by the window where you can sip on a martini and snack on seaweed crackers with mushroom ketchup. If you’re with mates, the clarified milk punch (so hot right now) is an affair, built to serve four and completed by chunky 1920s-style ice bricks.

The manager tongue-in-cheek describes Molli as 70s without the disco and we agree, it’s all about the fun, the funk, and the vibe. The menu reads like a who's who of incredible dishes. With ingredients locally sourced, ethically produced, foraged, or grown on the rooftop garden or at the Mulberry Group's sustainable farm at Freshwater Creek, you know the kitchen is in touch with how diners want to eat.

Combos like mussels and nduja, delicate but fiery, offer a take on traditional mussels with the bread fried and tossed through, rather than on the side. Their Josper grill (read: big charcoal oven) locks in the flavors of octopus skewers with yuzu kosho, and the beef short ribs topped with crispy chicken skin are moreish and rich. The potato rosti takes you down memory lane, reminiscent of a childhood treat (potato cakes, of course), and then into the future with the whole alpine trout with pork crackling. The trout, much like the punch, is best shared between friends. The touch of saltbush and pork crackling gives the dish dimension, breaking through the soft flesh with a series of complex textures.

The comforting smell of charcoal wafts through the dining room from time to time, as the somm (who is wandering around—can we make this a thing again, please?) offers excellent recommendations from a tight, revolving, and most importantly, accessible wine list. The tunes blare from those big speakers, and you realise, just like Molli, you’re cool too. You have to be if you’re eating here, right?
It’s easy to say Molli will be on the must-eat list, not only for locals in Abbotsford but for all Melburnians, bringing a touch of the regions to the inner city with great aplomb.

Image: Molli | Tim Harris
Words: Navarone Farrell