LOTI St Kilda

Looking for the perfect venue to escape the icy chill of a beautiful seaside evening? Look no further. There’s nothing icy about LOTI! An acronym for Lady of the Ice, LOTI is St Kilda’s newest mecca for all food and wine aficionados! 

Admire her beauty as you glide past the larger-than-life ice skating sculpture which adorns the entrance, a nod to the neon signage of a female skater that stood atop the nearby St Moritz ice rink until 1981 before you step inside the chic interior of LOTI. Styled by warm neutrals with terracotta and salmon accents designed by Melbourne-based interior architecture and design studio Mitchell and Eades, you’ll immediately feel as though you’ve been transported into a European dream! 

Commence your dining experience by taking a seat at the sexy serpentine, pink veined marble bar, and treat yourself to the signature LOTI Martini, consisting of gin, ice wine, orange bitters and orange oil or go for the staff favourite, the Pantone – Vodka, elderflower, Packham pear, butterfly pea, which has all been carbonated. Once you quench that thirst, make your way to the other side of the restaurant where you’ll be seated right in the midst of the action, in the stylish open-plan kitchen and dining space.

‘We want dining out to be an experience that makes our guests conjure up memories of favourite trips away. The LOTI experience is meant to be a feast that everyone at the table joins. Think the theatre of watching a chef grill the finest produce to order, sauces and dishes made up table side, a house-made charcuterie board from seafood to meat inspired by the Victorian coast and local ingredients and the intrigue that grows from a unique spin on the classic martini,’ says Cameron Northway, owner. 

As you gaze over a tantalisingly mouth-watering range of delectable options available on a menu full of seafood and fresh, wild-foraged ingredients, you won’t know where to begin! 

Head Chef Elijah ‘EJ’ Holland (Lume, NOMA Australia, Aria, Quay) is passionate about foraging up and down the coast for ingredients, even going as far as using the entire LOTI staff team to pick more than 2 tonnes of olives which are used to make the restaurants homemade Pyrenees Extra virgin olive oil (worth it!). After sampling, I can 100% vouch that this oil is an absolutely breathtaking accompaniment to the warm house-baked sourdough bread. Holland prides himself on creating everything from scratch, using ancient techniques of fermentation, preserving, curing and serving food in the freshest and purest form.

‘Everything we use is about trying to use products and ingredients that are completely sustainable – and also seen through our foraging and collecting of local ingredients. We collect our produce from different areas, to limit the impact on the environment. Even if produce grows closer around St Kilda, Brighton and Elwood – we’ll go out along the coast and spread out where we take it from, so it can continue to grow for years to come. We also try to source from smaller farmers if possible, to lower our carbon footprint and environmental impact,’ says Elijah ‘EJ’ Holland, Head Chef. 

Starting your culinary adventure, try the baked L’Artisan raclette & pumpkin vol au vent, with garden herbs, it.is.to.die.for – you’ve been warned! Or, to really treat those taste buds, the Smoked Yellow Fin tuna mousse cornetto, with albacore tuna mojama, is both artistic and truly mystic! For the lovers of cheese and pasta (everyone), you absolutely cannot overlook the parsnip, leek and daikon risotto, with Prom country pecorino and coastal succulents – this dish is a favourite! The pièce de résistance is most certainly the Whole Live Lobster, which is butter poached, wrapped in kelp and barbecued, accompanied by lemon scented tea tree and delicious Kelp ditalini pasta, oh my! This dish is fit for any queen! Finally, who could say no to a roasted chestnut, anise myrtle and Daintree rainforest chocolate magnum for dessert, served on a strangely delicious twig?! Delicious is an understatement! 

With an extensive list of wines from biodynamic and organic Australian producers – especially those using grape varietals known and loved from the European coastline – the opportunity of pairing LOTI’s delectable food alongside exquisite wine is foolish to pass up, and boy, are we glad we didn’t! 

More than just a restaurant, LOTI sits as a vibrant hub for the St Kilda community as part of the Saint Moritz precinct. LOTI is the perfect destination to drop in for a casual drink on the sun-drenched terrace or plan a cosy dinner inside with friends. 

LOTI St Kilda
St Moritz, 14–16 The Esplanade, St Kilda, 3004
Open Wednesday to Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday, 5pm–10pm, Friday and Saturday, 12pm–12am, Sunday, 12pm–10pm
lotistkilda.com.au

Images: Parker Blain