Stella Restaurant and Bar

Do you need to find a restaurant to make a lasting impression for that romantic date or a group of friends for your festive end-of-year dinner? Then look no further than Stella Restaurant and Bar. Generating a dedicated buzz since opening, guests can expect to consume an array of exquisite and memorable cocktails, Italian-inspired dishes and a captivating rooftop bar space. The South Yarra hotspot delivers a sophisticated, elegant and sleek culinary experience perfect for a Christmas Day lunch, New Year’s Eve celebration or regular summer entertaining.

Situated in the bustle of Chapel Street, Stella spans four levels, with each dedicated space imbuing a distinct type of vibe to suit your tribe. Patrons will immediately notice the restored 1800s façade and, as you enter the restaurant, the ground-level pizzeria space is stylishly fitted with emerald velvet booths, a grand Marana Forni Pizza oven and an abundance of natural light from the windows positioned on the side – ideal for taking a smoking IG photo or gazing into the street to people watch. The second level is home to the cocktail lounge, a seated dining space that holds up to 40 people. The apex of Stella is undoubtedly the open-air rooftop terrace festooned with a vertical, lush garden offering sweeping views of the metropolis, a romantic and iconic spot to catch the summer sunset.

Opening its doors just over a year ago, the new lunch and dinner menu is courtesy of Head Chef Michael Tse, with a stellar – forgive the pun – rep from culinary institutions such as Vue De Monde and Le Crocodile. The menu reflects Tse’s fascination for Italian cuisine and the dishes aim to provide a gastronomic journey through the booted country. Standout dishes include the mushroom arancini; the burrata adorned with heirloom cherry tomato and fennel frond, and drizzled with balsamic vinegar and olive oil and fennel; the puffy stone baked bread and smoked salt; and the bucatini pasta with spanner crab, cray sauce and tomato oil, absolutely divine. Among the pizza selection, I would recommend the classic San Daniele prosciutto with buffalo mozzarella, basil and parmesan or the pork and fennel sausage pizza topped with tomato sugo, Fior Di Latte, sage, fresh fennel, sun-dried tomato and parmesan. For dessert, it was an even split between the decadent baked cheesecake made sweeter with rhubarb compote, raspberry sorbet and orange zest and the tiramisu served in a wide-brimmed stemmed glass.

The cocktail and drinks list aims to please and thoroughly succeeds. You won’t regret ordering a Madama Butterfly cocktail. The purple concoction is a mix of butterfly pea flower and jasmine green tea, Belvedere vodka, citric acid, Soho lychee liqueur, lychee caviar and orange blossom mist. It’s a treat!

Celebrate the silly season at Stella this year and indulge in their Christmas Day lunch offering a four-course set menu with seating times at 11:30 am –2:00 pm or 2:30 pm to 5:00 pm. You can also bring in the new year with their New Year’s Eve Dinner or the Rooftop Party from 9:00 pm to countdown what’s left of 2023.

Stella Restaurant and Bar
427 Chapel Street, South Yarra, 3141
stellarestaurantbar.com.au