Malvern scores an Italian diner from the team behind wine bar Essie
Lulu is bringing all things carby and cheesy to the neighbourhood. Commandeer the burnt-orange banquette in the window and feast among the locals.
When Angus Brettingham-Moore opened Essie in an old Malvern music school in 2019, he hadn’t planned for the wine bar to double as a restaurant. But he always thought the Station Street strip could do with more dining options.
Five years later, he has taken matters into his own hands, opening warmly lit 45-seat Italian diner Lulu less than 100 metres down the road, so it and Essie can “feed off each other”.
“There’s already been a large contingent of diners I know from Essie,” says Brettingham-Moore. “It’s lovely to see those guys and their continued support.”
The lure? Crowd-pleasing Italian dishes by chef Rob Bramante (ex-Tiamo).
Start with fluffy focaccia and freshly shucked Sydney rock oysters with Campari vinaigrette. Then move on to leopard-crusted, stone-baked pizzas made with a 72-hour-fermented dough (“the mortadella, pistachio and buffalo mozzarella is a clear-cut favourite,” says Brettingham-Moore) and spanner-crab linguine with prawn bisque and brandy sauce.
If you’re partial to a post-meal coffee hit, you can get it in a few different forms: in a big slab of tiramisu, in a caffeinated riff on the negroni, and in a classic espresso martini.
The cosy space, curated by local interior designer Alexandra Cerny, has been kitted out in earthy tones, including a curved burnt-orange banquette, sand-coloured tiles and textured walls. A statement steel-topped bar was made for casual drop-in wines.
Open Wed-Thu, 5pm-late; Fri-Sun, noon-late
11 Station Street, Malvern, lulumalvern.com
Tomas Telegramma is a food, drinks and culture writer.