Melburnians who like to venture further than the end of their road may have come across previous hospitality ventures from Luke Mutton and Kylie Mackinlay – Dead Man Espresso in South Melbourne and Seddon’s Common Galaxia are on their CV – and the husband and wife team are at it again at Sun Moth Canteen and Bar on Lonsdale Street in Central Melbourne. It’s an all-day eatery offering a well-considered menu of seven delicious breakfasts, eight healthy lunches and some pastry treats, with grains (porridge, granola, risotto) playing a prominent, artery-scrubbing role. Once the sun is past the yard-arm, there’s also a selection of craft beers and natural wines from the locality – in fact everything on the drinks menu bar the tequila is made locally, and though I’ve never tasted Aussie tequila, that’s got to be a good thing, hasn’t it?
Fresh, simple, and not over-priced. Those seem to be the tenets of Sun Moth, and the interior reflects that. It’s a clean white, post-industrial space with chunky support beams surrounding a central bar/counter and bursts of organic green dotted around. The timber floor looks smooth enough for a frame of ten-pin bowling, but you’d better ask before you send a 10-pounder across the dining area.
Photography, Jasmine Blom and Armelle Habib
