It has been operating for more than a decade, but WTC Wharf, on the Yarra’s northbank is still one of the precinct’s largely undiscovered gems.
It faces south across the river, with great views of Jeff’s shed and South Wharf, but its northbank location makes it one of the coolest places to escape the summer sun. It might be 40 degrees over the river, but on WTC Wharf you can be enjoying a drink or a meal in pleasant shade in around 25-30 degree comfort.
There’s plenty of passing river traffic to capture your attention and it tends not to have the crowds that can make summertime on other side a little uncomfortable at times.
The busiest venue on WTC Wharf is The Wharf Hotel, which is also full of memorabilia that pays homage to the site’s former life as the Australia Wharf, one of Melbourne’s busiest cargo handling areas. The pub, while new, has a bit of the feel of an older Aussie venue, and its waterfront drinking and dining area gives it a great outdoor vibe. Po-p in for just a coffee or a beer, or stay a bit longer for The Wharf’s lunch specials and a la carte pub-style menu.
Riverside Teppanyaki is another waterfront eatery, offering authentic Japanese cuisine in a very classy venue. It is said to feature Australia’s largest teppanyaki table, featuring 19 cooking stations and seating for up to 44 people. Enjoy the fun and spectacle of expert knife skills and flaming teppanyaki cooking. It’s as much entertainment as it is culinary.
The sister venue is Kobe Jones, where the food is designed to bring the simplicity and beauty of Japanese cooking and meld it with nuances and surprising flavours of the west. This venue specialises in ‘graze dining’, which means their dishes are served share style with dishes designed to be shared by three people.
Staying with an Asian theme, the next venue along is Man Mo. Its menu features an extensive selection of dishes inspired by the ingredients and cooking styles of the Chinese and Malaysian cultures. The resulting modern Chinese Malaysian food is served with a European flourish.
Byblos is a venue that oozes middle eastern opulence. Lavish seating and colourful décor upstairs and down. French trained chef, Nicholas Mattar, and owners, Nehme and Adonis Ghanem, pride themselves on an authentic menu. Dishes called ‘Mezat’, scrumptious shared plates consisting of mixed grills, vegetables, hummus and tabouleh, or different types of handmade pies, the finest fattoush to a perfectly matched pinot noir, can be enjoyed while overlooking the Yarra River.
