Cumulus Inc

CUMULUS UP
Don't queue outside on Flinders Lane, instead take a seat at Cumulus Up, the latest addition to McConnell's empire. This 60-seater luxe-European wine bar will serve nibbles and drinks.

PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIA
We’ve got to hand it to Andrew McConnell, whose track record includes the best in Melbourne, from Dining Room 211 in Fitzroy to Circa in St Kilda and Three Two One in Carlton. Now it’s Cumulus Inc, in the CBD’s Flinders Lane, which he runs with his wife Pascale. The old semi-industrial space has been turned into an open eating and drinking arena. It’s simply furnished, with white walls and timber floors. The tables and chairs are flanked by two wide bars which naturally produce a raucously warm and good-humoured atmosphere.

Food and drink here are designed with flexibility in mind rather than formal dining. Cumulus Inc is perfect for a glass of wine and a couple of shared dishes, or a dozen oysters and a big tender steak, or perhaps just a brilliant madeleine, freshly baked and filled with lemon curd. The list of oysters is extensive, and they are all shucked to order. Begin with a small plate such as olives and almonds, before moving on to a larger plate to share. The salads are terrific; try the beetroot and lentil, which is sweet and earthy and enlivened by yoghurt and fresh herbs. Tuna a la plancha, cooked on one side only, is also highly desirable with its smooth and succulent texture. Drinks include a wide selection of imported and local wines, most of them little known and from boutique wineries.

Rita Elrich