LOCATIONConveniently located in the heart of bustling Melbourne in Collins Street.
DETAILSThe former Fifteen Restaurant, of Jamie Oliver fame, has undergone a transformation to become a chic new restaurant, The Kitchen Cat. The restaurant is run by Jamie Oliver’s close friend and business partner, Tobie Puttock and exemplifies both chef’s outstanding skills and use of fresh and local produce.
PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIAIt’s Fifteen, but not as you know it. Jamie Oliver’s celebrated restaurant has been re-launched as The Kitchen Cat, with Oliver out of the picture and his close friend and business partner Tobie Puttock at the helm. Puttock’s love of rustic provincial Italian food is well known, and is reflected in the simple menu at The Kitchen Cat that prioritises organic, biodynamic and free range ingredients. He transforms fresh, local, seasonal produce into delicious share plates, house made pasta and hearty main courses.
The decor of the restaurant has been reinvigorated with lots of white paint and clever lighting. Suspended glass bowls sprout leafy seedlings, while assorted hanging smallgoods are a nod to the restaurant’s Italian leanings. The Kitchen Cat also retains its social conscience, with the new foundation Stepping Stone continuing to train disadvantaged youths and place them at participating Melbourne restaurants.
All dishes and even desserts are served as small plates so you can try many of the restaurant’s specialties. Whet your appetite with Lakes Entrance sardines in saor (sweet and sour style), wagyu beef carpaccio, or an Italian favourite - roasted bone marrow served with a generous supply of ciabatta for spreading. Other Italian classics include risotto Milanese, potato gnocchi with a rich mix of fresh organic heirloom tomatoes, Genovese basil and pecorino, or bistecca Fiorentina (grass fed, dry aged T-bone) for two. Desserts are equally simple but well executed – try moist and moreish polenta and lemon cake with crème fraiche, rum baba with vanilla ice cream, or grilled yellow peaches with Amaretto and vanilla mascarpone. An extensive wine list, including a large selection of Italian regional drops, completes the experience.
Those who loved both the ethos and the food of Fifteen Restaurant will still find those reasons firmly in place here. This cat’s out of the bag.
Angela Costanzo
FOOD & BEVERAGEFrom the wild Australian olives to the milk-fed hormone free veal, The Kitchen Cat uses the best organic ingredients to showcase the Mediterranean- influenced Italian menu. The simple, rustic delicacies are complemented by delicious side dishes and scrumptious desserts combining to create a full dining experience. The vast wine list will entice, as will the fully stocked bar.
FUNCTIONSThe Kitchen Cat has three individual areas in which to host a function, as well the flexibility to hire out the entire venue for bigger gatherings, obliging between 92 and 120 guests.
THE PRIVATE DINING ROOM This impressively ambient space with luxuriant oil paintings and a peek at the bustling kitchen has a private waiter and seating for up to 10 people.
THE WHITE ROOM Modern and pulsating, this space allows up to 32 diners to be the heart of the restaurant with front-row seats to the lively kitchen and bar areas.
THE DARK ROOM The moody and chic vibe of The Dark Room revels in its semi-private space and can accommodate up to 70 people in a cocktail style gathering.