Pepe’s Italian & Liquor, the American-Italian restaurant housed in a former synagogue in Melbourne’s CBD, added another string to its bow last year with Pepe’s Parlour. KDPO was on hand to help launch Pepe’s in 2019 and so were all-in when owner Nick Kutcher called on us to help with promoting the new ‘little sister’ venue.
Located in Pepe’s glasshouse with its centrepiece 150-year-old coral tree, Pepe’s Parlour is a two-part affair. A sun-dappled dining room with marble tables and green leopard-print chairs segues into a darkly moody Martini Bar with clubbish wood panelling, velvet-upholstered bar seating and a domed ceiling decorated with a mural from Melbourne-based artist Jordy Van Den Nieuwendijk.
Lunch is the focus of Pepe’s Parlour. Chef Antonio Loffredo has created a menu of six plates focussed on well-balanced eating, like BBQ chicken skewers served with an ancient grain salad, alongside a selection of house-baked ciabatta sandwiches and house made pasta.
At night, the Martini Bar shifts into gear, offering both classic martinis for the serious fans alongside more playful riffs on the original like the Pornstar and the Appletini. Nuts and olives are complimentary but for those after a little more ballast, the full Pepe’s menu is on hand too.
We had a great time working with Nick again and were thrilled with the interest the campaign attracted, including in the Herald Sun’s ESCAPE, syndicated nationally, a print inclusion in Sitchu Magazine, and online coverage in Broadsheet, RUSSH, Beat Magazine, Time Out Melbourne and Concrete Playground.
