Karla Dawes Press Office

We fell hook line and sinker for Fishbowl

When we saw three young Bondi guys making waves and changing the fast-food scene in Sydney with Fishbowl we were excited to find out that they were making their way down to our beloved Melbourne.

Arbory Afloat re-berths for the longest summer

Arbory, Hospitality Posted by kdpo

For the third year in a row, Arbory Afloat sailed up the Yarra and moored itself beside Flinders St Station for another epic Melbourne summer. Following on from a recent overseas work research trip, the team at Arbory decided to focus on a Miami theme this year to encapsulate the cultural diversity of the vibrant American city.

Maker & Monger gets permanent

Maker & Monger, Hospitality, Events Posted by kdpo

Our fave cheese guy, Anthony Femia, has had a serious upgrade in his lodgings, swapping his cute but humble antique cheese cart for a bells-and-whistles permanent stall at the Prahran Market.

Charity burgers

Hospitality Posted by kdpo

Melbourne food truck king and owner of Brunswick’s Beatbox Kitchen, Raph Rashid staged a 24-hour burger flipping marathon for charity in August to raise money for the Youth Support + Advocacy Service (YSAS).

Raes & Perrier-Jouët get arty

Raes on Wategos, Hospitality, Lifestyle, Travel, Culture Posted by kdpo

Byron Bay’s iconic luxury boutique, spa and restaurant Raes added another string to its bow this year when it kicked off its inaugural Artist in Residence program with artist Stanislas Piechaczek.

The Westin (feat. Willy Wonka)

Hospitality, Events Posted by kdpo

The Westin Melbourne loves a collaboration. Last time around it was all about the cheese when the hotel joined forces with our favourite cheese shop and toastie technicians Maker & Monger. Now they’ve joined forces with crazy dessert alchemists Burch & Purchese.

Chin Chin celebrates dads (and their sneakers)

Lucas Restaurants, Hospitality, Events Posted by kdpo

Modern Thai juggernaut Chin Chin celebrated Melbourne dads on Fathers’ Day this year with a special ‘Feed Me’ menu, featuring a roll call of Chin Chin classics for just $69.50 per head. But this is Chin Chin so the fun didn’t stop there.

Trunk transforms into the Italo-American place of your dreams

Hospitality Posted by kdpo

Pepe’s Italian & Liquor opened its doors revealing the epic transformation from the original Trunk Restaurant & Bar on Exhibition Street. Owner Nick Kutcher drew inspiration for the Italian-American style menu from his time living in New York, which celebrates Italian immigrant cuisine, starring classic pizza and pasta dishes, as well as family-style shared mains.

Yoga afloat

Hospitality Posted by kdpo

Arbory Afloat, Melbourne’s hottest (and longest) floating restaurant and bar swapped spritz and pizza for Namaste and downward dog when it hosted Yoga On The Yarra for International Women’s Day.

Party like Peroni

Asahi Premium Beverages, Hospitality, Events, Culture Posted by kdpo

Peroni has climbed aboard the party train to celebrate its first significant global brand overhaul in more than a decade.

Boozy buffet brunch

Hospitality Posted by kdpo

Boozy, buffet and brunch are three words we can all get behind. Put them all together and they’re even better as Adam Wright-Smith is currently proving at Half Acre, his bar, eatery and events space in South Melbourne.

Sparkling MIFF lunch

Hospitality, Events Posted by kdpo

Yarra Valley-based winery Chandon celebrated their sponsorship at this year’s Melbourne International Film Festival with a lunch in August at one of KDPO’s second homes, Agostino Wine Bar in Carlton.

Time to live large on the big barge

Arbory, Hospitality, Events, Culture Posted by kdpo

We helped spread the word about the latest Arbory Live sessions – a 10-week long music and experiential art program that ran from early November into the New Year.

Introducing Light Years Burleigh Heads

Hospitality Posted by kdpo

Off the back of the success of its Byron Bay and Noosa restaurants, Light Years opened a third outpost in the always sunny Burleigh Heads on the Gold Coast.

Chin Chin Melbourne event space

Hospitality Posted by kdpo

Following the phenomenal success of Chin Chin Sydney’s underground event space Chii Town, the Melbourne Chin Chin mothership now has its own dedicated space.

Content comes alive at the Broadsheet Kitchen launch

Broadsheet, Hospitality, Events Posted by kdpo

By now most diners and restaurateurs would be familiar with the ‘Broadsheet Effect’. Get on the publication’s radar and suddenly people are lining up out the doors to try what you’ve got. So it’s no surprise that their new Kitchen project was an eagerly anticipated affair.

Simple Gestures can make a big difference

Simple Gestures, Lifestyle, Events, Culture Posted by kdpo

The team who curated the successful ‘Wakes me Into’ and ‘Goodbye Yellow Brick Road’ exhibition reunited for ‘Simple Gestures’ to raise money and awareness of Youth Cancer.

Johnny’s Green Room is wide open for business

King & Godfree, Johnny's Green Room, Hospitality, Events Posted by kdpo

It was time to celebrate the opening of King & Godfree’s new rooftop bar, and launch, we did.

Long live the King on Lygon

King & Godfree, Hospitality, Culture Posted by kdpo

The deli owners at King & Godfree helped bring Italian culture to Melbourne in the 1880s. After years of planning and renovations, it’s back doing what it does best… only better.

Why not go the full Half Acre?

Half Acre, Hospitality, Events Posted by kdpo

They say those in glasshouses shouldn’t throw stones. Maybe they should instead follow Half Acre’s example and throw get-togethers in a large, light-filled dining space.

Going deep at Raes on Wategos

Raes on Wategos, Hospitality, Travel, Culture Posted by kdpo

We figured it was our duty to pack the sandals and linens and head north again to check out the new additions to our favourite beachside destination.

All aboard Catalina Sounds

Catalina Sounds, Events Posted by kdpo

Ahh, spring racing. You get to party when you win, party to drown your loses, and perhaps party the hardest when you forget the horses are running.

When life gives you lemons, demand ceviche

Citrico, Hospitality Posted by kdpo

Did you guys know Argentina boasts the world’s best steak? Or that Chilean’s fish from one of the longest coastlines on Earth? If not, it’s time for a hands-on (napkins tucked) education at Citrico Cocina.

Say cheese. It’s time for tea

Westin Melbourne, Hospitality Posted by kdpo

High Cheese is a contemporary take on English high tea with a much, much greater emphasis on cheese. So, really, they should’ve thought of it centuries ago.

You heard it through the grapevine

Young Gun of Wine, Lifestyle, Events, Travel Posted by kdpo

Australia’s best Young Gun of Wine (YGOW to keep things short) just wrapped up its 12th competition year! The Final 12 Trophy event was held at Mona on Monday 18th June, and team KDPO was there, front and centre, wine glass polished and ready.

Veggies are the new black

Phenomenom, Lifestyle, Culture Posted by kdpo

Something like a phenomeno(m) It’s what most parents dreams are made of. The answer to getting kids to eat (and love!) their veggies. The secret? Well, it’s a Phenomenom. Yep, you heard, Phenom-e-nom with an m. It’s a first of its kind food education program that’s broken things wide open when it comes to kids,…

An Englishman and an Indian walk into a bar…

The Rochey, Hospitality, Events Posted by kdpo

Picture the Rochey, a long-standing neighbourhood pub in Fitzroy that had undergone a facelift and reputation change just over three years ago, doing its bit for the foodies and drinkers of the inner north of Melbourne. Craft beers, innovative cocktails and rock ‘n’ roll

Turkish delight into the night

Babajan, Hospitality Posted by kdpo

Babajan already gives the Carlton North breakfast crowd a spicy antidote to smashed avocado and eggs benedict. Trouble is, you used to have to get there before nightfall. Until now.

Going straight to the salty source of it all

CAPI, Hospitality, Lifestyle, Events, Travel, Culture Posted by kdpo

This year CAPI’s bullet-shaped bottles shot to number one, taking out Best Tonic Water at the 2017/18 World Beverage Competition (it’s just one of their 12 prestigious awards to-date). So when they were set to launch their new Native Tonic, we thought it best to host it somewhere that felt worlds apart from the competition.

Unlocking the stories behind traditional distilling techniques

Asahi Premium Beverages, Lifestyle, Events, Travel, Culture Posted by kdpo

Mark Twain once said, “too much of anything is bad, but too much good whisky is barely enough”. We’re inclined to believe him (especially since that moustache of his would’ve trapped a lot of whisky).