Decline in conditions sees Pure South call time at Southgate
After more than two decades of dishing up fine Tasmanian fare, Southbank’s long-standing restaurant Pure South Dining has quietly shut up shop — and its co-owners haven’t held back on why.
Philip Kennedy and Peter Leary, who’ve operated the venue since 2003, handed back the keys to their riverside tenancy on Monday night, calling time on what Kennedy described as an increasingly untenable situation.
“Southgate is falling apart,” Kennedy said, pointing to broken escalators, roof leaks and faulty air-conditioning. “There are more empty spaces than occupied spaces in what used to be a fine-dining precinct,” he added, referencing the departures of iconic venues like Walter’s Wine Bar and Scusa Mi.
The restaurant’s closure follows February’s shuttering of long-time neighbour Blue Train, whose lease dispute ended up in the Supreme Court. Now, Kennedy says, “they’ve removed escalators to put a play centre next to us. It’s not worth the fight if you’re paying pre-COVID rent in a post-COVID Melbourne.”
Once a bustling dining destination serving up to 900 guests a day across its two levels, Pure South was known for its direct relationships with Tasmanian producers. One of them, Guy Robertson of Mount Gnomon Farm, said, “It’s a sad thing to hear Pure South is closed… They made you feel part of something.”
Despite the difficult decision, Kennedy says they’re leaving with integrity.
“There are no horror stories like that here… We’ve paid them all.”
Next up, Kennedy plans to focus on a new venture on King Island. “If we can’t bring King Island beef to Melbourne, maybe we’ll just have to bring Melbourne people to King Island for some beef,” he said.
Southgate’s property managers declined to comment, though Good Food understands legal action may be on the table.
Jonathan Jackson, 2nd July 2025
