Australia’s first ticketed restaurant, Prix Fixe, is now open in Melbourne
Prix Fixe offers its diners a fixed-price meal that’s guaranteed to entertain.
That there is an inherent sense of theatre in restaurants is a common observation within the industry. Boldly embracing this notion, chef Philippa Sibley and restaurateur Jason Jones have partnered to open Prix Fixe, Australia’s first ticketed restaurant, in Melbourne’s city centre.
Flying in the face of the trend for shared plates and no-bookings policies, those wishing to dine at Prix Fixe purchase tickets online for a fixed-price two-course lunch or four-course dinner set menu. The offering changes monthly and is themed around whatever Sibley and Jones currently find most inspiring — from people and the arts to places and seasons. “I have always wanted to create a restaurant that was like a dinner party, thrown every night,” says Jones. “We go to a dinner party and eat what our host has cooked for us, but at restaurants we often get lost in menus and choice. So here, you arrive, you sit down and the fun starts.”
“Fun” is a word Sibley uses enthusiastically to describe designing a new menu each month based on different themes and cuisines. “I’ve got a big repertoire, so there’s a lot to draw from,” she says. “We’ve created a forum for play, provocation and puns, so we’re having a really good time here... and the floor staff and diners are having a lot of fun with it, too.”
Using a palette of mirrored glass, marble, brass and silk, while exposing ceiling fixtures and concrete, interior designer Fiona Lynch has created a space that is moody yet inviting, luxe yet raw — and undeniably dramatic. “We wanted to create an atmospheric space that gave a nod to notions of theatre and stage,” says Lynch. “A restaurant that was a stage for the diner’s night out.” Suspended over each table, custom pendant lights by Collingwood ceramicist Gregory Bonesera shine a subtle spotlight on the food, the star of the show.
Prix Fixe’s moody, luxurious interior was designed by Fiona Lynch. The serving kitchen of mirrored glass, marble and brass (above) creates a striking entrance, where executive chef Philippa Sibley and chef Giuseppe Pizzimenti are at work.
Previously the interior was dark, masculine and dated. “When we stripped it back to its core, it really came to life,” explains Lynch. Painted a pale apricot, the concrete ceiling, complete with its jumble of ducts and sprinkler pipes, adds a hint of 1980s glamour to the room, while balancing the other rich textures and finishes within.
Arriving at Prix Fixe is an immediately captivating experience. With the dining room hidden behind a silver silk curtain, diners are instead presented with the stunning brass and marble service kitchen, where Sibley and her team are at work and indeed “on show” — an opening teaser for the theatre that is about to begin.
Source: Vogue - 9th July 2014
