Shadowfax Winery will re-open its doors next week, four months after its restaurant kitchen was gutted by fire.
The finishing touches are being put on the new-look restaurant, which features a redesigned and open kitchen so guests can see the chefs in action and a more muted colour palette of warm browns, beige and chocolate panels throughout.
Head chef Ben D’Arcy said a new menu would be making its debut, but the emphasis would continue to be on Mediterrean dishes and share plates.
“It’s slick, modern, nice and new,” he said.
The October 6 re-opening will coincide with the release of 2016 and 2017 wines, including riesling, rose and sauvignon blanc.
Front-of-house manager Matthew Ehmke said Shadowfax had already received a good response from the public by way of bookings for its October Friday night sessions and bookings for Christmas and other functions were being accepted.
Shadowfax has been closed since May 30, when a faulty downlight started a fire in the kitchen that spread upwards to rows of empty display wine barrels. The bulk of the damage was cosmetic, rather than structural.
Mr D’Arcy said that during construction of the new-look Shadowfax, a number of the chefs were deployed to other Melbourne restaurants to see how other kitchens worked.
