Yiaga, which opened in October 2025, is one of the most striking restaurants Melbourne has ever seen. Renowned architect John Wardle led the build, which is characterised by a tonal, womb-like interior clad with 13,000 ridged, custom-made ochre tiles extruded here in Melbourne. The concrete floor does a convincing imitation of outback dirt, thanks to its iron oxide tinting.

Wardle was specifically chosen because he’d never done a restaurant prior. Likewise, almost everything diners eat off, and with, was made by Australian artisans, many new to the world of restaurants. There’s Jon Goulder Tasmanian blackwood tables and chairs, hand-blown Alexandra Hirst water glasses and chunky Ridgeline Pottery vases.

The atmosphere is serene – conversation is low, Fleetwood Mac and Penguin Cafe Orchestra are on the stereo and walkers amble through the Fitzroy Gardens outside, their chit-chat inaudible.

Diners have two to four hours to enjoy this atmosphere as they work through a dozen or more courses at lunch or dinner, courtesy of star chef Hugh Allen (also executive chef at Vue de Monde), who owns Yiaga with Singaporean property-developer brothers Philip and Robert Ng. Dishes could include barbequed coral trout with mango and lime, one-bite Wagyu spelt buns or a surprising dessert of strawberries, cream and sweet braised wakame seaweed.

Drinks can be matched wines, matched non-alcoholic drinks (house-made, of course) or matched alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks (including sake, beer and mead). You’re in good hands here too: drinks director Dorian Guillon is one of less than 300 qualified master sommeliers worldwide.