Middle Park European Opens with Classic Charm and Champagne
Matteo Bruno knows how to throw a party — and how to open a venue. At the launch of Middle Park European, the Moët flowed freely from magnums, oysters were shucked on repeat, and even the fries came dusted with just the right amount of salt and smug. There were caviar blinis with crème fraîche, a grazing table groaning with European cheeses and charcuterie, and a towering stack of macarons standing to attention like pastel-coloured sentries. In short: a textbook Bruno affair.
Best known for Melbourne’s The Meatball & Wine Bar, Bruno has long married substance with a certain kind of Euro-centric swagger. His hospitality group, Valarc, is fast becoming synonymous with good wine, good lighting, and good taste — think Tartine in Richmond, Ines Wine Bar in Windsor, and the velvet-draped Sistine cocktail bar.
Middle Park European is the latest addition to the fold — and it’s a confident, handsome one. Taking over a corner of Armstrong Street, this neighbourhood bistro-meets-wine bar brings a French and Italian-leaning menu to the streets of Bayside. Not content with doing things by halves, Bruno enlisted Alisia Harrison of Harrison Interiors to shape the space. The result? A dining room that feels like a wine-slicked postcard from the continent: hand-crafted walnut timber by a local boatbuilder, imported Italian lighting, rustic stone tiles, and the kind of ambience that encourages long lunches and even longer pours.
Behind the pans is Aaron Wrafter, a chef with serious pedigree, having clocked time at Birmingham’s Michelin-starred Turners and Harborne Kitchen. He’s working under the mentorship of industry stalwart Ian Curley (Kirks, French Saloon), and the menu reflects both of their sensibilities — polished, confident, and deeply European. Expect soft milk loaf piled with crab and fennel, handmade pastas, dry-aged steaks, and no shortage of dishes that pair well with Champagne.
Speaking of, the drinks list leans heavily into the old world — French reds, Italian whites, premium Champagnes — but also nods to the group's local roots, including pours from Sandhill Estate, Valarc’s own vineyard in the Macedon Ranges.
For Bruno, who lives just down the road in Albert Park, this venue is as much for the locals as it is for the destination diners. “We wanted to create something that felt sophisticated but never stiff,” he says. “A place you could drop into for oysters at the bar or linger over a bottle and pasta.”
With Bodega Alegria set to open in Albert Park and The Florence bringing its charm to Flinders Lane in 2025, it’s clear the Valarc Group isn’t slowing down — consider this your cue to keep a very close eye (and empty stomach) on what’s coming next.
Matteo Bruno knows how to throw a party — and how to open a venue. At the launch of Middle Park European, the Moët flowed freely from magnums, oysters were shucked on repeat, and even the fries came dusted with just the right amount of salt and smug. There were caviar blinis with crème fraîche, a grazing table groaning with European cheeses and charcuterie, and a towering stack of macarons standing to attention like pastel-coloured sentries. In short: a textbook Bruno affair.