The Mulberry Group’s Coupette Makes Southbank Feel Grown Up Again
Southbank has been waiting for a venue that feels lived-in from day one, the kind of place that looks like it grew roots overnight. Enter Coupette Corner Bistro & Bar, the newest venture from The Mulberry Group, joining the neighbourhood with a quiet confidence and the sort of polish that comes from a team with form.
Coupette sits inside the curved bullnose of The Queensbridge Building, a spot that receives light in that flattering Melbourne way, bouncing across stone, timber and glass like a mood filter. The entrance is purposely sneaky, accessed through Hannah St Coffee, almost as if to say: if you know, you know.
Those interiors come courtesy of Flack Studio, who once again demonstrate their talent for atmosphere. Travertine, walnut, sculptural lighting and artworks by Gadigal artist Mikala Dwyer create a room that feels both considered and relaxed. The curved central bar acts like the venue’s heartbeat, drawing eyes as cocktails whirl through their final flourish.
A bistro for Melbourne’s many moods
Coupette has been designed as a shape-shifter. Breakfast before the office. A quick midday bite. A drawn-out lunch. A late dinner that turns into one more drink. Melbourne diners like options and this place delivers them without fuss.
Executive Chef Andrew Beddoes and Head Chef David Warne have written an all-day menu built on strong produce and European influence filtered through a Melbourne lens. In the morning, you can go classic or splash out on signatures such as the blue swimmer crab omelette or brioche French toast. It passes the brunch-on-a-Tuesday test.
From midday onwards, the menu widens. There’s a wagyu cheeseburger that already feels like it will gather a fan club, steak frites, market fish with beurre blanc, stuffed zucchini flowers, and an iceberg salad that proves simple things still hold power when treated well. Dinner edges into heartier territory with lamb rump, côte de porc, oysters, tartare and a Western Australian scampi dish destined for Instagram’s grid.
Desserts lean nostalgic: crème brûlée, tiramisu, parfait and a rotating sorbet coupe for those soft-serve moments.
The drinks deserve their own paragraph
Coupette’s bar program orbits classic ideas with enough invention to keep things exciting. The Coupette 75 is their tableside spin on a French 75, lifted by Four Pillars gin and lemon aspen. The Ember Gibson pays homage to local vermouth producer Maidenii, with half of its sales supporting the brand’s recovery after the Harcourt fires. The wine list walks the line between Victoria and the Old World, with plenty of easy drinkers.
A neighbourhood anchor with ambitions
Service, led by Restaurant Manager John Bulmer, aims for that sweet spot: warm without being performative, polished without the theatre. The team want locals to treat Coupette as their dependable corner spot, not just a place reserved for special dinners.
To give the neighbourhood reasons to return, Coupette will roll out weekly programming: pasta nights, wine-leaning mid-week moments, and Sunday feasts that nod to local producers. The soundtrack, curated by Melbourne’s WAT Artists, swings from opera to French hip-hop depending on the hour, which feels appropriately Southbank.
A welcome addition to a precinct finding its feet again
Southbank’s identity has always hovered between arts precinct and residential hub. Coupette lands in the middle of that, offering a bistro that acts as a bridge between the two. With its design pedigree, flexible menu and strong hospitality DNA, it is set to become one of those addresses people mention in the same breath as classic Melbourne all-day rooms.
This all-day European-inspired bistro offers classic dishes alongside a contemporary wine list in a lively, modern setting.
This all-day European-inspired bistro offers classic dishes alongside a contemporary wine list in a lively, modern setting.