Julie

Julieanne Blum was head chef at longstanding Abbotsford Convent bar Cam’s Kiosk for six years before she moved around the corner to lead Julie (yep, it’s named after her). The romantic restaurant opens onto, and heavily benefits from, a kitchen garden built by the convent’s head gardener. It’s open for anyone to walk through and functions as the “third arm” of Cam’s and Julie.

There are 50 seats in the heritage dining room, which features high ceilings, butter-yellow tiles, mint-green walls and speckled peachy-orange floors. But if the weather’s right, the 30- outdoor seats are hard to beat, given the idyllic backdrop of the convent and its well maintained grounds.

Expect a changing roster of seasonal dishes, like tuna crudo, roast chicken with celeriac puree or anelletti pasta with octopus ragu and wild fennel. While the menu focuses on the best produce from the garden and adjoining Collingwood Childrens Farm, some elements are firm staples. Greens are always on the menu because the team are “obsessed with them”.

The drinks list focuses on small-scale new-wave producers and wine by the glass, plus classic cocktails including the Hanky Panky (gin, sweet vermouth and Fernet Branca) and the Gibson (a twist on the Martini garnished with an onion).