Built in 1847, the heritage-listed Como House & Garden was last home to the Armytage family, who sold it to the National Trust of Australia in 1959 after living there for 95 years. Today, the estate is a destination for locals and tourists, a popular wedding venue and housed a cafe in the old stables until its temporary closure last year.

Now, the former gardeners’ sheds have been transformed into a cafe by the Scott Pickett Group. While the estate is known for its Australian Regency and Italianate architecture – a 19th-century style inspired by Italian farmhouses and villas – the new cafe takes cues from Paris. “We’re creating a cafe that combines the heritage of the estate with my love of classical French cuisine,” Pickett tells Broadsheet.

Set in the middle of the estate’s sprawling gardens, Como Lane is Pickett’s first cafe, joining his slate of restaurants, which includes Chancery Lane, Matilda, Longrain and Smith St Bistrot.

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The menu, developed by Pickett and group executive chef Stuart McVeigh, will be overseen by head chef Adam Lai (ex-Hardware Societe) who brings expertise in French, American and Taiwanese cuisine. Breakfast consists of the usual cafe suspects including shakshuka, eggs on toast and Bircher muesli. But the team amps up the offering by using items from two of Pickett’s restaurants: the cured salmon in the eggs royale is from Matilda, and there’s XO sauce from Longrain in the chilli scramble.

Come lunchtime, there are changing grab-and-go salads and sandwiches such as a croque monsieur and a Wagyu pastrami option. If you’re dining in, there’s also market fish with herb dressing, a Wagyu beef burger and shoestring fries, and a wild mushroom and goat’s cheese quiche, served with salad.

Developing the venue took more than six months, with renovations focussed on restoring the space and designing an interior that honoured its history. Inspired by Como’s lush gardens, the 60-seat cafe’s look mixes neutral shades with pops of green. While chic white marble tables are offset by rattan chairs in shades of pistachio and beige, the most eye-catching feature is the seven-metre green-tiled counter. But if you’d rather surround yourself with the outdoors, you can also order a Como Lane hamper and enjoy a picnic in the gardens.

Como Lane
20 Como Avenue, South Yarra
No Phone

Hours:
Mon to Sat 9am–3pm
Sun 10am–3pm

@comolanemelbourne