Mietta O'Donnell Likes The Sound Of Music In Collins Street

October 1998

It's almost exactly a year since Cafe d'Orsay opened its doors to Collins Street and served its first, and now one of its most regular, customers.

The director of the Melbourne Festival Chamber Sunset Series, Stephen McIntyre, happened to be thirsty after rehearsing at the Baptist Church, a couple of doors up the street.

He wandered in to the cosy cafe for a glass of wine, stayed for two, and became firm friends with owner Kenneth Meere.

Kenneth likes to run a friendly business and this is one of the appeals the cosy 29 seater cafe has for Stephen who says, "there is always someone to chat to here, and the stools at the window on Collins Street are a wonderful place to sit on your own. I love their pasta dishes."

This tiny cafe sees surprising numbers through its doors. On a Friday evening it will serve more than a hundred meals between 5.30-11.30pm. Pre-theatre custom from the Athenaeum Theatre next door and suppers after, (the full menu can be ordered until about 11.15pm and drinks till 1am) have made it a very popular city meeting spot. Not surprising as Kenneth is a firm believer in his local turf. He is a member of the Collins Street Association and was one of the original partners in Punch Lane Wine Bar, another popular casual eating place in Little Bourke Street. Before that he started The Metropolitain in Little Latrobe Street, and outside the city, in 1987, used to manage the Last Aussie Fish Caf in South Melbourne (where Near East Restaurant is now).

But for the next few weeks, meals for musicians and their audience will play a big part in Cafe d'Orsay's evening trade.

Next Monday the Chamber Music series starts at 6pm and runs each evening during the week until Thursday 29 October. The Baptist Church, a handsome old white building on Collins Street, provides a lovely acoustic for the intimacy of this style of music which features many fine performers including Baritone Blake Fischer, Winner of the 1998 City of Melbourne Song Recital Award. On Wednesday 28 October Blake will perform with Pianist, Claire Cooper.

The 'Sunset Series' has long been an important part of the Melbourne Festival and is particularly suited to people with dining in mind. Performances last just one hour with no interval leaving audiences free to have a very quick bite before catching an 8pm show or to spend the rest of the night eating and drinking. And there's some fine choices nearby. Official Restaurants of the Melbourne Festival, Italy 1and Bistro I are close to hand as are the Brasserie and Cafe at Georges [now closed 2000], right next door to the Baptist Church.

Drinking and (noisy) conversation is really good in Little Collins Street at Hairy Canary and Tony Star's Kitten Club. The Canary is renowned for its Spanish sherries and Mediterranean style food, serving meals from noon till midnight with a limited tapas menu till 3am

Most performers prefer to eat and drink after they've finished working and these days in Melbourne that's not too much of a problem. In the City as well as the venues around Collins Street, there's Chinatown with Supper Inn and Lingnan offering meals till 2.30am, China Bar in Swanston Street till 3am and later at weekends. There's a limited menu but lots of interesting wines by the glass at the Melbourne Supper Club on Spring Street from 8pm till early morning, often after 4am.

Cafe d'Orsay is at 184 Collins Street and you do need to book for a meal. Phone 9654 6498.

See also Henry Maas on cafe music