By Marie-Antoinette Issa.
Whether welcoming well-coiffed ladies who lunch or a more corporate clientele, there’s no shortage of eateries along the bustling banks of the Yarra. However, offering a welcome respite to Melbourne’s relentless urban pulse is a new restaurant that is quietly inviting the city to slow down. Even stop.
In fact, From Here by Mike, the first Victorian outpost from Sydney Chef Mike McEnearney, which recently opened inside the new 1 Hotel Docklands, is entirely resetting expectations of Melbourne’s cafe culture and cutting-edge cuisine, while inviting diners to swap pulsating for a more considered pause.
"For me, nature-led isn’t just a design principle, it’s a way of thinking, cooking and living,” Mike says. "It starts with listening to what the land is offering at any given moment, what’s in peak season, what’s abundant, what’s been grown with care.
"The menu at From Here by Mike evolves constantly around that rhythm. We let the produce guide the plate, rather than forcing an idea onto it.”
The same philosophy extends into the dining room. "The space feels organic, warm and grounded with lots of texture, reclaimed materials and open views to the river. It’s designed to feel calm and connected, not staged.
"I want guests to feel like they’ve stepped into something honest and alive. Food doesn’t need theatrics; it needs transparency. It needs to feel real.”
Timber, linen and reclaimed finishes catch the changing light, creating a room that feels tactile, human and subtly luxurious.
That commitment to authenticity carries through to sourcing. "Working with local producers isn’t just about sourcing ingredients; it’s a conversation. I’m regularly talking with growers, farmers, fishers and cheesemakers to understand what’s in season, what’s thriving and what needs support. That connection guides the way we cook. The menu doesn’t start with a recipe, it starts with a relationship.”
Some of Mike’s key collaborators are Victorian producers whose work shapes every plate. Meredith Dairy, whose goats’ cheese he praises as "consistently beautiful, clean, textural and full of flavour,” brings integrity to the table in every batch.
Five Tales Farm, regeneratively cultivating at the base of the Baw Baw Ranges, offers vegetables with "a wild, expressive quality…whether it’s bitter leaves or heirloom root veg, it always has a story and that shapes how we build dishes.”
Aurum Poultry’s heritage birds, "when roasted over fire, have incredible depth of flavour…it’s not about doing much to it, just knowing when to get out of the way.”
The menu leans into sharing, slowing the pace and encouraging conversation. "Sharing food is the most natural thing in the world. It invites conversation, slows the pace and reminds us that eating is a communal act, not just a transaction.”
Signature dishes, designed to be passed around the table, include wood-roasted Jerusalem artichokes with togarashi mayo; a Skull Island prawn cocktail with lime and tamarind sauce and a rhubarb, strawberry and almond frangipane tart…although you would be well forgiven for opting not to share any!
On occasion, a whole rock flathead is filleted at the table, a ritual that "slows everything down, brings a pause to the room and invites people to savour both the food and the moment.”
These are "the kinds of dishes that don’t rush you. They encourage generosity, conversation and connection, not just to what’s on the plate, but to the people and the place around you. That’s the experience I hope guests carry with them.”
Wellness is woven through every aspect of the restaurant. "I’ve always believed that food has the power to restore, not in a fad-diet or functional way, but in a deeper, more instinctive sense.
"Real food, prepared with care and eaten in good company, is grounding. It nourishes not just the body, but the nervous system, the spirit.”
The kitchen integrates bone broths, fermented vegetables, medicinal herbs, pulses and grains - all foods "that haven’t been stripped of their natural intelligence.”
"In a fast, noisy world, From Here by Mike offers something quieter. A place to slow down, reconnect to the seasons and remember that eating well doesn’t need to be complicated. It just needs to be real. That, to me, is wellness. That’s how we contribute to a broader sense of connection - not just to each other, but to the land, the food and ourselves.”
The drinks program complements this ethos, with natural wines, small-batch spirits and more than 40 Victorian producers represented alongside international low-intervention winemakers.
"This is more than just a place to eat. It’s a place to feel connected. We want guests to slow down, share a meal and enjoy food that feels honest and alive. Every detail, from the first course to the last, tells a story of where we are.”
From Here by Mike is open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner at 1 Hotel Docklands, offering a riverside dining experience that’s equal parts reflective, communal and utterly rooted in place.
