We already do bar nights on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Cocktails, wine on the barrel tables, live music on Fridays. That's not changing. But we're adding something new: Chef's Table.
What it is
One night a month. Limited to 20 seats. A multi-course menu built by Chef Lee around whatever's best from our local suppliers that week. Paired with Gippsland wines selected by us. Served in the same space you have your morning flat white - but transformed.
The lights go low. The barrel tables are set with proper linen and glassware. Lee takes over the kitchen and cooks a menu he's been planning all week. You sit, you eat, you drink, and you don't look at your phone for two hours.
What to expect
Four to five courses. The menu changes every month because the produce changes every month. But to give you an idea of what Lee has in mind:
- Amuse-bouche - something small to start. A spoon of cured salmon with pickled cucumber and dill cream. Sets the tone.
- Entree - maybe a Gippsland beef tartare with egg yolk, capers, and sourdough crisps. Or a roasted beetroot salad with local goat's cheese and walnut.
- Main - slow-cooked lamb shoulder with root vegetables and a red wine jus. Or pan-seared fish with seasonal greens and a cultured butter sauce.
- Cheese - a selection of Gippsland cheeses with house-made fruit paste and crackers.
- Dessert - Lee's chocolate fondant with local berry compote. Or a poached pear with vanilla custard and honeycomb.
Each course is paired with a wine from a Gippsland winery. We'll tell you about each wine, each dish, and why they work together. It's not a lecture - it's a conversation.
Why Traralgon needs this
If you want a degustation dinner in Gippsland, your options are limited. You can drive to the Yarra Valley. You can drive to Melbourne. Or you can wait for a pop-up that happens once a year.
We think Traralgon deserves a regular, high-quality dining experience that doesn't require a two-hour drive. Chef's Table is that. It's a Two Hat-trained chef cooking a seasonal menu with local wine, in a space you already know and love, for a price that respects your wallet.
Pricing and booking
$85 per person for the food. Wine pairing is an additional $45. Total for the full experience: $130. That's less than you'd pay for a comparable experience in Melbourne, and you can walk home.
Seats are limited to 20 per evening. We'll announce dates on Instagram @finallyminecoffee and on the website. First one is coming soon.
Not your usual Thursday night
Regular bar nights are still happening. Walk in, grab a cocktail, sit at the barrel tables, listen to music. No booking needed. That's the casual side.
Chef's Table is the other side. The side where Lee gets to cook the food he trained to cook, in a room full of people who came specifically to eat it. It's intimate, it's seasonal, and it's something new for Traralgon.
20 seats. One chef. Gippsland wine. No phones. First dates coming soon.
