VEX — Restaurant in Melbourne

★★★★★ Vex Dining, Northcote

If Hemingway opened a wine bar and let Tom Waits run the kitchen, it’d look like Vex.

Walked in off Northcote street like it was a back alley jazz club, and was greeted by Owen — part maitre d’, part guardian of cool. The guy gets it. That rare mix of warmth, swagger, and the quiet assurance that you’re exactly where you’re meant to be.

The space? A moody fever dream of brutalist brick, clean and white with simple, classy décor and soft light. Industrial edges kissed with plant life. Vinyl murmurs through the air like a secret being passed between tables. It’s not trying to impress you — it already knows it’s sexy.

Vex isn’t just a restaurant — it’s a pulse. A smoky, beat-driven, bass-heavy experience that hums under your skin long after you leave. From the fire-kissed bread that pulled me back to my father’s campsite in Denmark, to the smoked mussels and molten panisse, to the kind of fish dish that deserves its own short film — every bite had weight. Every plate had purpose.

And the drink that kicked it all off? A cocktail of rye and Amaro Montenegro — sharp, bitter, elegant. The moment it landed, I knew I was in the right place. We serve a mezcal version of that cocktail back at The Dispensary in Bendigo. Different spirits. Same spirit. That drink told me our tastes were already shaking hands before a word was spoken.

We started with a rye crisp — more like edible shrapnel — earthy, ancient, a crunch that hit like a memory from the soil up. Then came bread on a stick, cooked over flame — primitive and perfect. I call it snøbro. Pure nostalgia. My dad made it when we camped. Served with a pumpkin seed butter that didn’t just sing, it soared.

The smoked mussels and pickles were gritty elegance — sea funk wrapped in smoke, sliced clean with acid and crunch. Then came my first-ever panisse — fried chickpea turned velvet, a quiet masterpiece with golden skin and a soul that melts.

Grilled carrot, blood plum, sunflower seed, and basil — a plant-based symphony. Charred, juicy, tart, herby. Sweet met sharp and they danced.

Al Dente Pumpkin with Silky Emulsion It landed quiet. No theatrics. Just a humble curl of pumpkin glazed in a sauce so silky and balanced it nearly stopped time. Creamy mouthfeel with high notes that danced — citrus, acid, maybe vinegar. I’d tasted it before.

Back in the ’90s, I worked with a chef who opened Radii with Paul Wilson. He had a sauce like this — blackened with squid ink. Later at Rae’s at Wategos, my crazy mate SJ chased a similar emulsion like it owed him money.

Years later, in my own restaurant, a brilliant apprentice brought the sauce home to Bendigo. He’d staged with a chef named Flo. Jay never shut up about him. Flo was his North Star. I never met him, never tasted his food — but the way Jay talked, you’d think the man walked on beurre blanc.

So when I tasted that sauce at Vex, bam — recognition. Familiarity. Excellence. A warm hug from a chef I’d never met — but who, somehow, had been part of my story all along.

Of course, Cam — Nick’s mate we were there to meet — was working with him. We found Flo.

Flathead wrapped in rainbow chard, cooked over coals with snake chilies — primal finesse. Fish with precision. Fire-kissed. Heat that didn’t scream, just whispered threats.

At the end, we split — I went cheese, Nick went dessert. My cheese plate? Clean. Serious. A nod to fermentation and funk. No fuss. Just flavour. Nick’s dessert? The exhale at the end of a deep dive — indulgent and poetic.

Vex is the real deal. From Owen at the door to the hum of vinyl and smoke in the air, this place isn’t just up to speed — it’s leading the pack.

This wasn’t just dinner. It was church — if church had a grill and a...

VEX @we_are_vex Sourdough with smoked sour cream & butter 5ea 🥖⭐️ Marinated artichoke on toast 10ea Smoked mussels, pickled fennel $16 Panisse $12 White asparagus, salted rhubarb, buckwheat $18 Potato rosti, tropea onion and mustard $24🥔 Braised yellow beans, tonnato sauce & preserved lime $22 ⭐️ Beetroot, caramelised whey, pickled currant $26 Braised barley, rainbow chard and sunflower seed $34 John Dory, cardoon and brown butter $42 🐟⭐️ Grilled flank, garlic scapes and pumpkin seed $42🥩⭐️ Cacao cream, cold brew and sour cherries $16 VEX is definitely not your usual kind of wine bar. It has a laid back vibe, perfect for a chill night out. I love their concept of less is enough. Their dishes were simple but with a complex flavour profile. Their menu was plant focused with a lot of pickled elements. As a meat lover, I really enjoyed our meal. Their two protein dishes were perfectly executed! Both the fish and steak were cooked to perfection. I couldn’t stop drooling over the sauce of the steak! Our highlight was their house made sourdough with a smokey butter. We ordered a second one so you know how good it was! Their wine list was also extensive. Would absolutely...

This is an impressive place. It’s a nicely presented space here. Really unusual food too. Very innovative, with a number of dishes having an Austrian influence. The dishes we had were each meticulously composed, cooked and presented and had some wonderful flavours and textures. The service too was cool and professional. Overall we had a terrific time.

I have only two small negative comments. First, as another contributor observed, the music style choice for the restaurant - punk and new wave - is really odd. It’s a style I like but definitely not with dinner. Basically, it tends to jar when you’re trying to have a nice conversation. Second, the best Muscat producing area in the world - Rutherglen - is only a couple of hundred kilometres to the north of here yet the muscat choice here was a foreign one. Any restaurant that offers that style of wine in Australia let alone Victoria needs a Rutherglen option.

These are minor observations though. This is a lovely restaurant in all other respects and the food, wine and service is wonderfully good. We will certainly...