The team behind iconic Melbourne sourdough bakery and cafe Rustica have opened a new cafe and bakery in the heart of the Melbourne CBD, located on the prominent corner of Little Collins and Queen Street. The new arrival marks the fifth Rustica store in Melbourne for Managing Director Brenton Lang and Director Drew Gibbs. 

“With Melburnians filtering back into the city, we wanted to open in time to welcome them back. We are here to refuel and caffeinate the city with our new brunch menu, signature pastries and specialty coffee blend First Love Coffee,” says Brenton Lang, Managing Director of Rustica.

“Our new corner location accommodates seventy seats, so it's a decent pit-stop for the city-workers and city-dwellers who want to dine-in or pick up a takeaway option,” says  Director Drew Gibbs. 

The kitchen team is led by Head Chef Chantelle Saba, who has worked with Rustica for more than seven years. In distinguishing the new Rustica venue, Saba has finessed the breakfast and brunch menu to offer a variety of rotating grab-and-go options for the fast-paced city worker. 

“All the dishes were designed in mind to easily grab and devour in a lunch break,” says Saba.

Highlights on the dine-in menu include: 

• Avocado, charred corn, herb salad, Mexican furikake, lime labneh, grilled halloumi and seedy sourdough
• Grilled yellow peach, basil, prosciutto di parma, vincotto, stracciatella cheese and olive sourdough 
• Lobster and prawn eggs Benedict, mixed leaves, poached eggs, herb hollandaise, crispy potatoes, salmon roe and milk bun
• Linguini allo scoglio - prawn, clam and mussel linguine with white wine, chilli, garlic, pangrattato and cherry tomatoes 
• Buttermilk fried chicken tender burger - Korean hot sauce, aioli, pickled dill cucumbers, cabbage slaw on milk bun and fries 
• Roast porchetta roll - chimichurri, aioli, kale and fennel slaw and pickles on ciabatta and fries

As for the pastries, expect to see Rustica’s regulars, including blueberry and finger lime crullers, Ferrero french crullers, Portuguese tarts, almond and chocolate croissants, and Iced Vovo brioche donuts. 

The cafe serves Rustica’s own retail brand First Love Coffee. Sourcing the finest beans from Kenya, Ethiopia, Guatemala and Mexico, using seasonal, single origins and rotating between six different blends monthly. 

Architect Fiona Drago, a long-term collaborator of Rustica, was responsible for the new fit-out. Inspired by ‘the Gothic Bank’, which anchors the other corner of the precinct, Drago focussed on the Venetian gothic colours, textures and details of the building. 

On entry,  a deep red marble counter acts as a centrepiece visible from the street. The dark bronze trim echoes the gold leaf patterns of the old banking chamber; while the quatrefoil pattern and four-leaf clover motif in the tessellated floor tiles and artisan, hand-blown glass lights both reflect the ornate detailing that Venetian Gothic architecture is renowned for.

Rustica’s focus on local sources and traditional production methods is also reflected in the materials and items throughout the space, with the tiles, lighting, tables and stools all designed and made in Melbourne.

Rustica Little Collins and Queen Street is open Monday to Friday, and caffeinating CBD workers and city-dwellers from 7am until 4pm. 

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Notes to Editors

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About Rustica: 
Rustica bakery was established in Fitzroy in 2012 by Founder and renowned Baker Brenton Lang. It was instantly recognised for its traditional use of sourdough techniques in artisan bread and pastries, and quickly became one of the most successful and recognised bakery cafes in Melbourne. Today, Rustica has grown to five locations including Highpoint, Melbourne Central, Rialto Towers, Little Collins and Queen Street as well as its flagship store in South Yarra which opened in January 2020.