A hospitality makeover for Fitzroy’s Gertrude Street

There’s a big hospitality shake-up happening in Fitzroy’s Gertrude Street.

It’s great for a street that has over the last 10 years been transformed into one of Melbourne’s most chic and hippest locations.

First, there’s the iconic Gertrude Hotel. Its windows have been blacked out and plastered with glittery lightning bolt. The Gertrude is now being reinvented by Tracey Lester, owner of the Carlton Club who has renamed it the Hotel Electric.

A vegan-pescatarian pub it will be run by ex-Cutler & Co chef Tristan Newman when it opens in June.

In the lead up to that, another branch of ester's organic juice and salad business, Superfluid, will open at the rear of the venue from March 22.

Across the street, the Wilde bar is being also being transformed.

It has been renamed Bistro Sousou, basically relocating the now-defunct Brunswick Street French restaurant Madame Sousou, and it will be serving buttered steaks and champagne. The opening date for the bistro is yet to be announced.

Then there is Messer, another outlet for Ashley and Janine Davis of Seddon's pan-European bistro, Copper Pot.

The venue is all part of a new apartment development.

A 50-seat eratery in shades of white and blue, it will be operating from 11am-11pm Monday to Saturday from March 18.

It will be run by Copper Pot's head chef Sascha Rust. That’s in addition to Wiremu Andrews, former co-owner of South Melbourne's Smalls bar. He’ll be there in a dual sommelier-manager role.

So what will this new operation bring to Gertrude Street?

Davis has told Goodfood to expect a pan-European menu. Only this time, the focus will be on market food.

So Messer will be offering spit-roasted pork knuckles with coleslaw, lots of seafood such as grilled sardines, all on display in a big glass case. There will also be giant salads and a menu del dia, with three courses for $39.