Dining precinct ELLA opens in Melbourne Central
New mega dining precinct ELLA has opened within Melbourne Central shopping centre.
Covering 2500 square metres, ELLA takes its inspiration from the high-end offerings found in Asia’s train stations, kicking off stage one of the opening with deep-fried Korean chicken destination Son in Law, Thai eatery The Pad and Pick a Stick Chinese Skewers by the team at Dainty Sichuan.
Colours Bowls, an offshoot of Charlie Carrington's hatted restaurant Atlas in South Yarra, is also part of the line-up as is existing Nepalese restaurant Chilli Everest and Ajisen Ramen, who have reopened with a new look.
Further openings will continue as the year progresses, with Blackhearts & Sparrows among those set to launch as part of phase two on June 27. Upscale cocktail bar by Luke Whearty, Byrdi, will open in July, with the final slew of retailers slated to open early 2020.
“We know Melburnians love food, but we’re also mad about music and art, we’re pretty innovative when it comes to technology and we enjoy continued opportunities to learn,” said ELLA development manager Stuart MacLeod-Smith.
"We’re planning to tap into these elements to elevate and enhance the Ella experience.
"We want the space to be an intimate place for residents and visitors to meet and enjoy Melbourne life away from the hustle and bustle of the CBD streets, while still being surrounded by the attributes that make this city so fantastic.”
Live music will pop-up several times per week from emerging and established artists, as well as a curated soundtrack with tunes by local Melbourne artists.
Tech platform, crowdDJ will enable visitors to select tracks from their mobile device and even vote for a genre of the week - via an in-built kiosk. Ella will also house a mural wall that local artists will keep refreshed.
Collingwood-based hospitality hub, Worksmith, will open the doors to its second coworking space here, complete with first-in-Australia high-tech facilities available for communal use including an on-premise drinks lab and a space for events and pop-ups.
ELLA diners can also access a chatbot via Facebook Messenger to facilitate ordering and payment whether dining-in or taking-away.
Sheridan Randall, 29th May 2019
