Project Team

Interior Design: Elenberg Fraser
AV: Custom Sound and Vision
Building Contractor: Liquid Lines
Mech Engineer: OPI Industries
Structural Engineer: John Gardner
Building Surveyor: David Langdon
Kitchen design: Trent Refrigeration

Café Vue at 401 St Kilda Rd is the newest venue (and the first local venue outside of its home in Little Collins Street) for Shannon Bennett’s Vue de monde. Situated on the ground level of Pan Urban’s luxury residential redevelopment at 401 St Kilda Rd, Café Vue reflects the offerings of the current Café Vue and Bistro Vue at Normanby Chambers in Little Collins Street, also developed by Pan Urban’s Morry Schwartz.

A window on to St Kilda Rd services express take away including the signature Café Vue lunch boxes, Illy coffee and an extensive range of viennoiserie, sandwiches, baguettes, pies and cakes. Inside, A ‘grab and go’ fridge stocks a complete selection of freshly squeezed juice and mineral water and flavoured soft drinks from San Pellegrino. Full table service is offered throughout the café with the front area focusing on quick café dining outdoors and at a communal table for breakfast and lunch. Further in to the dining room, a more formal area ‘Le Rôti’ focuses on a substantial, traditional offering available as a limited a la carte or as a fixed price Menu Du Jour of two or three courses.

The décor, designed in conjunction with Elenberg Fraser, is a modern interpretation of the era of Marie Antoinette, incorporating luxurious, textured finishes with playful elements such as the Queen’s corset dining table, the ‘off with her head’ red bathrooms and life sized topiary street signage.

The interior creates a contemporary French café in central Melbourne. The ornate detailing of Versailles and its’period clothing are the inspiration for the bold triangular patterns featured throughout the cafe. The kitchen and wet area facade reflect the Hall of Mirrors, while the Palace Gardens are recreated outside. Cafe Vue’s logo is fashioned out of topiary and provides protection to alfresco diners from the street. The neutral palette with highlights of colour stems from the beautiful gowns of Marie as does the Corset which one can dine under.

Photography: Dianna Snape

Custom Sound and Vision installed the sound, working in conjunction with Anna Schwarz Gallery to install the plasma screens which feature Shaun Gladwell’s video artwork, War Memorial Sessions.

Sonance CR201 commercial series Inceiling Speakers were installed with Sonance CR101SST for

the toilets. A Proart Multi Channel amplifier is used for amplification and individual volume zoning.

A Sonance Mariner 51 outdoor speaker is hidden inside building behind grill. An Onkyo DS-A3 Ipod Dock is also provided.