A pioneer of laneway dining in Melbourne, Punch Lane has been a favourite amongst theatre-goers, wine-lovers and long-lunchers since 1995.

A cosy restaurant and wine bar, Punch Lane is one of the original Melbourne Laneway gems, situated in the heart of Melbourne’s entertainment district on the fringes of Bourke street’s Paris end and the hustle of Melbourne’s infamous Chinatown.

The venue recently received a facelift with exposed natural wood grains, lamps that were salvaged from an Indian naval vessel, leather banquets and heavy use of accented wood tones.

” The client wanted to reinvigorate the existing space,” said designer Rabindra Naidoo. “The ambience we were after was a warm, classic European bistro feel. The feeling that Punch Lane has been around for a long time – timeless/established. The quality of the wine and food at Punch was reinforced with the display of the meats and cheeses in a suspended display fridge.”

To create the Classic European bistro space Rabindra used a palette of traditional materials. Steel, timber, leather, marble and hardwood timbers formed the palette. All materials that develop a patina over time.

Colour-wise, Rabindra wanted to create a warm atmosphere – so a dark colour scheme was decided upon.

The steel framed suspended wine shelves with LED strip lights, lighting the bottles from behind, create a multicolored glow and tie the concept together. Industrial age wall lights were used to reinforce the timelessness of the space.