Most of us (ie: me) would rather be tucked in in bed rather than tuck into a three-course meal, but Nieuw Amsterdam is doing a solid for Melbourne's night owls with the announcement of the Late Night Harlem Supper Club. Restaurant owner Michael Roszbach tells us that Nieuw Amsterdam, which is open until 3am most nights and until 5am on Friday and Saturday, is already getting hospitality workers, shift workers and insomniacs on a weekly basis, so it was a no-brainer when he decided to make the supper club official.
"It's hard to get a decent meal past 1am, so we'll be doing semi-regular suppers cooked by Melbourne's best chefs, starting with Florent Gerardin from Ôter," Roszbach says. The inaugural Late night Harlem Supper Club event will kick off on Saturday October 15 at 1.30am, and will include a "surprise" three-course menu matches with Campari cocktails created by Nieuw Amsterdam's Sean McGuire. With tickets going for $60, this could well be among the best late-night dining experiences in the city – cooked by a French fine-dining chef, no less.
Melbourne's reputation as a 24-hour city is gaining traction and so is the city's late-night dining scene, but this event raises the question: we know that people are looking for a great feed in the wee hours, but what does dinner at 2am look like? Will the standard three-course fare work, or will people want to eat differently? Rozsbach says so far the feedback on the supper club has been positive, but that he'll be watching how diners respond to the first supper club event. The second event is already in the works, so if you find yourself hungry and very awake on October 15, you know where to be.