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If at first you don’t succeed, get back on the horse. For the hospitality team behind Mornington restaurant Mr Vincenzo’s, that piece of wisdom has proven true almost to the letter. Their first venture on Main Street, auspiciously named Colt Dining, was destroyed by a fire just weeks after opening in 2023.
Rather than walk away, owners Paul Goddard and Lisa Prince, alongside head chef Michael Kharsas (ex-Port Phillip Estate), found strength in an outpouring of local community support. A colt may have been forcibly retired, but an Italian stallion rose from its ashes eight months later and raced into a new site on the Esplanade: Mr Vincenzo’s.
Now, after two years of running the venue within just a third of the available space, the trio is finally leveraging the rest of the building – just in time for the warmer months ahead.
Co-owner Paul Goddard acknowledges the time was ripe to expand.
“This renovation is the realisation of our original dream for the site, where we can be more things to more people,” he says. “Guests can now enjoy Mr Vincenzo’s in a range of ways, whether that’s a mid-week drink, dinner or a special function.”
The restaurant has increased its seating from 45 to 100, with a newly redesigned wine bar area and a sleek private dining sanctuary now available for patrons. Plus, a fresh outdoor terrace that’s sure to be an idyllic summertime spot for dusk-lit drinks by the bay.
Upgrades beyond aesthetics will also make operations a lot easier for the chefs. The old galley-style kitchenette has been upgraded to a full-size kitchen, giving Kharsas and his team extra room to dish out their finest work.
Visitors old and new can continue to expect a Mediterranean-leaning menu, an homage to Prince's grandfather (Vincenzo himself) and her Italian heritage. Think creamy polenta with beef ragu and parmesan, wild nettle and mortadella tortelloni and scotch fillet with local pine mushrooms and shaved truffle.
Here, ‘local’ isn't just a buzz word; a nearby resident Mary Lucas supplies seasonal veggies from her own acre of land, while fresh focaccia, pasta and sauces are prepped in-house daily with Mornington produce.
“Mr Vincenzo’s philosophy has always been and will remain simple: casual excellence,” Goddard says. “Mornington is a jewel of Victoria and Australia, with its globally-recognised wine region, and we want the town’s food offering to match that.”
Mr Vincenzo’s is located at 784 The Esplanade, Mornington.
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