One of the world’s most decorated chefs is bringing her acclaimed French bistro concept to Melbourne this October. We discover why she chose Australia for her first international expansion.
Dominique Crenn, one of the world’s most decorated and influential chefs, will open her first Australian venue in Melbourne this October. Petit Crenn marks the international expansion of her acclaimed all-day dining concept and is anticipated to be one of the most significant openings in Australia this year.
Crenn is the chef and co-owner of the three-Michelin-starred Atelier Crenn in San Francisco, US. In 2018, she became the first female chef in the United States to be awarded three Michelin stars. A James Beard Award nominee, World’s 50 Best Icon Award recipient and one of TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2024, Crenn’s influence extends well beyond the kitchen. Her portfolio also includes Bar Crenn, Café Dior by Dominique Crenn in Dallas and Monsieur Dior by Dominique Crenn in Beverly Hills.
Petit Crenn Niçoise Moderne.Credit: Verena Dohmen
Petit Crenn will reflect the chef’s approach to everyday French bistro cooking: drawn from her childhood memories, shaped by place and community, and guided by seasonality and simplicity. In Melbourne, the concept will take the form of an intimate 40-seat all-day venue inspired by the comptoirs (counters) of Paris, built to work for coffee and pastries in the morning and effortless lunches to cocktails from the afternoon into the evening.
On the menu, guests can expect signatures including steak tartare with egg yolk jam and sauce au poivre, alongside a croque madame with jambon and Gruyère. Alongside the core menu, Petit Crenn will offer a changing plat du jour, with dishes including French raviole with onion consommé, and moules (mussels) with preserved lemon and beurre de baratte.
We sat down with the star chef to ask her why she chose Melbourne as her next location, and what she thinks of the Australian dining and food scene.
Petit Crenn Une Simple Tartine.Credit: Verena Dohmen
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What made you decide on Australia as a location, and why Melbourne specifically?
I’ve been interested in Australia for a long time. There is such an incredible respect for ingredients, producers and seasonality, and Melbourne in particular has a food culture that feels very curious and open. People care deeply about where they eat and drink, but there is also an ease to the way they experience hospitality. That felt very aligned with Petit Crenn. I didn’t want to simply recreate something from San Francisco or France. I wanted to bring the spirit of Petit Crenn somewhere that could give it a new identity, and Melbourne felt like the right place.
What was your first impression of Australia’s food culture?
The quality and diversity of the ingredients really stood out to me, but also the confidence and simplicity with which people cook. There is incredible seafood, beautiful produce, great meat and dairy, and a very strong connection to the people producing it. I also love how multicultural the food culture is. You can feel so many different influences coming together, and that creates a really exciting energy.
What do you hope to contribute to Melbourne’s food scene?
I hope Petit Crenn can become a place that feels part of the city rather than something that has simply arrived from somewhere else. The foundation will always come from my memories of France and Brittany, but what we create in Melbourne will be shaped by Australian ingredients and the relationships we build there. We are already working closely with [Australian seafood expert] John Susman to connect with fishermen and source beautiful local seafood, alongside local farmers, growers and artisans. Ultimately, I want it to be a place people can return to often, whether for coffee and bread in the morning, lunch with a friend or a glass of wine and something to eat in the evening.
Petit Crenn Classique Steak Frites.Credit: Verena Dohmen
Have there been any Australian research trips for this opening, and if so, any places that stuck with you?
Yes, we’ve spent time exploring restaurants around Australia, not only in Melbourne. The first time eating the steak tartare at Gimlet and the crudo of the sea at Mimi’s was incredible! More broadly, what has stayed with me is the quality of Australian ingredients and the confidence with which chefs allow them to speak for themselves. That has been very inspiring as we develop Petit Crenn and begin building our own relationships with producers across the country.
Do you find it a bit liberating or disappointing that the Michelin Guide isn’t yet in Victoria?
Michelin has been an important part of my journey and I have enormous respect for what it represents, but I don’t create restaurants for guides or awards. A restaurant has to be about the people who walk through the door and the community it belongs to. With Petit Crenn, I’m thinking about Melbourne, the producers we will work with and how we can create a place that people genuinely want to return to. If you begin with that intention, recognition should never be the reason you are doing the work.
Petit Crenn will be located at 495 Collins Street, Melbourne. Further details, including opening date, menu and key team appointments, will be announced closer to launch in October.
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Dining and Cooking