Lunetta Restaurant will open its doors on Friday, November 1 – three years after the sale of the iconic mid-Century Canberra landmark 60 Red Hill Drive to multi-award-winning restaurateur Tracy Keeley and her sons Matthew and Nicholas.
The much-loved Red Hill site has long been one of the city’s most recognised locations. Originally built in 1963, the structure sits perched on Red Hill overlooking the capital, just minutes from the city centre.
The famously striking landmark will reopen as two new restaurants – Lunetta is an elevated restaurant occupying the first floor and Lunetta Trattoria is a relaxed neighbourhood bar located on the ground floor.
"This project not only revitalises a significant site but also redefines its role as a gathering place for both the local community and visitors alike,” owner Tracy says. "Lunetta will be a truly unique offering capturing the spirit and soul of the nation’s capital.
"We envision it becoming Canberra’s iconic dining destination, blending modernist design and Italian-inspired cuisine to create memorable shared experiences that connect and inspire in a place where memory, nature and community converge.”
Re-imaged by leading Sydney architecture studio ACME, the new iteration has been described as a sensitive intervention that honours both the original form of Miles Jakl’s futuristic restaurant and a distinctive layer of modernist expression later incorporated by renowned Italian-born architect Enrico Taglietti.
The relationship between earth and sky is reflected in the building’s two distinct levels and in its name – Lunetta – which means ‘little moon that sits between earth and sky’.
Above, Lunetta embraces the sky with the elevation providing an immersive space among the treetops, hovering between Canberra below and the sky above, but grounded in a fresh, local and considered Italian-inspired menu, cooked with fire.
Expect dishes such as Welsh rarebit, caviar and onion tartlet to start, followed by cured ocean trout, capers, salted almond and pickled fennel; mains present like Tathra duck with morcilla, beetroot, currants, radicchio and hazelnut, along with pork belly porchetta, fiolaro di creazzo, burnt onion and black garlic.
Below, Lunetta Trattoria is anchored by warm, grounding tones that reinforce its connection to the earth – reflected in the offering with this energetic, neighbourhood all-day trattoria serving Italian antipasti and hearty wood-fired dishes.
Delve into the likes of raw kingfish, mandarin, semi-dried tomato and seaweed to begin, then twirl a fork around mafaldine pasta with beef cheek and Stout ragu, grilled mustard leaf and Parmigiano Reggiano; for the main, enjoy wood-fired beer-brined chicken, with watercress verde, lemon and chicken jus.
Wine lists have also been carefully assembled to reflect the style and ambience of both venues with Lunetta offering an extensive list covering all global regions, while the Trattoria will focus more on a small rotating list leaning towards Italian wines that are reflective of their region.
The Keeleys have assembled a highly experienced team to lead both the kitchen and service at both restaurants – with Tristan Rebbettes as Executive Chef and John Logan as General Manager.
Having worked as Sous Chef at Saint Peter in Sydney, Tristan has spent the past three years as Executive Chef at Mona Farm and Head Chelf at Sydney’s Flying Fish Restaurant.
John brings 30 years' experience managing restaurants in Auckland, London, Hawke’s Bay, Melbourne’s Gimlet and the Lake House in Daylesford.
Lunetta opens next Friday and will have hours of Wednesday-Thursday, 5.30 pm until late; Friday-Saturday, 12 pm until late; Sunday, 12 pm until 4.30pm; while the Trattoria opens on Wednesday, November 6 with hours of 11.30 am until late seven days a week.
To book, click here.
