The Australian Open has received a lot of attention for reasons based off-the-court this year but as eyes turn back to the competition we turn our eyes to what's on the menu at the first Grand Slam of the year. One of the highlights of the courtside dining on offer is food from Melbourne's Attica restaurant and chef / owner Ben Shewry, notably with his lockdown lasagne which rose to local fame during the pandemic.
Shewry's lasagne was at times selling at a rate of over 150 orders per day from his Melbourne restaurant, a dish made from his mother's recipe, one that helped save his business during the COVID lockdowns that hit Melbourne's hospitality industry so hard. His tennis menu also includes Baked Brie, a vegan take on pork rinds.
This year's Open menus span luxury dining alongside these such home comforts, with chef Guy Grossi of Florentino, one of Melbourne's oldest restaurants dating back to the 1930's, Maha Restaurant's Shane Delia also cooking. Rockpool Bar & Grill will also be serving up its signatures along with three dishes by acclaimed Australian chef Dave Pynt, chef patron of Singapore's Burnt Ends, which debuted on the World's 50 Best Restaurants list in 2021.
Grossi is serving pumpkin tortellini in a sage brown butter sauce, as well as a family recipe of slow-cooked lamb shoulder with sage and rosemary. For afters there's also Grossi's popular Tiramisu, usually found at his Cellar Bar.
Alongside all the food on offer, Michael Madrusan, co-owner of popular Melbourne bars The Everleigh and Heartbreaker, has concocted six specials being served up at the Atrium bar.
Find out more about all the food and drink on offer at the Australian Open here.