Italian cooking meets Persian flavours on Stella’s new brunch menu

A new Friday-to-Sunday brunch service has opened across all four levels of Stella Dining & Rooftop on Chapel Street, running from 9am to 3pm.

The South Yarra venue’s menu combines contemporary Italian cooking with Persian influences, including a dish inspired by owner Ali Mousavi’s childhood in Rasht, on Iran’s Caspian coast.

Chargrilled Eggplant and Scrambled Egg pairs smoky eggplant purée, free-range scrambled egg and labneh with grilled focaccia. It is priced at $31.

“Brunch has always felt like the missing piece for us,” Stella founder and owner Ali Mousavi said.

“The Chargrilled Eggplant and Scrambled Eggs are a good example of what we’re doing. It’s a dish that takes me straight back to Rasht, and putting it on an Italian brunch menu is exactly the kind of thing I want Stella to do.”

What is on Stella’s brunch menu?

Other dishes include a $29 Spanner Crab Omelette made with Fraser Island spanner crab and cray sauce, and Truffle Tagliolini with truffle purée, poached egg yolk and garlic cream sauce for $35.

The menu also features a 180-gram Wagyu Burger for $29, Cinnamon French Toast with vanilla toffee caramel sauce and whipped cream for $23, and a Spinach and Egg Florentine Pizza with Persian labneh and green olives for $29.

Brunch is served throughout Stella’s rooftop, cocktail dining area, ground floor and private dining room. The cocktail dining area includes an open fireplace.

“Every level has its own mood, so brunch feels different depending on where you sit,” Mousavi said. “Upstairs on the rooftop it’s bright and social, by the fireplace downstairs it’s slower, more of a lazy Sunday.”

Bookings made before the end of August include a complimentary choice of Prosecco, a mimosa or a mocktail.

Brunch is available from 9am to 3pm every Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Stella Dining & Rooftop is located at 427 Chapel Street  stellarestaurantbar.com.au