City Style Country Hospitality

Located in Victoria’s stunning Yarra Valley, just 45mins from Melbourne CBD, Fondata 1872 is a unique venue, celebrating Italian food, wine and culture through Italian inspired dishes created from seasonal and local Australian produce. Our lively dining room is the perfect place to spend an afternoon or evening enjoying amazing food, local wines and great conversation. Our restaurant is available for a la carte dining as well as functions and events: a birthday celebration in the bar, a christening in the Wellers room or a Spring wedding ceremony on the lawn followed by an unforgettable reception in the main dining room. Whatever your occasion, we can make it happen! Talk to us.

The Wellers room, for example, loves hosting special occasions: birthday celebrations, boutique weddings, christening, conferencing, networking events, life celebrations and long lunches for up to 60 guests seated or 70 guests stand-up cocktail. Our chefs and kitchen team can create a menu to suit your occasion and our incredible events team can create cocktails and wines to be served throughout the event. Or there is the Bar Room, relaxed space with a wonderful country feel with its red brick floors, wooden beams and rustic charm. This space screams “Celebration’’ with guest access to the alfresco terrace overlooking the lawn & vista. Mingle with family and friends while you watch the sunset over the valley. With the capacity to seat 45 guests or 55 guests stand-up cocktail this space is the perfect place to enjoy a canape and a local brew. The terrace room is an intimate, private dining space with access to the balcony overlooking the beautiful views of the Yarra. It separates itself from the main dining room by a grand barn door where inside you can enjoy a unique dining experience when our head chef and kitchen team create a menu to suit your event and restaurant crew make your vision come to life with bespoke cocktails and local and international wines. Seating up to 16 guests this is the ultimate space for your next dinner party, special occasion or product launch.

Create long lasting memories in the Fondata dining room, with its stunning double-sided, heritage fireplace and views overlooking the gardens and rolling hills, it’s easy to feel like you have arrived “home” as you settle in with family and friends. Seating up to 100 guests or 120 guests stand-up cocktail.  Create a bespoke event with styling and menus to make your celebration come to life. Whatever your event, we are here to make it happen.

Head Chef Christopher Lillico’s Italian heritage and early experiences in Italian and European kitchens helped develop his passion for Italian cuisine. Born in New Zealand then having cut his teeth in some of Melbourne’s classic Italian restaurants before heading to Europe to hone his skills. Chris travelled and worked throughout Europe and Italy bringing back to Australia his love of food and Italian culture. Chris’s passion for Italian cookery is reflected in dishes such as Fondata’s signature dish the 12-hour slow-cooked lamb, one of those dishes you may remember forever, and it’s a recipe that’s been refined for almost as long, reflecting seasonal, local produce, made in the style of Nonna and full of local flavour. The food at Fondata reflects Chris’s style of preparing things simply utilizing the best ingredients available to create a dish that is full of flavour.