HIDDEN GEM

Tucked away in a central Melbourne park, wunderkind chef Hugh Allen's first solo restaurant takes diners on a journey of discovery

- DAVEN WU

Hugh Allen, the wunderkind Australian chef who earned three hats - the country's highest restaurant rating - at Vue de Monde before his 27th birthday, is on a mission. And now, barely 30, he has transformed a rundown pavilion in Melbourne's Fitzroy Gardens into Yiaga, a soigné 44-seat restaurant focused on native ingredients and local farms.

The site has served refreshment since 1908, first as the Kiosk tearooms, replaced by the Pavilion café in the 1960s, before ceasing trading several years ago. Allen discovered the space during Melbourne’s first lockdown in 2019, recognising it as the perfect spot for his debut solo venture.

Working with renowned local architect John Wardle, Allen preserved only the existing roof and structure while reimagining everything beneath. says Wardle, adding that the collaboration led to a deep friendship forged through a shared passion for makers and making.