Step inside and you’ll find an inviting space that feels both refined and relaxed. Housed in a beautiful heritage building on Newry Street, Suze flows across two levels — with warm lighting, good music setting the mood in the background, and seasonal plates making their way from the open kitchen upstairs. Whether you’re perched at the concrete bar with a vermouth in hand or gathered around a table with friends, there’s a quiet sense of care in every detail.
Here, Giulia shares more about their story, philosophy and inspirations, and a few of the places they love around this neighbourhood they now call home.
What kind of experience are you aiming to create for people when they step into Suze, and what do you hope stays with them after they leave?
We wanted to create a space that blends the relaxed, easy-going vibe of a wine bar with the warmth, substance and comfort of a proper restaurant. Somewhere with great music, a good buzz in the air, delicious food and wine, and service that feels both personal and effortless.
What we love most is seeing people enjoy themselves — laughing, connecting and sharing. And while we’re always around, making sure everything flows smoothly, we are in the background, the spotlight’s really on them. Our job is to set the scene so our guests can simply have the best of time, leaving with the feeling of a fantastic evening.
What’s the story behind the name Suze? Does this name hold a special meaning for you both?
Suze represents a connection to the aperitif culture we love in Europe. And it happened to be Steve’s favourite aperitif!
How do you approach building your wine list, and what kind of drinks experience can guests expect?
When we opened Suze, we started with a small wine list of around 50 wines. Over the past few months, we’ve grown it to 130 wines! We do this by tasting new wines every week and selecting those that stand out for various reasons. Our guests can expect a drinking experience a bit different from the usual. We focus on smaller appellations and lesser-known varieties from Europe, with a focus on Italian wines, as well as Australian wines.
First and foremost, our goal is to offer something delicious to drink, appropriate for the season and time, and finely crafted. If interesting and intriguing, even better. In addition to wine, we have a good selection of vermouth and aperitifs, most of them with low ABV, which is what we love drinking every day of the week.
Tell us about the philosophy behind the food at Suze, what guides your approach in the kitchen?
Steve is inspired by the produce available in Victoria from artisanal producers and growers, such as Day’s Walk Farm, Somerset Heritage Produce and Dog Creek Growers, to name a few. His approach is restrained in technique to let the produce shine for itself, treating it with simplicity, but with an extremely thoughtful and organic creativity.
We love eating delicious food. We love cooking delicious food.
How did you two meet, and what drew you to working together?
We first met 16 years ago at Anise, a tiny 12-seater wine bar in Brisbane. Not long after, Giulia returned to her hometown in Italy. We didn’t expect to cross paths again, but five years later, we reconnected and have worked ever since toward our goal of opening a venue together. We always shared the same vision on hospitality, so we had to open something together!
What brought you to Melbourne — and Fitzroy North?
We’ve always been the happiest while eating and drinking in great venues. On a food trip to Melbourne, we instantly fell in love with the city and knew this was where we wanted to open a wine bar together and call home. Fitzroy North, with its sense of community and charm, felt like the perfect fit.
What are your favourite spots in the neighbourhood when you have a moment away from Suze?
At the moment, we love Bar Olo, Public Wine Bar and Royal Oak the most. Together with Embla and Marion, those are definitely our favourites in town. But there is so much in Melbourne, it’s always hard to pick.
Is there somewhere you like to take visitors for a coffee, a bite to eat, a gallery wander or just a bit of fresh air and inspiration?
The first place we always take every friend visiting Melbourne is Cibi. There is a certain magic about that space, full of beauty in every corner and many interesting things to buy, we could browse there for hours. Or we would take them to Lune, pretty much for the same reason, we love conceptual spaces, design and architecture.
Can you share a bit about your respective backgrounds in hospitality?
By the time we first met, Steve had already worked in several well-known Brisbane restaurants, including Honto, Gerard’s and Urbane. In Melbourne, he went on to work at Cumulus, Marion Wine Bar and Cutler. He spent some time at Amaru and was part of the opening team at Auterra Wine Bar as head chef, then ran the Napier Quarter kitchen until the end of 2024.
Meanwhile, I worked with respected hospitality groups like Any Day in Brisbane and Trader House in Melbourne. I began as a supervisor at Gimlet before moving to Marion Wine Bar, where I became the restaurant manager over the following four years. I love the warmth of Melbourne’s wine bar scene, so similar to the Italian style of connecting with people, and fell in love with Fitzroy’s community.
What do you hope Suze becomes for the neighbourhood?
We are all about good vibes and community. Our main goal is to provide the neighbourhood with warm hospitality — a place where you feel welcome, whether you’re in for a quick glass of wine and a snack or celebrating a special moment.
We are building up a vibrant community of returning guests, and it feels very rewarding.
We are loving the intimate and cozy feeling of Suze in winter, but we can’t wait to properly experience a full summer, with plenty of outdoor tables and a busy street among the trees.
📍Suze: 6 Newry Street, Fitzroy North
📸 Images: Alterrain | Suze Wine Bar
