The 90s were a wild and incredibly busy decade. Grunge music, the emergence of the Internet, Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, Spice Girls, Backstreet Boys, Mariah Carey, the ‘Macarena’, East Coast versus West Coast beef, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Friends, Furbies – culturally, the 90s was packed. As a child of the 90s, Dilan Ildes has a certain affection for the decade as a whole, but these days the hospitality figure (who owns and operates rooftop bar Dirty Sultan and colourful cafe Rose Room alongside business partner Tom D’Arcy) has developed an affinity for the period’s more glamorous aspects. High fashion, fine dining, chic clubs, Hollywood glitz and New York cool – these are all things that shape the personality of Dilan and Tom’s new concept, Mr. Vain Bar & Dining, a slickly elegant restaurant and bar that opened a couple of weeks back on hallowed ground in Fortitude Valley. Tucked away off Ann Street in the space formerly home to LONgTIME and Eterna, Mr. Vain channels the glossy glamour of the decade’s hedonistic heyday, but tempers the aesthetic excess with timeless touches. “It’s an upbeat restaurant but the product is very sophisticated,” explains Dilan. “The number one comment that we get from people coming in is that they feel they’re somewhere in New York in the 90s.”

Curating a vibe that adequately pays homage to inspirations without feeling dated is a tough task, but Dilan, Tom and designer Courtney Low have managed to strike a tasteful balance. When discussing his ideas for Mr. Vain’s minimalist interior style, Dilan talks less about materials and more about feeling. “I sat in the corner and imagined Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell here having cocktails and oysters,” says Dilan. “Like a main character vibe – you feel like you’re in a movie.” Though the structural footprint remains the same, the team has swapped Eterna’s timber heavy materiality for a palette that marries the building’s rustic bones with sleek fixtures. “It is an iconic spot. I don’t want people to walk in and think it feels the same, but I want them to have that familiarity,” Dilan explains. “It is supposed to feel like the 90s but modern and timeless – it’ll still look great in five years.” Wooden banquettes have been removed in favour of intimate booths partially shielded by chainlink veils, while the timber-topped bar was swapped fora sturdier form of composite material. Hanging lights have been exchanged for striking strip lighting along the walls and behind the bar, while incandescent table lamps cast orange tones across the exposed brickwork. A playlist of 90s jams pulse over the speakers while projectors screen runway show footage along a feature wall and above the kitchen. Finally, those with a sharp eye will spy hanging photos of 90s stars in Mr. Vain’s dim corners.

Central to Mr. Vain’s operations is the open kitchen, which is helmed by Tim Young – a New Zealand-born chef whose resume lists experience in Michelin-starred kitchens in Europe, as well as recent postings as head chef at Blackbird Bar & Grill and Scott Pickett’s Melbourne restaurant Matilda. Here, Tim is wielding locally sourced and native produce to create fare with European inflections that is contemporary in execution, but also is imbued with a sense of nostalgia. “When discussing the cuisine, the idea of sharing was a big part of it,” says Tim. “With this kind of venue and music, where it’s going to be loud, rowdy and fun, you want people to be talking and sharing. We’ve never at any point envisioned it was going to have tablecloths and silverware. The food had to reflect that.” Starters like smoked bone marrow with parker house roll and pickled shiso, and Falls Farm pickled and preserved vegetables with fresh milk curd lead into entrees like seared kangaroo with fermented pepper, raw reef fish with white grape and young almond, and barbecue red cabbage with shio koji, yuzu and ricotta. Large plates of wagyu brisket with molasses, beetroot, puffed tendons and chimichurri, pork tomahawk with coffee, turnip top and pineapple, and butterflied line-caught reef fish with champagne butter, coral mushroom and salt bush are definite show stoppers, but save room for dessert – we hear the Daintree ice-cream sando with wattle, Davidson plum and macadamia is divine. Over in the bar, Jhon Gavino Hinestroza has crafted a tasteful beverage program headlined by a tight list of signature cocktails crafted with creative culinary techniques. The Fall 95′ (the fashion season that saw Tom Ford catapult to fame) is a clarified concoction made with Lula rum, lulo, lime, condensed milk, while the The Pitt, which boasts gin mare, Dolin dry, olive oil and liquid Spanish olives, is a delightful experiment in texture. Guests can also savour martini flights, three kinds of negroni, three aperitivos, zero-ABV cocktails and a 32-strong wine list favouring minimal intervention, organic and new-wave drops.

Mr. Vain Bar & Dining is now open to the public. Bookings, menu details and contact info can be found in the Stumble Guide.

Food image supplied by Mr. Vain Bar & Dining