Our people

The Straightandsear team

Meet the chefs, hosts, and offline poker lounge specialists who shape every service at Straightandsear. Their craft, calm precision, and warm hospitality bring our contemporary Australian bistro and upstairs offline poker salon to life.

Bistro • Cellar • offline card salon Melbourne, Australia
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Thoughtfully paced service, meticulous plates, and an atmosphere designed for conversation.

Behind every service

Crafted by people, plate by plate

Straightandsear brings together chefs, floor managers, offline card lounge hosts, and a dedicated wine & spirits specialist who share a single aim: to create an atmosphere where guests feel both expertly looked after and completely at ease.

Contemporary Australian cuisine Warm, unhurried service Private Offline card salon upstairs Thoughtful cellar curation

Average tenure

6+ years

A tight-knit team grounded in trust, shared standards, and quiet collaboration.

Meet us at seasonal events Recent mentions and media

Our culinary team

Chefs shaping contemporary Australian flavours

At the heart of Straightandsear is a calm, focused kitchen where each plate is treated as an individual composition. Our culinary team blends classic European technique with a distinctly Australian pantry: native ingredients, coastal produce, and thoughtful nods to local growers.

Head Chef Elise Hart leads a brigade known for restraint rather than spectacle. Every dish is built on flavour clarity, seasonal rhythm, and a quiet confidence in well-sourced ingredients. From artisan tasting platters to wood-grilled mains, the kitchen works in close sync with the floor to pace each course to the table.

“We design the menu the way we host our friends at home – generous, balanced, and always a little surprising.”

Explore the bistro menu Discuss a chef's selection
Head chef at Straightandsear plating a contemporary Australian dish in the open kitchen
Head Chef Elise Hart guiding the pass during an unhurried evening service.

Hospitality leadership

The rhythm of the dining room

From the first greeting at the door to the final goodnight at the host stand, our front-of-house leaders orchestrate a service style that is attentive, gracious, and never hurried.

Front-of-house managers

Composed, observant, and always one step ahead

Service at Straightandsear feels seamless because it is carefully, quietly choreographed. Our managers watch every table’s rhythm – the pace of conversation, the empty glass, the lingering over dessert – and adjust accordingly. Menus are introduced with context, not scripts, and recommendations are tailored to the moment.

Whether you arrive for a lingering long lunch or a focused pre-theatre sitting, the team ensures that timing, lighting, and atmosphere support the occasion.

Hosts & reservations

Warm welcomes, thoughtful seating

Our hosts approach the dining room as a series of small stages: a quiet corner for anniversaries, a brighter banquette for families, a high table suited to a shared platter and a bottle poured slowly. Requests are noted in advance, from dietary needs to preferred seating, and reflected in the service you receive.

For larger gatherings or occasions that may flow into the upstairs offline card salon, the team coordinates closely with the kitchen and lounge hosts to maintain a sense of ease from arrival to farewell.

Card lounge hosts

Discreet guides to the upstairs salon

Beyond the main bistro, an unmarked stairwell leads to Straightandsear’s private offline card salon – a space reserved for in-person games, conversation, and late-evening gatherings. Our lounge hosts are the quiet custodians of this room: greeting members, introducing guests, and ensuring that the tone remains refined and convivial.

They coordinate table arrangements, refreshments, and pacing with the same attention to detail found downstairs in the dining room. New guests are welcomed with a simple orientation to house etiquette, while regulars are greeted by name and preference.

  • Thoughtful guidance into and out of the private salon
  • Refreshments and small plates coordinated with the kitchen
  • Evening schedules curated around in-person card play and conversation
Discover the private offline card lounge

Team philosophy

People-first hospitality, quietly executed

Collaboration over spotlight

The Straightandsear team is built on the belief that the guest’s experience matters more than any individual role. Chefs, hosts, servers, and lounge staff share one continuous service line, communicating in calm, precise cues that keep the room feeling unforced and natural.

Menus, cellar selections, and seasonal events are developed together so that each element of the evening feels cohesive rather than separate.

Craft, curiosity, and care

Our kitchens and floors are spaces of ongoing learning. Tastings, workshops, and quiet after-service debriefs give every team member a voice. New dishes are tested in small, thoughtful ways before reaching the menu, and guest feedback is shared respectfully across the team.

This culture of curiosity keeps Straightandsear’s offering evolving while preserving the familiarity our regulars treasure.

Calm, inclusive workplaces

We design our rosters, room layouts, and service systems around sustainable hospitality. Clear communication, realistic pacing, and structured breaks help the team stay composed on even the busiest evenings.

New colleagues are paired with experienced mentors, ensuring that every role is supported, from commis to senior sommelier.

The Straightandsear team working together in the bistro during service
Mid-service at Straightandsear: the quiet choreography between kitchen, floor, and upstairs lounge.

A day in the bistro

From first prep to the final card hand

Morning begins with the understated rituals of mise en place: stocks checked, herbs picked, linens pressed, stemware polished. The kitchen draws up the day’s produce notes while the floor team reviews reservations, dietary considerations, and any guests continuing upstairs after dinner.

Service flows in gentle waves. Lunch is sunlit and conversational; evenings are softer and more intimate. Throughout, the kitchen and floor communicate quietly, adjusting pacing dish by dish. As the final desserts leave the pass, attention turns to the upstairs Card Salon, where the mood shifts to low-light conversation and the soft, familiar sounds of an in-person game underway.

  • Daily briefings aligning kitchen, floor, and offline card lounge teams
  • Seasonal menus that evolve with local produce
  • Guests guided seamlessly between bistro dining and salon evenings

Wine & spirits specialist

A cellar curated for conversation

Straightandsear’s cellar is overseen by our in-house wine & spirits specialist, whose focus is on pairings that feel both intuitive and quietly adventurous. The list balances boutique Australian producers with considered Old World references, highlighting growers who share our respect for craft and place.

Whether you are exploring a tasting flight with friends, marking a milestone, or settling into an extended card evening upstairs, the specialist works with both kitchen and lounge hosts to recommend bottles that suit the moment as much as the menu.

Expect thoughtful guidance, clear language, and a cellar that rewards curiosity without ever feeling overwhelming.

Join a cellar tasting evening
Wine and spirits specialist at Straightandsear selecting bottles from the cellar
Our wine & spirits specialist curating pours to complement both the menu and the pace of your evening.

Training & mentorship

Nurturing the next generation of hospitality professionals

Structured learning pathways

From day one, every team member at Straightandsear follows a clear learning path that spans technical skills, product knowledge, and the nuances of gracious service. Kitchen and floor teams participate in regular tastings, workshops with producers, and service simulations designed to refine timing and communication.

Mentors at every station

Senior chefs, floor leaders, and lounge hosts pair with newer colleagues, offering hands-on guidance during service and reflective feedback afterwards. This framework encourages questions, supports experimentation, and ensures that standards are shared, not guarded.

Careers that evolve with the venue

As Straightandsear grows – from new seasonal events to evolving offline card salon programming – we create pathways for our team to grow with us. Role progression may include menu development, cellar curation, or leading speciality evenings that reflect each person’s strengths.

To enquire about future opportunities with the Straightandsear team, please reach out via our Contact page.

Celebrating success

Moments that define the Straightandsear family

Our proudest achievements are not only awards or reviews, but the quiet, everyday moments when the team moves as one.

Recent highlight Kitchen & floor

Seasonal chef's table evenings

A limited series of chef's table dinners in the bistro, hosted jointly by our head chef and wine & spirits specialist. Guests experience a progression of contemporary Australian dishes, each introduced by the team member who helped bring it to life.

Explore upcoming gatherings on our Seasonal Events page.

Team milestone Card salon

Anniversary card evenings

An annual series of intimate, invite-only evenings in the upstairs salon, honouring our regular tables and the friendships formed around them. The kitchen creates a dedicated snack menu, while lounge hosts curate the pace of the night.

Within the team All departments

Staff suppers and shared tastings

After late services, the team occasionally gathers around the pass for a simple shared meal, tasting new dishes, replaying service highlights, and exchanging ideas for future menus and experiences.

Experience the team in motion

Every visit to Straightandsear is a collaboration between our kitchen, floor, cellar, and Offline card lounge teams. Whether you join us for a quiet midweek dinner, a celebratory tasting, or an evening that continues upstairs in the salon, you will be welcomed by people who care deeply about the details.

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