Stokehouse Restaurants

What Stokehouse Restaurants does

Stokehouse Restaurants is a privately held, single-location premium hospitality precinct at 30 Jacka Boulevard, St Kilda Beach, Melbourne, operated by Van Haandel Group under owner Frank Van Haandel. The precinct comprises three consumer-facing concepts: Stokehouse Restaurant (upstairs fine dining with panoramic Port Phillip Bay views and custom mirrors angled to guarantee every guest a water view), STOKEBAR (a walk-in terrace bar open daily from 12pm with cocktails, the 750+ wine list and signature fish & chips), and Stokehouse Pasta & Bar (a downstairs casual Italian concept). The venue operates 364 days a year and serves premium diners, casual bar patrons, private event hosts (Palm Room seats 40, Cellar Room seats 14, exclusive venue hire up to 270 standing/140 seated), gift voucher purchasers and food/wine enthusiasts attending producer-led dinner events.

The business is built on three reinforcing pillars: culinary and wine credentials, sustainability infrastructure, and an events/community layer. Culinary leadership sits with Executive Chef Jason Staudt (appointed November 2019 from Aria Sydney and Bea at Barangaroo House), with Head Sommelier Wil Martin curating a 750+ wine list that has held the three-glass rating at Australia's Wine List of the Year Awards for nine consecutive years. The physical building is a 5-Star Green Star 'Australian Excellence' rated precinct (2022) featuring geothermal HVAC (50-60m wells, 18 refrigerant units), a 28kW solar array, 210kWh battery storage, rainwater harvesting and a Bardee insect-based food-waste system that offsets up to 40 tonnes of carbon per day. Revenue is generated through à la carte and tasting menu dining, walk-in bar service, private functions and corporate events, ticketed wine and spirit dinners ($165-$245pp), premium experiences such as the BYO 6-course ($295pp) and NYE 5-course ($395pp), gift vouchers, and a delivery channel via Providoor. Reservations run on SevenRooms and marketing is community-led across the website Journal, email newsletter, Facebook and Instagram, anchored by annual Melbourne Food & Wine Festival participation.

Name

Stokehouse Restaurants

Legal name

Van Haandel Group

Website

https://stokehouse.com.au

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Stokehouse Restaurants operates a single beachfront hospitality precinct at St Kilda Beach, Melbourne, running a fine-dining restaurant, walk-in STOKEBAR and casual Stokehouse Pasta & Bar under Van Haandel Group, serving premium diners, private event hosts and wine enthusiasts with an award-winning 750+ wine list and 5-Star Green Star rated sustainable building.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Premium Beachfront Fine Dining Restaurants

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (722410), Caterers (722320)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro primary industry

Hotel & Resort Restaurants (THAFACAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Rooftop Bars & Beach/Pool Bars (THAFAEAJ), Venue & Banquet Hall Catering (THAFAIAC)

Keywords

• Fine dining restaurants
• Beachfront hospitality services
• Private event venues
• Wine dinner experiences
• Sustainable hospitality operations

Headquarters

HQ city

Melbourne (St Kilda)

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Restaurant Dining: Main dining room with à la carte menu and seasonal tasting options, generating revenue from food and beverage sales for lunch and dinner service 364 days per year
2. STOKEBAR: Bar service with cocktails, wine, and bar bites, no booking required, open daily from 12pm
3. Private Events & Functions: Weddings, corporate events, and exclusive venue hire generating revenue from dedicated function spaces (Palm Room seats 40, Cellar Room seats 14, exclusive venue up to 270 standing/140 seated)
4. Gift Vouchers: Monetary vouchers and experience vouchers redeemable at Stokehouse Restaurant or Stokehouse Pasta & Bar, available in any denomination
5. Special Dining Experiences: BYO experience at $295pp, wine dinners, chef collaborations, and special event packages

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Stokehouse Restaurants operates a multi-venue beachfront hospitality precinct at St Kilda Beach, Melbourne, comprising the main Stokehouse Restaurant offering fine dining with panoramic Port Phillip Bay views, STOKEBAR for walk-in cocktails and bar bites, and Stokehouse Pasta & Bar for casual Italian-inspired dining. The business also offers private event hire across Palm Room, Cellar Room, and full venue exclusive functions, plus ticketed experiences such as BYO wine dinners, wine and spirit pairing events, and bottomless champagne packages.

Product overview

Stokehouse Restaurants operates a multi-venue hospitality precinct at St Kilda Beach, Melbourne. The portfolio includes the main Stokehouse Restaurant (upstairs) offering fine dining with beachfront views and award-winning seafood, STOKEBAR for casual terrace dining with cocktails and bar bites, and Stokehouse Pasta & Bar (downstairs) for Italian-inspired casual dining. Additional offerings include private event spaces (Palm Room, Cellar Room, exclusive venue hire), gift vouchers, seasonal wine and spirit dinners, and BYO dining experiences. The venues are part of Van Haandel Group, known for sustainable operations and 5-Star Green Star rated facilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• STOKEBAR: Bar area offering cocktails, wine, snacks and the signature Stokehouse fish & chips without booking required.

Products and services

• Stokehouse Restaurant (Upstairs) The main fine dining room at Stokehouse offering unparalleled sea views of Port Phillip Bay with custom mirrors ensuring all guests have water views. Features a feature glass lighting installation, reclaimed timber lined floor and walls, iconic Arne Jacobson Series 7 dining chairs, and a beach holiday colour palette. Open daily from 12pm serving an award-winning à la carte menu and seasonal tasting options.
• STOKEBAR Terrace bar offering a no-booking-required Stokehouse experience. Features cocktails, an award-winning wine list, snacks, the signature Stokehouse fish & chips, and shareable desserts. Open daily from 12pm with Stokehouse dress code applying.
• Stokehouse Pasta & Bar (Downstairs) Casual Italian-inspired dining venue offering pasta, bar dining, and a relaxed atmosphere located downstairs from the main Stokehouse restaurant. Bookable via the SevenRooms reservation system alongside Stokehouse Restaurant. Awarded a two-glass rating in the Wine List of the Year Awards.
• Private Event Spaces Function and event venue offering including the Palm Room (40 seated guests overlooking the bay with elegant setting), the Cellar Room (14 seated guests with copper and timber finishes, semi-private), and full venue exclusive hire options accommodating up to 270 standing or 140 seated guests for weddings, corporate events, intimate birthdays, and elaborate corporate parties.
• Gift Vouchers Personalised gift vouchers available in any denomination as digital or hard copy, plus Experience Vouchers for two including a seasonal five-course menu. Redeemable at Stokehouse Restaurant or Stokehouse Pasta & Bar.
• BYO Experience Six-course BYO dining experience at $295 per person, designed for guests to bring their own special bottles. Led by Head Sommelier Wil Martin. Available daily for lunch and dinner, accommodating up to eight guests with one bottle permitted per person.
• Wine and Spirit Pairing Dinners Special ticketed dinner events featuring curated multi-course menus paired with premium wines or spirits, including the Craggy Range Wine Dinner ($245pp), Four Pillars Gin Dinner ($200pp with Creative Director Nick Tesar), Bannockburn Vineyard Wine Dinner ($245pp), and Talisker Whisky Dinner.
• Bottomless Champagne Packages Bottomless Champagne Bollinger dining experiences including two-hour sessions paired with multi-course menus, available during special occasions and long weekends throughout the year.

Quantifiable outcome

• Recognised by Tourism Australia as one of six best seafood experiences in Australia
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Craggy RangecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 August 2026Exclusive wine dinner partnership featuring New Zealand's acclaimed Craggy Range winery; rare vintages and museum releases including 2023 'Les Beaux Cailloux' Chardonnay and 2020 'Sophia' magnums paired with seasonal Stokehouse menu
• Four Pillars GincoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 July 2026Australian gin producer partnership for exclusive dinner event hosted by Four Pillars Creative Director Nick Tesar; features curated gins, specialty cocktails including Bloody Shiraz Gin, and off-menu dishes
• Bannockburn VineyardscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 July 2026Victoria's celebrated cool-climate wine producer partnership for exclusive wine dinner; features Bannockburn's expressive Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Geelong region with 4-course menu and matched wines
• Tala Restaurant (New Zealand)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Melbourne Food & Wine Festival Global Dining Series collaboration; New Zealand's three-hat restaurant Tala brings contemporary Samoan cuisine; Chef Henry Onesemo partners with Executive Chef Jason Staudt
• Seafood PositivecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPremier partnership with OneFishTwoFish program returning two fish to ocean for every one consumed; supports circular seafood economy and fish stock replenishment
• BardeecoreTechnology or IntegrationCutting-edge waste management system transforming food waste into fertiliser and protein; world-leading vertical farming creating up to 40 tonnes carbon offset per day
• Shuck Don't ChuckminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOyster shell recycling program with The Nature Conservancy restoring reefs in Port Phillip Bay; 12,344kg shells collected in 2023; 2.5ha reef restored
• ProvidoorminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDelivery partnership enabling Stokehouse at home experience across wider Melbourne and beyond
• Clamms SeafoodminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSeafood supplier partnership featuring sustainable Australian seafood; changed business practices to supply fish without polystyrene packaging

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cumulus Inc. Andrew McConnell's flagship all-day Melbourne dining destination; comparable premium positioning, award-winning wine and cocktail program, and a strong walk-in/bar and event component similar to Stokehouse's STOKEBAR concept.
• Quay Restaurant: Peter Gilmore's three-hatted fine dining restaurant at Sydney's Overseas Passenger Terminal; comparable waterfront premium positioning, award-winning wine list, and benchmark for the high-ticket occasion market Stokehouse targets.
• Tetsuya's: Tetsuya Wakuda's heritage fine dining restaurant in Sydney; another Australian benchmark for premium Japanese-accented fine dining with a deep wine list and loyal occasion-led clientele, mirroring Stokehouse's market position in Melbourne.
• Attica: Ben Shewry's three-hatted fine dining restaurant in Ripponlea, Melbourne; the benchmark for premium Australian fine dining and a direct competitor for the same high-end diner and corporate/private event spend that Stokehouse targets.
• Flower Drum: Long-standing Melbourne icon offering refined Cantonese fine dining at premium price points; competes with Stokehouse for Melbourne's special-occasion diners, corporate entertaining and high-ticket experiential bookings.
• Aria Restaurant Sydney: Matt Moran-led two-hatted harbourside fine dining restaurant in Sydney; directly comparable premium seafood-focused offering, wine program and private event space, and notably the previous workplace of Stokehouse Executive Chef Jason Staudt.
• Grossi Florentino: Iconic Melbourne Italian fine dining institution on Bourke Street with cellar and private dining rooms; directly comparable as a heritage Melbourne fine dining venue with strong wine program and private function business.
• Tipo 00: Melbourne CBD fine dining Italian venue with a sommelier-led wine program and intimate private dining; competes for the same premium Italian-leaning diners and after-work/event occasions as Stokehouse.
• Vue de monde: Shannon Bennett's fine dining restaurant atop Melbourne's Rialto tower, with panoramic views comparable to Stokehouse's beachfront setting; competes for the same premium occasion-led diners, wine dinners and private event bookings in Melbourne.

Broad incumbents

• Rockpool Bar & Grill: Neil Perry's nationwide premium steak and seafood restaurant group; broader incumbent in Australian fine dining with comparable premium wine program, bar component and private dining rooms across Sydney, Melbourne and Perth.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/stokehouserestaurants
• Instagraminstagram.com/stokehouserestaurant
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stokehouse-restaurants

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Stokehouse Restaurants