The P2 Experience takes champagne appreciation to new heights

Hot new restaurants come and go, but Vue de Monde remains the Melbourne institution. Like Sydney’s legendary Quay, it’s one of the go-tos when you really, really have to impress.

Crowning one of Melbourne’s tallest buildings, Vue is literally at the top of its game. But owner-chef Shannon Bennett has never been one to become complacent and saw an opportunity to collaborate with a long-time ally, French premium champagne maker Dom Pérignon, to create a top-level dining concept.

Billed as “an exceptional gastronomy adventure”, the P2 Experience adds a new stratosphere of aspiration. The 10-course service takes place in a 16-seat private dining room, complete with Vue’s trademark towering views over Melbourne’s skyline. For additional contemplation, there’s a roof-mounted installation by Japanese artist Hiromi Tango that depicts a twisting, interweaving grapevine.

P2 references examples of Dom Pérignon champagne from the second ‘plenitude’ of the 1998 vintage. The rare and expensive drop is the hero around which a menu featuring a cornucopia of local produce is devised.

Memorable dishes from our sitting included a ‘sausage sizzle’ featuring sausages of West Australian marron tail, macadamia and King Oyster mushrooms; and kohlrabi with Yarra Valley salmon roe and finger lime.

Each course is carefully paired with a selection of Dom Pérignon’s finest vintages, including the celebrated P2.

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To finish, guests collect a heavy golden token and proceed to the ground-level foyer where – in a world-first – a vending machine theatrically reveals and dispenses the ultimate in take-home gifts: a full-size bottle of Dom Pérignon 2006.