Flash floods force Lorne to close for at least two months

On 29 May the Wilton Road restaurant announced on social media that it would be cancelling all bookings made prior to the flood, and would be closed until further notice.

Today, founders Katie Exton and Peter Hall say the extent of the flood was worse than they had previously imagined, and extensive refurbishment of the basement will have to take place before the restaurant can open again.

Reservations are closed for June and July, and the team say it is “unlikely” that they will be open before August.

Repairs will not commence until insurance is finalised and the interiors have dried.

Exton and Hall opened Lorne early last year, following a series of stints in some of the capital’s high-profile restaurants including The River Café; Chez Bruce; and Brawn, as well as Benu in San Francisco.

The restaurant was this year listed at number 42 in the Estrella Dam National Restaurant Awards.

It sits alongside Andrew Wong’s upmarket Chinese restaurant A Wong, which has not been affected by the flooding.

James Ramsden of Magpie reached out to the damaged restaurant, offering a collaboration at his restaurant in Mayfair while repairs are under way.