Source : the age
Two restaurants at Abbotsford Convent have closed and entered voluntary liquidation, citing difficult trading conditions for the hospitality industry. Julie, which holds a Good Food Guide hat, and community hub Cam’s Kiosk, a pillar of the convent for 16 years, made the announcement today.
“Despite exploring every avenue to continue operating, it is now no longer possible for both Julie and Cam’s to continue in their present form,” founder Cameron Miller said in a statement. “The hospitality industry has faced significant challenges in recent years, and despite every effort to adapt, trading conditions ultimately proved unsustainable.”
Cam’s Kiosk has hosted live music, events and other happenings at the convent since 2009 but shot to fame in 2025 when pop star Dua Lipa visited the bar-restaurant and posted a photo to her Instagram.
The venue expanded in recent years, with Miller opening fine-diner Julie next door in September 2023 with business partners. Last year, he added a small adjoining gallery bar to Cam’s Kiosk that was more suited to walk-ins, after the original venue became more of a dining destination.
“These businesses have been built slowly, and with the hard work of many talented, dedicated and caring people,” Miller’s statement continued.
“I am deeply grateful to our staff, customers, suppliers, and the wider community who have supported us over the years. Together, we created restaurants where people could gather, celebrate and make memories.”
Julie, set within an old convent dining room that previously housed pay-as-you-feel restaurant Lentil As Anything, scored a hat in its first Good Food review, with critic Dani Valent praising the elegant, French-influenced menu driven by produce grown on the convent grounds and nearby Collingwood Children’s Farm. She described it as an “instant treasure” for Melbourne.
Miller declined a request for comment. His statement continues:
“This is the end of a chapter that has meant a great deal to me personally, and one that I will always look back on with gratitude. We remain grateful to have been part of the Abbotsford Convent arts and hospitality community for so many years.”
“Both businesses have now been handed over to liquidators and will go through the formal process.”
The news is a further blow for Abbotsford Convent, which is dealing with financial uncertainty, board resignations and tenant disputes as reported by this masthead.
More to come…
Emma Breheny – Emma is Good Food’s Melbourne eating out and restaurant editor and editor of The Age Good Food Guide.
