Trader House took over operations of Stokehouse earlier this month. Now the Melbourne group led by Andrew McConnell and Jo McGann has set three opening dates across the St Kilda site: 3 November for the upstairs restaurant, 26 November for a new downstairs concept, and 1 December for a summer kiosk.

What stays and what changes?

Trader House has chosen to preserve Stokehouse upstairs rather than rebrand it. The downstairs space becomes Marea Beach House & Bar, a casual seafood-led venue serving lunch through dinner. A kiosk, Ultramarinos, will operate in partnership with gelato chain Pidapipo through the summer season.

"We both have fond memories of Stokehouse, as I think many people in Melbourne do," McConnell said. "It's a remarkable place with so much history."

The group frames the split as stewardship plus expansion. "It's about taking care of what is already special and giving it new energy. Downstairs gives us an opportunity to do something quite different," McConnell said.

What does the upstairs menu look like?

Design firm ACME, a long-time Trader House collaborator, has refreshed the dining room ahead of the 3 November reopening. The new menu leans hard into seafood. Launch dishes include crab salad and spaghetti vongole.

Several legacy dishes return: King George whiting with chips, whole grilled lobster with tarragon butter, and dry-aged Gippsland rib-eye. The retention of familiar items signals the group's bet that the venue's regulars matter as much as its new direction.

McConnell described the menu in personal terms. "The menu is simply an extensive list of all the things I love to eat while relaxing by the seaside — a glass of crisp wine in hand," he said.

What is Marea Beach House & Bar?

The downstairs concept opens 26 November with a Southern European-inspired menu built around seafood. Dishes at launch cover tuna tostada, fritto misto, grilled prawns with smoked butter, and calamari with chorizo. The venue will serve continuously from lunch until dinner, a service model aimed at daypart coverage the upstairs restaurant does not offer.

The economics of running two seafood menus in one building remain untested here. Trader House has not disclosed pricing, covers targets, or staffing levels for either venue. McConnell's public statements emphasize sentiment and history rather than the operational case.

What about the kiosk?

Ultramarinos launches 1 December in the former kiosk space. The Pidapipo partnership runs for a limited summer period and covers gelato, granita, and a selection of cocktails. Seasonal kiosks typically trade low labor costs for weather exposure, though the group has not discussed the arrangement's terms.

When can guests book?

Bookings for Stokehouse and Ultramarinos are open now. Marea Beach House & Bar follows on 26 November, and the Pidapipo partnership begins 1 December. Whether three concepts on one site can each hold their own margins is the question the summer season will answer.