Hopper Joint

Hopper Joint brings Sri Lankan food, design and a sense of occasion to Greville Street in Prahran. Created by award-winning interior designer Brahman Perera and restaurateur Jason M. Jones, the restaurant is described as a connection between Perera’s Sri Lankan heritage and Melbourne’s love of going out. The result is not a quiet, formal dining room: it is a colourful, energetic place built around participation and shared enjoyment.

The food is led by Head Chef Kusalvin Samarakoon, with hoppers made to order, curries, sambols and desserts at the centre of the offering. The website also highlights a clarified mango lassi on the bar and the option of unlimited hoppers at the table. Rather than presenting Sri Lankan food as something to simply observe, Hopper Joint encourages diners to get involved, including eating with their hands. A guide for first-timers helps make that format more approachable for guests who may be new to the cuisine or the restaurant’s style.

The room has been designed in Brahman Perera’s distinctive tropical-modernist style, with a Sri Lankan influence throughout. Teak shutters, marigold linen and antique chandeliers sourced from Weligama contribute to the setting, while sculpted plaster hand lights by Sydney artist Max Rixon add an intentionally playful detail. There is also a basin for washing hands, making the hands-on approach practical as well as part of the theatre.

A brass bell sits on every table, although enthusiastic ringing can attract a fine that is donated to charity. That detail captures the restaurant’s tone: lively, slightly mischievous and unpretentious. Hopper Joint should appeal to diners who want more than a conventional meal, especially curious first-timers and groups keen to share food and take part in the experience. It also offers a distinctive setting for an evening out in Melbourne’s inner south, with weekend lunch sittings available as well as dinner service. Reservations can be made directly with the venue.