Nicholas Keeley is the co-owner of three iconic Canberra venues with his mum, Tracy, and brother Matt. Photo: Paul Harris.
Who are you?
Nicholas Keeley, co-owner and director of Lunetta, Lunetta Trattoria and Pollen Cafe, with my brother Matthew Keeley and mum, Tracy Keeley.
Tell me about your venues.
Pollen is set in the Botanic Gardens, so it’s a modern Australian cafe with a large deck. It’s quite a big venue, but we like to think of it and run it like a small, homely cafe.
Lunetta and Lunetta Trattoria are Italian focussed restaurants. Trattoria is more of a wine bar that focuses on local produce and Italian wines. Upstairs at Lunetta, we’re not married to being solely Italian and can lean into those European neighbours. And it’s a bit more refined upstairs.
How did you get involved in the hospitality industry?
I’ve been working in hospitality since I was about 13, washing dishes at my family’s venues. Mum and Dad owned Cafe Momo in Bruce back in the day, probably around 2000. They then had the bistro at Wests Rugby Club, followed by the cafe in the John Gorton Building, which was housing the Department of Environment. Sometimes, if the barista was sick, I’d get pulled out of school to make coffee, so I’ve grown up in it.
Did you have a dream job as a kid?
I wanted to be a PE teacher because I’ve always been very into sport. I actually studied teaching in Melbourne, specifically in St Kilda, for four years, and also taught at a few schools in Canberra. It was the job I always wanted to do in my 20s. I didn’t want to work nights and weekends after working in hospo, but deep down I always knew I’d come back.
When Matt and Tracy were running Bookplate, they also secured the contract for Pollen, which led to a call for me to help out.
Lunetta restaurant, on Red Hill, boasts views across Canberra. Photo: Lillie Thompson.
What is your hospitality philosophy?
When we’re creating a venue, we want it to feel like the space has soul to it. So, when you walk in, you feel like there are people behind it; it’s been curated, and there’s warmth to it.
And our main food philosophy is to keep it simple. We like to pick seasonal food and high-quality proteins, and then just not touch them too much.
Do you cook much at home?
I love to cook: I’ve got two young kids at home and we love to spend weekends cooking.
What is your current food obsession?
Cooking over fire. When we were putting together these venues, we wanted to look at cooking on wood and charcoal, so I started doing some research at home, but it’s become a bit of an obsession!
Every cook is different as you manage the flames and temperature. I’ve been dabbling in that Texas BBQ style with things like brisket and short ribs.
What’s an underrated Canberra venue that you love?
Paranormal Wines in Campbell. If you’re in the know, you know about it. Reece does a great job in the kitchen there.
Who do you admire in the Canberra food scene?
I haven’t met him, but I love what Frank Condi has done at Ainslie shops, starting with Edgars, then building The Inn and Mama Dough. I really love how he’s expanded what is quite a small space into three or four amazing venues.
Matthew, Tracy and Nick Keeley are the family behind Lunetta, Pollen and Lunetta Trattoria. Photo: Paul Harris.
Where do you like to go for a coffee in Canberra?
Barrio in Braddon.
Where do you like to go out for a drink?
It’s a bit hard with two kids under four to get out for a drink! But if I can be a bit biased, then Lunetta Trattoria. We don’t close after lunch, so it’s a great place for an afternoon drink to grab a wine you can’t find at the bottle shop, or a cocktail outside.
Who is your dream dinner party guest, and what would you make them?
It probably sounds a bit cheesy, but honestly, it would just be my wife and me, no kids, uninterrupted!
We’ve been getting into making our own pasta lately, so we’d probably make a lasagna.
What’s the best thing you ate this week?
At Lunetta Trattoria, we get Jervis Bay mussels, pickle them and put them in an infused chilli oil, and I’m addicted to them! You should probably have them with a bit of bread and stracciatella cheese, but I’ve just been eating them straight; they’re so good.
Aperitivo hour is a great opportunity to get a taste for Lunetta Trattoria without committing to a full meal. Photo: Lunetta Trattoria.
What’s a food that reminds you of your childhood?
East-Indian style curries. Tracy and both her parents were born in India, so we grew up on curries. The Eastern style is more of a dry style of curry; it’s very different from the Northern gravy style we mostly get in Australia.
What’s a normal breakfast for you?
Pretty boring: a slice of sourdough and avocado.
Where do you shop for groceries?
The butcher at the Florey shops is great. I get a lot of my steaks and meat for smoking there.
When you can’t be bothered to cook for yourself, where do you go and what do you eat?
Often I’ll just grab stuff from work, but sometimes we also go to Drunken Tiger at Melba shops.
Where are you travelling next?
Tracy and I are actually going to Tasmania for the Gourmet Traveller Awards. [Note: they won!] And my wife and I have a trip to Queenstown in NZ later this year. We’re going over for a friend’s wedding.
Tell me something you love about living in Canberra?
I love that it’s genuinely seasonal, that we have four proper seasons. Having lived in Melbourne for a number of years, you didn’t get those same seasons. Four in a day and 10 seasons in a week!
What TV show are you watching right now?
I just finished Severance, so I’m ready to watch something a little less serious. I also watch a lot of sport: mainly NRL and AFL, but I’ll watch any sport.
An easy one to finish – what’s your go-to coffee order?
Long Black
Find out more about Lunetta and Lunetta Trattoria and Pollen Cafe.
