Karen Martini

In 2025, Karen Martini opened Bar Carolina in South Yarra, continuing her signature approach to clever and creative, flavour-led dining. The year prior saw Karen launch two celebrated venues: Johnny’s Greenroom, a spacious rooftop cocktail bar with Italian sensibilities atop the landmark King & Godfree building in Carlton, and Saint George, a grill and tavern in St Kilda in collaboration with Public Hospitality Group. Her feature menu can also be enjoyed at Alba Thermal Springs & Spa’s restaurant, Thyme, on the Mornington Peninsula.

These recent ventures build on Karen’s longstanding influence in contemporary Australian dining. She was the Founding Partner, Creative Food Director and Chef of the Hatted restaurant Hero at ACMI in Federation Square; the founding chef of both the acclaimed Melbourne Wine Room and Sydney’s Icebergs Dining Room and Bar. As Executive Chef across Sydney and Melbourne, she held two chef’s hats and, with Icebergs, received the 2004 Best New Restaurant Award from The Sydney Morning Herald.

For nearly three decades, Karen and her husband Michael have built restaurants together, including 15 formative years at The Melbourne Wine Room, followed by the much-loved St Kilda pizzeria mr. wolf, which they stepped back from and sold in 2021. That same year, Karen was named a Melbourne Food & Wine Festival “Legend” in the Chefs, Restaurateur, Hospitality Professional category.

Karen’s most expansive work, COOK: The Only Book You Need in the Kitchen, was released in 2022 after six years of writing, testing and reflection. This deeply personal volume features more than 1000 recipes drawn from a lifetime of cooking, and has quickly secured its place in homes and professional kitchens alike. She is also the author of Salads & Vegetables, New Kitchen, Home, Everyday, The Karen Martini Collection, Feasting, Cooking at Home and Where the Heart Is.

On screen, Karen has been a beloved presence for over 17 years as the resident chef on Better Homes and Gardens, sharing in seven consecutive Logie Awards. She has appeared as a judge on My Kitchen Rules, co-hosted The Intolerant Cooks, and featured across other network and subscription television programs. In 2024, she joined Gary Mehigan on a food and culture journey through Greece and Turkey for Luxury Escapes on Foxtel.

In print, Karen has contributed as food editor and columnist for Sunday Life, Epicure/Good Living and later returned to Good Weekend as a columnist, continuing her role as a trusted voice in Australian food culture.

Karen is also a sought-after presenter and guest chef, taking to festival stages, charity events and culinary showcases. She has been a key contributor to Melbourne Food & Wine Festival, Sydney International Food Festival, and hosted live culinary conversations, including an on-stage interview with Yotam Ottolenghi at Melbourne’s Athenaeum Theatre. In 2024, she joined a roster of acclaimed chefs aboard Cunard’s Great Australian Culinary Voyage.