Taste and Temptation

Food and drink in the 1700s was more than mere sustenance. A table could display wealth, style and luxury, be the setting for gossip and social intrigue, and reveal powerful political allegiances.

This autumn and winter, each room of historic East Melbourne townhouse Fairhall has been theatrically reimagined to evoke the lavish art of eating and drinking in Europe in the 18th century.

Experience The Johnston Collection transformed into a series of atmospheric, period-appropriate tableaux. Explore a haven for political rebels; a stylish Continental Kaffeeklatch where women enjoyed coffee and conversation; a sumptuous dessert setting; a baroque dining room laden with silver; and an elegant morning room for the rituals of dressing and hot chocolate.

View exquisite fine and decorative arts from The Johnston Collection in an exciting new arrangement, and discover the taste and temptations of 18th-century drinking and dining.