When Broadsheet first announced Chris Lucas’s forthcoming French restaurant Maison Batârd back in 2018, the CBD site was due to open later that year. The serial restaurateur hadn’t yet opened his high-flying restaurants Society, Yakimono or Grill Americano. And the pandemic was still 20 months off.

Then Lucas acquired the heritage site next door, and the original concept of a cafe-wine-bar-bistro scaled up significantly. Six years on, the long-awaited venue is opening this month and reservations are now open.

A complex restoration has transformed three Bourke Street buildings into a sprawling four-level French dining destination including a flash two-level restaurant with a lavish oyster bar and a kitchen featuring four Josper grills, a wood oven and rotisserie. There’s also a late-night subterranean supper club, a lush rooftop terrace, a wine cellar and private dining rooms. Each level will have a distinctly different look and feel, says Lucas.

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“My wife Sarah and I have carefully planned every element of the Maison Bâtard experience,” he tells Broadsheet. “We’ve tapped our shared love of fashion, art and design, and gathered special pieces from all around the world, to create something that will take people on a journey. The result is something that feels very personal and very intimate, but is for everyone to enjoy.”

Lucas describes the ambitious project as “a set of distinct, unique experiences paying homage to all things French”. It’s the culmination of several research trips, including, most recently, an “intense” culinary tour of Paris) that covered 27 venues in five days. But you won’t find cookie-cutter French cosplay here.

“French cuisine, French culture and all things French, really, have transcended history in many ways. But with Maison Bâtard, I’ve carefully avoided the clichéd approach. Instead, this venue blends everything that I love about France and its regional cuisine, together with a modern Australian sensibility and, in particular, an unmistakable Melbourne flair.”

The menu is a collaborative effort between Lucas, executive chef Adam Sanderson (ex-Ten Minutes By Tractor, The Fat Duck) and culinary director Damian Snell (who’s helped shape several Lucas Restaurant Group venues). Grill Americano’s head pastry chef – the creator of its tableside tiramisu – Michaela Kang is heading the “significant” pastry program.

Lucas is keeping specifics close to his chest for now, but you can expect a mix of French tradition and international influences. “What I wanted the team to see is where French food is headed right now,” Lucas said during his recent Paris trip.

“There’s a move among chefs in Paris away from fat and butter to a lighter and fresher style of cooking. The technique and the finesse are still there but the chefs are becoming more interested in integrating Asian flavours, particularly from Japan, and the kind of vegetable-driven dishes that you might more readily associate with Italy.

“They’re breaking away from the traditional constraints of the Michelin star system and I find that very, very exciting. I feel like it gives us more room to move at Bâtard. Of course we’re going to have a souffle on the menu, but we have the freedom to do a souffle that we can interpret through a Melbourne lens.”

The wine program is also a key focus of Maison Batârd, and the group’s director of wine Loïc Avril has designed a list with more than 200 wines by the glass across the entire venue. “I think Loic has assembled one of the most amazing collections in Australia here,” says Lucas.

Maison Batârd will open at 23 Bourke Street on Tuesday November 26. Reservations are open.

This story was originally published on Tuesday, October 22 and updated on Tuesday November 12.

maisonbatard.com.au