Manze Brings Mauritian Snacks (and Lunchtime Chicken Sandwiches) to New Sibling Bar Boire

Manze has always been more than just another venue. Since opening four years ago, chef-owner Nagesh Seethiah has used his North Melbourne restaurant to present modern Mauritian food with clarity, honesty and a perspective uniquely his. Along the way, he’s built a strong community by hosting regular pop-ups with emerging chefs from across Australia, championing diversity and creating an inclusive and cool, yet unpretentious, space.

But what started as a 24-seat intimate dining room has outgrown its four walls. Now, Seethiah and his team have opened Boire, a sibling venue across the road from the Hot-Listed restaurant. The new bar feels brighter and more open, but with plenty of nods to its sibling in both fit-out and flavour.

Boire (“to drink” in Mauritian Creole) takes the warmth, flavour and connection from Manze (“to eat”) and translates it into a more casual format. “Regulars will feel at home here,” says Seethiah. “But rather than committing to a 90-minute, four-course set menu, people can come for a couple of drinks and snacks, or settle in for the night with a bottle of wine.”

The cocktail list riffs on tropical and nostalgic flavours, with the Banana and Cacao Old Fashioned sitting alongside house-made sodas and other non-alc options.

But the wine list is where Boire really hits its stride. It includes hundreds of bottles that couldn’t fit at Manze, spanning weekday-friendly pours and special-occasion “deep cuts”, as Seethiah puts it. Expect plenty of bottles from small local growers alongside international highlights such as Loire chenins, Jura wines and beaujolais.

Food is geared toward grazing and spontaneity, but has enough variety to satisfy. The only dish crossing over from Manze’s menu (and the only item that’s been on it from day one) is the customer-favourite taro and ginger fritters, served with rhubarb hot sauce. But there’re also fried goat ribs, olive achard (olives pickled in turmeric and chilli), boiled peanuts slicked with Mount Zero olive oil, and a silky flan with rum caramel and orange.

Plus, there’s a takeaway lunch counter with nostalgic egg salad and charcoal chicken sandwiches, both served on Bread Club rolls with Manze’s signature house hot sauce.

Boire reflects both the lessons of Manze and the shifting currents of Melbourne’s dining scene. “We’ve been thinking for years about how best to create a more casual Manze experience,” Seethiah says. “This space lets us do that. It’s snackier, more flexible, and it allows us to have fun and experiment.”

That experimentation is emblematic of a broader industry shift and a trend of established places, such as Bar Bellamy and Etta , opening more relaxed sibling venues. “The whole city is adapting and changing,” he adds. “There’s a lot of iterating and learning going on in the industry right now. It’s an exciting time for new, independent spaces and we’re proud to be part of that.”

But ultimately, Boire is about giving locals another way to connect. Seethiah hopes it will become “the place where people start or end their night” – whether you stop by for a drink before dinner elsewhere, a nightcap, or spend an evening entirely within its four walls.

Boire
8 Errol Street, North Melbourne
No phone

Hours:
Wed to Fri midday–2pm; 5pm–late
Tue & Sat 5pm–late

manze.com.au
@manze_melbourne