The group behind popular fire-powered Surry Hills Mediterranean diner Nomad have announced they’ll open Beau, a wine bar and deli, early next year. Located just down the hill from Nomad, the 50-seater’s condensed menu will harness the same Mediterranean and Middle Eastern flavours as its precursor. Executive chef Jacqui Challinor will oversee the menu – as well as the menu at the group’s upcoming Melbourne venue.

The deli side of the business will open for breakfast and lunch, serving za’atar manoush (flatbreads) paired with dips, pickled and marinated vegetables, and topped with the likes of lamb shoulder and zhoug.

And the bar will operate during lunch and dinner, with a menu of cheese, house-made charcuterie and a cold seafood bar. The wine list will focus on Aussie producers, with a range of experimental and small-scale drops on tap, plus a selection of interesting bottles from around the world.

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Beau will be set down a laneway connecting Reservoir and Foster streets, and will offer a private rooftop for events. The dark and moody space will have a long central bar for communal drinking and dining, as well as banquette seating.

“This is a space that we couldn’t say no to, we just don’t want to leave,” said Nomad co-owner Rebecca Yazbek in a statement. “With our unique and shared challenges over the last two years, we have seen demand for our side projects grow and the support from our local community remain unwavering. Beau and Beau Deli is about serving the local community with everything they’ve asked for and loved over the last few years.”

The Nomad group has endured a series of obstacles over the past couple of years. In 2019 a fire broke out in its kitchen, forcing it to close for more than two years for reconstruction. In the meantime it launched Nomad Up the Road, a pop-up in the former Longrain space in Surry Hills. Not long after, Covid-19 hit, with multiple lockdowns halting the group’s plans to launch in Melbourne. They’ll finally launch down south on November 15.

Beau is slated to open at 52 Reservoir Street, Surry Hills, in early 2022.