Overview
Chris Lucas first announced his plans to open Maison Bâtard back in 2018. This was before he opened Society, Grill Americano and Yakimono, which are now considered CBD mainstays.
But finally, after spending nearly a decade renovating the landmark heritage site at 23 Bourke Street, we have an opening date for Maison Bâtard: Tuesday, November 26.
Contemporary French cuisine will be championed at the venue's restaurant — which sits across two floors — as well as its late-night basement supper club and rooftop terrace. And while each of these spaces will have French influences, they're said to also have their own unique look and feel — being distinct destinations in their own right.
Chris Lucas, Executive Chef Adam Sanderson and Culinary Director Damian Snell have worked together on creating the culinary offerings across the Maison Batard spaces — planing to deliver their own Melbourne interpretation of simple, regional French cuisine.
They've also enlisted Grill Americano's Head Pastry Chef Michaela Kang to run the sweet offerings and Lucas Restaurants' Director of Wine Loïc Avril to curate the wine menu.
Now that his restaurant empire has grown so much, Lucas has an exhaustive pool of talent to choose from, and he feels very comfortable having team members work across several venues.
"There's an etiquette and culture surrounding French passions for food and dining that has always resonated with me, and I hope to capture some of this joie de vivre in a very Melbourne way with Maison Bâtard," shares Lucas.
Yakimono
Maison Bâtard is slated to open on Tuesday, November 26, and will be found at 23 Bourke Street, Melbourne. For more information, you can check out the venue's website.