Chris Lucas’ four-level restaurant Maison Batard opens next month

When Leaflet Having first announced Chris Lucas’ upcoming French restaurant Maison Batârd back in 2018, the CBD site was set to open later that year. The serial restaurateur has yet to open his upscale restaurants Society, Yakimono or Grill Americano. And there were still 20 months left before the pandemic.

Lucas then purchased the heritage property next door and the original café-wine-bar-bistro concept expanded significantly. Six years later, the highly anticipated location is set to open next month.

The comprehensive restoration transformed three buildings on Bourke Street into an expansive four-level French restaurant, including a luxurious two-level restaurant with a luxurious oyster bar and a kitchen with four Josper grills, a wood-burning oven and a rotisserie. There is also an underground clubhouse for evening dinners, a lush rooftop terrace, a wine cellar and private dining rooms. According to Lucas, each level will have a completely different look and feel.

“My wife Sarah and I carefully planned every element of Maison Bâtard,” he says. Leaflet. “We used our shared love of fashion, art and design and collected special pieces from around the world to create something that takes people on a journey. The result is something very personal and intimate, but enjoyable for everyone.”

Lucas describes the ambitious project as “a collection of vibrant, unique experiences that pay homage to all things French.” It is the culmination of several research trips, including a recent “intensive” culinary tour of Paris that covered 27 locations over five days. But you won’t find typical French cosplay here.

“French cuisine, French culture and everything French has surpassed history in many ways. But at Maison Bâtard I carefully avoided clichés. Instead, this place combines everything I love about France and its regional cuisine with a modern Australian sensibility and, in particular, an unmistakable Melbourne flair.”

The menu is a collaboration between Lucas, executive chef Adam Sanderson (ex-Ten Minutes on a Tractor, Fat Duck) and culinary director Damian Snell (who helped form several Lucas Restaurant Group locations). Grill Americano’s head pastry chef—creator of the tabletop tiramisu—Michaela Kang heads up a “significant” pastry program.

Lucas is keeping details under wraps for now, but we can expect a combination of French tradition and international influence. “I wanted the team to see where French food is going now,” Lucas said during a recent trip to Paris.

“Chefs in Paris are moving away from fat and oil to a lighter, fresher style of cooking. The technique and finesse are still there, but chefs are increasingly interested in combining Asian flavors, especially Japanese, and vegetable dishes that you might associate with Italy.

“They go beyond the traditional limitations of the Michelin star system and I find that very, very exciting. I feel like this gives us more movement in Batare. Of course we will have a soufflé on the menu, but we have the freedom to make a soufflé that we can interpret through a Melbourne lens.”

The wine program is also a key focus of Maison Batârd, and group wine director Loïc Avril has developed a list of more than 200 wines by the glass throughout the establishment. “I think Loïc has built one of the most amazing collections in Australia here,” says Lucas.

Maison Batârd will open at 23 Bourke Street on Tuesday 26 November. Reservations will open on November 7th.

maisonbatard.com.au