Maison Batard

Maison Batard reimagines a top-end Parisienne Brasserie for the Francophiles of Melbourne. Tres chic, with Oysters and Caviar, Steaks and Roast Duck, such panache comes with a pretty hefty price tag.

But it’s worth it.

Maison Batard

Location: 23 Bourke St, Melbourne, VIC 3000 Ph: (03) 8616

Melbourne has a number of extremely good French Restaurants, so if you want to launch a new, very expensive one, onto the already bustling landscape, you have to offer a little more than cane-backed bistro chairs and Edith Piaf warbling in the background.

Enter Chris Lucas, a man who seems to understand what Melburnites want, almost before they do so themselves. Having stoked the demand for zingy Asian Fusion flare with vibrant Chin Chin, and given us a taste of Tokyo nightlife with Yakimono and Tombo Den, his more recent ventures have mined the fine dining end of the market. Thus, Grill Americano channels the loftier reaches of Italian cuisine, whilst Kisume showcases refined Japanese dishes.

Sitting at the aptly nicknamed ‘Paris End’ of Burke Street, Maison Batard is a very swanky French brasserie, replete with a state of the art Oyster Bar, plush seating and cloudy mirrors.

But that’s not all. Aside from the ground level, Batard Restaurant, there’s also Le Club. Housed in the moody basement, this is a late night Supper Club, complete with jazz-leaning live music 3 nights a week. Meanwhile, on the top floors there’s La Terrasse. This venue serves a more casual menu and features an outdoor area, as well as a regular dining room.

So it’s fair to say, that Maison Batard has most aspects of French dining covered.

The Space

On this visit, we only enjoy a quick lunch in the main establishment, and so cannot speak too much of the many-storied delights of Maison Batard.

That’s said, the signature restaurant’s dining room is redolent of old-school brasserie glamour.

On entering, there’s a gorgeous bar to the left that could come straight out of a 1930s New York speak-easy. With a marble counter and perfectly set off by the smoky mirrors behind it, it’s the kind of spot to sip a Dirty Martini and savour and Oyster or 2.

Talking of those much-coveted bivalves, Maison Batard has a splendid Oyster Bar to the rear of the restaurant floor. Here, a sloping arrangement of shaved ice is studded with an assortment of fresh Oysters and gold-rimmed tins of Caviar. A skilled shucker stands in wait to open the perky shells on demand.

The dining room itself is liveried in midnight blue and crisp white, with ever-so-comfy gold velvet chairs. The silver cutlery is heavy, the napkins thick and each table holds a portrait of the feline Maison Batard muse. The lighting scheme is makes menu reading a breeze, but still allows for ambience. Mirrors abound, reflecting the elegant space back on itself.

Lastly, the kitchen is resides at the back of the restaurant and features an open passe. Chefs saute, grill and plate calmly in a world of gleaming chrome and dazzling lights.

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Out on the floor, servers glide silently from couple to group, pouring Champagne and manoevring ice buckets.

It’s all very discrete and professional.

The Food

Now, not only are we merely booked for lunch, but we are also in town to enjoy the Lucas Restaurants celebration of 30 years in hospitality. This means a very attractive $30 deal on Le Cheeseburger and the Maison Batard Mousse au Chocolat.

Let me say immediately, that despite the fact that we appear to be the only patrons taking advantage of the Lunch Special, that our wait person treats us as if we are blowing a small fortune on a business account in the 1980s. Nothing is too much trouble and we really appreciate that our order of a ‘Burger and a Dessert is met with the same smiling professionalism as the choice of a dozen Oyster du Jour ($8.5 ea) and the Chateaubriand au Poivre 500g ($155) for the party adjacent to us.

But back to our Cheeseburgers. A regular on the menu at both Le Club and La Terrasse, we had heard good things from friends. And they hadn’t lied.

An incredibly juicy, flavourful Beef Patty cooked bloody in the middle and with great texture. Accompanied by melted Cheese, Pickles and Sauce on a very good toasted Bun. I’ve eaten a lot of Cheeseburgers over the years and I can honestly say that this is one of the finest.

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When we have wistfully devoured our last bite, we move on to the house Maison Batard Mousse au Chocolat with Creme Chantilly and Belgian Chocolate Shards. On the other side of the room, a Dessert trolley does the rounds and a server spoons dollops of the same Mousse onto waiting plates. In contrast, our dessert comes in its own glass.

Satiny smooth and demonstrating a superb balance between richness and airiness, we both eat it very, very slowly – to make the most of every mouthful.

The Drinks

Yes there are Cocktails, but neither of us feel that way inclined, for once.

Instead we both have a very palatable glass of Chardonnay.

If you love a big, French red, then Maison Batard is for you. Similarly, the restaurant has a very impressive cellar of Cognac and Armagnac. Some come with a stratospherically high price tag, but others won’t break the bank.

Overall

Maison Batard is a definite statement of a restaurant at a time when many in the hospitality industry are feeling the pinch.

But it’s busy.

And that’s partly because is offers an ambience and level of service that few other fine dining establishments can emulate. And partly due to a (discerning) crowd-pleasing menu of dishes that are just French enough to fit with the chic brasserie fit-out.

Plus, if you love French Reds, the Wine List is a dream.