Chic new restaurant planned for Botanica cafe building
An exciting new addition featuring an opulent fit out and wine cellar has been announced for this trendy dining precinct, following the high profile departure of Botanica Cafe.
Cairns
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An exciting new addition has been announced for the trendy Edge Hill dining precinct, following the high profile departure of Botanica Cafe Bar Kitchen.
Flashy artist renders of new Collins Ave restaurant, to be called GiGi, reveal an art deco -tyle facade, and inside a moody, opulently decorated venue featuring a high-end wine cellar, electric fireplace, dining booths, and a function room and bar.
The new restaurant will be her second on Collins Ave after Lauren Vico founded Ozmosis cafe Trattoria Bar nine years ago.
The foodie entrepreneur also established Little Loco Cafe Kitchen on Shields St in 2016 but sold the business just as the pandemic hit.
“I had all these visions in my head and Sara Raso from Peddle Thorp got all that info and put all the ideas into the renders to see what was actually possible,” she said.
“It’s going to be a Mediterranean-style share plate menu with a Greek focus coming through.
“It’s like a chic Mediterranean, all concrete rendered inside, marble with dim lights and brass and gold and it will have a function area.
“Ozmosis is family friendly and it does not have that chic vibe. People like getting dressed up to go out, it’s really Instagramable and it’s new for Cairns.
“(Botanica) had potential but needed a fresh vision.”
Botanica owner Matt Black closed the Collins St cafe in September just six months after a post-Covid reopening – the second closure followed a bizarre prank by Mr Black that Kim Kardashian dined at his restaurant while then boyfriend Pete Davidson was in Cairns shooting the film Wizards!
Taking inspiration from Brisbane’s famous foodie strip at James St, Ms Vico imagined business owners working together to create a dining hub drawcard at Collins St.
“Hopefully we can all develop it over the next few years and we can evolve that vibe because it needs to flow a bit better,” she said.
Ms Vico said the next stage was to find a local builder to undertake the major renovation.
“Staff are ready, we know the concept and are just looking for the right builder,” she said.
The grand opening of GiGi is expected toward the end of March or early April.
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Originally published as Chic new restaurant planned for Botanica cafe building
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