Chris Lucas’s Maison Batard will be French with a Melbourne twist

Chris Lucas’s hotly anticipated French restaurant opens in the city next week, with the chef revealing a shock menu twist that’s sure to stun guests.

All Chris Lucas openings have twists and turns, but there’s one at French behemoth Maison Batard that’ll stump diners.

“We’ll be using more Asian ingredients,” executive chef Adam Sanderson told the Herald Sun.

“People won’t be saying ‘oh my God, this is an Asian dish’ but it’ll be subtle, flavour-focused food done in a nice way.”

The surprising culinary move is also influenced by a trend currently sweeping French kitchens; something noticed by Lucas and co during a research trip last year.

“We saw a lot of this in Paris,” Celia McCarthy, Lucas Restaurants marketing manager said.

“Le Chardenoux has this amazing asparagus miso dish... we also saw lots of prawn spring rolls on menus. But there’s sensibility captured in the (Maison Batard) menu and (the chefs) aren’t scared of... freshening things up.”

Sanderson, formerly of Ten Minutes by Tractor, said Maison Batard’s concept of “French food in a Melbourne way” hadn’t changed in the eight or so years of planning.

Maison Batard executive chef Adam Sanderson and owner Chris Lucas. Picture: Liana Hardy Photography.

“Lucas Restaurants always brings it back to Melbourne, there is an Aussie spin with fresher flavours — that’s what people want to eat, fresh and vibrant food.”

One thing that has changed is the size of the venue.

Originally Lucas, whose restaurant empire spans Chin Chin, Hawker Hall, Grill Americano and Society, had bought one venue at the top-end of Bourke Street, the old Italian Society restaurant.

French cuisine will be at the fore, with subtle Asian influences. Picture: Liana Hardy Photography.

Maison Batard will also have affordable menu options. Picture: Liana Hardy Photography.

The plan was to revamp that space, but when the building next door came up for sale, Lucas bought that and joined the spaces together.

Today Maison Batard is a four-level playhouse, the first floor housing the main 110-seater dining room, which allows for overflow on the second level. Level two also acts as a private function space, with part or the entire room bookable for functions.

The third floor is Le Terrace; a sun-drenched space that’ll no doubt be the city’s summertime hotspot; complete with a 50-year-old Maple Tree that was craned in from the adjoining laneway.

There’s also a sunken bar, shaking drinks such as a champagne pina coladas with a different, more casual menu to downstairs. Look out for the club sandwich and cheeseburger.

The dining room spans across two levels.

So will you blow the budget at Maison Batard?

“We’ve been mindful of pricing when opening new venues,” McCarthy said.

“We feel we have created something everyone can enjoy. Our Terrace has a light and approachable menu, where the club sandwich is $26... the same price as big sandwich shops,”

“Entrees start at $26.50 and mains are from $48.50... and the eye fillet is under $60.”

As for drinks, sommelier Loic Avril has ensured there is a mix for casual and serious sippers, of both Aussie and French pours.

Lucas next to the 50-year-old maple tree that was craned into the restaurant. Picture: Liana Hardy Photography.

“We have 2600 wines by the bottle, and 120 by the glass including some under Coravin,” he said.

“We wanted a mix of exclusivity and accessibility...you can get a chablis for $21 (a glass), Burgundy for $22 and Bordeaux for $23.”

There are also several moments to try wine from Batard Montrachet, the restaurant’s namesake winery from Pullingy-Montrachet in Burgundy. Try 75ml nips of the Grand Cru (ie: best wine of its kind in the world) of chardonnay from $145 to an eye-watering $650 for a full-pour.

Lucas said he was thrilled to see the doors finally open.

“After such a long time in the making, drawing on the efforts of so many, it’s very exciting to be finally introducing Maison Bâtard to Melbourne,” he said.

“This marks both an incredible restoration project and a beautiful acknowledgment of the city’s hospitality heritage — I can’t wait for people to experience it.”

Maison Batard opens 26 November, 23 Bourke St, Melbourne.