“We’re going to have a lot of people with neck issues,” says Jacqui Challinor, talking about the grand proportions of Reine & La Rue, the chef’s new restaurant and bar with Nomad Group, which are set inside Melbourne’s stunning former stock exchange.

Vaulted ceilings, granite columns, stained glass, tessellated floor tiles and limestone walls that date to 1891 will be the cause of the neck-craning when the doors to the 150-seat French venue open on August 1.

“You don’t see spaces like this in Australia,” says co-owner Rebecca Yazbek of Nomad Group.

Borrowing from bistro traditions, rambunctious New York institutions such as Balthazar, and Parisian brasseries, Reine marks the group’s second restaurant opening in Melbourne.

After amassing a solid following in Sydney with Nomad’s Middle Eastern-leaning menus, they brought that venue to Flinders Lane in 2021.

Reine & La Rue (the restaurant’s bijou bar) will show they have more tricks up their sleeves.

Mud crab brandade, snack-sized pissaladiere, wood-grilled duck, and mashed potatoes boosted by bone marrow, presented with the roasted bone as a garnish, are some of the more rib-sticking dishes.

“It’s going to be a really nice juxtaposition of that style of food in a dining room that screams elegance,” says Challinor.

She’s drawing on recent meals at cornerstone bistros such as Paris’ 100-year-old Benoit for dishes such as cassoulet, featuring ham hock, pancetta and Great Ocean Duck sausage made in-house.

Lakes Entrance calamari grilled over coals, a pithivier of Southern Cross mushrooms, and David Blackmore wagyu rib-eye are among the other Victorian hero dishes on the menu.

That and other proteins will be cooked over wood, with classic sauces such as Bordelaise and Cafe de Paris butter offered alongside.

Furnishings were selected to complement, not compete with, the one-of-a-kind space.

“Hopefully you get a sense of opulence that is understated,” says Yazbek.

Rust-coloured velvet chairs and tan leather booths have been installed, separated by perforated timber screens, in addition to raised timber platforms that protect the building’s heritage flooring.

A cheese trolley curated by Maker & Monger’s Anthony Femia will build on the room’s drama.

In contrast, the eight-seat La Rue features black-stained timber and has a hideaway feel that suits more romantic nights out or spontaneous walk-in visits. The main menu will be available in this space once Reine opens.

Back in the dining room, Challinor and Yazbek hope people will crowd around the 10-metre red marble bar for negronis and Manhattans, which feature on a fairly classic cocktail list.

Wines have a heavy American skew, with French and Australian labels and Krug champagne rounding out the list.

Open Tue-Sat noon-2.30pm, 5pm-late, from August 1.

380 Collins Street, Melbourne, reineandlarue.melbourne