Tasmanian chef Luke Burgess’ latest venture opens in Liverpool Street
Behind the door of a refurbished confectionary shop on Liverpool Street is Scholé, star chef Luke Burgess’s latest restaurant has a quirky twist making it an exclusive experience.
Business
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Behind the door of a refurbished confectionary shop on Liverpool Street is Scholé, a recently opened restaurant and bar with only one table.
Described as his “semi-retirement plan”, Scholé is the brainchild of acclaimed Tasmanian chef Luke Burgess.
“It’s a shop in essence, and it’s my kind of semi-retirement plan, after 30 years in the industry this is how I downsize,” Mr Burgess told The Mercury.
“This place isn’t about me, it’s not named after me, yes I’m the owner, but it’s really about the people that work here and the people that supply it and the people that come here.”
The industry veteran said the intimate setting was designed to be accessible, streamlined and “guest focused”.
The recently opened venue sits just ten people at a time in a tiny room clad with reclaimed blackwood from a coffin factory and designed around original heritage elements.
With a $100 minimum spend, the menu is small and focuses on local growers, suppliers and fishermen.
“The concept is it’s not a set menu. I thought it would be a nice idea to hand control back over to the guests as well,” Mr Burgess said.
“So instead of saying you need to sit through three hours of this performance, you make the night what you want it to be.”
On Tuesday nights, the restaurant transforms into a Japanese Tachinomi style standing bar with no reservations.
“Traditionally it’s a place where people would go and stand and have a drink, a few snacks and sort of hang around for an hour and go. There are no reservations and there’s no minimum spend,” Mr Burgess said.
“I want it to be welcoming and warm and friendly, it can be a big night out but it doesn’t have to be. It’s completely up to the guests.”
With both the front of house and florals taken care of by Amalia Oxley, Mr Burgess said the project was also a chance to mentor young people coming through the industry.
With plans to eventually offer takeaway food and host events, Mr Burgess is expecting Scholé to be moulded by the people who work there and customers who visit.
“You know, some people may love it, some people might hate it. I’d say leave your preconceptions at the door and just come for a good time.”
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