Chris Lucas has never been a restaurateur to do things by half, a point he’s made before and emphatically re-confirmed late last year at this lavish, four-level French-accented house of fun on Melbourne’s Bourke Hill. With its two-level dining room, basement jazz club and superb rooftop bar, complete with a 50-year-old maple tree-centred garden designed by Paul Bangay, Maison Bâtard is a masterclass in glorious, lavish, anti-minimalist indulgence.
But just as the visuals run the gamut from gobsmacking to mind-boggling – marble and mirrors and velvet, oh my – there’s a similar amount of thought, energy and expense given to the food and drink side of the equation that underlines Bâtard as more than just a well-funded Parisian theme park. Sure, it’s designed with maximum glossy, glinting, flatteringly-lit fun in mind but any place that also comes equipped with a chocolate mousse trolley, a custom-built ice-mounded oyster bar, masterful wine list bulging at the seams with benchmarks, dedicated fry kitchen and a Josper rotisserie stacked with chickens and ducks is targeting the tastebuds as much as the eyes.
Bâtard’s menus (one each for basement, rooftop and dining room) have an unashamed provincial French lean but there’s no chin-stroking seriousness about cultural authenticity. Head chef Adam Sanderson has a talent for well-conceived, good-looking, crowd-pleaser dishes skilfully cooked and assembled but never overhandled or fussy. Often, they’re anchored by luxurious ingredients, whether that’s caviar sharing space with crisp potatoes in an omelette, spicy tuna hidden beneath a deep green cap of finely diced chives, a rotisserie chicken tumbled with green olives, a half lobster, a whole bone-in rib-eye or Belgian chocolate shaved over a scoop of chocolate mousse.
The drinks are great too, with sommelier Loic Avril demonstrating his trademark mastery on a wine list with a surprisingly democratic price range and a cocktail program that includes a list of Martinis and a Francophile spin on the classics (they’re fans of the trending Chartreuse).
Maison Bâtard may read like a restaurant and it certainly can be that, if you want it to be. But we love it because it offers a “choose your own adventure” approach, a version of the increasing flexibility we demand of our diners, but all dressed up and a bit tipsy so there’s a little glamour and Parisian style in the mix too. And who doesn’t need a little glamour in troubled times?
Find all finalists for the Gourmet Traveller Best New Restaurant Award here. To see the full list of winners in this year’s Gourmet Traveller Annual Restaurant Awards, head over here.
Past winners of the Best New Restaurant Award
- 2024: King Clarence, Sydney NSW
- 2023: Serai, Melbourne VIC
- 2022: Margaret, Sydney NSW
- 2021: Gimlet, Melbourne VIC
- 2020: Due to COVID-19, a Hospitality Honours List was introduced in lieu of Restaurant Awards
- 2019: Di Stasio Città, Melbourne VIC
- 2018: Laura, Merricks VIC
- 2017: Fred’s, Sydney NSW
- 2016: Restaurant Hubert, Sydney NSW
- 2015: Bennelong, Sydney NSW
- 2014: Brae, Birregurra VIC
- 2013: Mr Wong, Sydney NSW
- 2012: Momofuku Seiobo, Sydney NSW
- 2011: Porteño, Sydney NSW
- 2010: Ortiga, Brisbane QLD
- 2009: Rockpool Bar & Grill, Sydney NSW
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