The team behind Melbourne’s The Everleigh and Heartbreaker is launching its most ambitious venue yet – Bar Margaux.
Michael and Zara Madrusan – from the Made in the Shade group – are set to open their New York-style bar and brasserie in Melbourne’s CBD in May. It’s their first foray into the city’s dining scene but they’ve come prepared, taking inspiration from Michael’s favourite haunts from when he was a bartender in the Big Apple.
“I had this love affair with Keith McNally’s venues in New York like Balthazar and Pastis. He had a great way of taking the influence of Parisian brasseries and throwing in that New York attitude,” he says.
While the couple appreciate the French restaurant scene in Melbourne, they’re looking to introduce a less formal concept with Bar Margaux.
“It’s about eating great food and drinking great wine in a casual atmosphere. It doesn’t need to be stiff,” explains Zara.
.jpg?resize=380%2C285)
Nor does it need to close up early. The 80-seater will be open until 3am during the week and 5am on the weekend, with a supper menu available all night.
The Madrusans have enlisted French-trained chef Daniel Southern (ex L’Oustal, Comme) to lead the kitchen. The menu is still in development, but will revolve around simple French classics such as boeuf bourguignon, coq au vin and steak-frites. “Daniel is a bit of a duck specialist,” says Michael. “Our duck-frites will probably be a signature dish.”
The wine list will focus on Burgundies, Champagne and natural wines; while the cocktail offerings will include wine-based aperitifs and the option to order half-size Martinis and Manhattans. “It’s a great way to have a cocktail without going all in,” says Michael.
Heartbreaker
To get there, you’ll have to go below ground. Navigate to the basement-level brasserie, and you’ll step into a handsome Paris-slash-NYC kind of venue, complete with a zinc bar-top, chequered floor, white subway tiles, and red-leather banquettes. “We’ll take everything we’ve learned from New York, The Everleigh and Heartbreaker, and put it all in this fun little girl, Bar Margaux,” says Michael.
And when Bar Margaux does open, we’re looking forward to meeting her.
Bar Margaux, slated to open May 2019, basement level, 111 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne CBD. madeintheshadegroup.com.au
