Melbourne’s restaurant scene is about to get a Middle Eastern twist as Sydney’s Henrietta charcoal chicken shop prepares to open its doors on Chapel Street in the CBD. Having gained immense popularity in Sydney since its 2020 opening, Henrietta is now spreading its wings and flying south. Melburnians will get an expanded menu and a spacious dining room that can seat 85 on July 7.

Henrietta’s Melbourne outpost promises a significantly larger offering of Middle Eastern flavours than the OG Sydney spots, though there will be plenty of the original menu available daily at a takeaway window if a toum-heavy chicken wrap is what the heart wants. The restaurant menu starts with hummus topped with cuttlefish maghmour, a cinnamon-spiked stew of eggplant and tomato; crisp, fluffy falafel with house-made dips; slow-cook lamb neck with carob glazing; and prawns served up fatteh-style.

While the expanded menu is a showstopper on its own, the true centrepiece of the Melbourne restaurant is its enormous woodfire grill. This impressive grill is divided into two sections, with half dedicated to the iconic burnished rotisserie chickens with the other half specifically designed to char octopus, barramundi fillets with saffron and caviar sauce, and smoky slow-cooked vegetables.

The ESCA Group, who are also behind Aalia and Nour, are excited to bring their unique taste of the Middle East to Melbourne, with a drink or two in hand.

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“At Henrietta we creatively highlight Middle Eastern cuisine, with small nods to Aussie culture. This translates to our drinks offering too. The goal is to be fun and welcoming but ensure really high-quality beverage options. Our wine list is small but intricate, focusing on producers from Australia, the Middle East, and the Levantine coastline.” says Mark Anderson, ESCA Group bar manager.

Henrietta
75a Chapel Street, Windsor
Sun-Thu 5pm-late, Fri-Sat noon-3pm
Takeaway window: Sun-Thu, noon-9pm & Fri-Sat, noon-midnight
henriettachicken.com/windsor

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