Chef and delicious. contributor Andrew McConnell has today announced new details of his new venue at the Paris end of Melbourne’s CBD, due to open in summer 2020.

The space, which is part of Melbourne’s Cavendish House at 33 Russell Street, is surrounded by luxury retailers including Gucci, Louis Vuitton and fellow restaurants Chin Chin, Lucy Liu and Movida.

“As soon as I walked in, I immediately could imagine enjoying a perfect martini in this timeless space,” says McConnell. “The inherent design of the room made me think of a clubby European bistro that manages to be familiar and elegant at the same time.”

While final details of the interiors are yet to come, the restaurant will reference the history of the 1920s heritage building under the guidance of Sydney-based design firm ACME whose clients include Sydney favourite Fred’s and gin haven Archie Rose.

Guests can expect high stools at the bar or cosy booths, and groups can dine on the menu which builds on regional Italian cooking, featuring elements of French techniques, comfort dishes of the British Isles and Spanish flavours.

The Melbourne chef also reveals he wasn’t actively looking for a new venue and had no immediate plans to open another restaurant but was swayed, making a particular connection to the building upon inspection.

“33 Russell Street is a truly impressive and historic site and one of Melbourne’s most beautiful rooms,” says McConnell. “Opportunities like this are a rare find and when they come along it is really exciting. The room deserves to be celebrated.”

The new venue will join McConnell’s already extensive list of Melbourne restaurants under his Trader House Restaurant group, including Supernormal, Marion, Cumulus Inc., Cutler & Co and the Builders Arms Hotel.

See here to discover Andrew McConnell’s latest recipes.