Andrew McConnell knows his way around a good restaurant. The Melbourne-based chef is behind some of Australia’s most respected venues, with beloved outposts across Melbourne and Brisbane. Now, he and partner Jo McGann are turning their attention to Melbourne’s top end, taking over a storied Crossley Street site.

The address comes with serious pedigree. For 28 years, it was home to Becco, an Italian institution, and Pellegrini’s before that. McConnell’s new restaurant, Côte Basque, will keep the Euro spirit alive – only this time the compass points a little further west, towards Spain and southern France along the Basque coast.

Opening in winter 2026, Côte Basque will celebrate the region’s distinctive style of cooking.

“The tradition of wood-fired cooking that defines this region will be central to the menu and influence not only what we cook, but how we cook,” McConnell says.

Inside, the 100-seat dining room will retain many of the original details (yes, the green terrazzo floor stays) with updates by designers Vince Alafaci and Caroline Choker of ACME, and a new outdoor dining space.

The name – Côte Basque, or ‘Basque coast’ – reflects a place McConnell and McGann return to for inspiration.

“The name references our love of Basque culture and the coastline that bridges the northern Basque region of Spain and the southwest of France. The raw beauty of the region and a bounty of benchmark produce have long been an inspiration for us,” McConnell says.

Côte Basque
Opening winter 2026
25 Crossley Street, Melbourne
cotebasque.com.au