Positioned in a lesser populated area of the CBD dining-wise, Reine & La Rue is the latest venue from the Nomad Group. Opening just last week the restaurant is sheltered within the grandiose gothic Melbourne stock exchange building on the corner of Queens and Collins street.
What was once the financial headquarters of Melbourne back in the 1890s has given way to an immaculately ornate and visually striking dining room. Simply walking through the doors of Reine gives pause to the sheer design brilliance and vision of the team, a cathedral-esque space with a symmetrically positioned array of tables between the thick granite pillars with lines leading to the limestone ceiling.
What you'd perceive to be an imposing and cold space to dine is somehow offset by the pure charm of Reine, the sound is perfectly balanced across the diner and there's an ambient warmth to the entire room.
Underfoot the glass prism floor tiles illuminate light from the lower level of the building and on each side of the room a bar flanks the wall. Below the arched window with one of the most impressive and oldest stained glass windows in Victoria is the seafood bar, a select space of seats where caviar is carefully arranged, oysters are shucked by hand, and lobsters rest on ice.
The adjacent cocktail bar plays host to the entire drinks operation of Reine, white-shirted staff shake, mix and pour a raft of different creations including the artful house martini which is gin imbued with a fragrant French twist of Dom Benedictine, Vin Jaune (Fortified wine) and a dash of pear syrup. In addition to the cocktails, the wine list at Reine boasts over 700 bottles with 40 pouring by the glass, it's a diverse collection spanning award-winning vineyards from across the world as well as local Australian drops.
The kitchen is under the guidance of Nomad Group executive chef Jacqui Challinor and head chef Brendan Kaitch, the duo have prepared a menu that plays on the Francophile culinary favourites. There's nothing austere about this menu, in lieu of traditionally sparse and minimal options of fine diners, Reine boasts a plentiful selection from start to finish.
To begin, a flight of oysters including Moon Flats from Bateman's Bay to Royal Miyagis from Tasmania are served alongside a seaweed mignonette, which provides an extra layer of tang on top of the richness of the oysters.
Moving forward, we delve into the realm of intricate and delicate Hors D'Oeuvres. Notable among them is the Comté, celeriac, and horseradish tart, a true aesthetic marvel. Additionally, the confit rabbit paired with green garlic ravigote steals the spotlight. This dish features a small fried puff that delights with a burst of sensational buttery and herby flavours, perfect in unison to the subtle sweetness of the rabbit.
One of the few things that link Reine to its familial Nomad roots is the open wood-fired grill in the kitchen, a roaring open flame-style approach that lends the rich smokey flavour to everything that comes across it.
The grill selection of the menu embodies the timeless French brasserie tradition, featuring an array of quality steak cuts. Among these are six distinct cuts sourced from Victoria and New South Wales, with the standout option being the 1kg Blackmore wagyu ribeye.
This exquisite ribeye is cooked medium rare and then expertly sliced into centimetre-thick pieces and artfully presented with minimal adornment, accompanied by a single half of lemon and ramekin of Café de Paris butter. Adding to the tableside theatrics, waiters dash in with a variety of mustards which are hand served onto your plate.
Side options for the rib eye come in the form of the mandatory pomme frites and the colourful leaf salad, but there is also the bone marrow with pomme puree and jus gras (deglazed sauce) to contemplate, an encapsulation of the alluring decadence of Reine.
Transitioning to dessert each of the six options are worthy of your temptation and selection, but it's very difficult to go past the utter nostalgic brilliance of the Jersey milk soft serve. It arrives in a vintage-style sundae glass topped with crushed hazelnuts and splashed with extra virgin olive oil which provides a slight level of zest to the rich velvety dessert.
Touted as one of the biggest openings in Melbourne this year, Reine has well and truly delivered on the hype. The entire experience and offering of the newly minted restaurant is right up there with the Gimlets and Societys of the world as one of Melbourne's premier dining experiences.
While it might not be your everyday restaurant to pop into, you can be sure that whenever you do walk through the doors it will be special.