Blackbird Bar, Dining & Events Lands In Melbourne: A Three-Level Celebration of Modern Australian Cuisine, Native Ingredients and Wood-Fired Flavours

Thursday, 14 August 2025: Ghanem Group’s Blackbird Bar, Dining & Events is set to make its highly anticipated Melbourne debut on Tuesday, 19 August 2025. The striking, three-level restaurant at 66 Flinders Lane, within Collins Place, offers a modern Australian menu that celebrates native ingredients, in-house, dry-aged beef and fresh seafood from across the country – all expertly wood-fired on a Josper Basque Grill.

This marks the first interstate expansion of the iconic, award-winning Blackbird Brisbane. The new Melbourne location offers three distinct levels: a warm and inviting street level cocktail bar and lounge with DJs to welcome the after-work crowd and pre- and post-dining guests; an opulent, split-level restaurant above; and an exclusive floor dedicated to private dining and events, complete with a dedicated bar. A dramatic feature chandelier suspended over the central staircase is visible from all levels, setting the tone for a sophisticated dining experience.

Blackbird Melbourne's Culinary Team

The restaurant brings together a trifecta of culinary talent – led by Ghanem Group Executive Chef and Melbourne-born, Jake Nicolson, and joined by newly-appointed Executive Chef Melbourne, Tim Menger (formerly Head Chef at Entrecôte, 9 years), and Blackbird Head Chef Josh Moroney (previously at Nomad Melbourne and Sydney, 6 years).

Masters of cooking over fire, the team crafts a menu focused on provenance and featuring foraged native ingredients and an impressive dry-ageing cabinet with Wagyu, grass-fed and grain-fed beef from leading producers countrywide. Every steak is aged to perfection and expertly wood-fired grilled over ironbark.

Ghanem Group Director Nehme Ghanem says Blackbird Melbourne honours the brand’s renowned hospitality DNA, while embracing Melbourne’s unique character. “Blackbird Melbourne is a true evolution of our brand – guests will recognise our trademark high-quality hospitality, but also discover a restaurant, bar and events space that celebrates Melbourne’s energy and individuality. We’re bringing the best of Blackbird to a new city, with a dining experience that is unmistakably Melbourne.”

Premium Beef & Native Influences at Blackbird Melbourne

The menu showcases premium beef from across Australia, including O’Connors, Wanderer Reserve and Sher Wagyu (VIC), Collisons & Co and Mayura Station (SA), Portoro (NSW), Westholme Wagyu (QLD), and Pardoo Wagyu (WA). Blackbird’s signature showpieces are the shareable, chocolate-fed Mayura Station 1.5-2kg full-blood Wagyu tomahawk, and an 800g, 30-day dry-aged bone in striploin also from Mayura Station.

Native ingredients shine in elevated snacks, starters and mains, including Chicken and Duck Paté with Lilly Pilly Jam; Paroo Kangaroo with Pepperberry Loin and Riberry Pie; Glazed Eggplant with Native Tamarind and Young Coconut Salad; and Raven Creek Pork Cutlet with Pumpkin, Molasses, Muntries and Smoked Almond.

Generous sharing dishes include Wood-Roasted Rock Lobster with Warrigal Greens, Confit Garlic and Native Herb Butter; Coal-Roasted Cockerel Chicken with Sweetcorn, Chorizo, Date and Macadamia; and Cumin-Spiced Lamb Shoulder with Davidson Plum, Mint Jelly and Fried Saltbush. A Prime Rib of Beef, slow-cooked over coals and carved tableside is a weekend highlight.

The menu is complemented by a 650-bin international wine list with a focus on Victorian wineries, a Coravin selection of premium wines by the glass, and a refined selection of spirits, both locally and globally sourced.

Cocktails curated by Ghanem Group Beverage Manager Aaron Clark draw inspiration from Australian ingredients and nostalgic flavour combinations, alongside elevated classics with a native twist, focusing on indigenous ingredients. Highlights include Mango & Macadamia, inspired by a mango Weiss bar and featuring locally distilled rum, mango puree, coconut and lime; Frosty Fruit – a nostalgic riff on a Pornstar Martini, layered with rhubarb, passionfruit, and pineapple tropical sorbet, folded with tonka bean vodka and a garnish of house-made Champagne jelly on the side; and a Riberry Manhattan, which elevates the classic cocktail with the addition of Kurio Crimson Jam blended Australian malt whisky, riberry dust and chocolate paint on the outside of the glass.

Blackbird Melbourne: The Full Package

Executive Chef Jake Nicolson says Blackbird Melbourne offers “the full package”.

“You can come to Blackbird and have a dry-aged burger, fries and a beer in the bar with your mates, or come for dinner in the restaurant and experience one of the best steaks in the country, or exciting flavours from the a la carte menu, with some truly outstanding wines and unique cocktails to match,” he says.

An interior design refresh by Space Cubed Design Studio delivers a welcoming, sophisticated aesthetic, with dark tones, contrasting textures, and vibrant artwork and greenery. The street-level cocktail bar features gilded cork wallpaper, gold accents, and a stunning backlit Patagonia Quartzite bar. The split-level restaurant includes a mirrored ceiling that animates the open lower level, and a more intimate, charcoal-hued upper level. The sophisticated events space on the third floor features a central red-veined marble bar with wine-coloured lacquered joinery, and adjoining private dining and function rooms.

Blackbird Melbourne joins Ghanem Group’s growing portfolio, which currently consists of 12 venues, including Byblós and Le Bon Ton in Melbourne, and Blackbird Brisbane, Donna Chang, and the South Brisbane development currently known as The Fox Hotel.

Website:  Blackbird Melbourne | Instagram: @blackbirdmlb | Facebook: Blackbird Melbourne