Brisbane hospitality powerhouse Blackbird is swooping into Melbourne's CBD, bringing its award-winning dining concept to Collins Place.
The Ghanem Group’s flagship venue will occupy an impressive three-level site at the Paris end, marking the brand’s first interstate expansion.
After more than a decade establishing itself as a Brisbane icon, Blackbird’s Melbourne iteration promises to maintain the venue’s sophisticated DNA while embracing Melbourne’s edgier urban sensibilities. The space, currently undergoing a complete renovation by Space Cubed Design Studio, will showcase the brand’s triple-threat capabilities across dining, drinking and events.
Blackbird Bar on Flinders Lane
- Set to open in June 2025
- 66 Flinders Lane, Melbourne (corner of Exhibition Street)
Check out our gig guide, our arts guide, our festival guide, our live music venue guide and our nightclub guide. Follow us on Instagram here.
View this post on Instagram
Melbourne-born Executive Chef Jake Nicolson is returning to his home state to lead the culinary charge. The accomplished chef, whose resume includes stints at London’s The Square and The Ledbury, plus seven years at Melbourne’s Circa the Prince, has been with the Ghanem Group since Blackbird Brisbane’s 2014 launch.
“I am very much looking forward to rekindling and building upon the great relationships with growers and producers I had formed during my early years in Victoria,” Chef Jake says. “Showcasing the best of each season’s bounty, and combining the very best produce from Victoria and Queensland for all to celebrate through the menus at Blackbird Melbourne is very exciting.”
The three-level venue will feature a street-level cocktail bar with a sunken lounge and plush seating, a split-level dining room on the first floor featuring contrasting spaces – one open with mirrored ceilings, the other darker and more intimate – plus private dining and function rooms above.
Ghanem Group CEO Vianna Joseph describes the expansion as “the next exciting chapter of the Blackbird story, which began in February 2014 at our riverfront Eagle Street location in Brisbane.”
“We believe this is the right time and place for our Melbourne expansion. Blackbird Brisbane has just celebrated its 10th anniversary and has more-than proved its credentials, gaining loyal corporate and leisure clientele, including many Victorian visitors. Bringing Blackbird to their own city makes perfect sense,” Joseph says.
View this post on Instagram
The menu will showcase Josper-grilled and dry-aged meats, premium seafood and seasonal vegetables, with a strong focus on Victorian produce complemented by Queensland specialties. Ghanem Group Beverage Director Aaron Clark, part of the original Blackbird Brisbane team, will oversee the drinks program.
Kit Georgeos, Fund Manager for the Mirvac Wholesale Office Fund, which owns Collins Place, welcomed the high-profile addition: “Collins Place is a true landmark of Melbourne’s CBD and an icon of the city skyline – we are thrilled Ghanem Group has chosen it as Blackbird’s home after an exhaustive search. Blackbird’s mix of corporate and leisure clientele is perfectly aligned to the customer mix and experience at Collins Place, and we look forward to officially welcoming the team in a few months.”
The Brisbane venue has accumulated an impressive 34 industry awards over the past decade, including Queensland Restaurant of the Year in 2019 and Best Contemporary Australian Restaurant in Queensland in 2021. Most recently, it scored Restaurant & Catering Awards for Queensland Best Event Caterer, Wedding and overall Caterer of the Year in 2024.
The Ghanem hospitality legacy isn’t new – brothers Adonis and Nehme Ghanem’s parents have been in the restaurant game since 1978. Their Melbourne portfolio also includes other venues, with the group currently operating 12 establishments across Queensland and Victoria.
For more information, head here.
