Premium Botswana Butchery Launches in Flinders Lane
Renowned New Zealand restaurant Botswana Butchery has launched in Melbourne, and we attended a lavish launch event at this premium but approachable restaurant, where we sampled much of the impressive menu. Botswana Butchery offers guests the very best Australian and New Zealand produce in opulent surrounds at Collins Place on Flinders Lane.
The kitchen team have worked tirelessly to develop and perfect dishes that are unique to the Melbourne venue, showcasing the very best meat, game and seafood while complementing Botswana Butchery favourites from the recently opened Sydney restaurant and New Zealand venues.
We walked into a world of meat, seafood and vegetarian dishes cooked over flames and to prefection, of the highest quality, and served with style and flair.
One can only imagine the place packed with the city business crowd for lunch and dinner, as well as fine food lovers from across Melbourne (worth the drive).
The restaurant has three levels of dining rooms and bars where up to 300 guests can indulge in long lunches and dinners or enjoy casual drinks and bites with friends and colleagues.
The luxurious interior design of the restaurant by Charlotte Spary features a similar style to the other locations but with a distinctly Melbourne feel – large feature staircase, expansive wine wall, velvet chairs and long marble topped bars. With three dining rooms, two drinks lounges, three private dining rooms and two glass enclosed terraces overlooking Flinders Lane, Botswana Butchery offers guests delectable dishes in a range of opulent yet relaxed spaces.
Heading up the kitchen is Culinary Director Angel Fernandez who also brings a wealth of experience to the table from his previous role as Culinary Director at Dante NYC. Angel spoke at the launch event and appeared impressed by the high quality of local produce by world standards.
The central ground level kitchen boasts a woodfired grill as well as a raw and cured bar that serves high quality seafood and artisanal charcuterie.
The Butcher’s Block will be a menu highlight with an extensive offering of the highest quality beef that Australia has to offer, ranging from the sublime grass-fed Cape Grim Select, to the opulent high marble scores of Blackmore’s wagyu all the way to the pure beefiness of the CopperTree Farms retired dairy Friesian and the coveted Ranger’s Valley 1.6kg Tomahawk. You may be salivating just reading this.
The signature must-have dish at Botswana Butchery is the sumptuous four-hour slow cooked Whole Roasted Roaring Forties Lamb Shoulder – so tender it is served with a spoon and fork. This dish received the most praise from our table. Simply sensational.
Piers Haszard, Good Group Head Sommelier has relocated from New Zealand to Melbourne and has sourced a list of over 1000 wines, with a focus on Victorian and New Zealand wine makers. Piers has a penchant for small batch great wines from across the regions.
The upstairs lounge bar is sure to become a favourite place to visit pre-and post-dinner as well as for after work drinks with its top shelf and exclusive spirits, cocktails and wines.
Botswana Butchery is owned by the award-winning Good Group Hospitality. CEO Russell Gray is excited for the upcoming Melbourne opening in the heart of the CBD and to be bringing Botswana Butchery to the food capital of Australia. Russell was a great host at the launch event, obviously proud of this premium offering, and generous in showcasing the highlights of the restaurant menu.
Botswana Butchery Melbourne is located on the corner of Flinders Lane and Exhibition Street, with entrances on Flinders Lane and via Collins Place. Highly recommended.