La Rue

Reine (or “queen” in French) is the grand restaurant from Nomad group, set inside the historical Cathedral Room at the old Melbourne Stock Exchange. The name echoes the grand, regal setting, with its granite columns, mosaic floors and stained-glass windows.

Eight-seat wine bar La Rue is directly across the front courtyard from this inimitable space. Its name, which means “the street”, suits the comparatively modest room. The queen’s cool little sister has sharp angles, black walls, moody lighting and futuristic sliding glass doors that feel like something out of Alex Garland’s sci-fi slow-burner Ex-Machina.

Both venues draw inspiration from New York’s grand brasseries, with a focus on cocktails like the Manhattan, the Negroni and the Martini. At La Rue, you can also order French and Australian wines by the glass, and beer from Footscray’s Hop Nation.

The wine bar serves dishes from Reine’s a la carte menu when the fine diner is open. Outside of Reine’s hours, you can order dishes from the snack menu which might include a reimagined beef tartare, wood-roasted leeks dusted with grated hazelnuts, or a mud crab remoulade with green apple served in a cos lettuce leaf.