Blackbird Bar, Dining & Events will expand its footprint, with a three-level site chosen at Flinders Lane in Melbourne’s CBD.

The family-owned and Brisbane-based Ghanem Group opened Blackbird Bar, Dining & Events in Brisbane’s CBD in 2014, and is now making the leap to the Victorian capital, with the new venture set to open in June 2025.

Ghanem Group directors Adonis and Nehme Ghanem, and company CEO Vianna Joseph, have chosen the Flinders Lane site within Collins Place, on the corner of Exhibition Street.

“Blackbird Melbourne is the next exciting chapter of the Blackbird story, which began in February 2014 at our riverfront Eagle Street location in Brisbane,” says Joseph.

“We believe this is the right time and place for our Melbourne expansion.

“Blackbird Brisbane has just celebrated its 10th anniversary and has proved its credentials, gaining loyal corporate and leisure clientele.”

The contemporary establishment will feature an intimate cocktail bar with sunken lounges and upholstered armchairs; a main central staircase with chandeliers; a split-level dining room on level one, with an open dining space, and an intimate upper level; and private dining and function rooms.

Ghanem Group’s executive chef, Jake Nicolson, returns to Melbourne to oversee Blackbird’s debut in the city. He will be joined by the company’s beverage director, Aaron Clark, who was also part of the original Blackbird launch team.

“I am looking forward to rekindling and building upon the great relationships with growers and producers I formed during my early years in Victoria,” says Nicolson.

“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.”