Chris Lucas loves all his restaurant children equally, of course, but you can’t help but detect a little something different in the way he talks about Noẽma. After making his name with restaurants celebrated for their Melbourne takes on the gastropub, Thai food, sushi, Italian, French and plenty more besides, Lucas has decided to tackle the final boss: the food of his own Greek heritage.
It is the most personal restaurant he’s worked on, he says, and he’s also aware that right now there’s plenty of good stuff happening in Melbourne Greek food, so Noẽma, which opens this spring, is going to make both a statement about Chris Lucas, and about the food of Greece circa 2026. Lucas wants to bring something to Melbourne that it doesn’t already have. “My Greek heritage has always been part of who I am, and Noẽma is an opportunity to share a side of Greece that many Melburnians haven’t experienced before.”
Most Australians’ conception of Greek food is traditional, Lucas says, but he wants to share with Melbourne more of a view of how it has moved on, especially in the last few years. “Noẽma is inspired by the Greece of today. Most Australians have a strong connection to traditional Greek food, and rightly so, but Greece has evolved enormously over the past decade. Athens is producing some of the most exciting restaurants in Europe right now.”
All of this is going to happen in the same building at 435 Bourke Street in the Melbourne CBD as Wishbone, the new Hong Kong-Chinese restaurant Lucas is opening in October, with chef Dan Chan on the tools. The design of Noẽma comes courtesy of Lucas and his wife, Sarah Lucas, working with longtime collaborators Mitchell & Eades. “The design approach for Noẽma is all about simplicity and warmth,” says Sarah. “We are using natural textures including raw timber, linen and stone to create a space that feels tactile, relaxed and timeless, with earthy tones that reflect modern Greek living while remaining unmistakably Melbourne.”
There’s no word yet on who’s doing the cooking at Noẽma, but Chris Lucas’s vision for the food is clear. “What excites me is bringing that modern energy to Melbourne. The menu will still feel unmistakably Greek, but lighter, more produce-driven and reflective of the way people are eating across Greece today.” In practice, he says, that’ll translate to seafood being front and centre, and plenty of food that is slow-cooked or char-grilled, with no shortage of herbs and olive oil.
When we pressed Lucas on a dish that absolutely, positively, definitely has to be on the carte at a Greek restaurant under his name, he threw us a curve ball: chicken souvlaki. “It’s one of those dishes that seems simple, but when it’s done properly it’s incredibly delicious,” he says. “Fresh, light, a little smoky, it’s something I’d happily eat every day when I’m in Greece.”
In short, the guiding principles of the restaurant will be simplicity on the plate and conviviality at the table. The best Greek food doesn’t try too hard, says Lucas. “It starts with exceptional produce, things like great olive oil, beautiful seafood and vegetables at their peak.” The other key ingredient is that social factor. “When I eat Greek food, the table is always full, people are sharing everything and there’s a real sense of hospitality. That’s the feeling we’re chasing at Noẽma.”
Noẽma, 435 Bourke St, Melbourne, opening spring 2026.