Ben Willis is back in the kitchen, set to open a new restaurant in Barton's Realm Precinct in the coming months.
Willis, who shut the doors at Aubergine in October 2022, has been appointed culinary director of DOMA's new restaurant which will be located in the space which was formerly Buvette.
While the name is still under wraps, the restaurant is an ambitious venture, set to provide a multi-layered experience of fine dining in the classical style along with a sophisticated cocktail bar experience.
"I'm excited to be working with the DOMA team to bring this vision to life," he says.
"I think there is a real opportunity in the market to deliver a product at this level and I'm looking forward to getting the doors open for guests in the coming months."
Willis said he will focus on predominantly European dishes, leaning towards Provencal cuisine, working with his network of top producers, suppliers and artisans to bring the finest ingredients to each plate.
"We'll be doing the classics, things that you recognise, well cooked fish and meat, focussing on quality produce and keeping a little bit of simplicity to it."
Having closed the doors to Aubergine in October, Willis is thrilled to be working closely with DOMA to breathe new life into the space.
Apart from cooking for his family, he's done one or two pop-ups since closing Aubergine.
"It was nice for the first three or four months to not think about it at all, and closing off my brain to the whole idea was much easier than I thought it would be," he said.
"But now that I'm starting to think about dishes we might do in this new venture I'm starting to get excited about it all again."
Director of DOMA Hotels Pat Lonergan said it was a coup to secure a talent of Willis' calibre and the new restaurant will be a great addition to Canberra's restaurant and bar scene.
"Located in the heart of the Parliamentary Triangle in Barton, in a precinct that is fast becoming a foodie drawcard, we have very high hopes for this venture," Lonergan said.
"It will bring innovation and elevated dining to the city and provide Ben with everything he needs to write a new chapter in his successful career."
The restaurant will feature interiors from Rachel Luchetti of award-winning Sydney-based architecture and interior design firm Luchetti Krelle. It will incorporate indoor and outdoor dining.
Doors are due to open in June 2023.
