Perhaps it's a bit of a stretch to suggest that the parliamentary triangle precinct known as The Lawns of The Lobby is Canberra's field of dreams but there's a touch of "build it and they will come" about it.
Since the fine-dining restaurant Koto opened its doors in August, and now as the new venues take shape, the buzz around the rose gardens is from more than the springtime bees.
Award-winning chef Shaun Quade has been appointed group culinary director and he will oversee the opening of the remaining three concepts.
Quade opened Melbourne's edgiest fine-diner Lume in 2016. The two-hatted restaurant was known for pushing the limits with flavours and concepts. His signature dish Pearl on the Ocean Floor featured on MasterChef in 2016.
Quade left Australia in 2019 for the United States to work in the food technology industry and when he decided to return the idea of moving to Canberra struck him as a great option.
"There's a huge opportunity in this region," he says.
"I never thought I'd leave Los Angeles to move to Canberra, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to work on this project.
"I think we're going to see enormous growth in the local hospitality industry over the next few years, fuelled by our proximity to high-quality produce and winemakers, as well as a strong community appetite for new dining experiences.
"There are already some amazing operators doing some really cool stuff here and we want to bring something unique to that scene."
Ballyhoo fills the space which was once the Pork Barrel cafe. While the familiar pentagonal shape remains, the canvas roof has gone and the space is filled with light through large windows which will slide away as conditions permit.
The menu will be fuelled by fire and fermentation, more fun dining than fine dining, says Quade.
Rosa's is an all-day garden bar, where during the day you can sit out on the extensive deck eating pizza by the slice, as well as takeaway coffee, sandwiches, and pastries. At night it will transform into a vibrant bar overlooking the rose gardens and the Marana Fioni wood-fired pizza oven will get into full swing.
There will also be a focus on events and catering in the precinct. Enlighten is on the radar, so too are weddings and corporate and private events in both the indoor and outdoor spaces.
Quade acknowledges the history of the site which had been vacant since 2017 when the last restaurant operator left after a long-running stoush with the National Capital Authority, which oversees the Parliamentary Triangle.
The Lobby, where Koto now stands, opened in 1968. Pork Barrel was a more casual kiosk which was hastily built later that year to ensure tourists could buy a pie and a milkshake.
Ballyhoo will be a far cry from that. Quade is keen to utilise local produce, calling the menu "contemporary Australian, but fun dining, not fine dining, there'll be no white tablecloths".
This stage is expected to be completed early in 2024 and Quade said finding the right staff will be vital. He's keen to mentor young hospitality professionals and encourage them to see the industry as a career.
The Lawns of the Lobby was awarded a portion of the 2022-23 ACT Tourism Product Development Fund to contribute to the building of a catering kitchen and garden bar to cater to events and visitors to the Parliamentary Triangle.
ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr described the precinct as a "canvas to reshape the future of events in Canberra".
"As stage two of The Lawns of the Lobby precinct is unveiled, we're opening the doors to a whole new set of experiences and more reasons to visit Canberra," he said.
"This infrastructure opens avenues for large-scale events and activations, inviting experiences and vibrancy into the National Triangle."
- First look tickets will be released for Ballyhoo in the coming weeks. Visit thelawnscbr.au and subscribe to be the first to know.
