Tucked away on the upper level of Craft’d Grounds in Albion is Hervé’s Restaurant and Bar, a delightful restaurant offering French-inspired, artisanal cuisine prepared by talented, experienced chefs, and an impressive wine list curated by its French-born sommelier and owner.
Opened in May 2022, Hervé’s Restaurant and Bar is an 80-seat French-inspired restaurant by the husband and wife team of French-born sommelier Hervé Dudognon and his wife Cristina.
Mr Dudognon’s impressive resume includes stints at Hotel de Crillon in Paris, Mandarin Hotel in Hong Kong, Merivale in Sydney and Stanley at Howard Smith Wharves. He is joined by Executive Chef Chris Norman and his wife Executive Pastry Chef Alex Norman.
Hervé’s Restaurant and Bar sits in the loft of Albion’s Craft’d Grounds on Collingwood Street accessible through the stairs situated at the back of Brewtide Brewery & Bar. Once upstairs you’ll find the soft-lighted French-inspired venue’s terrazzo-topped bar on one side and the dining room on the other side. The former-timber-mill-turned-restaurant boasts of exposed iron beams, cafe-style tables, bentwood chairs, banquettes and polished wooden floors.
Meanwhile, the dynamic duo of Chris and Alex Norman will work their magic in the open kitchen which features a chef station, charcoal grill, fryer, gas cooktop, wood-fired oven and a pastry counter.
Expect Chris’ menu to include Amuse Bouche offerings such as Pomme Soufflé with Oscietra Caviar, and Fraser Island Crab with rock melon, pomelo and Jamon. Then there are also Chilled Seafood must-try including Moreton Bay bugs with Mornay foam and Espelette pepper; and Poached Bay Lobster with cos lettuce, cocktail dressing, cucumber and smoked salmon caviar.
For the Mains, there is a coal-fired Fillet of Kingfish with cauliflower, spring squash, buttermilk and chive oil; and Roast tenderloin of Black Angus with watercress and shiraz jus.
Dessert? There’s Lemonade Fruit Fool with Mascarpone sabayon, Tommy’granita and brand snap; and the ever-changing Dessert Du Jour which takes its cue from available local fresh produce.
Other sweet-tooth-satisfying confections from Alex include Moelleux Chocolat Valrhona Millot 74% with Pedro Ximinez, roasted vanilla ice cream and hazelnut nougatine.
Moving on to the drinks corner, Hervé and sommelier Thibaud Cregut’s wine list features 150 bottles sourced from Australian winemakers as well as from overseas, but expect a full page dedicated to organic Corsican Wines along with a slew of classic cocktails.
If you haven’t yet visited Hervé’s Restaurant and Bar, head over to Craft’d Grounds at 31/37 Collingwood Street in Albion. Bookings for Thursdays, beginning 3 November 2022, are now open. Visit the website here to send in your request for booking.
Craft’d Grounds | 31/37 Collingwood St, Albion QLD 4010, Australia
