Maman (pronounced ma-mo) is the handiwork of Oli Frost, the founder of music festival The Grass is Greener and a part-owner of burger bar Milky Lane in Surfers Paradise, and former Gold Coast ironman Matt Poole – with Oli’s mother and aunty, Karen and Elizabeth Fines (both chefs) also on board. The all-white 50-seat restaurant and bar, dripping in blue-hued murals and adorned with hand-painted ceramic wares by Byron Bay artist Jai Visacek, is now accessed from the Justin Lane alleyway (which runs parallel to James Street – the same laneway where Lockwood and Nightjar sit) via an impressive new arched entranceway.
Mediterranean and Middle Eastern flavours are woven into Maman’s largely share-style menu, designed to offer simple, produce-driven dishes that pair well with uncomplicated cocktails and clean, organic wines. House-made dips (hummus, babaganoush, taramasalata), chicken-liver parfait and serves of cured meats like serrano ham and hot sopressa kickstart the snacks selection, followed by smaller plates like broad-bean spread and roasted-garlic ricotta on pita, yellow-fin-tuna carpaccio with preserved lemon, green-olive salsa and parsnip crisps. Though, it’ll be hard to pass up Maman’s signature – a Moreton Bay bug roll with iceberg, harissa and lime mayo.
The menu flows into more hearty dishes like lamb kofte with hommus, cacik and Israeli-style salad that you can mop up with Turkish pide, spinach-and-fetta pie with pepperonata sauce, a two-person lamb moussaka with Greek salad, and chermoula-crusted salmon with Moroccan eggplant. Cocktails take centre stage the Maman bar, with signatures like the orange and torched-rosemary gin and tonic, and the tropical-gin-infused pink lemonade on pour alongside a selection of natural and organic wines, spirits and tap beers. In the coming weeks, the Maman team will open a grab-and-go nook on the venue’s James Street side (the original entrance) where locals will be able to purchase frozen takeaway Mediterranean-style meals like comforting tagines, curries, soups and dahl … just like mum would make.
Maman is now open! Head to our Stumble Guide for its opening hours, contact information and booking details.
