The successful restaurateur shares a name, the opening date and his grand plan for a CBD site that’s been a key address for Melbourne diners for nearly 30 years.
A northern Spanish grill inspired by those of the Basque region will be the next venue that prolific Melbourne restaurateur Andrew McConnell adds to his portfolio. Called Cote Basque (meaning Basque coast), it will transform the former Becco site that McConnell and his wife Jo McGann signed a lease on last winter.
The Crossley Street site was once part of Pellegrini’s but from 1996 until September last year operated as legendary Italian restaurant Becco, which was a favourite of politicians, lawyers and dealmakers. Even George Harrison of The Beatles reportedly dined there.
McConnell’s Trader House Group (responsible for the likes of Supernormal, Gimlet and more venues) had hoped to open the restaurant around now − late 2025 − but the new opening date is winter 2026.
Design firm ACME is working on the project, which will be its third with Trader House following Gimlet, with its Roaring ’20s glamour, and the plush hideout they created in cocktail bar Apollo Inn, both on Flinders Lane.
“We don’t have many heritage restaurant spaces in Melbourne, and to have the opportunity to restore the original features in this room is a dream,” McConnell said in a statement.
The building’s mid-century bones, including green terrazzo flooring and generous windows, will be a focus of the 100-seat Cote Basque’s design, alongside nods to the Becco and Pellegrini’s eras. Becco’s intimate bar, a favourite feature among its regulars, will be retained and outdoor dining will be introduced. Upstairs will be used for private dining.
The original plan included opening a third branch of grocer-cafe Morning Market at the site. That will no longer go ahead.
The menu will be inspired by northern Spain and south-western France, with an emphasis on excellent produce cooked on a wood grill.
“It has been both a joy and a challenge reimagining this iconic space to both retain its legacy and evolve it for the future,” McConnell’s statement continued.
After announcing they were was taking over the lease on the restaurant site in August 2024, this is the most that McConnell and McGann have revealed about the project.
At the time Trader House announced their deal on the laneway site, Becco restaurateur Simon Hartley said: “I think Andrew is the perfect person … The legacy of the site is in the best hands it can be.”
McConnell hasn’t been the only restaurateur to see potential in the blue-tiled building on a city laneway. Chris Lucas was supposed to take over the lease of 11-25 Crossley Street in mid-2021, but the deal fell through. He has since opened Maison Batard nearby on Bourke Street, as well as a fleet of restaurants in the 80 Collins precinct, including Society.
McConnell’s statement concluded: “To continue its lineage as a restaurant will contribute to the wonderful energy on Crossley Street, re-emerging as one of the great walk-through laneways in Melbourne’s top end.”
McConnell did not grant any interviews.
Cote Basque will open winter 2026 at 25 Crossley Street, Melbourne; cotebasque.com.au
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Emma Breheny – Emma is Good Food’s Melbourne eating out and restaurant editor and editor of The Age Good Food Guide.
