NOW EXPERIENCING:Grill Americano
Drinks Directory|Fancy occasion|Date night|Bar

Grill Americano

112 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, VIC, 3000
Phone
(03) 8616 8010
Website
grillamericano.com
Instagram
@grillamericano

Read time 3 Mins

Posted 14 Jun 2022

By
Michael Harry

Excess is expected at this opulent Italian-accented ode to the Manhattan brasseries of the ’80s with a dazzling cellar of Italian and French wines and masterful classic cocktails.

Interior of Grill Americano
Why you goRestaurateur Chris Lucas of Chin Chin fame is a busy man, opening not one but four high-concept, glamorous new restaurants in Melbourne in the past year. There’s the hyped fine-diner Society, its (slightly) more casual cousin Lillian Brasserie, fiery Japanese sibling Yakimono, and now Grill Americano, which is perhaps the member of the family you’ll want to visit again and again. It’s all about indulgence at this luxurious city stunner, with a sprawling menu of cocktails and wines to match a loosely Italian-American menu focused on flame-grilled steaks and elegant snacks. And the crowd? The city’s most splendid movers and shakers, many descended from the 101 Collins Street office tower above.
Why you stayGrill Americano certainly delivers for any special occasion, with plush velvet banquettes, a 14-metre marble bar, glossy terrazzo floor, shimmering chandeliers, and a retro black-and-royal-blue colour palette. The fleet of staff are decked out in magnificent pressed uniforms, and nothing is ever too much trouble. But more than the peacock surfaces, the success of this venue is the premium quality of the food and drink offering. Chef Doug Keyte (formerly of Hellenika in Brisbane) delivers note-perfect steakhouse fare, and the drinks from Lucas Group beverage director Loïc Avril nail a swish brief of rare wines and elaborate classic cocktails.
Chef at Grill Americano with his dish
What drink to orderThere’s an emerging trend in Melbourne restaurants: to name your venue after a specialty cocktail (see also Gimlet around the corner). It’s a savvy move – no visit here is complete without ordering the signature Americano, priced at $24. An elegant highball glass arrives on a shiny metal tray with a tiny dish of fresh mandarin segments dipped in chocolate on the side. Surprising, sexy, and just a bit silly. In the glass, a breathtakingly clear block of ice is topped with a perfect disc of mandarin peel (allegedly to stop the ice from hitting your nose), bobbing around in Campari, mandarin soda and cacao-nib vermouth. It’s beautifully balanced, and undeniably over-the-top, but sets the scene in refreshing style.
What to pair it withThe mammoth menu offers a positively Roman feast of comfort food, and it would take numerous visits to try everything. Start with oysters and Venetian-style cicchetti snacks such as arancini Bolognese rice balls or fried olives. Move on to excellent antipasti, multiple breads, elegant salads, plush pastas and a slinky must-order seafood carpaccio – smoky discs of octopus dusted with chilli and drizzled with olive oil and lemon. All roads tend to lead to the wood-fired steak selection, with options running from a 200-gram minute steak to a 1.2-kilo T-bone, each charred and juicy and served with a bounty of condiments and sides, many of which could make a meal on their own (hello, sizzling prosciutto mac and cheese with four types of Italian formaggi). Lean in and enjoy.
Food and cocktail served at Grill Americano
desert served at Grill Americano
Why we love itIt feels like a step back in time to the power-lunching ’80s or even the Rat Pack ’60s. The 60-page drinks list is a stunner, with a fascinating range encompassing Old and New Worlds, at every price point. Order Ruinart Champagne by the glass, Piedmont’s Barolo red by the magnum, or textbook versions of classic cocktails such as Bellini, Martini, and Spritz. A Montalto Pennon Hill Chardonnay is a relative bargain at $85 a bottle, but you’ll find the rare and the wonderful for a price, including a 1983 Château Palmer Margaux ($2900).
Make it fancyYou want fancy? This is the place to find it – the stellar list of fine French and Italian wines is primed to max out the credit card. The priciest bottle on the list is a 2009 Domaine Leroy Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru Burgundy for a mere $22,000. We hope they throw in a few cicchetti at that price.
Who to takeYour partner, your parents, your boss, your clients – this glamorous den of extravagance is designed to make a jaw-dropping impression. 
entrance of Grill Americano
1/4
2/4
3/4
4/4
Sponsor logo
In partnership with Melbourne Food & Wine Festival
image credits: Adrian Lander & Amy Hemmings
Authour image
Michael HarryMichael Harry is the food and lifestyle publisher at Hardie Grant Books. He was previously the editor of The Age Good Food Guide and lifestyle editor of Good Weekend.
Tags
Drinks DirectoryA+ spirits listTop notch wine listDate nightParty vibesKiller cocktailsRecently openedFancy occasionBarMelbourne – CBDRestaurantMelbourne
REPORT A VENUE CLOSURE/REPORT AN ERROR
Related Articles