Guy Grossi - It's all about Amore e Cultura

Guy Grossi, considered the maestro of Italian cuisine in Australia, has established a reputation as one of the most esteemed and soughtafter voices in Italian cuisine and culture. His beloved Bourke Street restaurants, Grossi Florentino, comprising Cellar Bar and Grill, and Ombra, showcase a deep respect for traditional cooking methods and authentic recipes, simultaneously highlighting Australia’s exceptional local produce.

The revered celebrity chef and restaurateur was devasted during the COVID-19 pandemic, as it brought the heartbeat of Melbourne’s vibrant city culture to a halt. Since the reopening of restaurants, Grossi has advocated for people to return to the city, socialize, eat, and celebrate together.

“I think after the battle we’ve been through in the last few years, there is a whole energy of socialization and revitalizing your locality, and that’s absolutely part of our drive. We coined the phrase ‘amore e cultura,’ and the term ‘Melbournese’ for the people who live around Melbourne and want to spread that whole vibe of love and culture, and that’s what I think we need to try and move forward with as we pick up the pieces and rebuild.”
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Grossi practices what he preaches. His passion for his culture and his hometown of Melbourne has motivated him to launch another venue. With Puttanesca, situated in the historic Clifton Hotel in Kew, he is spreading amore e cultura beyond Bourke Street and the Melbourne CBD Puttanesca, described by Grossi as a “casual osteria,” stems from the partnership between the Grossi Group and Sydneybased company Public Hospitality, representing the latter’s first Melbourne venue. The two entities transformed the hotel built in 1868 into a multi-venue establishment capable of seating over 250 guests. Grossi felt the synergy between the two companies was perfect.

“They wanted to do an Italian-style venue and approached us. We came out and looked at the venue; it had a beautiful and casual feel. It’s a great area to revitalize, and we jumped on board. We’ve put a pizza oven in. Of course, I wanted some terrazzo tiles in the rooms, and we’ve put a beautiful new kitchen with lots of beautiful Italian marble.”

Grossi’s Bourke Street venues make it evident that he is consistently passionate about paying tribute to Melbourne’s past. Puttanesca is no different, as the name is a tongue-in-cheek reference to the hotel’s saucy history. “It’s been around since the late 1800s and had a very colourful life. Its past incarnations included a bit of seedy and topless activities, and so our name is a little play on its history and the pasta sauce from Southern Italy.”
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The offerings of this casual eatery take inspiration from both Southern and Northern Italy. Grossi describes it as authentic family food. “It’s what you would find in an osteria, with a little nod to the pub here and there. It’s authentic Italian family food and broader than just one region. I’m drawing from different things and from growing up in an Italian family with a bit of a mix, as my father was from the South and my mother from Verona, so there’s a little bit of the best of both worlds.”

It’s been a busy 12 months for Grossi, who opened Committee Room by Grossi in the Member’s Reserve at the MCG last year. “It’s a beautiful iconic Melbourne room, and we were chuffed when we were asked to come onboard. It’s got that beautiful Melbourne stamp. Nothing compares to looking out of those big windows onto the hallowed turf of the MCG. It is just a beautiful backdrop, and what we do there is a nice, elegant service.”

In 2023, the Grossi Group also opened Settimo, their second restaurant outside Victoria, following the success of Garum at The Westin Perth in Western Australia. Settimo, located at The Westin in Brisbane, pays homage to Brisbane’s beach culture by celebrating the delectable seafood of the Amalfi coast.

Settimo is a really beautiful project. I have a fantastic chef, Alessandro, from Rome, but one of his aunts is Neapolitan, so he picked up the brief well, and we work well together. We do the food of Amalfi, and, being in Queensland, we have all that natural coastline with its fantastic fish. They also have great beef. I thought the Amalfi coast fitted well. The place looks like you could be in Amalfi, and it’s been well-received. The restaurant focuses on the food of the south of the Amalfi Coast, including Gnocchi alla Sorrentina, beautiful chargrilled fish, tuna, and swordfish. It’s authentic and simple. It’s been gorgeous.

In essence, Grossi’s culinary artistry bridges the geographical divide between Italy and Australia and is a testament to his own words, “It’s all about amore e cultura.”

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Images provided by Raymond Communications