Hotel Nacional

Overview

The Hardware Lane site that previously held Campari House was completely overhauled and transformed into a huge new Mexican restaurant and bar in mid-2024. Hotel Nacional comes from a crew of hospo veterans — including Taylor Granchi and Alex Greco (Repeat Offender and Rufio) — and is an enormous undertaking.

The five-level spot on Hardware Lane is pumping out Mexican-inspired eats that are entirely gluten-free across all five of its floors, including the impressive rooftop bar. Head Chef Sergio Tourn (ex-The Vale and Tino) is responsible for the menu, which combines traditional Mexican elements with plenty of European, Australian and South American influences.

This all comes together in dishes like birria beef tacos with pickled onions and consommé, the slow-cooked barbacoa lamb with a Mexican-style barbecue sauce and watercress, cauliflower tofu escabeche with wakame, peanuts and salsa macha, and corn husk meringue with corn-infused cream and persimmon. Those up on the rooftop can also tuck into tostadas and other bar snacks.

Tourn and his team are getting creative in the kitchen, especially as everything is 100-percent gluten-free. There are also stacks of vegan options.

When it comes to bevs, there's a ten-strong margarita menu — including a beer-spiked lagerita — a selection of signature and classic cocktails, Aussie and international beers on tap — including some that are gluten-free — a stacked lineup of local and European wines, and an even more impressive collection of tequila, mezcal and raicilla.

Hotel Nacional is also working hard to draw in new diners with a smorgasbord of deals. This includes its three regular banquets (one of which is completely plant-based), a selection of express lunch menus for city workers, half-priced margaritas every Monday and $30 steaks on Wednesdays.

Design-wise, the team hasn't leaned too hard into Mexican-themed cliches, instead opting for a lighter touch. Hotel Nacional has an almost breezy, beachy feel, thanks to the sand-textured walls, rattan furniture, and cacti that dot the terracotta- and beige-hued space.

"We wanted to create a venue unlike anything else in the city," shares Managing Director Taylor Granchi. "You walk up the stairs, and you are transported to another location across the globe. The earthy tones, the arches, the shapes, the crazy pavers, the textured walls, the cacti — there is so much Mexican feel.

"Being five levels, there are so many aspects to our venue. We wanted something you could explore to create a new memory every time."