Overview
Sydney's dining scene is set to score a glamorous new addition this spring, as Chris Lucas, the celebrated Melbourne restaurateur behind zeitgeist-defining venues such as Chin Chin, Yakimono and Maison Bâtard, brings his Venetian-inspired brasserie Grill Americano to the Harbour City. And while we announced the news when it broke in February, new details have now been revealed about the opening — including an official launch date.
Mark your calendar for Wednesday, November 19, when Lucas' second Sydney restaurant opens at No. 1 Chifley Square, perhaps better known as the heritage-listed Qantas House building. Grill Americano Sydney will channel the same old-world Italian elegance and theatrical flair that's made the original one of Melbourne's hardest-to-book restaurants since it debuted on Flinders Lane in 2022.
Griffin Simm
But don't expect a carbon copy. Executive Chef Vincenzo Ursini — whose resume includes stints at Michelin-starred kitchens Ristorante Reale, Le Calandre and Mugaritz, and who's helmed Grill Americano Melbourne since 2024 — has worked closely with Lucas Restaurants Head of Culinary Damian Snell and Lucas himself to create a menu that pairs Grill Americano signatures with new dishes designed exclusively for Sydney.
A clutch of the new additions lean into Sydney's love of fresh fruits of the sea. Among them: prawn panzerotto with Oscietra caviar, tuna 'nduja and anchovy crostini and a Sicilian-style seafood risotto laced with saffron and chilli. A dedicated raw seafood bar will spotlight oysters, crustacea and daily-changing crudo selections.
Griffin Simm
Naturally, many of Grill Americano's Melbourne favourites will make the trip north, including the scampi alla veneziana on saffron pilaf and the show-stopping tiramisu, which is served tableside. The kitchen's famed bistecca offering, featuring 15 premium cuts and specialty beef dishes, will also demand attention, from the bistecca pepe e verde Angus Chateaubriand with cognac and green peppercorn to a 700-gram New York Cut Striploin of grappa-infused, dry-aged Chauvel beef.
Chef Simone Giorgianni, who has led the restaurant's acclaimed pasta program since day one, will bring a lineup of daily handmade favourites to Sydney. Expect pillowy ravioli, silky pappardelle and a luxurious lobster tortellini finished with sauce américaine. To match, Master Sommelier Paolo Saccone has curated an extensive wine list — Melbourne's cellar houses over 2000 bottles — while the classic-leaning cocktail list includes a tribute to the bellini from Harry's Bar, Venice's legendary 1930s cocktail den.
Designed by Chris and Sarah Lucas with longtime collaborator Samantha Eades, Grill Americano Sydney will feel familiar to fans of the Melbourne original thanks to its signature blue velvet banquettes, a 30-metre-long marble bar and an open kitchen anchored by a Josper grill and woodfired oven, all framed by the building's existing soaring ceilings and expansive heritage windows.
Reservations open mid-October — and with buzz already building, this is shaping up as one of Sydney's biggest restaurant openings of 2025.
Pete Dillon
Grill Americano Sydney is set to open on Wednesday, November 19, at 1 Chifley Square, 68–96 Hunter Street, Sydney. Reservations, which open from mid-October, can be made on the Sydney reservations page. For more information about the restaurant, visit the Lucas Collective website.