I assumed that Grazia was booking lots of private events. Why else would there be no bookings available on either a Sunday or Monday night? I called to make sure there wasn’t a glitch with the software. “No,” the woman told me over the phone,“we’re just fully booked. Yes,Tuesday as well. I can get you in Wednesday of next week?”
It seems that Glen Iris really,really wanted a schmick Italian joint appropriate for all kinds of meals:pizza with the kids,date night,gossipy lunches with friends.
The photos of the dining room that accompany this article were taken at lunchtime on a Thursday and every single one of its 100 seats was filled. This is usually a difficult time to shoot venues because customers are sparse and empty dining rooms make for boring photos. Not at Grazia. Its two dining rooms on separate floors,connected by a soaring atrium,have been rammed from open to close.
This is probably what chef and co-owner Joe Di Cintio (formerly of Sapore and Sette Bello) envisioned when he conceived the space. Di Cintio,who is a long-time resident of Glen Iris,noticed a lack of this type of upscale but approachable Italian in the neighbourhood (apart from the much smaller Riserva around the corner). It took a four-year renovation of the heritage-listed building (formerly a beauty parlour),but his vision finally came to life in early May.
During the day,light filters down from the glassed-in ceiling,showcasing the coastal Italian vibes:rattan,marble,Venetian plaster,camel and sage-green accents,and a large potted tree on the ground floor. The open kitchen on that floor is home to a Castelli oven;built specifically for Roman-style pizzas and imported from Italy,it’s one of only two in the country.
That oven is pumping out a thin,pizza-like focaccia as well as actual pizzas with toppings such as king prawns,green olives and chilli crisp ($28) and pumpkin,pine nuts,goat’s cheese and honey ($28). The stretch of the crust is satisfying,and while I won’t say these pizzas compete with the best in town,the fancy oven is certainly earning its keep.
There’s a lot here that’s fairly standard – neither groundbreaking nor boring,just things you’d expect to find done well in a modern Italian joint:crisp arancini with the slightest hint of pumpkin and gooey with scamorza cheese ($14);grilled king prawns with salsa verde ($12);kingfish crudo with fermented chilli ($22);breaded and fried veal with tomatoes and rocket ($39). We’ve all had these things before,or close versions of them;they were delicious then and they’re delicious now.
But there are some dishes that stand out. A pappardelle with hunks of lobster meat and king prawns ($44) is doused in a rich lobster bisque and studded with cherry tomatoes to make a dish that’s luscious and generous and rich.
The vitello tonnato ($22) is one of the better versions in town,the thin-sliced veal soft and pink,the tuna emulsion beautifully creamy,the caperberry garnish adding a perfect vinegary bite.
And some dishes are exactly what you want when you’re in the mood for them. Mushroom tortelloni ($36) comes in a velvety sauce flavoured with porcini and truffle (and yes,there’s probably truffle oil in there,but not enough to ruin the dish).
The 200-gram eye fillet ($46) is cooked perfectly,accompanied by charred pearl onions and mushroom jus.
And there are Sicilian doughnuts ($15) and a ridiculous lemon bombe Alaska ($18),crowned with burnt meringue,which is a crowd favourite.
Waiters seem split evenly between eager,young staff and seasoned servers who know how to charm the ladies who lunch;everyone is very busy and very affable. Some emphasis has obviously been placed on table service and for a place this busy,even minor slip-ups are rare.
Mostly classic cocktails are made with care and the wine list has something for everyone other than the hardcore nerds.
Despite all this,I was a little baffled by Grazia’s extreme popularity. There are so many similar restaurants in town:what is it about this place that has hit the sweet spot,turning it into an instant success? It would seem Di Cintio has read the needs of his neighbourhood well:Grazia is in the right place,with the right fit-out and the right staff,at just the right time.
The low-down
Vibe: Chic atrium with Italian,resort-town ambience
Go-to dish: Lobster and king prawn pappardelle ($44)
Drinks: Classic cocktails made well and medium-sized wine list with mostly Italian and Australian labels
Cost: About $135 for two,excluding drinks;less if you’re eating pizza
This review was originally published inGood Weekend magazine