Melbourne restaurateur Chris Lucas has opened Grill Americano in Sydney’s Chifley Square, his latest venue after Chin Chin, with more than 4000 advance bookings and Friday and Saturday nights fully booked for over a month.
The restaurant mirrors the popular Melbourne original, from its blue leather seating to imported mozzarella from Naples, and Lucas says the strong launch confirms his belief that “Sydney is probably, at the moment, the hottest marketplace in Australia… It’s exciting.”
Lucas hopes to extend Sydney’s dining hours, serving steak and a late-night cheeseburger also offered at his Melbourne venues, saying Sydneysiders’ early nights are still a challenge.
He describes Grill Americano as an Italian-influenced alternative to traditional steakhouses, aiming for a lighter, more elegant feel.
Lucas plans to base himself in Sydney until Christmas as the restaurant settles in, and is already considering expanding more of his Melbourne concepts to the city.
Source: The Daily Telegraph.