Grossi Florentino

Hellier Consulting have worked for the Florentino restaurant since 1989 and introduced current owners the Grossi family to owner Lorraine Podgornik. Once the Grossi’s had secured the business Hellier Consulting began the task of ensuring that the Grossi Florentino name was to the fore.

Originally called The Florentino, the Grossi family purchased the business in 1998 fulfilling a 40 year dream of patriarch Pietro Grossi. Adding the Grossi name to its title, the Grossis have undertaken a four year renovation, restoring the restaurant and highlighting its original features – many of which had become lost or buried in the remnants of 75 years of changes, additions and refabs.

The Florentino has been frequented by decades of Prime Ministers and Victorian families alike. It’s feeling of occasion has seen it used as the venue for everything from annual family celebrations through to launches of the latest and greatest new businesses and Melbourne events. Guy Grossi has produced two fabulous books about Grossi Florentino and his food world.

The Grossi Florentino website showcases this restaurant beautifully and provides examples of current menus.
Grossi Florentino.com

Grossi Florentino
80 Bourke Street, City
Tel 03) 9662 1811
Melway 1B T5

Mural Room open Mon-Fri noon–3pm, Mon-Sat 6-11pm
Cellar Bar Mon-Sat 7.30am-1am
The Grill Mon-Sat noon-3pm, 6-11pm Grossi Florentino – The History

The year that the first traffic lights were installed in Melbourne saw the opening of what is surely Melbourne’s most enduring and loved Italian Restaurant. The Florentino was first opened in 1900 and was known as The Colonial Wine Shop. Samuel Wynn, of the famous wine making family took ownership in 1918 and he and his family lived in the building before transferring his Cafe Denat to the site. Samuel brought in Rinaldo Massoni an Italian from Lucca, who changed the name to The Florentino and changed the food to Italian. It was Rinaldo Massoni, who in 1934 commissioned Napier Weller to design and execute the famous murals in ‘The Mural Room’. Napier Weller also painted the Murals for The Melbourne Town Hall and the wonderful Mural Hall in the Myer Department store.

The ‘Mural Room’s panelling was made up of original cargo cases, sent over on the clipper ships from London. In 1946 Rinaldo Massoni’s son, Leon took over the helm and in the 50′s brought in his friend George Tsindos as a partner who he sold to in 1962. Branco Tocigl was the next owner, from 1980 for about 10 years and then from 1990 to December 1998 Lorraine Podgornik, the widow of builder developer Floyd Podgornik continued the tradition. The Grossi’s have, over the last four decades established a number of excellent Italian restaurants including Caffe Grossi, Pietro, Quadri and Epoca. Now that they have put their Grossi touch to this famous icon of Australian dining they can be justly proud of what they have achieved.