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Food

Grossi Florentino Upstairs Epic Melbourne Lunch

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Grossi Florentino Upstairs is one of the iconic quintessential dining experiences of Melbourne for any occasion. The World Loves Melbourne enjoyed an epic lunch thanks to Edmond Jeannot, IT Director extraordinaire from London who is a connoisseur of European food and wine. With the legend Guy Grossi in the kitchen this was a lunch experience of the highest order. Check out our Best Italian Restaurants in Melbourne.

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Grossi Florentino is like stepping into classic Europe; a place where tradition and progress intertwine, to create a sanctuary for food, art and wine.

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Here you will find exacting, engaging and professional service. They will attend to your table with great attention, explain the dishes, have recommendations for you before you even ask, and take a genuine interest in the guests.

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Edmond Jeannot is one of the world's great IT Directors and a lover of all things Burgundy and Bordeaux. An old friend he was over from London at short notice for a few days. We hadn't caught up for about 5 years; and Grossi Florentino was the perfect venue to do so. Edmond and his family are taking the world by storm, each member of the family highly influential; whether champions of sport, echelons of the World Bank or leading world charities assisting Syrian asylum seekers, as well as huge IT infrastructure projects. And Edmond is a fellow Arsenal supporter (an emotional test).

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Olives and Crostini bread sticks to start proceedings...

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Croquettes perfectly crispy outside and delicate inside; one of several starters before our first course, a welcome pleasure.

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Bridge Road Brewers from Beechworth on a hot Melbourne day; the perfect refreshing ale.

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Bread was a meal in itself; no half measures, although at an iconic Italian establishment you expect fresh bread as a feature (with accompaniments below).

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Who can resist Duck liver ragu? GARGANELLE Duck Liver and Pancetta Ragu, Marsala, Sage Pangrattato was a rustic triumph.

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RABBIT AGRODOLCE Risoni, Crispy Saltbush was a triumph; rustic overdrive with perfectly cooked rabbit and modern twist of crispy Australian saltbush added.

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Australian and global legend Guy Grossi kindly came out of the kitchen to greet us; a highlight of our epic lunch. the World Loves Melbourne has huge admiration for Guy Grossi as an industry legend and his emphasis on family; not to mention his amazing food, TV celebrity chef prowess and his particular skill with truffle dishes.

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We don't see rabbit on many Melbourne menus but remember rabbit as Italian peasant food of yesteryear and a feature of our childhood dining.

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RAVIOLI ALL’UOVO Egg Yolk, Smoked Ricotta, Butter, Sage, Amaretti, Aged Balsamic, Parmigiano Reggiano is a famous dish at Grossi Florentino; with Guy Grossi producing this dish on camera in cooking demonstrations. This is an indulgent dish with all the things we love; smoky, butter, runny egg, and parmigiano reggiano.

A rare Aged Balsamic was poured over the dish with a sense of theatre...

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Edmond had never experienced an Australian Pinot so we imbibed the Brokenwood Indigo Vineyard Pinot Noir from Beechworth which had a sweetness across the palate.

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SHER WAGYU RUMP CAP 9+ Young Corn, Onion and Rosemary, Bone Marrow, Hazelnut Salsa Verde was a standout in terms of a meat dish; the best rump available with excellent accompaniment of young corn, the indulgence of creamy intense bone marrow, and a delightful salsa verde. Edmond and I both enjoyed this dish; it was hard to go past.

Grossi Florentino have recently acquired a new grill; the interior has been designed by Mills Gorman Architects and the wood fired oven is perfect for steaks.

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Our lunch concluded after about 3 1/2 hours with refreshing sorbet, coffee and petit fours.

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Thank you Edmond! Grossi Florentino was an epic experience and worthy of it's Melbourne icon status.