Head-to-Head · Melbourne

Grossi Florentino vs Brae

Florentino is the grand Bourke Street Italian room; Brae is Dan Hunter's farm restaurant in the Otways. Book Florentino in town, Brae as a pilgrimage.

Grossi Florentino

Bourke Street, CBD · Italian · Food 9 / Room 9 / Value 7

Grossi Florentino full review →

Brae

Birregurra, the Otways · Modern Australian · Food 9 / Room 9 / Value 8

Brae full review →

The Verdict

Florentino is the city institution. The grand upstairs dining room at 80 Bourke Street has dressed Melbourne occasions since 1928, with hand-painted murals, white linen and a kitchen that still makes its pasta and gnocchi by hand. The Grossi family sold the restaurant to Edition Hospitality in late 2025, and culinary director Michael Greenlaw now leads a refresh of the classic Italian cooking; the bones, the room and the made-from-scratch pasta, remain. It scores 9 for food, 9 for the room and 7 for value, and it is the in-town special-occasion table.

Brae is the destination. Dan Hunter cooks a daily-changing tasting menu on his own organic farm at Birregurra, in the Otways hinterland about ninety minutes from the city, with rooms on site so you can stay the night. The cooking is hyper-seasonal and rooted in the land it grows on, a long-time fixture on the World's 50 Best list and one of the most decorated kitchens in the country. It scores 9 for food, 9 for the room and 8 for value, and it is a journey, not a dinner.

The split is city versus country. Florentino is a grand Italian room you can reach on a tram and dress up for tonight; Brae is a farm restaurant you drive to and build a weekend around. One is Melbourne ceremony, the other a rural pilgrimage. Note that Victoria has no Michelin guide, so neither carries stars; both earn their standing on reputation.

Scores, Side by Side

Score	Grossi Florentino	Brae
Food	9 / 10	9 / 10
Atmosphere	9 / 10	9 / 10
Value	7 / 10	8 / 10

Which One for Which Occasion

Occasion	Editorial Pick
A grand night in the city	Grossi FlorentinoThe Bourke Street dining room, murals and white linen make it Melbourne's classic dressed-up Italian occasion.
A destination weekend	BraeDan Hunter's farm at Birregurra, with rooms on site, turns dinner into an overnight pilgrimage in the Otways.
A business or family dinner	Grossi FlorentinoA central CBD address, handmade pasta and a formal room suit a reliable, accessible special dinner in town.
A hyper-seasonal tasting menu	BraeThe daily-changing menu drawn from Brae's own organic farm is among the most seasonal cooking in the country.
Best value for the experience	BraeFor a full destination tasting with farm and accommodation, Brae edges Florentino on value, 8 to 7.

Price and How to Book

The split is in-town versus out-of-town. Florentino takes reservations for its grand upstairs dining room on Bourke Street and is reachable on a city tram, so it suits a dinner booked this week; the full picture is in the Grossi Florentino review. Brae sits ninety minutes away at Birregurra, books its tasting well ahead and rewards an overnight stay in its on-site rooms; the detail sits in the Brae review. Both anchor our Melbourne dining guide.

For cuisine context, weigh Florentino against the best Italian restaurants worldwide and Brae against the world's finest tasting-menu rooms. For occasion fit, see our picks for an anniversary and a first date. More Melbourne match-ups sit on the compare index, including Brae vs Cutler & Co.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better, Grossi Florentino or Brae?

They are different propositions, not ranks. Florentino is the grand in-town Italian institution on Bourke Street, ideal for a dressed-up city dinner; Brae is Dan Hunter's farm-to-table destination ninety minutes away at Birregurra, ideal for a weekend pilgrimage. Both score 9 for food and room, with Brae slightly ahead on value. Choose by whether you want a night in the city or a journey out of it. Both feature in our Melbourne dining guide.

Does Grossi Florentino or Brae have a Michelin star?

Neither, because the Michelin Guide does not cover Victoria or any of Australia at present. Both earn their standing through other measures: Florentino through nearly a century as a Melbourne institution, and Brae through a long run on the World's 50 Best list and top domestic accolades. Treat the absence of stars as a quirk of guide coverage rather than a verdict on the cooking. See the wider field in our Melbourne dining guide.

How much do Grossi Florentino and Brae cost?

Both are special-occasion spends. Florentino's grand upstairs room runs at fine-dining a la carte and set-menu prices, with the cellar adding quickly. Brae is a fixed multi-course tasting menu at a destination-restaurant price, and most diners add accommodation on site, so the true outlay includes a night's stay. Budget Florentino as a city dinner and Brae as a weekend that bundles the meal, the drive and the room.

How do I book Brae and Grossi Florentino?

Florentino takes reservations for its CBD dining room and is easy to reach in the city, so a table this week is realistic outside peak nights. Brae releases its tasting-menu seats well in advance and is best paired with an overnight stay in its on-site rooms, so plan further ahead and build travel around it. For both, start with our Melbourne dining guide to plan the wider trip.