Ritz-Carlton, in business since 1911, is known around the world for its stately, high-end hotels. The chain first landed in Australia in 1991, opening a solitary hotel in Double Bay, Sydney, where INXS singer Michael Hutchence famously passed away.

When that hotel rebranded in 2001, Australia was left with none. But recently the company has plotted a major comeback. In 2019 it opened at Elizabeth Quay in Perth, and next month it’ll cut the ribbon on a gleaming 80-storey, 257-room building on Lonsdale Street. And on the very top floor, you’ll find a restaurant and a cocktail bar, respectively named Atria and Cameo.

Atria will be headed up by chef Michael Greenlaw, who’s spent more than 15 years in five-star hotels and restaurants – including Melbourne’s own Vue de Monde.

We think you might like Access. For $12 a month, join our membership program to stay in the know.

SIGN UP

He’ll work alongside one of Australia’s most respected chefs, Mark Best (former owner of Marque), who’s the hotel’s culinary advisor, to focus on small and artisan producers from around Australia, as well as hyper-seasonal ingredients such as Oak Hill truffles from Victoria’s Central Highlands and mussels from Mount Martha.

“Our vision for Atria and the dining experience at the Ritz-Carlton is driven by a quest for the unusual, the hard-to-find and the hyper-seasonal,” Greenlaw says. “It’s this quest that shapes the way we source our produce, informs our menus and inspires the culinary experiences we create for diners.”

The chefs at Atria will work behind enormous panes of glass, putting the kitchen front and centre while insulating diners from the clatter of pans and beep of timers. Melbourne-based design firm Layan is responsible for the overall look of interiors, which draw inspiration from the art deco and art nouveau movements.

The entry corridor is framed with abstract landscape artwork by Fred Williams – one of Australia’s most renowned painters – while the floor’s entire northern side is flanked by a bar made of Victorian ash, maximising the number of diners who can take advantage of the stunning views back towards Carlton and Fitzroy. A series of handmade chandeliers by local artists The Flaming Beacon likewise run the entire length of the restaurant, projecting and reflecting light throughout the space.

Atria and Cameo will open on March 23, 2023. Bookings are open now.

ritzcarlton.com