Call for expressions of interest on the Tolarno Hotel

The historic Tolarno Hotel set up by cherished Melbourne artist Mirka Mora and her husband Georges in the 60s is up for sale.

The sale includes the site’s 37-room hotel, restaurant and bar, and a slice of Mirka Mora’s art collection.

An iconic Melbourne restaurant and hotel is on the market for the first time in three decades.

St Kilda’s Tolarno Hotel, set up by cherished Melbourne artist Mirka Mora and her husband Georges in the 60s, hit the market on Tuesday.

The lucky buyer who snaps up the boutique Fitzroy St property will not only own the site’s 37-room hotel, restaurant and bar, but also a slice of Mora’s “enormous” and “significantly valuable” art collection.

Property agent CBRE, who is managing the freehold sale, is calling for expressions of interest.

Senior director of hotels Scott Callow said he’d already received calls about the property on Tuesday afternoon, but expects the number of interested buyers to grow in coming weeks.

Mirka Mora in 1989 with Jack Coulloupas and Abraham Dalla at the Tolarno Hotel.

While he would not reveal the asking price, he estimates a property of this calibre would attract a $5-6m price tag.

“A lot of people throw around terms ‘unique’ and ‘iconic’ when describing property, but this genuinely has a history through Mirka’s connections and is certainly a part of St Kilda and Fitzroy streets’ evolving space,” he said.

“I genuinely believe (the area) is turning a corner.”

The property is set to attract a $5-6m price tag. Picture: Josie Hayden

Longtime owners James Fagan and Bernard Corser are selling the 968 sqm property freehold after 30 years, which includes the land, building and ‘hundreds’ of paintings adorning the walls.

“(The sale) also includes the restaurant, which is not trading, and a bar. The hotel, with conference spaces, is currently under a long-term lease with rent being paid on that. There is an ability for a new owner to install a new beverage and restaurant offering,” Mr Callow said.

The Tolarno restaurant attracted notable Melbourne chefs and restaurateurs in its prime, including Guy Grossi, Iain Hewitson and Leon Massoni.

Guy Grossi and Mirka Mora at the Tolarno restaurant.

The French-born Mora was a colourful fixture of Melbourne’s art scene.

The holocaust survivor is known in the modern art scene for her colourful and vibrant paintings, sculptures and mosaic work.

She died in 2018, aged 90.

News of Tolarno Hotel’s listing is another promising sign Fitzroy Street may soon shake its seedy reputation.

Hospitality giants Ronald Di Stasio and Mallory Wall are reopening St Kilda’s beloved Cafe Di Stasio, complete with a new art gallery, later this year, with Melbourne chef Karen Martini relaunching the Saint George next week.