DJ Grant Smillie headlines new Californian inspired venue Marmont at Crown Melbourne
He’s behind some of Los Angeles’ favourite nightspots, now Melbourne DJ Grant Smillie is coming home to launch a Californian inspired, day-to-night eatery at Crown Melbourne.
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Crown Melbourne has ditched plans to open a glossy riverside bar at the old Rosetta site, pivoting to a new project involving homegrown DJ Grant Smillie instead.
Marmont will be a new “day-to-night” with a “Californian-inspired concept” spinning small plates, elevated cocktails and a thumping DJ booth housing a rotating list of performers.
“I’ve been talking with Crown for years about doing something, but our timing never aligned,” Smillie told the Herald Sun.
“That all changed this year … and around May we started talking about the potential of partnering together on this project.”
Smillie isn’t a stranger to Yarra River bars, co-founding floating bar Pony Fish Island in 2013, before moving to the States to build a career as a restaurateur.
He launched Botanical Hospitality Group with David Combes the same year, then went on to open West Hollywood nightspots E.P and L.P.
“(Marmont) will certainly have a blend of great food, music, and a deep beverage program,” he said.
“I often said of E.P. that you can come for a meal and stay for the night and that will also be the case with Marmont. It is probably, however, a bit more of a grown-up version of what I have previously done.”
Smillie is remaining tight-lipped on Marmont’s food and drink plan, including who the executive chef will be.
The news of Marmont comes six months after Crown announced Italian stalwart Rosetta, previously owned by Neil Perry, was closing and would be replaced by The Henley.
At the time The Henley was touted to deliver a Victorian food and drink focus, with a dramatic U-shaped marble bar the centrepiece of the space.
Marmont is slated to open December.
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