Hero, the hatted restaurant chef Karen Martini opened at ACMI in Melbourne’s Federation Square in February 2021, has closed.

In a media statement on Monday, a spokesperson for screen culture museum ACMI said: “Hero and its associated events management services, operated under licence by Michael Gebran of HospitalityM, together with Karen Martini, will be closing its doors today at ACMI.”

Martini described the restaurant’s closure as a very sad day.

“We thank all our beloved and loyal customers, supporters and suppliers, and hard-working staff,” she said. “We are currently seeking legal advice as to our options moving forward, including to recover loss and damage.”

A statement on Hero’s Instagram account said: “We regret to advise that today, 2 October 2023, ACMI purported to terminate our Operation and Events Management Agreement with immediate effect. As a result, Hero will not be trading for the foreseeable future.”

When it opened, the 150-seat all-day restaurant and events space was part of a $40 million revamp of ACMI (formerly Australian Centre for the Moving Image). Its opening was delayed almost a year by the pandemic.

Martini said at the time she hoped the restaurant would help reignite the CBD’s spark.

“The CBD is a bit sleepy but I know we’ll get there, as a city and in terms of greeting people from other states,” she told Good Food. “I hope we can pick up on the momentum of renewal and be part of it. Victoria has a lot to offer with our produce, our creativity, our talent.”

In its first review in March 2021, then-chief restaurant critic Gemima Cody praised the restaurant’s “textbook silky taramasalata dressed with trout roe” and unmissable vitello tonnato.

Martini has been cooking professionally for more than 20 years, making her name as chef at the Melbourne Wine Room and Mr Wolf in St Kilda, and at landmark Sydney restaurant Icebergs Dining Room.

The ACMI spokesperson said: “A new food and drink offer for ACMI will be announced soon.”