State Of Grace

Even though I have been to «Fall From Grace» several times, I still get a kick out of having to pull the red book in the library to open the secret doorway down to the bar.
Like some sort of movie scene, you step between the sliding door bookcase and down some stairs into an old world first class secret bar.
I love walking down the marble staircase into the warmly lit bar with it’s eclectic décor complete with gilt mirrors, chandeliers & deer head mounted on the wall above the bar. It’s the bar you want to get dressed up for because it has dressed up for you.
The bartenders are impeccably groomed & know their craft. And to keep it classy they have a rule that they don’t serve shots.
Most Melbournians know the secret, but if you are entertaining someone from out of town & really want to impress them, this should be on top of your «go to» list.
Then, back in the restaurant, we had a great dinner: tasty food, beautiful sides, lovely wine and good cheeses to finish.
For first timers, this is what you get — enter from the street… to your left behind aforesaid curtains is the dining room — complete with giraffe head mounted on the wall: to your right the main bar with plenty of atmosphere.
Love this place !!!

Cool setting, good staff. Lunch out fairly quick on a weekday — about 20 minutes.
The giraffe head (was told it’s real) is definitely a talking point. It’s comfy and spacious in the dining area otherwise.
Food and drink service was great. Food itself was OK; burgers and steaks looked good, salmon was pre cooked for the lunch rush, but still tasted fine.
Good destination for a casual lunch or dinner, pricing is reasonable for a Collins St frontage.

This is a really tough call.
The food was great, well cooked and the proportions generous.
The staff were great and friendly and the décor and atmosphere very special.
But… In the first 10 mins I was denied things that on reflection I would have expected were reasonable requests.
The first was we asked to be seated at a 2 seater table by the window. We were told no as all the tables were fully booked.
Okay, I thought no biggy… but as it turned out that table remained empty for the 2.5 hrs we dined. Perhaps it was booked and they never turned up? I will never know but it was a small thing that would have meant a lot to us and was denied– it seems — for no good reason. However in isolation this would have been sent through to the keeper and the benefit of the doubt awarded. But when I ordered the wine the bottle was taken away and I was NOT allowed to keep it at the table.
This meant that when my glass was empty I had to either wait until someone noticed (which happened but not without delay) or I spent my time trying to catch the eye of a waitress rather than talking to to my wife or enjoying the food I wanted to eat WITH my wine.
I have been to many restaurants around the world and this is first time this has ever happened.
And for this reason, unless the policy changes, I will not be returning despite all the positives I outlined before.
When I am paying a fair amount for a meal it needs to be relaxed and hassle free.

My friend and I were passing by the other night and had a high expectation for such a fancy place. So we decided to spend our last night of Melbourne here. At the very beginning, the bartender Bianca was very patient to recommend me drinks even she was terrible busy. The drinks were nice. Unfortunately everything ended as that doorman came and treat us with rudeness. When he told us that it’s forbidden to have the food from outside (actually it’s just a half piece of brownie left from afternoon coffee, and we really dont know they got this policy otherwise we would never do that), we apologized for our mistakes and put it back immediately. Then that doorman said to us“Did you guys finish your drinks? if you do, get out of this place“That is unbelievable rude… When we intended to complain with the owner, he even blocked the way .Of course finally Bianca came and apologizd for that. But I have to sayt that was my worst experience in Melbourne, as well as in Australia…

I might have to call this bar a bit over-​rated. I think the novelty of pulling the book out of a shelf to enter the downstairs bar makes for a fun picture… but, usually when you go to bars like that, the bartenders are super helpful and passionate about what they are doing. I didn’t think the bartenders there seemed that way at all. Our drinks were good, but we went to a whole bunch of bars in Melbourne, including speakeasies with very similar atmospheres, where the drinks were just as good or better, so I could say that you could probably skip this one.

Funky place to end our progressive dinner experience with cocktails.
Was pumping out the sounds in Fall from Grace and the Southside cocktail was fab!
Love the «hidden» bar and the décor is really cool.
Definitely a place to head for great drinks and some music, was loud though so if you want your voice box to work the next day you will struggle.
To me though that is always a sign of a great night out!
If you haven’t been you should totally check this place out!!!
Will be back for sure!

Lovely ambience, could really sit here all afternoon.
Excellent service.
Have a ‘quick lunch’ menu that’s is really well priced though selfishly I would like more options.
All happy with our selections — I had a pulled pork burger and ST had the salmon.

Love the downstairs bar set up. Very cool without being wanky.
Had dinner upstairs on the high tables. Fun night but imagine the entrance area would get bloody cold in Winter.

Really enjoyed State of Grace… we couldn’t get a reservation in the restaurant, but the staff managed to seat us in the bar area, which actually was pretty pleasant.
The restaurant was super busy, but the staff managed to get our food orders out to us in a timely manner… cocktails were delicious, wine was very good, food was superb… everything we ate was really tasty and well presented.
Would definitely recommend and would definitely come back next time we are in Melbourne…

Because this is literally down the road from my workplace. We stopped by for a quick wine. A bottle will cost you$ 48 and a beer will cost $ 9. I think because it’s in the financial district it can charge you an arm and a leg. We sat outside because a few of us are smokers so I’m not quite sure what the inside is like. The outside has only a few seatings and its ok for a quick drink. I probably won’t go here again. It doesn’t have any ambience for me to return. I can’t comment on service as we had very little of it.

Love the vibe in this place. A classy underground bar with wonderful cocktails. Great place for a date or some drinks with a group. I have spent a couple of nights here now and have enjoyed every time. Awsome décor and great staff.

*Review incomplete
Not eaten, but had a few drinks downstairs in their secret cellar bar and safe to say I thought it was pretty spiffy.
Cocktails were amazing!

So yeah, grazing dishes are small yet full of flavour. They’re worth it though a tad overpriced. Staff are nice but have a hint of high rotation; less experience perhaps than most. I must be getting old but the whole gimmick of the moving bookshelf didn’t do it for me. Meh.
Would go again, but other options considered

I have never seen an underground bar that you access via a secret door in the bookshelf!

State of Grace is one of those impressionable places that after visiting, you will find yourself asking everyone if they have been there yet. Well, after losing count of how many people had told me to go here, I finally came in to check out what the fuss was about. Especially to discover what was behind the secret bookcase (aka ‘Fall from Grace’).
In the mood to solve a mystery, I thought maybe they left you to discover the bar on your own. On entering, we were swiftly greeted and asked if we wanted to go downstairs. They then pulled the secret book and revealed the staircase, directing us down. For a moment we felt like the magic of the idea had been rushed a tad, but once the door closed behind us and we were left to discover Fall from Grace, our curiosity and excitement grew again.
So what can you find downstairs? An impressively spacious 1920’s-glam fit-​out, filled with swing music, big leather chairs, tables for small groups and a great good cocktail and wine list.
This is a fun place that takes itself just seriously enough and while I only stopped in for a quick glass of bubbles, I will be back for sure.

From the story book menu to the secret bookshelf to access down stairs. Fall from Grace is the perfect place to enjoy that glass of wine after work in a quant yet eclectic setting from a Sherlock Holmes film.
The bar staff are so helpful and have a range for even the pickiest for drinkers. They don’t have an extensive bar menu but what they lack in hors d’oeuvres they make up for in atmosphere.

I have been fortunate enough to be able to access a few speakeasy bars in the world. I was really looking forward to going to State of grace with their secret cellar bar and adding this to the list. The concept of the library book shelf is class and having to pull a book down to reveal the stairway down to the cellar bar is a great design. State of grace is a restaurant/​bar which most people think with two separate rooms, some people most wonder/​think that it’s strange when couples/​groups walk right in and head to the toilet. Well that’s where it all begins!
Anyone can access this secret bar and there is no reservation list, which I found strange comparing to the rest I have been to. The place was very cool and had a cool vibe. Most speakeasy places are quiet and intimate with separate booths, where this place was more of a free for all, getting yourself a place to sit/​stand. The same can be said for getting yourself a drink at the bar with large numbers waiting to be served. This is where I think it lost some points for me, the organisation at the bar could have been better but understandable hard for the bartenders to see who is next or has been waiting for a while for a drink. (Being Scottish we don’t like to be waiting long to wet our tongue) The cocktails I had were really good, one was a specialized whisky contraption recommend by the mixologist and the other was a apple martini for my girlfriend. The price was $ 45 so some might think that’s a little pricey but most of the time these places are a little pricey. There is no dress code here which let’s it down a little I think, I know some people might think that’s harsh or an arrogant statement but if you have a place likes this it has to be smart dressed or smart/​casual ex specially on a Saturday night. Anyway enough of that, I would recommend you go give it a try, maybe one for taking a date on sure to be a winner with this little surprise.

Great service n servers. AWESOME ‘Great Gatsby’ design N music. Good (not awesome) food – snapper was dry’ish but delish. I wont order again but i will go back and bring friends and co-​workers. Beets w meringue-​looking spritzs was delish!

Up the top of the ‘non Paris end’ of Collins St lies a secret hideaway. It starts with a bright, open and bustling bar at street level — ‘State of Grace’. Here, professional types mingle with a younger, almost grungy crowd, quite unexpected — perhaps the new bar is feeling out its clientele. No matter, the drinks are good, the staff friendly — it’s comfortable and very relaxed. And then… behind the door to the toilets sits a book shelf. Find the secret button and the shelving slides back, revealing a staircase. If the moving book case doesn’t make you feel like you’re part of a fairy tale then what waits below will really make you feel like you’ve slipped down the hatch. This or you are part of the bootleg era, finding an opulent speakeasy to commit your sins. There are chandeliers, lamps dripping with crystals and dark timber furniture but individual paisley chairs and old velvet armchairs create a juxtaposition that welcomes, rather than intimidates. The drinks (and there are plenty of cocktails, wines and about 7 beers on tap) matter little — they will suffice; it’s all about occasion. On my visit we left by 7 pm and it was busy but still a few seats available. I would love to bring a group and spend the evening — it’s a pretty special place.