Located in Cranbourne’s old St Agatha’s church, The Amazing Grace has established itself as the up and coming dining venue in the South East.
That reputation will be further enhanced by news that The Amazing Grace is the winner of the Casey Cardinia Business Award for Hospitality.
Owners Paul White and Vanessa Dixon and their team have poured new life into the old church, which dates back to 1929, creating a series of beautiful spaces offering a range of dining and drinking experiences.
The Amazing Grace offers five distinct areas. Inside the chapel, the bar features original and restored leadlight windows and has great acoustics for live music.
The upstairs loft lures visitors into the church’s original, exposed cathedral trusses and is used for corporate events, exclusive functions or intimate dining.
The newly built Greenroom perfectly juxtaposes the old with the new. Mr White said its earthy design with wall gardens and a fireplace appeals to spontaneous pop-ins by locals and casual nights out, offering space for a long lunch, family dining and cheeky late-night cocktails.
The walls of the Green Room open to a laneway creating a sanctuary for alfresco dining. The laneway wraps around St Agatha’s to reveal a beer-garden with solid hand-crafted red gum tables.
Mr White has 25 years’ experience in the hospitality business, bringing energy to his venues that have made them successful in tourist hot spots such as Mt Hotham, Dinner Plain and the Mornington Peninsula.
His and Vanessa’s philosophy is that food should be “fresh and seasonal, shared and moreish“.
“The beer should be cold and ever-changing, the wine list local and independent and the cocktails strong,“ Mr White said.
Theya re also strong supporters of independent music.
“We have live touring-original artists grace our stage, DJs for dancing, stand-up comedy to laugh our blues away and Blues nights to savour them.
“We believe food plus music brings people together.“
