Head Chef LILY MCGRATH

The San Telmo Group is thrilled to welcome Lily McGrath as the new Head Chef at Robata Japanese Grill. An award-winning chef with a career spanning Melbourne’s most respected kitchens and international experience. Lily spent nine years at Movida, including four as Senior Sous Chef before moving into a Head Chef role at Gray and Gray, where she led the team to earn one chef’s hat. In 2024, she was named Good Food’s Young Chef of the Year, cementing her place as one of Melbourne’s most exciting young talents. 

At the heart of Lily’s cooking is a deep love of Japanese cuisine. Her connection began on a trip to Japan as a teenager, where she was captivated by the balance, precision, and generosity of the food. From hearty curries to everyday meals that were consistently satisfying and memorable. Since then, Japanese cuisine has remained her favourite to eat and a constant source of inspiration.

Lily thrives on the hands-on aspects of Japanese cooking, particularly robatayaki grilling, fermentation and dry-aged proteins. She loves working with fire, exploring the evolution of flavours through fermentation, and finding ways to balance bold, punchy flavours with the subtlety of Washoku.

“I’ve always loved fermenting. Watching ingredients evolve over time is fascinating. And grilling over fire is just fun. It’s a very different energy to cooking on a stove.”

 
At Robata, she is excited to honour the restaurant’s strong foundation while bringing a modern, Melbourne-inspired perspective. Drawing on her experience at Movida and Gray and Gray, Lily enjoys taking traditional techniques and flavours and presenting them in contemporary, playful ways that surprise and delight.

“I like taking something traditional and giving it a modern expression, while keeping what made it special in the first place.”

Outside of the kitchen, Lily is a devoted reader and a lover of communal meals, often sharing bubbling sukiyaki pots with friends and family. An approach that mirrors her collaborative and energetic style in the kitchen.

After leading Robata’s kitchen since its opening in 2021, Stephen Clark has passed the reins to Lily, who now guides the team into an exciting new chapter. One defined by fire, flavour, and a deep respect for the artistry of Japanese cuisine.