Head Chef LILY MCGRATH

We’re so excited to welcome Lily McGrath as the new Head Chef at Robata Japanese Grill. An award-winning chef whose career has taken her from Melbourne institutions to international kitchens, Lily brings sharp skill, creativity and humour to everything she does but at the heart of it all is a simple love of good food.

Lily spent nine years at Movida including four as Senior Sous Chef, where she played a key role in shaping the menu and mentoring the team. In 2024, she was named Good Food’s Young Chef of the Year before stepping into her first Head Chef role at Gray and Gray. Where she led the team to earn a Chef’s Hat, cementing her place as one of Melbourne’s most exciting young talents. Shortly after, Lily helped open the Movida Bangkok outpost before returning home to take the reins at Robata.

“My love of cooking comes from a love of eating. I like to eat good food, so I love to cook good food.”
Her style reflects Melbourne’s rich and diverse dining scene. “The food I cook is very much a product of Melbourne. I enjoy using ingredients and ideas from across a broad spectrum of cuisines. My favourite food to make is tiny punchy snacks.”

While Lily doesn’t believe in having a “signature dish,” one that stands out in her mind is a scallop dish paired with a crisp hash brown and chilli cheese foam. Her dishes are bold, playful and ingredient-driven, often with a focus on seasonality.

 
Lily’s connection to Japanese cuisine began as a teen on her first visit to Japan which funnily enough wasn’t even food related at all. “I was competing in a trampolining competition.”  She was captivated by the precision, freshness and depth of flavour that defines the country's cuisine. Since then Japanese cuisine has remained her favourite, returning several times and continuing to explore Japanese cooking throughout her career.

Now at Robata, she’s excited to build on the restaurant’s strong foundation, embracing the artistry of robata grilling, yakitori, kushiyaki and dry-aged seafood and meats, while continuing to shape a menu that reflects both tradition and Melbourne’s own dynamic food scene.

Outside of the kitchen, Lily is a self-professed bookworm who devours novels for up to four hours a day.

 
What she enjoys most about hospitality is the pace and energy. “I love to be very, very busy, so kitchen work lends itself to that.” She’s equally passionate about leadership and mentoring, ensuring her kitchens are places of creativity, collaboration and growth.

After steering Robata’s kitchen since opening in 2021, Stephen Clark has now passed on the reins to Lily, who leads the talented Robata team into its next chapter. One defined by innovation, inclusivity and a shared love of great food cooked over fire.