Melbourne’s famous dining district on Hardware Lane welcomes a new addition to the block, where vibrant modern Mexican cooking leaves gluten behind and raises a margarita or three to the CBD.

In the short weeks since opening, Hotel Nacional has quickly become a haven for the coeliacs who want to enjoy a night out without the worry. Drawing inspiration from the heritage of the Oaxacan and Yucatan regions in Mexico, Hotel Nacional offers a menu that celebrates the best of Mexican flavours while ensuring every dish is entirely gluten-free.

For managing director Taylor Granchi (Repeat Offender, Rufio), a dietary-friendly venue was the logical move after years navigating guests’ health needs when dining out. “We’ve always wanted to do gluten-free dining because we found that there was a gap in the market, but also working in hospitality, we’ve seen that some dietaries weren’t taken seriously enough. Someone’s experience with dietary restrictions could affect the whole table’s experience.”

Owner Alex Greco explains: “We are here to champion delicious food that’s for everyone and know how important it is to create an experience where customers not only feel safe and welcomed, but catered for as well.”

Mexican cuisine naturally lends itself to gluten-free dining, thanks to its reliance on staple ingredients like corn, beans, rice and seafood. Hotel Nacional capitalises on this compatibility, crafting a menu that showcases the versatility and depth of Mexican flavours while adhering to strict gluten-free standards.

“We thought that by creating a Mexican menu, we could achieve a gluten-free venue while not being too obvious, and not taking away from the end product,” Granchi says.

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As for the dishes on offer, you won’t even miss the wheat. Complex starters like the creamy cauliflower tofu with wakame, peanut, and a bracingly spicy salsa macha or the housemade chorizo with smoky salsa tatemada and corn chips are a far cry from the sad gluten-free options of yesteryear.

It’s not just the coeliacs who can breathe a sigh of relief though; every meat-free dish is also completely vegan, further proof that you can make friends with salad. Argentinian-born head chef Sergio Tourn (Tino, The Vale) has skilfully shone the light on the wonderful world of vegetables while remaining loyal to his Latin roots.

Prawn tostadas are spiked with mezcal, barramundi sits aside guajillo braised beans and pico de gallo.

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Tourn says, “The tostada with the prawn ceviche is a really refreshing dish; it’s a familiar place but with a really unique flavour.

“I love wrapping the barramundi in banana leaves which creates a really interesting combination of flavours. (The menu) is familiar, but with a different feeling.”

The restaurant’s ambience mirrors its culinary inspiration, with sandy-coloured interiors and earthy neutral tones dominating the five-level bar and dining space. Pops of green break up the coastal tones, and with multiple spaces to settle into, Hotel Nacional wears many hats.

Check it out for after work cocktails on the rooftop on Monday, date night in the dining room come Thursday, and gossip sessions in the cosy cream-coloured booths by Saturday.

Hotel Nacional is located at 23-25 Hardware Ln, Melbourne. For more details head to the website.

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