WWII Dug Out bunker reborn under Swanston St | Grill’d
The discreet, speak-easy-style entrance on Swanston St leads diners down into the historic WWII “Dug Out” bunker beneath the CBD.
A secret wartime “Dug Out” bunker buried beneath Swanston St has been uncovered and transformed into a 170-seat underground restaurant after decades hidden away.
Once run by Myer Department Store as an Allied Services Club for servicemen and women during World War II, the historic basement now anchors Grill’d’s biggest restaurant in the Melbourne CBD.
The two-level venue can host about 170 guests, including a private dining room for up to 70 people.
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During construction, crews stripping back ceilings discovered concealed heritage elements that reshaped the final design.
Grill’d National Construction Manager David Lindorff said the basement once known as “The Dug Out” revealed concealed heritage features during construction that required careful adaptive design solutions.
“Working within an existing CBD structure always presents challenges, but discovering those elements reinforced the importance of respecting the building’s history while delivering a contemporary venue,” Mr Lindorff said.
Inside the former Allied Services Club basement, moody lighting and exposed elements nod to the space’s 1940s wartime past.
A vintage postcard advertising Myer’s WWII-era “Dug Out” Allied Services Club, once a gathering place for servicemen beneath Swanston St. Picture: State Library of Victoria
The original Dug Out operated during the 1940s as a social hub where Allied troops could gather beneath the city during wartime.
Now it has been repurposed into a destination dining space, with street level designed for fast service while downstairs leans into the moodier, bunker-like character of the original structure.
Mr Lindorff said upgrading services, accessibility and compliance within the existing CBD shell required careful staging.
The underground dining room seats about 170 guests, including a private function space for up to 70 people.
Grill’d Swanston St is now the brand’s largest Melbourne CBD venue, spanning two levels above and below ground.
“There were constraints typical of inner-city projects, including limited access, tight time frames and heritage considerations, but the result is a space that celebrates its past while functioning as a modern hospitality venue,” he said.
Swanston St sees about 12 million pedestrians each year, making large-format sites in the precinct rare and highly sought after.
Grill’d founder Simon Crowe said reopening the historic Dug Out beneath Swanston St was a proud moment for the Melbourne-based brand.
The basement restaurant, once a wartime refuge for Allied troops, has been reimagined as one of the CBD’s largest casual dining spaces.
Grill’d Founder Simon Crowe said opening the venue in Melbourne carried particular significance.
“Melbourne is our home and my passion, so opening our biggest restaurant in such an iconic, heritage-listed building is very exciting,” Mr Crowe said.
“To bring the Dug Out back to life and give people the chance to experience a piece of Melbourne history in a completely new way is something we’re really proud of.”
What was once a wartime refuge for Allied servicemen and women is now one of the CBD’s biggest casual dining spaces, blending a chapter of Melbourne’s military history with one of its busiest retail corridors.
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