ITALIANS DO IT BETTER
Tricked up or traditional, this comfort cuisine is always cool. Here are the eateries doing it best.
Marameo / VIC
After a recent makeover, this CBD fixture has emerged as Melbourne’s leading proponent of modern Italian dining. Aesthetically, architect Chris Connell has turned the site’s first-floor eyrie and hidden terrace into minimalist beauties, while a similar transformation in the kitchen is proving just the thing to lure a new generation of diners – without alienating traditionalists. It remains the home of pasta excellence (ribbons of reginette with white-wine-braised rabbit will make any classicist smile) but there are surprising moments, too, like the horseradish dust that lends its nose-tickling power to seared scallops and buttery carrot purée, and a burrata dressed in the earthy rubble of toasted walnuts and fragrant basil oil. What Marameo achieves is a rare balancing act: it’s smart enough to anchor a special occasion yet relaxed enough to pop in for aperitivo hour on the terrace.
6 Russell Place, Melbourne; (03) 9639 7822; marameo.com.au; open Monday-Saturday for lunch and dinner
Ragazzi Wine & Pasta / NSW
The wheel isn’t so much reinvented as creatively tweaked at this lively Sydney laneway spot specialising in hand-rolled pasta made in-house every morning. A classic cacio e pepe gets more pep with the help of piquant Espelette pepper; curly edged ribbons of mafaldine locking tendrils with cuttlefish arrive thrumming with the umami heat of fermented chilli. Chef Scott McComas-Williams’ den of pasta perfection broadens the Italian brief to excellent snacks – including a single, curling Cantabrian anchovy on sourdough slathered in chive butter or the straight-up delight of pig’s head and mozzarella croquettes. The carb-driven menu is exceptional, as is the wine collection; expect a proudly Italian list with its cup brimming over in regionality.
Shop 3, 2-12 Angel Place, Sydney; (02) 8964 3062; ragazziwineandpasta.com; open seven days for lunch and Monday-Saturday for dinner
Dilly Dally / WA
Living is even easier in Subiaco thanks to the recent arrival of Dilly Dally. The wood and terracotta-toned interiors could have been designed to the blueprint of “an Italian pub” and there’s a similar easygoing charm to the food. You’re in danger of being struck by indecision over a lengthy menu that offers the greatest hits of Italian food without falling into cliché. Punchy starters of pork and veal meatballs in a spicy sugo and puffy-crusted pizzas with char in all the right places are about the comfort factor, while bigger dishes such as squid with white beans and nduja, the spicy Calabrian salami paste, show that this is no one-trick pony.
87 Rokeby Road, Subiaco; (08) 6228 1986; dillydally.com.au; open Wednesday-Saturday for lunch and Tuesday-Saturday for dinner
Aces Pizza & Liquor / SA
There’s a new reason to visit Adelaide Central Market and it’s pretty, well, aces. The next generation behind the 27-year-old business has reimagined the market fixture formerly known as Aces Bar and Bistro, enlisting Africola’s Duncan Welgemoed as executive chef to give the menu a thorough shake-up. You can expect plenty of ItalianAmerican influences (red sauce!), whether that’s on the pasta list – rigatoni with spicy vodka napoli and spaghetti meatballs that could have been made for Ol’ Blue Eyes himself – or a chilli pepperoni pizza (don’t worry, old-schoolers, you can still get a margherita). The bottle shop that’s been newly installed at the entrance allows you to buy before you dine, while the New York-style fit-out is black-leatherbooth plushness.
62-72 Gouger Street, Adelaide; (08) 8231 6797; acespizzaliquor.com; open MondaySaturday for breakfast and lunch and ThursdaySaturday for dinner
Fico / TAS
Fico is one of the island state’s must-do experiences, marrying Italian principles with Tasmanian produce – and the occasional intrusion of Japanese influences. If that sounds jarring, trust us: on the plate it serves as a masterclass in synchronicity. Talented chef partners Federica Andrisani and Oskar Rossi have a deep understanding of the building blocks that make Italian food hum, with offerings such as yuzu with goats’ curd and broad beans. Or for something simple yet special, there’s dashi revving up spaghetti with sea urchin as part of the Sunday night casual à la carte menu.
151 Macquarie Street, Hobart; (03) 6245 3391; ficofico.net; open Sunday for lunch and Friday-Sunday for dinner
The Italian Place / ACT
A Latin love-in in triplicate, this deli, bar and restaurant is a pit stop for Canberrans looking for take-home salumi and cheese, an Aperol Spritz at aperitivo hour or a plate of rustic artisanal pasta. Bedded in the philosophy of cucina povera (literally “poor kitchen” but more commonly known as “peasant food”), the menu is studded with favourites, including saltimbocca and zesty Sicilian caponata.
38 Mort Street, Braddon; (02) 6179 8812; theitalianplace.net.au; restaurant open Tuesday-Sunday for lunch and dinner
Pasta Club / QLD
Like the name says, you’ll get pasta here; stand-out renditions of its classic forms, from spaghetti, maybe in a parmesan-rich carbonara with smoked salt, to fusilli with prawns in a bright salsa rossa or agnolotti filled with pumpkin and finished with burnt butter sauce. Add more deliciousness in the form of truffled mushroom arancini, creamy burrata with salsa verde or a tumble of braised calamari. This club is intimate, local and fun, with low-fi vibes extending to its BYO vinyl policy for the turntable.
237 Boundary Street, West End; 0407 577 707; clubpasta.com; open Saturday for lunch and Tuesday-Sunday for dinner