13 Italian restaurants in Melbourne guaranteed to fuel your fire

With slick new openings, classic cucinas and masterful high-end dining, there’s a lot to love in Melbourne’s Italian restaurant world.

Melbourne’s Little Italy has long magnetised the city’s visitors, but the lasting legacy of the city’s sizable Italian community extends well beyond the borders of Carlton. It created the blueprint for Melbourne’s world renowned cafe culture, and laid the groundwork for future generations of chefs to create Italian-inspired fusion food.

Today, Victoria’s capital, is awash with Italian eateries of every kind. From vibrant family-friendly pub-style osterie and glamorous Milanese-inspired CBD restaurants to cosy farm-to-fork Sardinian eateries. Eat your way around the city with this shortlist of Italian restaurants in Melbourne.

The shortlist

Best date spot: Di Stasio
Hidden gem: Da Noi
Hottest new opening: Elio’s Place

1. Studio Amaro

hands getting food on the plate using fork at Studio Amaro — Dig into specialty Italian pasta at Studio Amaro. (Image: Julia Sansone)

On a strip of Windsor’s Chapel Street, heaving with bars and restaurants Studio Amaro ’s cool Dean Martin vibe is all its own. Sunny by day, moody by night, its sleek design shines in retro shades of olive, burgundy and mustard, with a wall of Amaro bottles shimmering in the light. Amaro? That’s the bittersweet Italian herbal aperitivo or digestivo (post-dinner) liqueur. You’ll find around 50 varieties to sip neat or in a cocktail.

Chef Daniel Migliaccio’s open kitchen is fired up. Scoop up the whipped ricotta with addictive house-made focaccia or indulge in a chunky curve of grilled pork and fennel sausage. Rigatoni arrabiata comes tomato-infused, chilli-laced and dotted with stracciatella. Mains are generous – saltimbocca, veal cotoletta (cutlet), fish – with Italian flourishes.

Post-dinner, head downstairs to the basement bar, where a DJ spins vinyl in a disco lounge.

Cuisine: Italian

Average price: $$$

Atmosphere: Sultry

Location: 168 Chapel St, Windsor

2. Puttanesca Osteria

a hand slicing pizza at Puttanesca Osteria, Italian restaurants Melbourne — Devour one slice after another at Puttanesca Osteria. (Image: Supplied)

Puttanesca Osteria in Kew’s Clifton Hotel evokes a regional Italian eatery to a T. It sprawls across multiple rooms, with dark timbers, terrazzo floors, arched doorways and iconic film posters.

Culinary classics stud the menu (think crunchy arancini with melting centres, pillowy gnocchi, ‘mamma’s’ beef meatballs and Roman-style pizzas with crisp, charred bases), and there’s an inviting, family-friendly atmosphere too.

Cuisine: Italian

Average price: $$$

Atmosphere: Family-friendly trattoria

Location: 99 High St, Kew

3. Luci

the sleek and modern dining interior of Luci restaurant in Melbourne — Luci is within the confines of the Grand Hall of the former 1930s Equity Chambers Building. (Image: Hilton Melbourne Little Queen Street)

A fabulous space in the CBD – the Grand Hall of the former 1930s Equity Chambers Building – is home to Luci’s , where the polished marble, sculptural light fittings and tall ceilings offer a sleek and modern feel. Produce-driven, with discreet style and service, Luci has the polish of a Milanese restaurant. While the menu is Italian-inflected you’ll find other Mod Oz flourishes too, from crostini topped with prosciutto and Davidson plum to rabbit ravioli garnished with Geraldton wax oil.

Cuisine: Modern Australian

Average price: $$$$

Atmosphere: Members lounge vibes

Location: 472 Bourke St, Melbourne

4. Officina Gastronomica Italiana

an exclusive wine selection at Officina Gastronomica Italiana — Pick wine off the shelf for a full-on Italian experience. (Image: @HiSylvia)

In a ritzy pocket of Hawksburn, surrounded by designer fashion stores and breathtakingly expensive baby boutiques, Officina Gastronomica Italiana (OGI) offers the full-on Italian experience, low-key and laid-back but lively all at once. Expect a rustic interior, all stripped-back brick and hard-edge timber stools, and a little bit of theatre from the Italian waiters.

Start the day with a breakfast bruschetta or just caffé e biscotti. Sample fresh panini, house-made pasta and salads for lunch. And indulge with dishes such as squid ink spaghettoni with spanner crab and chilli, or pumpkin ravioli with goat’s cheese and mustard fruit at dinner. It seems modest, but it’s super fresh and confidently cooked.

The wine focus is centred on Emilia-Romagna and features artisanal production.

Cuisine: Italian

Average price: $$$

Atmosphere: Elegantly rustic

Location: 532/534 Malvern Rd, Prahran

5. Al Dente Enoteca

a plate of pasta at Al Dente Enoteca — Savour elegant dishes at Al Dente Enoteca.

Al Dente’s main dining room, ‘Enoteca’, is an elegant and stylishly modern space with generously spaced tables; the second dining room (named ‘Sapori’) is for those who like to be a little more cheek-to-jowl.

Chef/owners Andrea Vignali and Davide Bonadiman focus on fresh, seasonal and local produce, though pasta is the standout star here (particularly the house signature, tortelloni cacio e pepe). After all, it was the success of Vignali’s Covid pasta delivery service that helped to launch this restaurant in 2021. But Al Dente offers much more, with dishes that riff on regional Italian classics while incorporating unexpected ingredients, like exquisitely fresh burrata paired with heirloom beetroot, cashews, and merlot vinegar; Victorian dry-aged duck served with Kakadu plum; and kangaroo tartare with mustard, capers, and applewood smoke. You’ll also find an interesting wine list and attentive service.

Cuisine: Modern Australian

Average price: $$$$

Atmosphere: Chic and inviting

Location: 161 Nicholson St, Carlton

6. Di Stasio

the Italian restaurant interior of Di Stasio in St Kilda — The classic fine Italian diner stands out for its sophisticated interior. (Image: Di Stasio St Kilda Photography)

Take your pick – the original in St Kilda, the cool Carlton iteration or the modish Spring Street version. Di Stasio restaurants set the bar high (and they’re a little bit spendy).

Di Stasio St Kilda has burnished its food and service credentials over decades with a classic, high-end Italian menu.  Di Stasio Pizzeria in Carlton is younger, even a little hip, with its pasta/pizza menu and leafy, sculpture-studded courtyard. Di Stasio Città is the arty, Milan-channelling, hard-edge city outpost in Spring Street. It’s über-chic and you’ll find no surprises on the menu,but it’s all faultlessly executed.

Cuisine: Italian

Average price: $$$$

Atmosphere: Fine dining

Location: 45 Spring Street, Melbourne (Di Stasio Città)

7. Alta Trattoria

Italian dining at Alta Trattoria, Fitzroy — This Italian restaurant draws diners for its cosy understated luxury. (Image: Alta Trattoria)

If you’re not familiar with Piedmont’s cuisine, this is your opportunity to get acquainted. Alta Trattoria is resolutely understated with white tablecloths, simple chairs and quality glassware – just as it might be in Italy. Piedmontese favourites feature on the menu… anchovies, vitello tonnato (veal with tuna sauce, originally from this region in Italy’s northwest) and rabbit, all expertly prepared and precision plated. Don’t leave without trying the tajarin – an egg-rich pasta made from thin ribbons of dough. Piedmont is famed for its wines, and they shine on this tightly curated list.

Cuisine: Piedmontese

Average price: $$$$

Atmosphere: Schmick

Location: Ground Floor Rear/274 Brunswick St, Fitzroy

8. Figlia

the Italian wine bar at Figlia, Melbourne — The elegant wine bar provides a laid-back atmosphere for all-day drinks. (Image: Supplied)

A new offshoot of Melbourne’s pizza royalty, Tipo 00 Figlia has plenty of knockout sourdough pizzas on the list. They really are bubbly and charred, light and loaded with excellent, though sometimes unexpected, toppings. Think wild boar sausage or cavolo nero with stracciatella and fermented cabbage.

Don’t underestimate the rest of the menu, though. You could make a meal of the stuzzichini (snacks) and antipasti. Crispy little cacio e pepe arancini, roasted carrots with mascarpone, octopus skewers, fresh oysters and polenta focaccia. Secondi might include a whole fish or a hearty wagyu steak. The fit-out treads between wine bar, bentwood-chair bistro and low-key industrial, but is definitely welcoming. It also has an Italian-leaning wine list, including carafes.

Cuisine: Italian

Average price: $$$

Atmosphere: Refined yet convivial

Location: 335 Lygon St, Brunswick East

9. Bar Idda

the exterior of Bar Idda, Italian restaurant in Melbourne — Bar Idda is a family-style trattoria in Melbourne.

Well before White Lotus alerted many to the charms of Sicily, Bar Idda was flying the flag in its cute corner store in Brunswick. This cosy, family-style trattoria continues to nail its Sicilian menu with food that feels genuinely cucina casalinga.

From the juicy green Sicilian olives and crunchy arancini to twirly pasta with a slow-cooked beef and pork ragu, you feel in safe hands. There’s fresh fish, of course, and meatballs with that particular Arab influence of pine nuts, currants and cinnamon that weaves through Sicilian cuisine.

The salad with chicory, celery and sultana is a must. Nonna would never let you leave without dolce, so order up. A tiramisu-flavoured cannolo (or two) is possibly the way to go. Sicilian wines are on the list.

Cuisine: Sicilian

Average price: $$$

Atmosphere: Homely

Location: 132 Lygon St, Brunswick East

10. Elio’s Place

lunch and dinner share plates at Elio’s Place, Italian restaurants Melbourne — Tuck into European-inspired share plates at Elio’s Place. (Image: Steven Chau)

An all-day bistro in the heart of the city, Elio’s Place transcends Europe’s borders with its laidback menu, though it’s heavily skewed towards the Bel Paese. Come for the daily aperitivo ‘hour’ (3-5pm) and stay for the share plates: creamy burrata bathing in crispy chilli oil and scattered with sweet pickled onions; crunchy crostini slathered with nduja and ricotta; lamb skewers on a bed of punchy salsa verde.

Housed within a heritage-listed, six-storey former warehouse, this Flinders Lane eatery has good bones. Its interiors are dimly lit, awash with timber and superbly cosy, like a slice of Europe tucked into Melbourne’s laneways.

Cuisine: European

Average price: $$$

Atmosphere: Smart casual

Location: 1/238 Flinders Ln, Melbourne

11. Da Noi

the dining interior of Da Noi, Italian restaurants Melbourne — Da Noi has been pleasing palates with fresh Sardinian pasta since 1991. (Image: @timsonmez)

This small, South Yarra stalwart is something of a local’s secret, quietly going strong since 1995. If it weren’t for the shop window, where this Sardinian restaurant’s fresh pasta is often handmade, then perhaps even fewer people would be privy to its charms.

Choose from a la carte or a set six-course menu here. Traditional dishes that might land on your table include culurgiones (stuffed pasta), porceddu (roast suckling pig), or fregola (small, toasted pasta grains). And did we mention that Da Noi even boasts its own smallholding? Much of the fruit, veg, eggs and meat that grace your plate have been sustainably and ethically sourced from the family farm in the upper Goulburn Valley.

Expect pressed white tablecloths, candlelight, wooden chairs and walls lined with art.

Cuisine: Sardinian

Average price: $$$$

Atmosphere: Cosy

Location: 95 Toorak Rd, South Yarra

12. Rosa’s Canteen

Italian dining at Rosa’s Canteen, Melbourne — Find a range of indulgent plates from the Sicilian menu. (Image: Rosa’s Canteen)

Rosa’s Canteen has amassed a loyal following over the last decade, known for its authentic, honest, homestyle Italian cooking in the thick of the city. Despite its location, this Sicilian-inspired eatery offers some respite from the CBD’s busy streets, its floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the treetops, allowing light to pour in.

Much of the kitchen’s produce is plucked from chef Rosa Mitchell’s family farm, and fresh herbs, fruits and veggies receive equal billing on the menu: whipped ricotta with pickled zucchini, chilli and mint; spaghetti aglio olio with anchovy, cherry tomato and garlic; eggplant involtini with tomato, celery, radish and ricotta.

Cuisine: Sicilian

Average price: $$$

Atmosphere: Tranquil and welcoming

Location: Shop 8, Rear of/500 Bourke St, Melbourne

13. Grossi Florentino

the dimly lit dining at Grossi Florentino, Italian restaurants Melbourne — Grossi Florentino serves up intricate dishes in an intimate space. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Among the oldest restaurants in all of Australia, Grossi Florentino (known as Café Florentino until its takeover by the Grossi family in 1999) has been going strong since the 1920s. Few restaurant experiences in Australia compare to dining upstairs here: lined with murals, forged wrought iron lighting, timber panelling, and chandeliers, this imposing space feels almost like a place of worship.

The menu commands similar reverence, each dish intricately composed and full of rich ingredients: risotto with Moreton Bay bugs, Cape Grim short rib with red wine sugo, caviar with ricotta hotcakes.

Downstairs, the buzzy Grill restaurant is inspired by Tuscany, and a more casual entry to the Grossi empire.

Cuisine: Italian

Average price: $$$$

Atmosphere: Stately

Location: 80 Bourke St, Melbourne

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Wind through fern tunnels, stop for a wine in a tram bar, or chase giant murals across the wheatbelt. These drives and rides prove Victoria’s best stories are found off the straight and narrow.

There’s something unmistakably Australian about a road trip: car packed, playlist on, landscapes shifting. Travelling down the highway toward Healesville, in Victoria’s Yarra Valley , the mountains rise, flanking me on both sides. I feel its embrace, a silent invitation to explore what lies beyond.

Moss-covered embankments rise on either side, and towering mountain ash trees form a green tunnel overhead. Road signs warn of wombats and cyclists but with giant ferns lining the roadside, the landscape feels prehistoric, as if a dinosaur might suddenly emerge. This, the Black Spur , is one of my favourite road trips.

The Black Spur

Location: Yarra Ranges
Duration: 30 kilometres / 30 minutes

The Black Spur is short compared to other Victorian road trips, just 30 kilometres, stretching from Healesville to Narbethong. But what it lacks in distance, it makes up for in scenery. Just outside Healesville, Maroondah Dam offers bushwalks and scenic views. However, if pressed for time, Selover’s Lookout is an easy roadside stop offering uninterrupted views of the dam.

In Narbethong, close to the Marysville’s snowfield, is the Black Spur Inn , a charming double-storey brick hotel that’s been welcoming travellers since 1863. Here, diners cosy up by the roaring fire or gaze through the floor-to-ceiling windows, imagining horse-drawn coaches carrying hopeful gold seekers to the eastern goldfields.

Victoria’s Silo Art Trail

Location: Various towns across the Wimmera Mallee region
Duration: More than 200 kilometres / 4–5 hours but best over a minimum of three days

What began as a way to draw travellers back into town bypassed by highways – places such as Nullawil, Sea Lake and Patchewollock – has grown into a celebrated outdoor art movement. The Silo Art Trail now includes 23 silos, each transformed with large-scale mural portraits sharing local stories, celebrating community heroes, Indigenous history, farming life, or regional identity.

The Nullawil silo, for example, is a portrait of a local farmer in a chequered flannelette shirt alongside his loyal kelpie, painted by artist Sam Bates (AKA Smug). And the silos at Albacutya in the Grampians, painted by artist Kitt Bennett, depict her joyful memories of growing up in the countryside. Many of the murals sit right in the heart of small towns, such as Rochester and St Arnaud , making them perfect spots to pause for a country pub meal or something sweet from a local bakery.

Metung to Mallacoota

Location: Gippsland
Duration: Approximately 220 kilometres / 4 hours

The Gippsland Lakes are a much-loved holiday spot in Victoria, but road-tripping further east reveals much more. Begin in Metung and time your visit with the monthly farmers’ market, or simply linger over lunch on the lawn of the Metung Hotel. Twenty minutes away is Lakes Entrance , where you can watch the fishing boats return with their catch.

Lakes Entrance. (Image: Visit Victoria/Iluminaire Pictures)

Continue to Marlo, where the Snowy River spills into the sea, and Cape Conran for its many beaches and walks. If needing to stretch your legs, Croajingolong National Park is home to the historic Point Hicks Lighthouse and the Wilderness Coast Walk. Birdwatching and rainforest trails near Bemm River are worth a pit stop before arriving in Mallacoota, where the forest meets the sea.

Great Ocean Road

Location: South-west Victoria, from Torquay to Allansford
Duration: Approximately 250 kilometres / 4–5 hours but best over a minimum of three days

Victoria’s most famous road trip delivers it all: world-class surf breaks, rainforest walks, clifftop lookouts and wildlife encounters. The journey begins in Torquay, the state’s surf capital, then hugs the coast past Anglesea and Lorne to Apollo Bay, before curving inland through the lush rainforest of the Otways. Stop at Cape Otway Lightstation or take to the treetops at Otway Fly.

Between Cape Otway and Port Campbell lies the most photographed stretch – seven of the Twelve Apostles still standing, alongside the golden cliffs of Loch Ard Gorge. Further west, Warrnambool is a winter whale-watching hotspot, before the road winds to Port Fairy, a charming fishing village of whalers’ cottages, walking trails and offshore seal colonies further along the coast.

Bellarine Taste Trail

Terindah Estate. (Image: Visit Victoria/Emily Godfrey)

Location: Bellarine Peninsula
Duration: Approximately 80 kilometres / 2–3 hours

The Bellarine Taste Trail is a feast for the senses, winding through coastal towns, past boutique wineries and artisan producers. It’s a choose-your-own-adventure style trail – simply grab a map and build your own delicious journey.

You might wander historic, seafront Queenscliff, sip wine in a converted tram bar at Terindah Estate , sample a locally distilled whisky at The Whiskery in Drydale or pick up a jar of honey at Wattle Grove in Wallington. Seafood lovers can head to Portarlington, famous for its mussels. Eat them fresh at local restaurants or head out on the water with Portarlington Mussel Tours.

O’Keefe Rail Trail – Bendigo to Heathcote

Pink Cliffs Reserve in Heathcote can be seen on the O’Keefe Rail Trail. (Image: Visit Victoria/Emily Godfrey)

Location: Central Victoria
Duration: Approximately 50 kilometres / 4 hours cycling

Travellers first journeyed between Heathcote and Bendigo in 1888, when the railway line was built to link the towns. Trains stopped running in 1956, but today the route has a new life as the O’Keefe Rail Trail . The path is mostly level for easy riding, and along the way you’ll cycle past bushland, waterways and reserves. There are plenty of places to picnic, birdwatch, and if you’re lucky, spot a platypus.

The trail is well supported with water stations, bike repair points, shelters, and signage. Axedale makes a great halfway stop, with the pretty Campaspe River Reserve for a rest and local cafes for refuelling. Begin in Heathcote, known for its wineries and cafes, or in Bendigo, which is easily reached by train from Melbourne/Naarm. Shorter sections, such as Heathcote to Axedale, are also popular.

Goldfields Track – Ballarat to Bendigo

Location: Central Victoria
Duration: Approximately 210 kilometres / 2–3 days cycling

The Goldfields Track traces a route once so rich in gold it made Melbourne one of the wealthiest cities in the world. Starting at Mt Buninyong, south of Ballarat, the trail leads mountain cyclists and walkers north through Creswick, Daylesford and Castlemaine before finishing in Bendigo. Along the way, you’ll encounter granite outcrops, eucalypt forests, rolling farmland and remnants of the region’s mining past.

As it passes through the lands of the Dja Dja Wurrung and Wadawurrung people, the track shares gold rush history and Indigenous stories brought to life by interpretive signs. Walk or ride the full trail or choose from one of its three distinct sections. With cosy stays, cafes and pubs, it’s easy to mix wilderness with comfort.

13 Italian restaurants in Melbourne guaranteed to fuel your fire

With slick new openings, classic cucinas and masterful high-end dining, there’s a lot to love in Melbourne’s Italian restaurant world.

The shortlist

1. Studio Amaro

2. Puttanesca Osteria

3. Luci

4. Officina Gastronomica Italiana

5. Al Dente Enoteca

6. Di Stasio

7. Alta Trattoria

8. Figlia

9. Bar Idda

10. Elio’s Place

11. Da Noi

12. Rosa’s Canteen

13. Grossi Florentino

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The road trips and trails you need to experience in Victoria now

Wind through fern tunnels, stop for a wine in a tram bar, or chase giant murals across the wheatbelt. These drives and rides prove Victoria’s best stories are found off the straight and narrow.

The Black Spur

Victoria’s Silo Art Trail

Metung to Mallacoota

Great Ocean Road

Bellarine Taste Trail

O’Keefe Rail Trail – Bendigo to Heathcote

Goldfields Track – Ballarat to Bendigo