With Riccardo Momesso’s contemporary cooking and Joe Mammone’s suave front-of-house style, Sarti is one of Melbourne’s most exciting restaurants, writes Michael Harden.

REVIEW Bells and whistles? There aren’t any at this smart neighbourhood Italian restaurant, but that doesn’t stop it having the gravitational pull of a black hole. Rita Macali’s reputation spread citywide last decade with Ladro; now it’s a family affair with husband Giovanni Patane schmoozing the floor with Italian wines and Macali in the kitchen. […]

REVIEW If walls could talk, Lucio’s might need to shut down, such are the classified conversations of Sydney’s powerbrokers, media heavyweights and artists who’ve broken bread in its sunny dining rooms. Not only do they enjoy discretion among works from art royalty who’ve eaten and sketched here – John Olsen, Charles Blackman and Garry Shead, […]

This restaurant has closed. REVIEW Jamie Irving isn’t pushing the boundaries of Italian cuisine too far at this understated bistro – he’s pushing impeccably sourced ingredients and presenting them without tricks. Tuesday nights are even dedicated to celebrating a seasonal ingredient such as chestnuts or chilli, or northern Italian cheeses, perhaps. The buzzy room befits […]

REVIEW Sarti is at least three places in one: a favourite of the long-lunch and night-time crowd, thanks to its open-air rooftop terrace; a modern Italian restaurant serving everyone from quiet couples to family birthday groups; and a buzzy, popular cocktail bar. The décor is 1980s Italian nightclub meets nonna’s house: think glossy black and […]

Hidden in a laneway at the city’s southern end, Berta is a thing of beauty, writes Pat Nourse. It’s about potent flavours and natural textures; about good ideas rather than showing off.

Balzari is putting Lygon Street back on the map with authentic regional cooking, a pared-back aesthetic and charming, hospitable service, writes Michael Harden.

A decade on Sydney’s fine-dining A-list is a lifetime in restaurant years, but at Otto, new chef Richard Ptacnik isn’t taking its gold-plated credentials for granted, writes Pat Nourse.

Having eaten his fill of generic “Italian” food, Pat Nourse is excited anew by the distinctly personal, regional path taken by Alessandro Pavoni at Mosman’s Ormeggio.

Omertà translates to a union of families, but in Eugenio Maiale’s version it’s first and foremost about the drinking of wine – and sharing some damned fine food, says Pat Nourse.