BLK’s Food Blog best Italian – October 2026 edition

We love Italian. Catherine is half Italian, growing up with the benefit of Nonna and Nonno’s traditional garden. Now Sydney gets to cook with his Nonna. When we go out, Italian restaurants are frequently visited, and when we travel Italy is a prized destination.

Here are my favourite Italian restaurants in Melbourne. Almost all of these places I’ve been multiple times, and they scream the elements that make Melbourne one of the great food destinations in the world. They are some of the best Italian you will find.

Tipo 00 – pasta paradise

The place I keep going back to. A restaurant that I would return to for dinner, or for lunch again the next day. I go at 11.30am for espresso, pasta, and a glass of wine or a negroni. I go at 10pm for a mushroom and truffle risotto with a night cap glass of Italian red. I try to book and always struggle, vowing to remember for next time, but ultimately waiting at 11.30am for a seat at the bar again.

Italian food is clearly my favourite cuisine. Italy is one of my favourite countries, and Rome is one of my favourite cities. Catherine is half Italian. In a tiny Little Bourke Street restaurant, some of the finest Italian food in the world is served. There’s no pomp or finery, but this is fine dining without any doubt. The longer meals call for Tipomisu. The shorter meals can be less than 45 minutes. All are special.

Embla – wine bar perfection

I’m lucky Embla is not too close to home, because I would be there too often. It’s too easy to find an excuse to pop by the bar, take a pew on the kitchen bench, or organise a lengthy lunch or dinner. Going there unannounced and hungry means a very exciting hour or two are upon you.

Solo dining, date night, an intimate group, or a party of ten, are all sound options. On busy evenings it feels like they’ve packed a few extra in, but the elbow to elbow nature makes the experience all the more enticing. A glass of wine and a pasta turn into a mini celebration when I’m feeling spontaneous, but a long planned meal is even better.

Bar Capitano – brilliant pizza

Extremely excited. That is not unusual in my mentality, but when it comes to pizza, I am pumped when Capitano is on the cards.

It is too far for take away so we commit everytime we drive out this way, and it is always more than worthwhile. A simple deep pan with a negroni and I’m excellent.

Osteria Ilaria – something for everyone

Tipo’s sister lives next door, and has been separated with purpose. The main note is that generally Tipo specialises in pasta, and Osteria in everything else, but almost always has at least one pasta on rotation.

Whether sitting on the bar, in the restaurant, or in the private room, I’ve always felt at home and taken care of at Osteria Ilaria. From day one it never felt like an overflow restaurant, and there would be plenty who wouldn’t even know the connection.

Alt Pasta Bar – laneway suave

When you walk into Alt Pasta Bar you have a sense that every detail has been thought through and been taken care of. That goes into the inventiveness of certain dishes, and their execution more importantly. It goes for the setting. In this unusual space off a classical Melbourne laneway you have what is a quintessential CBD experience.

D.O.C. Pizza and Mozzarella Bar – original and best

D.O.C. Pizza and Mozzarella Bar wasn’t always in various locations. To begin with it was only in Carlton, and shone such a light on what pizza should be, that it was at one time dominant. I’ll always have a soft spot for the way D.O.C. goes about its business.

The most important sign is that it has never become easy to grab a table here. Yes, they turnover quickly, and it’s always worth the wait, but the slight inconvenience has never been to the detriment of the restaurant. The staff seem to roll with the punches, and once seated, generally everything is delivered swiftly, and at a high quality.

Cafe Di Stasio – intimate Italian

St Kilda was for a long time the only Di Stasio, before it branched out into Carlton and the City (Citta is now closed). There is a feel in high quality Melbourne Italian restaurants. There is intimacy, friendly Italian service, the perfume of the main ingredients, and the ease of knowing this great cuisine of comfort is about to hit your table, and you will love it!

I’ve been to Di Stasio many times and it doesn’t matter who, and how many, it always makes for memories, and plenty of great conversation. It’s a real icon.

Cicciolina – Italian charisma

There is a feel you get at Cicciolina that is the primary reason why it has stayed a fixture of Acland Street for years. Yes, it is a necessity to provide mouthwatering pastas and desserts, amongst plenty of other Italian staples, but the care is what sets Cicc apart.

Time tends to fly by when you are here. It’s the kind of place where you can come and go quickly if you like before a show, but my favourite times have been getting lost in conversation over a wine and several courses of delightful Italian dishes.

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