As I compile my favourite restaurants into a list, I realised I had not written about Embla. The extreme versatility of this Italian wine bar has meant I’ve been many times, but only in a large group have I actually sat through several courses. To me, Embla is the place that I’d love to be down the road, but I’d be there too much.

The dark interior makes mid-afternoon Embla look closed on a classic grey Melbourne day. This is one of my favourite times to visit unannounced, ready to sip a negroni, or have one of the expertly selected wines by the glass. The bar at the front of the long rectangular restaurant is the place for a drink.

On Derby night I break away from the group for an hour to grab a seat further inside the restaurant on the kitchen bar. In front of the wood-fired oven I have a great view of the chefs plating up, and risking limbs as they get dangerously close to the inside of the oven. A glass of Italian red, and a classic ragu on pappardelle. This is what I call celebrating the winner in the last!

Meeting a friend for lunch on the bar we both cannot go past the special for both deliciousness and price-point. Slow cooked lamb falls apart, juicy and enhanced by the other flavours in the dish. There’s been plenty of times Embla has been too busy to get a seat immediately, and the atmosphere is palpable as you enter. Every other time there is a seat or two, and you can indulge in a great glass of wine, grazing on some salumi and cheese.

For a group, this is a fabulous place for friends or close work colleagues. They pack you in, so you’d better be seated next to people you enjoy being with. I’ve been here with work colleagues who had become close friends. Feasting at Embla is good fun, but as I mentioned there are more comfortable ways to do a business lunch.

Embla is a wonderful enoteca. It serves comforting Italian classics alongside carefully selected wines, and is as versatile as it is brilliant. Don’t send out a search party. I’m on the bar at Embla.