10 italian places in Melbourne we have eaten in, sorted by editor score. All cuisines in Melbourne | Italian across every city.
Italian food shaped modern Melbourne dining, from the trattorias of Lygon Street to a new wave of pasta-focused rooms. Tipo 00 on Little Bourke Street in the CBD is at the centre of that contemporary movement, while Grossi Florentino on Bourke Street carries the grand old-school tradition and Rita's in Abbotsford works a more relaxed neighbourhood register.
Tipo 00 ★ 4.7
cbd · 361 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Tipo 00 on Little Bourke Street serves house-rolled pasta in a tight CBD room. The squid-ink tagliolini and wagyu mafaldine have been selling out for years.
Grossi Florentino ★ 4.4
cbd · 80 Bourke Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Grossi Florentino holds two Good Food Guide hats. The upstairs room is the classical Italian benchmark; the Cellar Bar serves the same food more casually.
Rita's Abbotsford ★ 4.6
collingwood · 239 Johnston Street, Abbotsford VIC 3067
Rita's in Abbotsford makes what many locals rate as the city's best pizza: semolina-crusted bases with charred edges from wood and discipline, not theatre.
Roma ★ 4.5
cbd · 120 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Roma on Collins Street is Melbourne's Roman trattoria, cacio e pepe tableside. Located in Cbd. Order the cacio e pepe made tableside with tonnarelli pasta.
Roma ★ 4.7
cbd · 120 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Roma on Collins Street is Melbourne's most disciplined Roman trattoria: cacio e pepe tableside, proper tonnarelli and a small menu that refuses to overstep.
Rita's Abbotsford ★ 4.7
collingwood · 239 Johnston Street, Abbotsford VIC 3067
Rita's in Abbotsford makes semolina-crusted pizzas with wood-fired char most pizza rooms approximate: small room, short menu, real consistency.
Tipo 00 ★ 4.6
cbd · 361 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Tipo 00 on Little Bourke Street is Melbourne's pasta room of record: squid-ink tagliolini daily, short seasonal menu and a room that stays full every service.
Grossi Cellar Bar ★ 4.0
cbd · 80 Bourke Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Grossi Cellar Bar serves the same kitchen as upstairs at half the price: fresh pasta, cured meats and Italian classics at a curved marble bar in the CBD.
Johnny's Green Room ★ 4.4
carlton · Level 2, 293-297 Lygon Street, Carlton VIC 3053
Johnny's Green Room is the rooftop Italo-beach-club above Lygon Street: Karen Martini's salumi, blistered pizzas and spritzes on tap until late.
Tipo 00 ★ 4.7
cbd · 361 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Tipo 00 is Melbourne's hardest Italian booking: handmade pasta in a 40-seat room where the lamb tortellini drives reservation lead times to six weeks.