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Giuseppe, Arnaldo & Sons

This huge and hugely popular restaurant could easily cut corners on the food. The location (part of the casino complex on the Yarra), the reputation (it’s the same team behind Sydney’s Icebergs and North Bondi Italian) and the fun, bold Italian design alone would ensure a steady stream of punters. Reassuring, then, to find the food here is as good and as generous as anything you’d find at a tiny, authentic, family-run trattoria. It’s a pig-lover’s dream, too. Work up a thirst with a few thick slices of chef Robert Marchetti’s own superb, subtly spiced salami, then move on to hearty, homely zampone – pig’s trotter stuffed with gnarly cotechino on a bed of earthy spinach. The Italian-heavy wine list offers a good selection and some good value (again surprising, given the glam location), especially in the carafes of Victorian-grown Italian varietals made especially for the restaurant.