REVIEW
It’s the small touches – fried capers on the vitello tonnato, the clarity of a broth bobbing with cockerel-stuffed ravioli and pickled mushrooms, the crisp edges of Alta’s homage to the focaccia of Italy’s north-west – that often nudge chef McKay Wilday’s celebration of Piedmontese cuisine towards the sublime. But the struggle can be real at Alta, especially when you’re forced to decide between, say, tajarin tossed with an impeccable rabbit ragù or a lemon and chestnut gnocchi. There are many such dilemmas, not least with the superb wine list built on a core of Piedmontese wines surrounded by an expertly assembled, frequently changing chorus of Italian, French and Australian labels. Owned and run by a team of crack industry professionals, Alta is an ode to detail. It’s present everywhere – service, lighting, glassware – and underlined by an absolute clarity about what a delightful backstreet trattoria is put on this earth to do.
ABOUT
Alta Trattoria
Italian
Rear, 274 Brunswick St, Fitzroy (enter via Victoria St)
(03) 9417 0526
Chef McKay Wilday
Price guide $$$
Bookings Recommended
Wheelchair access Yes
Open Lunch Sat-Sun; Dinner Mon-Sat
This review was written independently for the Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide. The guide’s reviewers visit unannounced and pay their way. To learn more about this process, head over here.
Gourmet Traveller Annual Restaurant Guide
Our guide gives a yearly snapshot of the best restaurants to eat at right now. The best-rated restaurants, as judged by the reviewers’ first-hand experience, form our national guide.
