Kristoffer Paulsen
REVIEW
You have to hand it to Ronnie Di Stasio and Mallory Wall: when they commit, they really commit. In the pursuit of world-class pizza, that means getting his own durum flour milled, sweet-talking Yarra Valley farmers into growing San Marzano tomatoes, and making fior di latte in-house. These efforts haven’t gone unrewarded. The finished Neapolitan-style pizze – long-fermented, puffy-crusted, sugo-powered – are astonishingly good, served in an equally staggering setting: a brutalist, clubby space filled with art that feels as much gallery as restaurant. The tick-box menu starring knockout renditions of Italian classics, however, is a pointed reminder you’re here to dine. Featherweight fingers of fried beef tripe deftly reimagine cucina povera, the clam spaghetti dazzles and a mighty bone-in pork cotoletta proves a worthy main event. As per Di Stasio tradition, service is a blend of cheek and charm while the wine list is yet another study in Australian-Italian excellence. Bravo.
ABOUT
Di Stasio Carlton
Italian
224 Faraday St, Carlton
(03) 9070 1110
Open Lunch Fri-Sun; Dinner Wed-Sun
Chef Federico Congiu
Price guide $$
Bookings Recommended
Wheelchair access Yes
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 the 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.
