Tipo 00 Italian Restaurant Loves Melbourne
Tipo 00 is a touch of class when it comes to Italian dining; greeting you like a Nonna with warm hospitality while serving up fine rustic Italian fare. This is the sort of place you seek out to spend several hours imbibing. Don't let the office contact you. Tell the Secretary to put everything on hold; you're in a meeting. The romance of Italian dining is alive and well in Melbourne. Check out our Best Italian Restaurants in Melbourne.
There's nothing like sitting down to a welcoming authentic bowl of top class Italian pasta (hand made of course). It warms the soul. Melbourne does Italian fare well, but some do it better.
Scanning the restaurant on a weekday lunchtime we noticed loads of "suits" packing out the restaurant from 11.30am right through to the early afternoon well beyond 2pm. I asked Luke Skidmore behind the bar, "Aren't these people meant to be at work?" But this is part of the working day for professionals who work long hours. We suspect lawyers and bank execs have a penchant for fine Italian cooking. If you want to to dine at Tipo 00 you best book.
Bentwood chairs and marble bar give Tipo 00 a classic look, and the blazing stylish lights at the plating station evoke theatre (your eyes are drawn to the spectacle as each plate goes out).
Tipo 00 is a name to reference the flour used in what the restaurant specializes in ‘pasta’. It's an unpretentious name - let the pasta dishes speak for themselves. A restaurant to showcase passion for Italian food, pasta and beverage, and the masterstroke of Andreas Papadakis, Luke Skidmore, Alberto Fava. Bravo!
We perched at the marble bar, and it was a case of recommended pasta dish and wine, rather than a comprehensive degustation. The bar is a wonderful place to survey the action, engage with staff (Luke Skidmore behind the bar) and imbibe the ambience. One imagines pasta bars in Italian laneways.
The Tipo 00 menu is dominated with Pasta and Risotto selections, but also the Starters and a couple of Secondi dishes look decidedly appealing. In the meantime we are served housemade ricotta with toast...
Two dishes stood out in the Pasta menu immediately; the Pappardelle –braised rabbit, marjoram & hazelnut (how often do you see rabbit on a menu?) and the striking Tagliolini al nero – squid ink tagliolini, squid & bottarga. We settled on the Tagliolini al Nero upon the waiter's recommendation as it's such a unique dish.
Perfectly cooked squid ink pasta with pieces of squid and compelling bottarga (salted cured fish roe) on top. We washed this rustic dish down with Sangiovese then Merlot and longed to be able to enjoy long lunches here every week with thoughts I may need to revive my banking career.
A settling coffee before heading back to work is welcome.
Of course we need to return for the Tipomisu. Hold the calls; we're in a meeting.