Pentolina — Melbourne, Australia

Stool seating at Pentolina restaurant, Melbourne, Australia
(Image credit: Jack Lovel)

For generations now, Melbourne’s Italian community has been a rich trove of inspiration for Australia’s wildly inventive culinary scene. The arrival of Pentolina in the city’s buzzy Little Collins Street only adds to the lustre.

Local design studio Biasol’s design scheme is a slick mix of modernity and classicism – taking design cues from Roman aesthetics, it has layered a smooth patina finish over the hand-rendered concrete walls that were uncovered during the renovations of the century-old building.The bar, too, is topped with rose coloured marble to evoke the pink granite favoured by the ancient Romans, whilst terrazzo floors, Tasmanian oak and bronze accents add warmth.

A long counter lined with burgundy bar stools sets the stage for an open kitchen and fresh pasta station. Here, executive chef Matthew Picone channels his southern Italian heritage to deliver homey standards, such as a satisfyingly rich spaghetti Bolognese and a spaghetti vongole based on his father’s recipe.

Roman-inspired interiors at Pentolina restaurant, Melbourne, Australia, by Biasol

(Image credit: Jack Lovel)

Bronze wall lights and oak tables and chairs at Pentolina restaurant, Melbourne, Australia

(Image credit: Jack Lovel)

Counter seating at Pentolina restaurant, Melbourne, Australia

(Image credit: Jack Lovel)

The open kitchen and fresh pasta station at Pentolina restaurant, Melbourne, Australia

(Image credit: Jack Lovel)

The counter at Pentolina restaurant, Melbourne, Australia

(Image credit: Jack Lovel)

The bar at Pentolina restaurant, Melbourne, Australia

(Image credit: Jack Lovel)

INFORMATION
Website

ADDRESS

2/377 Little Collins Street

VIEW GOOGLE MAPS

PHOTOGRAPHY

Jack Lovel

Daven Wu is the Singapore Editor at Wallpaper*. A former corporate lawyer, he has been covering Singapore and the neighbouring South-East Asian region since 1999, writing extensively about architecture, design, and travel for both the magazine and website. He is also the City Editor for the Phaidon Wallpaper* City Guide to Singapore.