A stint in Italy revisiting my roots sparked a vision that one day I would open a restaurant, where I could showcase authentic produce, work creatively alongside my chefs and recreate the dining culture that I discovered in Italy. I already had the stories and the recipes… I only had to find the space, provide the ambience, and, why not, indulge my love for antiques and history. It has taken my team and I twenty-five years to refine that original vision and we hope that Melburnians love what we have created. Launched in 1995, Caterina’s Cucina e Bar is a Melbourne institution dedicated to turning out sophisticated, traditional Italian lunches with a bow to modernism. The underground dining room is entered through large Art Deco gates. The wait staff is known for its discretion, looking after a mainly corporate clientele, as well as foodies. For all of its sophistication, Caterina’s is testament that pure flavours and simplicity go hand in hand. At the helm is chef Marcello Mariani, a Northerner from Veneto. His fellow team ensures authenticity by also drawing upon Central & Southern dishes. Caterina’s Cucina e Bar is not textbook. At every chance, the restaurant defies the expected. The dining room is classical with Venetian masks, antique pieces and industrial mirrors. You could be anywhere in Italy. With a nod towards tradition there are tablecloths, but also bare marble tops to incorporate an air of informality, so that lunch can simply be a quick glass of vino and a stuzzichino. Often with heavy accents, an extensive menu is both listed and recited, adding Italian amore to the service. The kitchen meticulously sources its ingredients both from Italy and local producers. Pasta classics such as pansoti and strozzapreti are reimagined and regional dishes such as sopa coada and baccalà alla vicentina mirror the chefs’ classical training. You may find a modern take on vitello tonnato or the more traditional approach to wet roasted capretto or Gippsland rabbit served on buckwheat polenta. Vegetarian dishes are given respect, relying on Northern specialties such as risotto. An obligatory grappino, by Caterina’s Mamma Stella with crostoli are staples. To complete the story, over 400 Italian, French and Australian w**es are offered by the bottle. The restaurant has received the coveted ‘Marchio D’Ospitalità’ bestowed by the Italian Chamber of Commerce to commend businesses that share authentic Italian cuisine outside Italy. As the restaurant only does lunch, it is available to host private functions seven nights a week. The dining room can accommodate 90 for dinner and up to 120 for cocktail parties.
