Roma Melbourne

Italian$$

Eight weeks after the opening of Roma, Con Christopoulos’ all-day, sweepingly ambitious love letter to Italy’s capital city, I ran into one of regional Victoria’s most respected restaurateurs during a late lunch.

The man spoke about the restaurant like it was an old friend or a lifelong favourite, telling me that he makes a beeline for Roma whenever he comes into the city. “It feels like home,” he said.

Roma tends to garner these kinds of passionate reactions. There’s something in the atmosphere, in the room with its mid-century Italianate vibe, its white tablecloths and chequered floor tiles, that gives you that magic tingle the minute you step inside – I’ve not felt as much thrilling energy from a new restaurant since the opening of Gimlet in 2020.

A white honeycomb lattice ceiling – a nod to Roman restaurant Trattoria al Moro – looks cool as hell but it also acts to soften the din, leaving the noise level at exciting and convivial without devolving into ruckus. A central table is laden with antipasto and vases overflowing with flowers, the waiters are all wit and charm and old-school repartee. This may be an ode to Rome, but it is also very, very Melbourne.

Roma gives you that magic tingle the minute you step inside – I’ve not felt as much thrilling energy from a new restaurant since the opening of Gimlet in 2020.

The first time you dine here, you may find yourself wandering through the soaring lobby of the office building at 120 Collins Street, wondering where the entrance is hiding. At some point, you’ll turn to the windows or find yourself back outside, looking at a lush leafy courtyard with the restaurant’s neon signage peeking out from behind it. The building (which is across from said office tower, to be clear) is fronted by a gelateria window, and a terrace anteroom where breakfast is served on weekdays.

At lunch and dinner, the menu hews closely to the wide offering found in traditional trattorias, and it can be overwhelming to decide how to employ your hunger. It took me three visits to feel I’d gotten a decent overview of the food, and there’s still plenty left for me to try. But after all that eating, I believe I can direct you to the best plan of attack.

Start with the seafood carpaccio of the day – the menu lists nine fish, but usually only one is available, sliced and draped across the plate like a blanket, served with olive oil and salt. The simplicity allows the fish to shine, whether it be ruby-red tuna or mellow, firm snapper.

Next, you’ll want to try a dish or two from the offal section of the menu, where you can get everything from tripe to lung. It was a brave wager, manager Giovanni Patane tells me, to devote so much of the menu to fiddly innards, but also true to the working-class classic dishes of Rome, and therefore a necessary gamble.

It’s one that’s paying off, and I can see why – the lamb brains are beautifully crisped, creamy inside, and served with a bracing caper salsa, and the chicken livers come rosy inside and draped with prosciutto. If you’re not already a fan of tripe, the version at Roma is probably not your gateway dish, but if you are, the slightly chewy, saucy classic will please you immensely.

From there: pasta. This section of the menu is probably Roma’s strongest suit, producing the dishes I swooned over the most voraciously. In particular: the paccheri baronessa, large tubes bathed in a silky sauce of chicken liver and mushroom, and the nettle ravioli, with a light ricotta and spinach filling and a topping of peas, bright nubs of sun-dried tomato and the subtle hint of anchovy thanks to a “Roman dressing”.

Pastas are served with an Italian take on XO sauce, a flavour bomb I’d happily eat on just about anything, as well as a more straightforward chilli oil and grated cheese.

There are all kinds of fun things to eat beyond the above, and you should especially look to the fish of the day if you’re in the mood for well-cooked, straightforward seafood.

The veal osso bucco had lovely flavour but wasn’t cooked long enough for the fat and connective tissue to break down; other meat options are hearty and well-done.

But it’s the offal and pasta dishes I’ll be returning to again and again – those and the salted caramel gelato, which is truly, gorgeously salty (unlike most of its competitors around town).

Also, I’ll go out on a limb and say that Roma is a bit of a bargain. This is not “cheap eats” by any stretch, but I have eaten and drank myself silly here and paid about $300 for two people, which is a lot of money but also less than what a meal of similar quality might cost elsewhere.

The exception is the wines by the glass, which are decently priced but very modestly portioned. It’s the one place that Roma felt less than generous. (You really should explore the bottle selection, anyway, which is full of fantastic Italian and Australian labels at very reasonable prices.)

Generosity feels like the underpinning of this place, from the style of service to the free crusty bread and bittersweet olive oil to the comforting nature of the food. Even the plates are beautiful! Everything is considered, everything is designed to delight. It feels like home.

The low-down

Atmosphere: Buzzy trattoria that’s grand enough to feel exciting and modest enough to feel cosy

Go-to dishes: Seafood carpaccio (market price); lamb’s brains ($24); nettle ravioli ($40); salted caramel gelato ($16 for up to three flavours)

Drinks: Classic cocktails made extremely well, wide-ranging wine list with a focus on small-scale Italian and Australian producers

Cost: About $180 for two, excluding drinks

Good Food reviews are booked anonymously and paid independently. A restaurant can’t pay for a review or inclusion in the Good Food Guide.

More: