parsley cooking juices. There
are oysters, too, and smoked-eel
parfait capped with a dark amber
Marsala jelly.
Then there are the more solid
dishes, seemingly targeted at diners
who might’ve enjoyed a few cordials
out on the town beforehand.
Chopped, crumbed and fried prawn
meat on skewers and ox tongue
sandwiched in “bread” made from
risotto before being crumbed and
fried both lose something in
translation if you’re sober. But,
pie-eyed or not, the ridiculously
good Bolognese jaffle is everything
you could hope and pray those two
words would deliver.
Sweet stuff, often neglected in
the rush to fat and salt, delivers,
too, in the form of adorable,
devourable little pistachio or
raspberry ice-creams on sticks,
and a classic jelly slice, all layers
of raspberry jelly, sponge cake
and cream.
Do not forgo the cocktails.
Arlechin is a bar, after all. As
with its snack menu, there’s a
discernible but not overt Italian
influence at play. The Half Way
brings mezcal, Cynar, orange
bitters and a grapefruit twist
together over ice, while the
Jungle Bird does greatly refreshing
things with rum, Campari,
pineapple juice and lime. There’s
apt glassware, and subtle and
necessary garnishing but then
flimsy paper napkins masquerading
as coasters crash the party. Sad.
For wine lovers, the full weight
of the Grossi Florentino cellar isat your fingertips (more or less
literally – Arlechin doubles as the
wine storage facility for the Grossi
restaurants), but there’s also a
site-specific list that’s slightly more
off-piste than you’d find in the
marquee mothership. Playing to its
tribe, it’s easier on the wallet, too.
Drawing mostly from Italy,
France and Australia, the list here
includes inky Chalmers Project
aglianico from Heathcote in
Victoria, golden, politely funky
2011 Montenidoli Vernaccia di San
Gimignano from Tuscany and the
chardonnay-savagnin blend Côtes
du Jura “Les Belemnites” Domaine
Buronfosse. There’s no radical
boat-rocking, but still plenty to
keep you awake.
Arlechin adds another layer
to late-night Melbourne that
immediately feels essential.
It’s a place that springs from the
understanding that quality food
and booze, a civilised, handsome
environment and sharp service
needn’t stop at midnight. And
while it may appear light years
from that original bar in Meyers
Place, it has landed with a similar
sense of being in exactly the right
place at exactly the right time. ●Arlechin
Mornane Pl,
Melbourne, Vic,
arlechin.com.au
Licensed
Cards AE DC MC
V EFT
Open Daily
5pm-3am
Prices $4.50-$16
Vegetarian
One dish
Noise Civilised
Wheelchair
access No
Minus Temptation
until three in
the morning,
seven days
Plus Melbourne’s
bar scene evolvesPASTA PER FAVORE
Osteria la Passione is now Pasta
Adagio (above), owner-chef Carmine
Constantini’s ode to traditional
pasta and antipasti that embraces
the organic and the house-made
(the cured meats are a must). The
bamboo-floored, timber-walled
shopfront is the ideal backdrop
to a menu of well-executed classics- a brilliant Modena ragù with
tagliatelle, cavatelli with braised
goat, bollito misto, tiramisù – and
an impressive Italian-proud wine
list. 486 Bridge Rd, Richmond,
(03) 9428 2558
THAT’LL DO, PIG
Former River Cafe chef Glenn Laurie
is keeping Heidelberg locals happy
with his skilful Italian cooking at
Little Black Pig & Sons. The pasta
dishes alone – taglierini with butter,
truffles and egg yolk, and wild hare
pappardelle – are enough to draw
a crowd but meat (slow-roasted
goat with lemon and anchovies),
antipasti (buffalo mozzarella with
broad beans, mint and pecorino)
and a short, all-Italian wine list
also make the trip worthwhile.
48 Burgundy St, Heidelberg,
(03) 9459 9114REBIRTH IN BRUNSWICK
Sporting retro-Euro café-bar duds –
Venetian blinds, hand-crafted timber
bar – Amarillo has a compact menu
of dishes that starts at oysters,
anchovy toasts and charcuterie, and
works its way to bowls of mussels,
and ricotta gnocchi with peas and
lemon zest. Light and serene by day,
dimly lit and lively by night, Amarillo
is proof that Brunswick Street is
rediscovering its mojo. 149 Brunswick
St, Fitzroy, (03) 9415 9367DetailsAND ALSOThe bar at Arlechin. Left:
Sloppy Joe with baccalà
mantecato and leek. Below:
pistachio ice-cream.58 GOURMET TRAVELLERMelbourne review