London has Padella. Melbourne has Tipo 00.

What an apt name for a pasta bar! And what an impressive selection of dishes. Kris found this gem whilst researching on top places to eat in Melbourne. What we did not anticipate was its extreme popularity. Case in point – Monday night and it was already fully booked. So we decided to take our chances and attempt a walk-in. With 30 minutes to kitchen closing, a pair of bar seats suddenly became available and we got lucky!

The warmly lit and cozy restaurant was brimming with diners. Staff were moving at a frenetic pace, skilfully balancing plates of food whilst navigating the teeny-weeny space between tables. In spite of the busy service, the maître d’ (and indeed the rest of the staff) were extremely accommodating and attentive.

We started with some homemade focaccia bread and crumbly house cheese which was devoured instantly.

Dinner was off to a strong start with Burrata and Crumbed Eggplant. The fried and breaded aubergine was offset by the silken and creamy burrata. Interestingly, the burrata served here was slightly more yielding than their London counterparts.

Fried Zucchini Flowers made an appearance yet again as one of the specials for the evening.

For mains, Kris had the Rabbit Tagliatelle, Oregano and Olives. The meat was tender and the sauce had a light touch of tomato; a real treat for the tastebuds.

I, for once, decided to shun meat and go for a Tortelloni, Asparagus, Parmesan and Sage. It was everything I wanted that evening – warming, comforting, perfectly cooked pasta (with a slight bite) in aromatic sage butter sauce. This was simple, classical cooking in top form.

To balance out the carb overload, we ordered some healthy greens in the form of Broccolini, Almond and Parmesan crumb.

Londoners, next time you find yourselves in Melbourne, make sure to visit this charming and intimate restaurant. The pasta is heavenly! The team are as slick as their cooking. Tipo 00’s popularity is indeed justified. You can thank me later!

Location: 361 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne 3000

More information can be found here.