Eat'aliano by Pino

True, there are more pizza joints down either the Windsor or Prahran stretches of Chapel Street than you can shake a brace of grissini at, but that’s exactly why locals to this part of Melbourne are celebrating the arrival of Eat’aliano by Pino. Not only is their traditional pizza oven and the acrobatic pizzaioli that man the beast approved by Vera Pizza Napoletana – the body that certifies restaurants to declare that they prepare the real Neapolitan pie – but Eat’aliano has the kind of comprehensive menu that would make restaurateurs back in the bel paese green with envy. Book a table and head along High Street towards Prahran station for some real Italian magic.

For the proper Italian dining experience here at Windsor’s Eat’aliano by Pino, you’re going to need an aperitif to tell your belly and your head that they’re both in for a satiating taste sensation. Classic Beliini are up on the list, naturally, but we like the remixed Negroni Chinato, blending Campari with Barolo chinato, Beefeater gin and red Martini to get the juices flowing. Some Melbourne diners simply like to settle for just a couple of these – or an Italian beer or glass of wine – and a few selections from Eat’aliano’s long and lascivious antipasti list.

From this section of the menu we recommend the suppli alla Romana, traditional fried rice balls from the Italian capital filled with beef ragu and mozzarella that give Melbourne’s standard arancini a run for their lira. Seafood lovers will want to give the octopus and potato salad a go, simply seasoned with garlic, parsley and olive oil. Grab a salad to leaven the fantastic homemade pasta dishes like the Sorrentine gnocchi with Napoli sauce topped with mozzarella and Grana Padano, and round it all off with mouthwatering dolci like the Sicilian cannolo made with ricotta and pistachios or the classic tiramisu made with Savoiardi biscuit, fresh espresso and mascarpone. Gotta admit though, it’s the pizza that should pull you back towards the Windsor and Prahran borderlands at High Street.