The Sydney Morning Herald logo
Advertisement

Melbourne icon

Bar Di Stasio and Cafe Di Stasio were both groundbreaking for Melbourne.

One of Melbourne’s pioneering Italian restaurants is up for sale

The restaurant that set the standard for Italian finesse in Melbourne, Cafe Di Stasio, is being sold by its founders after nearly 40 years.

  • Ardyn Bernoth
Chef Teage Ezard portrait March 2017 supplied by Lauren Millar to Good Food.

Celebrated Melbourne chef dies at 59

Teage Ezard, the chef responsible for venues including Gingerboy and Ezard, was diagnosed with an incurable neurological disease in 2024.

  • Emma Breheny and Roslyn Grundy
The clubby restaurant marked its 30th anniversary in December.
Good Food hat15/20

Why this city Italian restaurant has more than earned its place as a Melbourne classic

Certain people may find Il Bacaro’s food and service dated, but Besha Rodell is convinced of its enduring quality.

  • Besha Rodell
Leo Donati and son Marcello of Donati’s butcher shop on Lygon Street, Carlton.

Lygon Street’s last butcher has a new owner with a familiar name

Customers of the legendary Donati’s butcher shop in Carlton feared the end was nigh when its founder announced retirement. But their prayers may have been answered by a buyer who wants business as usual.

  • Emma Breheny
Il Bacaro circa 1997.

Eight long-running Melbourne restaurants spill on their highs, lows and famous diners

From cooking for Serena Williams to waking up to a flooded restaurant, the people behind landmark venues look back at moments that made them.

  • Emma Breheny and Ardyn Bernoth
Advertisement
Donati’s is known for its collection of art themed around pigs, cows and butchery.

‘It’s not just a butcher’: Legendary Carlton shop Donati’s celebrated in its final weeks

A Lygon Street fixture since 1972, the singular butcher shop run by Leo Donati will close early next year, bringing to an end half a century of opera, debate and excellent Christmas hams.

  • Emma Breheny
Jo McGann and Andrew McConnell (pictured) will open Cote Basque in Crossley Street.

Revealed: Andrew McConnell’s plans for well-known heritage restaurant in city laneway

The successful restaurateur shares a name, the opening date and his grand plan for a CBD site that’s been a key address for Melbourne diners for nearly 30 years.

  • Emma Breheny
Art deco design features inside the second-floor restaurant of Rodd & Gunn’s global flagship.

First look: Melbourne’s grandest new restaurant is full of surprises

Revealing gorgeous features long hidden within a city building, the dining room also comes from an unexpected operator. And there’s a clubby bar downstairs.

  • Tomas Telegramma
Trattoria Emilia.
Good Food hat15.5/20

This Italian charmer came along in a strong year for restaurants, but it still stands out

Tucked down a city laneway, 10-year-old Trattoria Emilia walks the line between tradition and modernity, without anything seeming forced or cutesy.

  • Besha Rodell
The restaurant’s interior, and plush carpet, is instantly recognisable.

From Mick Jagger to a secret menu: 50 years of Victoria’s Restaurant of the Year

Its silver service and classic Cantonese food has made chefs, politicians and underworld figures all fans. We look at its legacy on its golden anniversary.

  • Ardyn Bernoth