“A good neighbourhood osteria is something nobody should be denied,” begins chef Alessandro Pavoni’s note on the inside cover of Postino’s menu. Indeed, the plush restaurant has cemented itself as an all-occasion destination for locals since it opened in late 2024.

Inside a converted post office – a grand, porticoed, high-windowed brick affair that owns its corner – you’ll find the sort of food anyone would happily eat weekly: lavishly sauced spaghetti and meatballs; pliant beef cheek in a pearà sauce rich with marrow and bread; and a spongy tiramisu scattered with sweet, crumbled pistachio.

Australian and Italian wines and spirits are generously priced (plus you can BYO on Mondays) and staff are never too busy to stop for a chat with regulars. Pavoni is on the money: every suburb should have a place like this.

Must-order: Spaghetti chitarra con pallottine with a meteor shower of tiny meatballs.

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