With its sleek modern furniture, elaborately set tables, professional service and wide-panel windows offering gorgeous evening views from Dorcas Street, Arkibar Cucina looks every bit the elegant, haute-cuisine Melbourne Italian eatery. Looks can be deceiving though, because while South Melbourne’s Arkibar Cucina certainly is first-class, it is by no means stuffy or pretentious. Instead, it’s a family-run, family-friendly Italian restaurant where everybody can feel welcome, comfortable and able to enjoy some simply superb Italian food, much of which is hard to come across anywhere else in Melbourne. The fun starts in the morning, when Arkibar Cucina pump out a range of tasty brekkies, continues through their diverse and delicious lunch menu (always check the daily specials, because that’s often where you find something truly unique) into a dinner service of some of the very best antipasti offerings, Italian mains and decadent desserts to be found in South Melbourne.