Pasta Rustica

With a name like Pasta Rustica, it isn’t hard to work out what sort of fare is available from the menu at this family-run staple on Lygon Street in Carlton. This home-style restaurant been serving up traditional Italian dishes like pasta, steaks, grills, and seafood in Melbourne’s Little Italy since 1997, and their authentic cooking, typically Tuscan, as well as their extensive wine list, has made them firm local favourites.

Melbourne is fortunate enough to boast an array of superb Italian restaurants, and nowhere is this more true than on Lygon Street in Carlton. This area, known as Little Italy, is densely populated with eateries, and Pasta Rustica is among the finest, with a menu that exemplifies the finest that the cuisine has to offer. As one might imagine, the menu is heavy on pasta, with variation after variation on the Italian staple, but there is far more to it than that.

From classic starters such as calamari, bruschetta and antipasti to home-made gnocchi and risotto dishes, this particular corner of Melbourne is a little taste of Tuscany. Traditional Italian meals include both pasta and meat courses, and the mains at Pasta Rustica do not disappoint on this count, with a selection of dishes including chicken parmigiana, the Roman delicacy of saltimbocca – veal and prosciutto in white wine sauce – and a range of cooker-to-order steaks, without even mentioning the extensive seafood selection. In fact, the only thing you might worry about at Carlton’s Pasta Rustica is whether you will be able to find space – so make sure you reserve your table now!