An Italo-American red sauce joint has landed in Melbourne, bringing a big cheesy slice of New York to the former Trunk digs. Slide into one of the burgundy booths and discuss business alongside big, nostalgic plates of pasta, pizza and parmigiana, served with a hefty dose of old school charm.

Red and white chequered floors and burgundy banquettes take guests back to the golden age of New York. The diner’s main features include a 13 metre-long zinc top bar and a retro wall mural by Belgian artist Jan Van Der Veken.

Drawing inspiration from classic New York establishments, the menu is made up of classic Italo American dishes that promise to leave you with a saucy grin. Tuck in your napkin and get started with casino clams with guanciale and garlic butter, pork and veal meatballs in Napoli sauce and a spicy vodka rigatoni. Move on to margherita and pepperoni pizzas but leave room for the two-person ice-cream sundae, complete with nougat, cherries, wafers and hot chocolate fudge sauce.

The cocktail list focuses on classic Italian tipples, with a whole page dedicated to martinis. The wine list features 80 drops under $100 with a focus on easy-drinking varietals from Australia and Italy. If you’re celebrating (a successful heist, perhaps?), big spenders can splash out on the special reserve list, made up of 60 wines from Australia, Italy and America, ranging from $100 to $1,000.

Pepe’s Italian & Liquor is located at 275 Exhibition Street, Melbourne. It opens 
Mon–Fri, 12pm–12am, Sat–Sun, 3pm–12am. For more details, head to pepesitalian.com.au.