Tony Soprano would have felt right at home at Capitano but the meatballs, pizza and salumi they sling at this Italian-American diner in deepest Carlton are a cut above anything that TV’s mob boss might have enjoyed in New Jersey.

Same goes for the juice. Capitano is by the Bar Liberty team, so diners are assured of seriously good (Italian) wine. Cocktails, too, are mixed with flair at a fabulously long bar – the celery gimlet’s a killer. On the food front, sharing is recommended. That way, you get to sample house snacks like whipped anchovy with market vegetables as well as prosciutto Australiano and nicely scorched New York-style pizza. Go the Double ’Roni (pepperoni, scamorza, tomato, pecorino).

The bone-in veal parmigiana is Capitano’s big show-off dish, but, for our money, nothing beats the thrillingly rich ‘Chittara’ where guitar-string spaghetti – cooked al dente – snuggles down in a classic clam sauce. One for the Sopranos!

Must Eat Dish: Chittara pasta