Milan comes to Melbourne in the most spectacular way at Città.

Rinaldo ‘Ronnie’ Di Stasio’s CBD outpost of his St Kilda stalwart made a multimillion-dollar splash upon opening earlier this year with its mix of modern art – video art screens on austere concrete walls – and hospitality’s timeless arts.

Racy red leather chairs surround double-clothed tables set on a glorious terrazzo floor around which a phalanx of white-jacketed waiters spin, but it’s the elegantly long, seductive marble bar that’s the true focal point of the restaurant.  This is the pick for solo and duo diners in for a quick bite, as perfectly amenable a spot for the best mid arvo snack, the “after school sandwich” – herb-crumbed veal cosseted in fluffy buttered white bread – and a perfectly made martini as it is a glass of Di Stasio’s own Yarra Valley pinot with a plate of paccheri (tube pasta) and rich, refined ragu.

The full menu that covers all bases – from fab fried anchovies and little milk buns piled high with mortadella through saltimbocca alla Romana and agnello al forno – is cleverly served all day, all night and packed with things you’ll want to eat and return just for. 

Such as velvety vitello tonnato covered in crunchy fried caper blooms that’s the best in recent memory, while a vibrant patch of raw veg to dunk into bagna cauda – a decadent pool of blitzed garlic and anchovy – is simple perfection.

But larger dishes, such as pork slowly braised until it sticks to the fork, are equally compelling.

All pastas come in two sizes, and you’ll likely want to upsize the delicate capellini through which a generous amount of meaty crab is tossed with garlic, chilli and white wine. The al burro – a pure butter and parmesan emulsion with a crack of pepper – is the very definition of divine. 

With the unsurpassable ability to effortlessly take decisions out of your hands, managers Mallory Wall and Chris Young ensure good times are given and it’s nigh on impossible not to get caught up in la dolce vita. It makes saying yes to another glass of pinot bianco – or, hell, a blow-out bottle of Barolo from the big Italian cellar – too easy.

There’s little change here to the formula that’s been applied to astonishingly successful effect over the past 31 years.  Di Stasio offers a salve for a bad day, a salon for a good one; somewhere to celebrate or commiserate with equal passion. 

It’s expensive, it’s timeless. It’s one of Melbourne’s most exciting restaurants.

Must-eat dish: Bagna cauda