Arriving at the legal end of town a couple of months back, sans bells, whistles or even – gasp – an opening party, Massi is yet another addition to Melbourne’s ever-growing mod-Italian canon.

And judging by the response from those who bill by the 10-minute block, who already pack its handsome space every lunchtime, there’s always a place in our hearts for Italian cooked with soul.

That no-fuss approach is just Joseph Vargetto’s way. One of Melbourne’s great chef-restaurateurs, who’s been quietly plying his pan-Italian trade for the better part of two decades, Vargetto just gets on with the business of running spaces where the service is sharp, the welcome warm, and the wines well-chosen to go with food that stays true to tradition while never being stuck in the past.
Take, for instance, a glorious roast chicken that’s as warmly comforting as being hugged into nonna’s bosom after coming in from the cold. Perfect crackling skin hides juicy meat, all snuggling into a buttery doona of cheesy polenta; a blizzard of fried garlic on top, with whole roasted cloves alongside, keeps colds and pesky co-workers at bay. So far, so good, but it’s the addition of cotechino – the deeply decadent, rich Italian pork sausage – stuffed under the skin that elevates this as one of the best roast chooks going around in a town that’s fallen for it as a restaurant dish in a big way this year.

Or the mascarpone panna cotta to end. A clever reimagining of tiramisu, the wildly wobbly mascarpone dome is doused in strong coffee syrup and crowned with chocolate curls, with two biscotti batons to the side. It’s at once familiar and unique.

Equally memorable pasta is giving Tipo 00 down the road a run for their dough. The pansoti, especially, is excellent, the large pasta pillows plumped full to bursting with ricotta and tossed through a sauce generously strewn with local slippery jack and pine mushrooms.

Or the little curls of cavatelli pasta served under a rich pork ragu blanketed with bacony pangrattato, or the dish that every second table seems to order: black spaghettini with vongole and crab.

Nights are more relaxed affairs, where the bar laden with Campari bottles makes resistance futile. The contents of those bottles taste even better during the 4.30pm-6.30pm aperitivo hour, when a Campari spritz or negroni is just $10, perfect with a bowl of big briny olives, stuffed with mince, crumbed and fried to a crunch.

The tight Italian-focused wine list has interest at every level – who knew pecorino was a grape as well as a cheese? – while the plate of fresh doughnuts sitting on the bar beckons those dropping by for espresso.

Simple and elegant and the right side of refined, Massi is a great addition to both the CBD that proves classic is indeed timeless.