Like a wise old soul, Massi feels like it’s been here for decades.

But it was only in 2016 when owner/chef Joseph Vargetto opened this elegant yet casual CBD bistro, a sibling to Kew’s Mister Bianco, where his Sicilian brand of Italian sings of the seasons and simplicity.

Salumi is sliced to order, or start with arancini, four hearty thick-shelled beauties filled with porcini-flecked rice. Or perhaps the burrata topped with char-grilled peppers “in the mist”, smoked at your table under a glass cloche for flavour and drama.

The pasta is good; the ricotta gnocchi a standout, its pillowy parcels bedded with tender pork neck cooked in milk, sage and lemon, all nestled with an egg yolk ready to unleash and enjoy.

Whether you’re perched at the marble bar or in a leather booth, arty Fornasetti faces will watch you Mona Lisa-style from the wall as you savour an Italian red and later, maybe a generously stuffed cannolo. Molto bene, Massi!

Must-eat dish: Ricotta gnocchi with pork neck
Instagram: @massirestaurant