Yes, it’s a pasta bar, and you’d be forgiven in thinking Melbourne is hardly in want of another Italian. But make no mistake, once you’ve sat at the polished marble counter at Tipo 00 and seen the light that is the bowl of thumb-pressed nuggets of orecchiette tossed through broccoli, anchovy and chilli, while sipping on a glass of crisp friulano, you’ll never look at pasta the same way again. Nor will you want to eat it elsewhere.

That they’ve named their restaurant after the flour that makes up the tortellini and pappardelle and spaghetti and more goes some way to explaining how seriously Andreas Papadakis and Albert Fava take their specialty in the kitchen, which Luke Skidmore backs up on the floor, the trio delivering a masterclass in effortless hospitality.
While pasta is the name and main game – silken ribbons of pappardelle with braised rabbit, marjoram and hazelnuts, or gloriously rich wagyu ragu with rigatoni are both big hugs of comfort – the small dishes to start grab equal headlines.

After the rosemary-flecked housemade focaccia served with a scoop of fresh ricotta hits the table gratis, such dishes as whisper-thin slivers of ox tongue, grilled warm and teamed with a fruity hit of pink peppercorns, or a plate of calves livers, tossed through a braise of onion and balsamic vinegar, set a scene that’s rustically refined and true to tradition. Not so the Tipomisu – a very modern remaining of the classic – but is a perfect finale no less.

The one-page, almost exclusively Italian wine list has something for all tastes and price points, which, like the package as a whole, highlights attention to detail that shines bright. Yes, it’s a pasta bar, but not as you know it. Tipo 00 is simply best in class.

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Tel: (03) 9942 3946