With the opening of Chadstone’s sophisticated new eponymous hotel comes the arrival of lauded chef Scott Pickett’s latest venue, Pastore at Hotel Chadstone.

What to expect from Pastore

Sitting pretty inside M Gallery by Sofitel Hotel Chadstone, Pastore is set to become a got-to, all-day, Italian inspired restaurant – albeit, with a native  Australian lean. On the pans is Head Chef Mirco Speri, who’ll be bringing wood-fired cooking and handmade pasta to the table – in true rustic, pastoral style. Dishes will range from small bites to plentiful share plates befitting a feast among friends – as is the Italian-Australian way.

What’s on the menu?

The all-new, produce-driven menu is set to include the tempting likes of duck proscuitto served with Davidson plum and Geraldton wax; spaghetti ubriachi with calamari and bottarga; wood-roasted king prawn alongside fermented tomato, ‘nduja and fennel pollen; pici pasta dressed in a sausage ragu and salted ricotta; 35-day, dry-aged bistecca alla Fiorentina; and stracciatella with grilled asparagus and cured egg yolk.

Alongside these appetising plates will be fried school prawns and a wood-fired flatbread topped with wistringia (an Australian shrub), smoked chilli, strachiatelli, anchovy, fermented tomato and lemon mascarpone. A wood-grilled octopus will be served alongside native pesto, while yellow fin tuna crudo will share the plate with borlotti beans and amaranth.

Kangaroo meat will come to the table with a side of agrodolce (sweet and salty) peppers and castelfranco leaves, and a rabbit agnolotti del plin (a pinched variety of pasta) will accompany peas, asparagus and morels.

A whole, grilled flounder will arrive with Pastore pepporanata (a capsicum dish originating in Rome), and a robust 300g grass-fed, retired dairy cow porterhouse will satiate big appetites.

What’s to drink?

Italian wine varietals produced my local makers will feature on the wine list from Pickett & Co Beverage Manger Clint Fox, and premium pours will be available thanks to the in-house coravin system. And, Australian botanicals will bring new life to Italian-inspired cocktails.

The space

The 50-seat dining room – and its adjacent bar – will welcome guests in with its warm dusty pink and brass palette, paired with natural stone and timber accents.

After an evening’s repast, retire to a suite (or poolside) at the hotel, where luxury suites and a sound evening’s sleep awaits. You can find Pastore, and its adjoining hotel at 1341 Dandenong Road, Chadstone, Victoria.