Restaurateur Con Christopoulos wants to take you to Rome. And fellow hospitality heavyweights Matt Wilkinson, former chef-owner of Pope Joan, and Supermaxi’s Giovanni Patane are coming along for the ride.
The good times begin on the plate at Roma, where Wilkinson looks to set the 100-seat trattoria miles apart from Melbourne’s current Italian offering by leaning into the philosophy of “the fifth quarter”, a Roman tradition that puts offal, kidneys, liver and other lesser-used cuts in the spotlight. Expect dishes such as coratella – organs pan-fried with onion and white wine – alongside pajata, a Roman classic all about intestines and usually served with rigatoni.
Wilkinson also promises a considered list of pasta dishes inspired by Rome served without offal, for anyone looking for a more approachable entry point to Roma and its menu. On drinks, meanwhile, the team are looking to Lazio, the region Rome calls home, for plenty of fresh and crisp whites and food-forward reds.
The interiors take cues from Old World hospitality, with antiquities sourced from far and wide, as you might expect from the man behind Melbourne Supper Club and The European. We’re looking at 100-year-old Italian fixtures and antique lamps illuminating each table, while at the centre of the room a large marble table acts as an altar to the season’s bounty: think foraged mushrooms, fresh figs and coldcuts galore.
Right now you can get taste of what’s to come with pop-up Roma on the Terrace. There’s nothing over $30 on the pared-back menu, and it includes a tight edit of seasonal pasta, grilled sardines and a few Roman specialties such as the liver saltimbocca.
Roma on the Terrace is open now, and Roma is set to open on Thursday 21 May. Christopoulos also has plans for a second venue, “enigmatic” Sergio’s, a bar in the space opposite Roma. More to come.
Roma, 120 Collins St, Melbourne, @roma.melbourne