Could it be true that Italian boys love their mum’s cooking more than anyone else’s? Well perhaps, if we’re to believe chef and owner of Saint Peters, Maurice Esposito, whose recently rebranded city restaurant has made decidedly more casual shift. There is no real strict menu, as things will change from day-to-day based on what he and his team can find at the market.

Influenced by home cooked meals the menu features dishes like bruscetta using local tomatoes, mozzarella from La Latteria, spaghettini with bugs, and hand cut chips. The wine list is suitably large and well matched with some strong local and European options. Stripped of white tablecloths, and price reductions create a relaxed Italian city bistro with photos of the chef’s family pasted up on the walls.

It’s certainly not the first we’ve seen of restaurants and restaurateurs going casual in line with a demand for locally driven produce and simplicity in dining. Indeed, it’s a move that’s making Melbourne an incredibly versatile place to eat at any time of the day without burning a hole in your wallet. Mum would be proud.