Supermaxi is another in a long line of gourmet pizza restaurants in Melbourne. The difference here though is that it's owned by Rita Macali, the original chef and co-owner of Ladro, the place that, arguably, started the whole pizza craze in the first place.

Macali is back and here to feed us traditional home-style pizza, pasta and all things Italian in the way of food and drink.

Macali has opened Supermaxi with her partner Giovanni Patane’, who runs front of house – Macali is in the kitchen, flipping dough in the double pizza oven. Pizza isn’t the main focus but it is, of course, a large part of the menu, as is Macali’s homemade pasta.

The fit-out is clean and sparse and the room is a good size, seating approximately 70. The Terrazzo tiled floor is original, and the central clean-lined matt-black Marmoleum bar is surrounded by black Rombus chairs and black polished aluminium Maxdesign Plato table bases, both sourced locally from Thonet.

Initially looking to open up in the city, Macali and Patane’ eventually decided to stay local in their own neighbourhood. But a city store is not out of the picture; with the success of Supermaxi, they are set to roll out more “simple Italian food done well" in the future.