Like all the best Italian food, the menu at Roman wine bar Casa Mariotti is simple.

Polpette al sugo (meatballs in tomato sauce), bucatini all’Amatriciana that relies on guanciale fat for flavour instead of oil, and a comforting chestnut and chickpea soup that originates from the Roman countryside called zuppa di castagne are a few of the snacks and pastas on the brief menu.

“We keep it short because it is a wine bar but also because we really, really, really care about [the] product,” says co-owner Guglielmo Guerrieri, a former marketing professional who recently opened the homey venue with three of his siblings.

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Guglielmo runs the front of house while his brother Giacomo, a chef who trained in Rome and previously led the kitchen at the Union Hotel in Windsor, helms the kitchen. They’re joined by brother Guido, a soccer player, and sister Giulia, a classical dancer, who moved to Melbourne a few months ago to help launch the business.

“When my dad passed away, we had a strong feeling to [start] our own business and that’s how we opened it,” Guglielmo says. While they all ended up in different sectors, the siblings have in common a “passion for food and conviviality”.

The four chose an old Victorian terrace house in Richmond for its character – exposed brickwork complements their rustic, unfussy approach to Roman cooking, which favours quality over quantity of ingredients. Many dishes are made using treasured family recipes passed down from their mother, Antonella Mariotti, and grandmother. Others, including the restaurant’s soon-to-launch spring crostata, were inspired by the family matriarchs.

“My nonna always brought one of her fantastic crostate with homemade jam, ricotta and chocolate, [or] custard wherever she was invited. And by the time she set it on the table, it was already gone.”

Family recipes include the suppli al telefono – a Roman-style rice ball that’s typically smaller and simpler than arancini – flavoured with tomato and stuffed with cheese. It’s one of several snacks designed to go with the wine list, which spotlights Italian winemakers as well as Victorian vintners with strong ties to Italy, such as James Scarcebrook of Victoria’s Vino Intrepido.

Casa Mariotti
258 Swan Street, Richmond
0474 886 865

Hours:
Wed & Thurs 4pm–10pm
Fri 4pm–11pm
Sat midday–11pm
Sun midday–9pm

www.casamariotti.com.au