Con Christopoulos, with various business partners, co-owns some of Melbourne's favourite restaurants. Roma is another of Christopoulos’s projects, this time with veterans in their respective domains. There’s chef Matt Wilkinson (of Pope Joan fame), front-of-house gun Giovanni Patane (who ran Supermaxi for 12 years) and drinks guru Warwick Harty, who’s worked at Christopoulos venues on and off for 30 years.

Roma is the purest interpretation of a Roman trattoria we’ve yet seen in Melbourne, a city where Italian restaurants tend not to worry about regional boundaries. The white lattice ceiling is a nod to famous Roman restaurant Trattoria al Moro. The terrace grille was lifted from a Roman house briefly featured in Sergio Leone: The Italian Who Invented America. The neon signage is reminiscent of title cards in old Italian films. At night, it illuminates a gorgeous courtyard garden out the front.

Chef Matt Wilkinson’s menu follows suit, with dishes built around proteins and lesser-known vegetable varieties. And in homage to ancient Roman cuisine, there’s a classic trippa alla romana, or tripe simmered in tomato and wine. If you’re keen for a good fish, head over to the ice-filled drawers by the kitchen and take your pick.

The wine list is largely from Lazio, a region that’s underrepresented internationally. Winemakers there tend to keep their stock in Rome, where the booming tourism industry ensures the bottles all get snapped up. Here, Christopoulos imports drops specifically for Roma. They're best enjoyed on the terrace that overlooks Collins Street – where Christopoulos had custom awning windows built (as only he could) to let natural light and fresh air into the dining room.