Sosta Cucina

If North Melbourne isn’t on the top of your list for fine dining, then you probably haven’t been to Sosta Cucina.

Owner Maurice Santucci’s premise is to offer a delicious blend of contemporary and traditional Italian food. Given he achieves this and more, and paired with attentive staff, Sosta Cucina is a few steps above the rest on Errol Street.

The seasonal menu, featuring produce from the neighbouring Queen Victoria Market, showcases head chef Paolo Masciopinto’s ability to merge the traditional flavours of Italy with the modern taste and sensibility found at his alma mater, the Stokehouse.

Visitors to Sosta Cucina can find delicate assaggi (samples) and antipasti, meaty mains and unforgettable pastas for both lunch and dinner. Most notable among the starters is the ostriche al natural, an oyster cooked to order on an entirely edible ‘shell’. And for a main, try the beetroot cavatelli topped with a delicious homemade venison sausage.

Masciopinto’s experimental menu is best explored through either a five-course or seven-course degustation. But if you’re on a limited budget, a simple starter and main will certainly do the trick.

Sosta has an atmosphere that caters to customers of all types. The lighting (a chandelier above and tea candles on the tabletops) is romantic enough to please your date, while the menu is stimulating enough to satisfy the most knowledgeable Italian foodie and the extensive wine list will please any group of merrymakers.