Joanie's Baretto
THE LATEST
The popular Italian wine bar from Marco Finanzio’s Umberto Group (Umberto Espresso Bar, Sandro Wine & Pasta, Gigi Rooftop) will have its final day of service on Saturday February 1, 2025.
“We have come to the end of our lease and feel like the time is right to go out on a high,” the team wrote in an Instagram post announcing the closure.
The bar, which opened in 2014, is known for its aperitivo and late-night bowls of stuffed bottoni and spaghetti alla vongole (spaghetti with clams).
“We’d really love one last push of support,” the post reads. “An announcement such as this might usually be a sad one, but we refuse to make it so. It’s a chance to mark the occasion and celebrate hard what we’ve been very proud of in a gorgeous venue bringing so many people together.”
Features
Joanie's Baretto doesn't want to be cutting-edge. It may be named after owner Marco Finanzio's Australian mother, but everything else about it celebrates the tried-and-tested Italian culture passed down by his father.
Finanzio did something similar with his first business, Umberto Espresso. That's just a few doors up, but it's only got you covered until dinnertime.
Here, that's just when things are kicking off, with patrons sipping traditional apertivos such as Campari, Aperol and Negronis. Over a formidable selection of salumi and cheese boards, they might move onto vino (all Italian), birra (ditto) or digestivo (grappa) while lounging in the comfortable banquettes up the back.
On Sundays, the backyard is transformed into a battleground, with Finanzio inviting various nonnas around to slow-cook their very best porchetta (rolled pork belly) over open coals.
Essentially, Joanie’s is a more welcoming version of the many Italian social clubs which still populate this stretch of High Street, where old men gather to play cards and drink grappa.
There's no daring cocktails, no look-at-me crowd – just you and your friends enjoying each others' company, in the way Italians have practised and perfected over hundreds of years.
Contact Details
Phone: (03) 9480 5774
Website: joaniesbaretto.com.au
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