Italian cuisine is often viewed through a rigid lens of DOPs and regional protections. But according to chef Mattia Aloisio, It’s a melting pot. He trained in kitchens in Milan, where French technique is common, before working in Switzerland, where he was exposed to traditions shaped by Italy, France and Germany. Travels in Spain introduced him to new techniques and flavours that he’s since incorporated into his cooking.
Now, he’s bringing these influences to Bar Adri, his new St Kilda wine bar, named for his wife, Adriana Aloisio. After running Lasagna Lab following stints at Osteria Ilaria and The Grand Hotel in Richmond, he was keen to return to à la carte cooking. The European wine bar is the sort of neighbourhood spot the couple like to frequent themselves, just a stone’s throw from home.
The pair, who are both locals, are excited to join a strip undergoing a renaissance, with the revamped Saint Hotel and ’90s dive bar the Snakepit set to reopen in November. The Gild, a new residential and retail development, is also in the works. “During the past year, unfortunately, it was pretty dead on the street,” Mattia says. “I can see there’s a lot of potential.”
Aloisio is also looking forward to applying European techniques to Australian produce, with ingredients set to come from organic supplier Natoora, alongside an all-Australian selection of meat and seafood.
The latter is mostly cooked over a hibachi, and includes dishes such as Skull Island prawns chargrilled with Tasmanian mountain pepper and urfa (a smoky Turkish pepper), and calamari with mustard greens, capers and anchovy dressing. At $45, the porterhouse steak is the most expensive dish on the menu.
“I’m trying my best to make everything more approachable,” Mattia says. “It’s not that easy going out anymore; that’s why we’re playing with good pricing.”
On Friday and Saturday nights, the kitchen serves until midnight, with specials including a beef brisket cheeseburger and “midnight spaghetti”, a nod to the Italian post-night-out staple, made with aglio e olio and optional bottarga.
That accessible approach extends to the wine list, curated by Adriana Aloisio. The focus is on classic styles from Australia, Italy and France, with plenty available by the glass. Aside from champagne, nothing exceeds $19.
The couple took a hands-on approach to the fit-out, spending more than four months transforming what had been a club into the bar they envisioned. Spray-painted surfaces have given way to walnut timber, with the space divided between a main dining room, a covered footpath area and an upstairs event space accommodating up to 120 guests.
Bar Adri
(03) 9853 5589
Hours
Wed & Thurs 5pm–11pm
Fri 5pm–1am
Sat 12pm–1am
Sun 12pm–10pm
baradri.com.au
@bar.adri.stkilda
Looking for more wine bars? Check out our guide to the best wine bars in Melbourne.
