Five Places to Go When You're Hungry and Only a Big Cheesy Bowl of Gnocchi Will Do
Whether you're looking to eat it for breakfast, grab some on your way home, or tuck into a bowl for dinner, these are the best places to get gnocchi in Melbourne.
Five Places to Go When You're Hungry and Only a Big Cheesy Bowl of Gnocchi Will Do
Whether you're looking to eat it for breakfast, grab some on your way home, or tuck into a bowl for dinner, these are the best places to get gnocchi in Melbourne.
When it comes to comfort food, there's no doubt gnocchi is an all-round star player. When nailed, the Italian dish has that perfect fusion of carbs and flavour that's like a big cosy hug on a grizzly winter day. Traditionally, it features delicate dumplings crafted from potato and flour, though these days you'll spy all sorts of crafty variations made with different cheeses, vegetables and grains.
But whether you're a purist hunting that generous bowl of classic, Italian-style gnocchi, or you're after a more inventive, new-school riff, Melbourne's got you covered. From long-standing Italian restaurants paying homage to the traditional, to hole-in-the-wall lunchtime takeaway joints, our city's dishing up some mighty fine specimens of this globally-loved dish. Here are some of the best spots to head to when that inevitable gnocchi craving next hits.
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Collingwood’s hole-in-the-wall gnocchi destination is slinging some top-notch takes on its namesake dish, out of a space that’s not much more than a tiny takeaway window and a kitchen. Only available to go, Good Gnocchi’s menu is short, but very sweet, featuring just a handful of warming gnocchi options, alongside the likes of garlic bread and a bolognese banh mi. Varieties like walnut pesto, butter sage and four-cheese gnocchi are proving a serious hit in the lunchtime comfort food department.
Unfortunately Good Gnocchi’s lease is up at the end of the year. But, thankfully, we’re set to get a bunch of Good Gnocchi pop-ups appearing at some of your favourite watering holes.
Image: Kate Shanasy.
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For the gnocchi obsession that transcends conventional dining hours, head on down to Local Folk. This cheery Kensington cafe is putting a breakfast spin on the much-loved Italian classic — and it’s well worth jumping out of bed for.
Rather than your usual potato recipe, the house-made breakfast gnocchi is crafted from pumpkin and chives, elevated with an AM-friendly assembly of mushroom, bacon, haloumi and sour cream, and crowned with a fried egg. Sure, it’s far from traditional, but it promises to knock that gnocchi craving right on its head. Team it with a Toby’s Estate coffee or a cheeky lunchtime shiraz for full effect.
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Its biggest claim to fame is as the home of Australia’s best pizza, but, as the name suggests, 48h Pizza e Gnocchi Bar has a few more tricks up its sleeve. With two southside outposts, the restaurant’s offering is inspired by the authentic Italian flavours owners Fabio Biscaldi and Michele Circhirillo grew up with. That translates to a generous range of classic gnocchi dishes, most crafted on gluten-free flour for a lighter, softer finish.
Though, with around 15 varieties on offer (most of them gluten-free), you’re faced with pretty some tough decisions. Try the activated charcoal-infused pecorino gnocchi — tossed in a cheese wheel with cherry tomato sauce, pecorino and tomatoes — or perhaps the seasonal al tartufo, teaming porcini, asiago, house-made sausage and truffle paste. And, if you’re hooked after that, sign up to one of the restaurant’s popular monthly gnocchi masterclasses.
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The restaurant behind last year’s legendary 29-cheese gnocchi creation, it’s safe to say South Yarra’s Cucinetta has a soft spot for pillowy potato dumplings. This cosy eatery specialises in generous pasta dishes, alongside a slew of other traditional Italian fare, its weekly-changing menu heroing top local produce and home-style cooking.
In good news for true aficionados, a new handmade gnocchi dish appears with each Tuesday’s new menu. These days, you might find yourself sitting down to a version made with rocket pesto and swordfish, a fusion of crab, clams and cherry tomatoes, or perhaps a seasonal concoction of Italian sausage, pumpkin cream and truffle oil.
Plus, the kitchen also serves up cacio e pepe straight out of a pecorino wheel every day of the week.
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This laneway Italian restaurant has a long-held reputation as one of Melbourne’s best-loved pasta joints. And while, sure, gnocchi’s not technically a pasta, this kitchen sure knows how to make it shine as brightly as any other classic Italian dish on the menu. The intimate space is primed for cosy winter feasts, as is the elegant food offering, which blends local ingredients with traditional flavours.
While there’s usually only one or two gnocchi varieties to choose from, you can bank on them being downright impressive. Right now, the hero dish is done with braised duck, porcini mushroom and a rich hit of pecorino.
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A go-to for those wanting to nail authentic Italian fare at home, Gnoccheria is a takeaway food shop specialising in handmade gnocchi, pasta and pizza bases. Run by the folk behind local market favourites Take Me Home, it’s whipping up fresh, handmade gnocchi all day long, available to purchase by weight.
You’ll find up to 20 different gnocchi varieties on offer at a time, spanning classics such as potato, or three-cheese, to less conventional combinations like truffle honey, carrot and turmeric, pepperberry and parmesan, and an activated charcoal number. The shop has all of the other fixings for bringing your Italian feast to life, too. There are sauces, organic house-made passata and even flavoured butters for gnocchi frying – think, confit garlic, and fennel and sage.
Top image: Good Gnocchi by Kate Shanasy.
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