Tucked away within the fairly hard-to-find Next Hotel in Melbourne's CBD is La Madonna, a contemporary Italian and Chinese-inspired restaurant and bar.
The bar gives off old-school cigar room vibes, with a long marble-topped bar, brown leather Chesterfield couches and a barrel room where the crew ages their own whisky and negronis.
As the bar is fairly hidden (you'll only find it if you're looking for it), La Madonna is a quiet space with mostly hotel guests and city workers sipping on cocktails. It's where you go to chill with some mates after work and properly hear each other.
You can either grab some small bites — think fried polenta with white anchovies, salt and vinegar zucchini fritto and grazing platters aplenty — or head into the main restaurant for a proper feed.
Paul Turner (ex-Cutler & Co) is running the kitchen here, pumping out eats described as Milan meets Beijing. We'd say there's more Milan on the menu, but the dishes where Chinese flavours feature are where La Madonna really shines.
The best example of this is the famed duck crown that's been aged on-site and covered in an Aperol glaze. The juicy aged meat is perfectly balanced by the crunchy skin and sticky glaze. It's the best duck we've had in a very long time.
Other top eats include house-made gnocchi tossed in kimchi, broccoli and fresh curds, grilled miso eggplant and the john dory fillet served with braised cos, seaweed and mousseline. Surprisingly, even though it's a fine-diner, La Madonna is incredibly generous with the portions — like any good Italian restaurant should be.
It's a proper hidden gem in the city, rising well above most hotel restaurants and bars you tend to find in Melbourne.
