Osteria Renata

Another crowd-pleasing Italian eatery from the names behind South Melbourne's Park Street Pasta & Wine, Osteria Renata has made its home in Prahran. Co-owners Alex Ghaddab and Gus Cadden (Head Chef) have delivered High Street a warm, modern take on the classic osteria, named in honour of Ghaddab's Polish-Ukrainian grandmother.

It emanates a sense of generous hospitality, with a comforting, yet imaginative food offering matched by inviting interiors. An onsite pasta lab steers the menu's carb component, embracing both the traditional and the innovative. That might mean tagliatelle in a spicy pork shoulder ragu ($35), or perhaps the porcini, mushroom and caramelised leek quadratti ($34). With 48 hours' notice, you can try the statement spaghetti dish, swimming in rich brodetto and topped with half a rock lobster.

Parker Blain

A strong lineup of antipasti features the likes of crisp gnocco fritto paired with 36-month-aged Iberico jamon ($28), barbecued octopus skewers finished with nduja ($22), and a burrata knot sat atop fava puree and drizzled in brown butter vinaigrette ($24).

Whole roasted garfish tops a dish of fregola with pippies and bottarga ($42), and the veal cotoletta stars crispy capers and pecorino ($55). And the spiced pumpkin semifreddo ($16) is as warming a winter dessert as it sounds.

Parker Blain

Euro-inspired signature sips rule the cocktail selection, and Italian vino is celebrated alongside drops from Australia, France and Spain. A handful of rotating wine taps also offer a taste of what's happening with Italian varietals in the local winemaking game.

The aforementioned pasta lab won't just be whipping up fresh pasta stocks for the Osteria Renata and Park Street kitchens, but will eventually play host to a program of pasta-making workshops. And come balmier days, the al fresco space between the two buildings will become the Prosecco Garden, with room for 25.

Thom Mitchell

Top Image: Parker Blain