The white brick facade of the Post Office Hotel, or the 'Posty', is now home to The Postina — a new Italian-accented eatery from the crew behind House of Lulu White and The Hamptons Bakery.
Helmed by executive chef James Turno (Grossi Florentino, The European), the family-style menu is a celebration of all things Italian. For those who live by the crust, there's a mammoth lineup of traditional pizza toppings, as well as the less classic 'McDowells big Mick sauce' for pizza dipping ($3).
Handmade pasta options might include a pappardelle with slow-braised duck and porcini ragu ($32), and a pumpkin cappelletti with sage brown butter, toasted hazelnut and gorgonzola ($27). For those of a veggie persuasion, fresh choices abound, including vegan pizza options, a side of shaved cabbage with pea and preserved lemon ($12), and heirloom tomatoes with burrata and black olive crumb ($17).
Eurocentric spritzes and cocktails will have aperitivo hour transporting you into holiday mode, while the wine list features Italian imports from regions like Chianti, Puglia and Campania alongside "Italian-inspired" drops from the Margaret River and Yarra Valley. Also Italian-inspired is the hotel's refurbishment, which includes a light-filled (and foliage-heavy) al fresco dining area and an intimate, wooden interior decor.
A range of daily food and be specials will get you through to the weekend in good spirits, including Pasta & Vino Wednesdays — a glass of wine and plate of housemade pasta for $22 — Thursday's Boozy Bird — a schooner paired with a chicken cotoletta for $24 — and a 3–6.30pm happy hour running every weekday.
