Sosta Cucina

Ph: 9329 2882; 12 Errol St, North Melbourne 3051

Italian, $$
Open Lunch and Dinner Tue-Sun; Licensed; AE MC V
Chef Travis Humphery (4-09-07) Owner

Other published opinions

Herald Sun Extra Food, Stephen Downes, 22-07-08 Score: **** "Expect uncommon Italian dishes and fresh takes on classics at this well presented eatery"

Herald Sun Joanne Hawkins, 11-05-08 "One of the new kids on the block is the charming Sosta Cucina. After 20 years as a chef in other people's restaurants, Maurice Santucci has come out of the kitchen to open up his own unpretentious but stylish bistro, with Travis Humphery at the stoves cooking very fine north Italian food. Inside, the decor is simple: white walls and wooden tables and chairs, a collection of retro black-and-white photos"

Herald Sun Dining Out, Stephen Downes, 4-09-07 Score: 16/20 "Sosta Cucina tables s uncommon Italian dishes and looks afresh at classics. It takes all aspects"

The Age John Lethlean, 1-10-2007 Score: 13/20 "Sit in any of the newly emerged cafe/bistros on Errol and witness the once unthinkable: would-be breakfasters/lunchers/diners - or merely those out for a coffee and chat - strolling from joint to joint, checking out the interiors and eyeing off the menus before making a decision about which of the places is right for them. It's a veritable Sunday afternoon cafe crawl. And inevitably, that crawl will include a proper, long visual inquiry about Sosta Cucina. It has a simple Italian elegance that says "worth a further look": composite flooring, black-and-white colour scheme, interesting old monochromatic images on the wall juxtaposed against the modern, clean interior lines. To one side of the restaurant's small footprint is a bar, communal table and a few tiny, low-rent tables that would be uncomfortable at rush hour. Bi-fold doors mean this half of Sosta's facade opens entirely to the street in appropriate weather."

The Age Dani Valent, 14-8-2007 "The place is owned by Maurice Santucci, a chef of 20 years' standing. You've eaten with him at The Grand, Cafe a Taglio and Termini. Sosta Cucina has been open almost three months. As well as being Santucci's debut restaurant, it's the first place he has worked front of house. Kitchen operations have been entrusted to Travis Humphery, a cheffing pal from The Grand. It's smart thinking. Santucci has a big hand in the menu, but he's on the frontline with his customers, seeing what works and what can be tweaked. His genial presence is backed by smart waitstaff whose ties, aprons and sneakers straddle the same high-low divide as the whole restaurant. This isn't a snooty place - Santucci family photos line up on one wall, there are no tablecloths, the menu is approachable, prices are fair - but the attention to detail is high class. The scale of the operation is clever: at about 30 seats, it's manageable yet large enough to be buzzy."