Zio's

Just a few doors down Lansdowne Street from Victoria Parade, a two-story terrace building is tucked away. You could easily go past it, but don't. It's a little gold mine of modern Italian cooking.

Some of us local East Melbourners - the senior state officials, professional and medical types, the priests and dignatories from St Pat's - treat Zio's as home base at lunch time, but in the evening people come from everywhere. One of my fussiest foodie friends keeps Zio's 'just for special occasions' - what a waste. That's like having a great girlfriend and hardly seeing her.

What's the secret? It's a they. A young Italian husband/wife team, Myrto and Paul Recinella. Paul brings together sophisticated European technique and some family favorites from central Italy, and then adds a daily special list based on the market. It can be very hard to choose from the offerings.

The other part of Zio's success is Myrto, who handles her fussy eclectic guests with what appears to be ease - but is probably a combination of wit and good humour, organisational skill, a great memory and eyes in the back of her head. What's more, she expects her staff to be the same.

You take well-chosen wine lists for granted in good Melbourne restaurants these days, despite the penny-pinching whingers from the inner north who can't move out of the BYO era. Zio's has a great list from all over Australia, including some of the smaller wineries, for those like myself who are always on the lookout for something new. R.F.

14 Lansdowne Street
East Melbourne
Also see Italian Cuisine
Melways reference 2G:B1
Phone: 9419 0252
Opening hours: Lunch: Tue-Fri 12 noon-2:30pm, Dinner: Tue-Sat 6-10pm
Licensed
Seats Inside: 90,
Closed: Public holdiays
Features: Private room seats 30
Favourites: Fried zucchini flowers $13.90, Linguini with Morton Bay bug $17.90/22.50, Red Emperor fillet $24.90

*An updated review can be found here