Trattoria Emilia

Emilia is based on northern Italy’s trattoria; those little eateries aimed squarely at workers coming in from the field at lunchtime. Replace “field” with “office” and the definition works just as well here.

Handmade pasta is a specialty, and the offering includes everything from tagliatelle alla Bolognese, to tortelloni stuffed with mortadella and prosciutto. Those are bookended by a hefty selection of classic Italian snacks, mains and desserts.

At lunchtime, the restaurant’s bar area turns into Emilietta, a sandwich shop specialising in the Italian flatbread tigelle. Italian meats and cheeses (prosciutto from Parma, salami from Reggio, mortadella from Bologna) join daily specials such as a Tuscan tripe.

The wine list includes Australian and European drops, including a Sorrenberg Gamay we’re told a Mr and Mrs Carter ordered while dining in Melbourne in 2014.

The space is a homely as you’d expect, with pink terrazzo and something that looks suspiciously like a John Olsen make the place feel both classy and lived-in.