Destination Dining: Emilia, Melbourne

Come here if you want an undo-the-top-button-of-your jeans, carb-loaded feast.. Photo / Instagram

Emilia
360 Little Collins St, Gills Alley.
Sydney

We arrived: at lunchtime, exhausted after spending the morning ambling the streets of Melbourne on a guided walking tour. We were shattered, starving and gasping for a midday vino.

We chose here because: It came highly recommended by our salt of the earth local tour guide. She knew all the best local eateries in town, but this was her favourite.

Emilia is run by owners and chefs Francesco Rota and Luca Flammia. Photo / Instagram

We started with: bottles of Tellurian shiraz, baskets of freshly baked bread and oils. I'm a woman of humble pleasures - just leave me with a breadbasket and I don't even need a main (or a man).

The highlight of the night was: ragu bolognese, baked ricotta gnocco with smoked eggplant, pesto, pine nuts, and pecorino and an antipasti board. With another ambling tour booked for straight after our meals, it was safe to say we were more crawling than walking for the rest of the afternoon.

Dessert was: nothing, because that rage-inducing thing happened where everyone said "no thank you" to the waiter when he came around to offer, and I couldn't be the only person to say "actually yes please," for fear of looking like a guts. In hindsight, I regret not being a brave pig.

Emilia is an authentic Italian restaurant in Melbourne CBD. Photo / Instagram.

Come here if: you want an undo-the-top-button-of-your jeans, no-regrets, carb loading, wine-drenched Italian feast. Just make sure you come with dessert-ordering people.