Occasionally you discover an eatery that perfectly captures the way you like to dine.

For me, Pellegrini’s is that place.

Family owned and operated, Pellegrini’s knocks out outstanding homemade Italian food at comparatively rock-bottom prices. A staple of the melbourne dining scene, Pellegrini’s has occupied number 66 Bourke street for over 50 years, and as the antiquated decor would suggest, very little has changed in those five or so decades.

By all accounts, the menu remains pretty much unchanged. Expect monolithic portions of hearty Italian grub, a vat full of refreshing Watermelon Granita, Moorish sugar-filled cakes and of course, endless cups of glorious Italian coffee.

The wait staff are so confident in the quality of their product, they’re not too interested in making you feel welcome. To be honest, the fact that the wait staff literally throw your food on the counter in front of you and begrudgingly process your credit card payments would suggests they’d rather you weren’t there at all.

Family photos, sporting memorabilia and trinkets of Italo-Australian history line the shelves, creating a rather homely and unpretentious vibe. In fact, so low key and dressed down is the experience, you sometimes feel as though you’re intruding on someone’s family dinner.

Except for family functions at your parent’s house, there’s not too many other places where you can simultaneously eat like a king and be treated like a child. Take advantage of this unique dining experience as soon as humanly possible.



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