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MELBOURNE| Say good-bye to your stereotypical Italian restaurant with rustic furnishings and concerto music echoing in the background. High street Windsor is now home to Tipico, a brand new dining space with a fresh, contemporary take on classic Italian food. Hospitality veterans Andrea da Como and Marco Scalisi have excelled at bringing their take of “little Italy” to Melbourne with a menu designed by head chef Domenic De Marco inspired by his hometown of Bologna. De Marco has gained culinary experience from working in Europe and alongside Australian chef Neil Perry. We were invited to visit Tipico and were keen to see what the team had done.
Dimly lit with a somber yet elegant vibe, Tipico has an industrial feel with their exposed concrete walls and pipes scaling the ceiling. Concrete walls paying an homage to the exterior of houses lining the streets in Italy, and their show stopping stone top bar reminiscent of a cobble stone path is filled with your finest Italian and Victorian wines. de Como felt that this part of Melbourne was missing a “cool” Italian place without maps of Italy on the menu and chequered tablecloths, and the place certainly feels modern at not the slightest bit kitsch.
Tipico’s spacious floor plan allows for a clear view of Tipico chefs in action with their open kitchen. Simplistic contemporary art of body silhouettes are framed upon the walls matching the plush leather booths and overall monochromatic black and grey colour scheme.
Familiar Italian classics like pizza and pasta are on the menu, but Tipico’s modern take has elevated the Italian cuisine ensuring fresh ingredients and attention to complementary flavour combinations is centre of their dishes. For instance the king fish ceviche marinated in a lemon citrus dressing, is fresh and zesty and doesn’t leave any fishy aftertaste. The tigella, a delightful light round flatbread with a crisp exterior and lush soft almost squishy interior is garnished with prosciutto and smooth squaquerone cheese. Most definitely a highlight on the menu, and proof of how the Italian cuisine’s use of simplistic ingredients creates such an impact. Tipico’s take on fish and chips features a fried sardine rested upon on crisp polenta chips, and theidelicious arancini, which are not overly cheesy and greasy but rather light and crunchy with an aromatic garlic aioli, are a definite must try.
Now, time for the pizza and pasta – minimal topped pizzas on thin pizza bases which are simple and delicious. The gnocchi is cooked al dente, leaving a bit of a bite just the way it should be. It’s topped with decadently hearty and creamy Bolognese sauce, which tasts homemade as if your nonna made it. It’s clear to see the passion that has gone into the year long preparation to open Tipico as the staff are incredibly friendly and the food truly authentic.
Tipico delivers an ambient dining space with a refreshing modern take on simple Italian food. Tipico in Italian translates to typical, but their food and hospitality are far from. For sure worth a visit or two.
Tipico
242 High Street
Windsor
Victoria 3181
Australia
Telephone: (03) 9089 0768
E-mail: [email protected]
Website
Open
Tue – Thu: 5:00pm to 10:30pm
Fri – Sun: 12:00pm to 11:00pm