Or perhaps ...

Abruzzo Club (03) 9388 2681, 377 Lygon St, Brunswick East

Curly Joe's Bistro (03) 9380 5533, 307 Sydney Rd, Brunswick - Brunswick's take on an Italian bistro. One of the few place in the area that's open reasonably late.

La Bussola (03) 9387 6779, 319 Lygon St, Brunswick East

L'Osteria (03) 9489 6302, 616 Nicholson St, Fitzroy North - This is the place for serious pizza eaters. You go to L'Osteria for a pizza made from excellent dough with a good light topping.

Piazza 51 (03) 9380 9555, 51 Sydney Rd, Brunswick

Railway Hotel (03) 9489 8544, 800 Nicholson St, Fitzroy North - There's a traditional public bar set up with a counter meal option and a huge blackboard listing about 30 Traditional Italian dishes.

Red Olive 9481 8391, , NULL, 213 St Georges Road, Fitzroy North

Sammy's Trattoria, Bar (03) 9380 6311, , 246 Sydney Rd, Brunswick - A spacious, well run and reasonably priced Italian restaurant. More comfortable than most in the area.

Supermaxi 9482 2828, 305 St Georges Rd, Fitzroy North

Woodstock (03) 9481 8122, 612 Nicholson St, Fitzroy North - Woodstock is about Calabrian cooking with mum and dad in the kitchen and son Tony serving the food and making the coffee

Zia Teresa (03) 9380 1218, 90 Lygon St, Brunswick East - Teresa treats everyone like her family and, if you're part of an Italian family, the cooking has to be good.