Lygon Street – Melbourne’s “Little Italy”

Nationally renowned as Melbourne’s “Little Italy”, Lygon Street serves as a microcosm for the culinary traditions of Italy, offering tourists and locals alike a snapshot of authentic Italian cuisine. At times, the precinct feels like a time warp, as restaurants capitalise upon classic Italian stereotypes and cliches, such as the use of red and white chequered tablecloths. As I walked throughout the bustling foodscape, I observed the highly interactive atmosphere, as restauranteurs and chefs mingled amicably with customers during service, forging a sense of community rapport. Compared with the pretentious propriety associated with some fine-dining institutions, the Lygon Street dining experience is predicated on the intrinsically Italian values of togetherness and family, as advocated by pioneering gastronome Pellegrino Artusi. The clinking of glasses filled to the brink with regionally sourced Italian vino was complemented by the cheers of families relishing the Al Fresco dining experience, as well as the vivacious melodies of the Tarantella Napoletana in the background.

The predominantly Italian cuisine is conceptualised differently by each restaurant. Whilst establishments like Piccolo Mondo and Papa Gino’s focus on the classic, Nonna-style approach through dishes such as Spaghetti a la Bolognese and Spaghetti Marinara, restaurants such as DOC Espresso combine sleek modernism with a contemporary flair, offering various Foccacias and Piadinas filled with regional produce such as fior di latte mozzarella, Stracciatella, provolone dolce and n’duja. Given my Italian heritage, walking along Lygon Street was a highly evocative, sentimental and nostalgic experience. The family-oriented dynamic of the foodscape, coupled with the diverse offerings of both traditional and modern Italian food, coalesce to create a culinary experience which is unmistakeably authentic.