It wasn’t enough for the Mamasita team to celebrate their big 1-5: as a follow-up act, they also saw fit to open dazzling new venue Julietta in South Yarra in April.
Owner Joss Jenner-Leuthart has gifted the neighbourhood with a venue as romantic as they come. Nestled on the corner of Toorak Road and Chambers Street, the intimate 35-seat venue has interiors that will immediately whisk you to a charming, generations-old trattoria in Milan or Rome. There’s nothing out of place in a fit-out that leans into a lived-in nostalgia with the help of hand-finished walls, a warm brown lime-washed ceiling, vintage brass lights and a plush burgundy banquette.
The food and drink offering also evokes a beguiling timelessness. Start with sampling the Negroni menu from award-winning beverage director, Eduardo Conde, or riffle through a drinks list featuring 16 wines by the glass.
Mamasita’s executive chef Jimmy Garside delivers food that feels easy and familiar. Built around eight hand-made pasta dishes, the menu swings from a brilliant cacio e pepe enlivened with green peppercorns and pecorino fazzoletti, to a luscious lemon and tarragon butter prawn ravioli, short rib ragu tagliatelle and a baked pasta rich with nduja, vodka and stracciatella. Whether you want to grab a quick plate of antipasti or sink into a multi-course meal, it’s the kind of menu that invites repeat visits.
KDPO loves a spot of la dolce vita and getting the word out about Julietta was a treat. We secured a coveted First Look in Broadsheet, followed by coverage across all the major food, hospitality and lifestyle publications including Time Out Melbourne, Urban List Melbourne, Gourmet Traveller, delicious, ESCAPE and The Sunday Mail.
Photos by Jana Langhorst
