Melburnians can now be transported to Italy, thanks to il Mercato Centrale which has opened in Collins Street and is set to serve thousands of visitors in the heart of Melbourne’s CBD.

There is a wide range of culinary offerings, all under one roof, as well as entertainment, free community events and monthly artisan masterclasses. There are 23 artisans’ stalls, spread across two levels with a purpose-built events space on the third level.

“The goal has always been to create more than just a food hub,” il Mercato Centrale Melbourne’s general manager, Gary Patikkis said of the two-year process.

“We set out to build an immersive cultural destination, where people can enrich themselves in the vibrant community and Italian essence of il Mercato Centrale, and we couldn’t be more thrilled with the result. Each of our artisans brings something truly special to the table, and it’s their dedication to quality and collaboration that creates an unforgettable atmosphere.

“We couldn’t be prouder to finally unveil this project and can’t wait for the community to experience
the incredible offerings.”

The first to open outside its roots in Italy, il Mercato Centrale Melbourne is the first global expansion of the successful network established in Florence, Milan, Rome and Turin.

“Italian cuisine has an ancient history that has shaped the ability of its people to transform food, which is why it is considered by some to be the best in the world,” il Mercato Centrale founder and president, Umberto Montano said.

“The most distinctive of its traits is craftsmanship. The key ingredient is in the hands of those who pluck, produce, knead, and cook; a combination of love and care that generates a quality that I define as ‘passionate’.

“The manual skills, professionalism and dedication I encountered in the artisans that have joined il Mercato Centrale Melbourne are outstanding and inspiring. This is the common thread that connects Italy to Melbourne in a project that seeks to unite citizens, visitors, critics and enthusiasts alike through the experience of good food.

“I knew that bringing this project to Australia would have its challenges, but the meeting with our partner Eddie Muto, the common vision that we found and the dedicated team that he built, convinced me that it could be done the highest standards. il Mercato Centrale Melbourne will be the largest market of Italian cuisine in Australia, and Melbourne, with its cultural vibrancy and culinary scene, is undoubtedly the ideal location to launch such an ambitious project.”

Damian Malone at il forno.

What’s on offer at il Mercato

il Mercato Centrale’s guests will have the option to sit down and place a digital order from any stall in one transaction, order directly from the artisans or book a table at the restaurant or pizzeria on the first floor for table service.

Food

On the ground floor, il forno by Damian Malone offers freshly baked bread and pastries made from whole-grain flour, ground in-house using a traditional Austrian mill. la pasticceria by Alessandro Grillo and Vincenzo Marino presents Italian pastries and cakes with a modern twist, complemented by locally roasted Lavazza coffee at il caffè by Jerry Lee.

la pasta fresca by Angelo Sperlinga and la pizza al taglio by Nicolò Conenna showcase Italian cuisine’s ability to transform simple ingredients into vibrant flavours. Nearby, la frutta e la verdura by Biviano and Sons offers a colourful array of fresh produce, a nod to their 50+ years of expertise.

la carne e i salumi by Nikos Chatzopoulos features cold cuts and aged meats on the Josper, the elegant combination of grill and oven in one unit. For seafood, i calamari fritti by Paula and Gary Harding delivers Sicilian-style calamari, and Il pesce by George Milonas offers fresh fish backed by his years of experience at Queen Victoria Market. la mozzarella by Giorgio Linguanti sources milk from grass-fed, free-range Gippsland farms, and his ricotta fills I cannoli by Dario di Clerico, topped with seasonal ingredients. il cioccolato by Alessandro Luppolo explores bean-to-bar chocolate.

On level one, la pizza napoletana by Valerio Violetti showcases his lifelong passion for pizza, while La pasta fatta in casa by Annapaola d’Alessio offers handmade pasta creations. lo smash burger by Tim Jordan, Nathan Zammit, and Cristian Calderon serves a perfect potato bun burger and Nashville hot chicken. il riso by Simone Garusi offers gluten-free risotto, and la piadina by Massimo Falcone pushes the limits of one of the oldest bread recipes with olive oil for vegan and vegetarian options. Il Gelato by Rovena Xeba features a unique gelato counter that shows the whole churning process.

Drinks

Overlooking the New York side of Collins Street, il ristorante by Jerry Kim combines handmade Italian ingredients, from the sourdough bread and pasta to balsamic vinegar, with locally selected Parmesan and olive oils to enhance the flavour. l’enoteca by Mark and Michelle Singarella provides a wide range of Australian, New Zealand, Italian, and French wines from sustainable, organic producers. la distilleria by Michael Hickinbotham and Graham Jonas offers personalised spirits that hero local ingredients. The cocktail bar serves a variety of traditional and unique cocktails, spritzes, and aperitivo in a cozy lounge setting.

Masterclasses and community

Level two is reserved for monthly artisan masterclasses and free community events, within a fully purpose-built event space. With 800 diverse seating options and a liquor licence until 3am, the venue is designed to
accommodate every occasion with hosting capacity ranging from 100 to 3000 people. Backed by a
robust team of more than 400 hospitality staff, il Mercato Centrale’s family of artisans aims to make
a meaningful contribution to Melbourne’s economic growth.

il Mercato Centrale Melbourne is open 7 days a week.