University Cafe

In Carlton, Melbourne, University Café celebrates the comforting cadence of Italian cooking with a menu that prizes simplicity, generous flavour, and time-honoured technique.

The meal opens with familiar pleasures, from bruschetta pomodoro brushed with garlic oil and lifted by fresh basil, to calamari fritti that land crisp and lemon-bright against a peppery bed of rocket.

At the heart of the menu, classic comforts take centre stage. There is gnocchi pomodoro, handmade daily and napped in tomato and basil, lasagna al forno layered with bolognese, mozzarella, and silky béchamel, and the crowd-pleasing comfort of pollo parmigiana.

For those who prefer the pan to the oven, scaloppine ai funghi pairs tender veal with a rich mushroom sauce. Pizzas lean into tradition too, ranging from a faithful margherita to a lively capricciosa topped with smoked ham, olives, and mushrooms.

To complete the table, sides keep things pleasantly unfussy. Patate fritte arrive with roasted garlic aioli for dipping, while a fresh insalata mista of mixed leaves and radicchio offers a bittersweet crunch that resets the palate between courses.

True to its café spirit, this is a place for easy-going lunches and relaxed suppers, where the classics do the heavy lifting and conversation takes care of the rest.