Food and culture hub, il Mercato Centrale in the heart of Melbourne’s hospitality scene, has officially opened, marking the first global expansion of the successful network established in Florence, Milan, Rome and Turin, Italy.
il Mercato Centrale invites food lovers and adventurers to experience Italian smells, flavours, sounds and colours of 23 artisan stalls, spread across two expansive levels with a purpose-built events space on the third level.
il Mercato Centrale’s core offering is built on the collaboration of its distinct artisans, each bringing their unique specialty to life under one roof. The artisans work harmoniously, collaborating and sharing ingredients and produce. Guests 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.
On the ground floor, il fornoby 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.
la carne e i salumi by Nikos Chatzopoulos features cold cuts and aged meats from a josper, a 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.
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.
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 3,000 people. Backed by 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 general manager, Gary Patikkis said, “The goal has always been to create more than just a food hub. 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.”