Latteria

Hutt Street wine bar Latteria borrows from Milan’s “latterie Milanesi” culture, which sees traditional eateries trade all day and into the night, shifting seamlessly between lunch, aperitivo and dinner. To that end Latteria is best thought of as "a bar with food" (one that takes food orders right up until close) as opposed to a restaurant.

But how to order food at Latteria? The hot tip is to go long on snacks. When Broadsheet visited, the winner was the risotto al salto, which involved freshly cooked risotto pan-fried until crispy, then served on a creamy Parmigiano base with chicken jus and finished with bonito flakes. Other hits included a savoury cannolo with whipped ricotta, prosciutto and spiced honey; and chargrilled octopus skewers with fermented peppers and crispy polenta.

The space is organised around a central bar with high stools and standing room – perfect for an after-work knock-off or a pre-dinner snifter. As the night progresses, patrons can move on to a more traditional dining setting, and then retire to the lounge with Italian-ish cocktails such as a Negroni Sbagliato spiked with dark rhubarb and house-made native currant and cranberry beaujolais.