It’s been just four months since we last published a wrap of new Italian restaurant openings. But Melbourne’s love affair with all things Italian blazes on (and on and on). Since then, we’ve welcomed 10 excellent new openings, so read on for our round-up.

Nonna’s House, Fitzroy North
A Melburnian has converted his nonna’s Fitzroy North house into a nostalgic Italian sub shop. Enter through the discreet side gate, order at the garage window, then head to a leafy nearby park with a saucy meatball sub and a side of fries loaded with either bolognaise or carbonara made from family recipes.

Stokehouse Pasta & Bar, St Kilda
From beach club to breezy pasta bar – Stokehouse Pasta & Bar opens in the former Pontoon site. St Kilda’s seaside institution now has an all-day European-inspired diner and bar where you’ll find family-sized bowls of pasta and tiramisu masquerading as bombe alaska. Think of it as “a half-price version of Stokehouse”.

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Figlia, Brunswick East
The pizza is anything but standard at Figlia, the third restaurant from the Tipo 00 and Osteria Ilaria team. The guns behind two of Melbourne’s favourite Italian restaurants have realised their pizzeria dreams in Brunswick East. Sit at the big bar and snack on duck mortadella and barbeque king prawns, or book a table and share pizzas topped with Moreton Bay bugs, fermented cabbage and other left-of-centre ingredients.

Grana, Brunswick East
A “formaggio” sign marks the spot at Grana, the fancy Brunswick East deli – another sibling to Tipo 00 and Osteria Ilaria. Next door to the team’s new Lygon Street pizzeria, Figlia, it’s a one-stop shop for pre-dinner snacks. Shop left-of-centre cheese (including cute mandarin-peel-wrapped ricotta) by Lucy Whitlow, standout salumi and lo-fi vino.

Stella, South Yarra
A sun-drenched rooftop bar is the cherry on top of South Yarra’s new Italian destination, Stella. It’s four storeys and almost four years in the making. Get your golden-hour fix up top, then head downstairs to the golden-lit trattoria for pizza made from a family recipe. Or a barrel-aged Negroni in the cocktail bar.

Hotel Lombardo, Coburg
It’s a little dive-y and a little disco at Coburg’s Italo-American pizza bar, Hotel Lombardo. The moodily lit diner is hitting all the right notes – with a big hit of nostalgia. Slide into a cushy booth for a glossy pepperoni pizza, or a culture-crossing mortadella and pineapple. Then bring a round of Negronis to the pool table.

La Vetta, Mickleham
With views for days, you’ll want a window seat at Marnong Estate’s new Italian diner, La Vetta. Just 35 minutes from Melbourne, the sprawling Mickleham winery has reimagined its premier restaurant. Now, an ex-Scopri and Bar Bambi chef is serving hearty pastas, bistecca alla Fiorentina and tiramisu cannoli.

Abbiocco, St Kilda
There’s house-made mortadella and Wagyu bolognaise at Abbiocco’s second pasta palace, in St Kilda. The swish Italian restaurant has gained so much traction since it opened in Highett that the team has replicated the concept in a moody space on Barkly Street, St Kilda. Now, they “essentially bookend the bayside area”.

Slim’s, Mount Eliza
Slim’s is a retro, rowdy Italo-American pizza parlour by the Wowee Zowee and Loosie’s team. With super cheesy pizzas, smashable Nonna Italian Pilsners and plenty of ’70s style.

Al Dente Sapori, Carlton
The team behind Carlton pasta paradise Al Dente Enoteca has turned its next-door Italian provedore into a relaxed trattoria inspired by childhood memories. Think mozzarella-filled panzerotti (like mini calzone) and spaghetti alle vongole.