Aussie practice Biasol has conjured the ruins of Rome inside new Melbourne pasta haunt Pentolina, off the city’s bustling Little Collins Street.

The Italian restaurant sits inside a 100-year-old building, which the practice stripped back to its bones to reveal hand-rendered concrete evoking the texture and patina of Rome’s back streets.

Says the studio: ‘We were inspired by Italy’s passion for food, design and good company, fusing it with Rome’s rich culture, historic ruins and typical Italian pasta bars.’

A double-curved counter, topped by rose coloured marble and fronted by scalloped Tasmanian oak, runs the length of Pentolina. It acts as a bar, pasta-making station and a dining area for patrons who – in true Puglian style – can chat to staff while they eat.

Fixed burgundy bar stools and terrazzo flooring nod to the local pasta bars of the capital, while curved mirrors behind the bar shelves add to the vintage vibe.

Diners at the Melbourne restaurant can tuck into a range of pasta dishes devised by head chef Matt Picone, which put an Aussie twist on Puglian classics including fettuccine tartufo and Matt’s signature spaghetti bolognese.

Baisol previously designed the Wes Anderson-style Budapest Café in China’s Chengdu.

[Via Yellowtrace]

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