Spaghetti Club
95 Swan St
Richmond

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Jimmy told me to go and check out Spaghetti Club in Richmond and see what I thought, and the short version is this: it’s slick, it knows exactly what it is, and it absolutely delivers on the experience. It’s the sort of place that feels confident from the second you walk in, but not in a way that shuts you out. It feels polished, but still warm enough to actually want to settle in and stay awhile. I want to know from callers, what is the new place on your radar atm?

Spaghetti Club is on Swan Street and is part of the MAMAS Dining Group (notably Disuko, Hochi Mama, Windsor Wine Room) which makes it interesting that this one is their first proper Italian leaning restaurant. It opened in 2026 and the whole thing is built around a family story, with co-owner Lucas Gugliandolo drawing on his Sicilian roots and a much-loved orange recipe book from his late Nonno. That sense of family and legacy runs through the whole place, but it never feels twee or overly sentimental. It just gives the room a soul. Beautiful black and white framed pictures of Nonni are covering the walls.

We sat at the chef’s table, which is basically a bar stool spot looking straight over the kitchen, and I was completely enthralled watching everything unfold through the night. I was sat directly in front of the chef grilling over the open fire, and it was one of those dinners where half the joy is in watching the kitchen work. There’s something really hypnotic about the pace of service, the flames, the plating and the rhythm of it all. It makes the whole thing feel like a performance, but in the best possible way.

We went with the $59 per person option, which included two starters, two mains and a side, and we also had a bottle of Maratti Langhe Rosso. For the money, it felt generous and well judged, and the dishes were paced beautifully.

We started with the cacio e pepe arancini, which came as two pieces and were loaded with finely microplaned parmesan, black garlic aioli and crisped onion. They had that proper golden crunch on the outside, but what made them really sing was how intensely cheesy and savoury they were inside. They were rich, but not heavy, and exactly the kind of thing you want to kick off a meal like this.

Then came the tuna crudo with nduja oil, capers, red grapes and shallot. The nduja oil was a really unexpected and delightful surprise. You don’t naturally associate that distinctly Italian nduja flavour with tuna, but it worked. It gave the dish warmth and depth without overpowering the fish, and the grapes brought just enough sweetness to keep it all lifted and bright.

The Moreton Bay bug spaghetti had baby zucchini, chilli and walnuts, and this was the dish I had the most mixed feelings about. The bug was cut through the pasta, which meant every bite had some of that sweet shellfish flavour running through it, and the spaghetti itself was well made. But personally I would have liked more bug, especially given the $38 price tag. It was tasty, but it felt like a dish that could have gone a little further with the hero ingredient.

The braised lamb shoulder was simple and delicious, which is often the best thing you can say about lamb. It came with dried herbs and citrus, and that was really all it needed. It was tender, full of flavour and confidently understated. The dish didn’t try to do too much, and that worked in its favour.

The roasted potatoes might sound like the side you barely mention, but these deserved a line of their own. They came with confit garlic, parsley and chilli flakes, and they were the ultimate crispy potato. The sort of side that quietly steals the table. Crisp outside, soft inside, deeply addictive, and exactly what you want sitting alongside the rest of the meal.

And then there was the house cannoli to finish, which felt like a proper sweet ending rather than a token dessert. Crisp shell, creamy filling, no fuss. Just a neat final note to a meal that had already done a lot right.

One of the most impressive parts of the night was how carefully they handled my dining partner’s nut anaphylaxis. They were incredibly diligent and made us feel completely safe eating there, which really matters. You can have all the atmosphere and style in the world, but if a restaurant doesn’t take allergies seriously, it’s not doing its job. Here, they absolutely did.

The service was fantastic throughout. Attentive without hovering, efficient without feeling rushed, and genuinely welcoming. That kind of service makes a big difference, especially in a room that is clearly trying to be more than just a standard Italian restaurant. Spaghetti Club has a point of view, but it also has the hospitality to back it up.

The end result is a place that feels considered, stylish and genuinely enjoyable. It’s not pretending to be your nonna’s house, but it does understand the comfort and pleasure that good Italian food should give you. And for a restaurant with this much confidence, that’s exactly the point.

Images: Supplied