The restaurant that ‘feels like the right place to end two years of radio food reviews’
Roma
120 Collins Street
Melbourne
Press PLAY to listen to Emilia’s full review
Russel told me I had to get to Roma before I left for Berlin, and honestly, arriving in Rome on Sunday feels like the universe understood the assignment. After two years of food reviews on 3AW, there is something appropriately poetic about finishing at a place that is essentially a love letter to the Eternal City, planted right here on Collins Street.
Roma comes from Con Christopoulos, the restaurateur behind The European, Siglo, Kafeneion and much of what makes Melbourne’s dining scene feel genuinely sophisticated without being precious about it. But this is different. This is Con going all in on a single city’s food culture, and the result is a restaurant that feels both deeply considered and entirely alive.
The menu is unapologetically Roman, which I will admit I did not fully understand until I was standing there staring at an entire page dedicated to offal. This is the quinto quarto, the fifth quarter, the Roman tradition of turning working-class cuts into something extraordinary. It is the kind of thing that either makes you lean in or back away slowly. I am firmly in the lean-in camp.
The space itself is a study in 60s resort elegance. Geometric ceiling details, vintage Italian light fittings, checked tile floors, and staff in crisp white collared coats that somehow manage to look both retro and completely contemporary. The massive marble charcuterie table at the entrance is named after Pier Luigi Colli, a famous Italian architect, because of course it is. Every detail here has been considered, right down to the black and red typography scattered across the menu, which I puzzled over for some time before being told it was simply leftover from previous iterations. Even the chaos is curated.
The service deserves special mention. It is playful without being glib, attentive without hovering, and crucially, these people know what they are talking about. We mentioned we had tickets to Six the Musical in just over an hour and they adjusted accordingly. Half glasses of wine after we finished our first, because they understood we would not get through a full one in time. That is the kind of hospitality that makes you feel properly looked after.
We started with the scallops with garum, capers and garlic ($34), a dish that demonstrates how the ancient Roman fermented fish sauce can elevate seafood without overwhelming it. The charcuterie from the Pier Luigi Colli Table ($28 for small) is exactly what you want from an antipasti spread, with cured meats and cheeses presented on that magnificent marble slab. The chicken broth cup ($20) sounds simple but delivers that proper Roman clarity of flavour, clean and warming.
Then came the risotto al salto ($40), which is apparently the dish that made Con want to open a Roman restaurant in the first place. This is a classic Roman preparation where leftover risotto is formed into a cake, crumbed and fried until golden and crisp on the outside while remaining creamy within. It is comfort food elevated to something approaching art, and you can taste why it became the catalyst for this entire project.
The Roma style roast potatoes ($15) do exactly what Roman potatoes should do, with crisp edges and soft centres that disappear faster than you expect. The lamb shoulder chops ($40 each) are cooked to a beautiful medium, juicy and tender with just enough char to show the kitchen knows how to work a grill.
On wine, we tried three by the glass: the 2024 Anduma Dolcetto from Monferrato ($17), the 2025 Tillie J Pinot Noir, and the 2021 Sandro Fay Ca’ Morei Nebbiolo. The list leans heavily into Lazio, the region that calls Rome home, with fresh whites and food-forward reds that pair intelligently with the menu.
What makes Roma work is that it does not feel like a theme park interpretation of Roman cuisine. It feels like someone who genuinely loves the city has built a place that honours it without becoming precious about tradition. The menu is large because Roman menus are large, with sections for pasta, caviar, meat, fish, soup, spuntini, vegetables, cheese, desserts and that offal page paying homage to the quinto quarto tradition from Rome’s Testaccio district.
Con’s contribution to Melbourne dining over four decades is substantial, and Roma fits neatly into that legacy while pushing it forward. It is polished without losing character, ambitious without being intimidating, and most importantly, it is intelligent about what it is trying to do. Chef Matt Wilkinson, formerly of Pope Joan, brings a produce-focused approach to Roman classics, while the kitchen team ensures the Italian culinary roots remain firmly intact.
As I prepare to leave Melbourne for Berlin, Roma feels like the right place to end two years of radio food reviews. It represents everything I have valued about this city’s dining scene: the craftsmanship, the hospitality, the stories behind the dishes, and the people who care enough to get the details right. Even the bits that do not quite make sense, like that typography situation, feel like part of the charm.
If you want proper Roman food without the airfare, or you simply want to experience what happens when a Melbourne hospitality legend decides to dedicate an entire restaurant to one city’s culinary culture, get to Roma. Book ahead, because this place has already found its audience. And order the risotto al salto. Con will appreciate it.
Open breakfast Monday to Saturday, lunch and dinner Tuesday to Saturday. Bookings essential.
Images: Supplied