15/20

Updated October 26, 2026,first published November 11, 2024

15/20

Restaurant Santino

Italian$$

Comforting Italian fare with soul and smarts.

Until you step back out into the world from this Italian hideaway, it’s easy to forget that it’s in a laneway behind a shopping centre.

Santino is a world unto its own, where the walls of the cavernous space are lined with preserves and old photos of Sinatra. Euro disco grooves along in the background while groups of friends tear off pieces of Millers’ Local Bakehouse sourdough to drag through whipped stracchino, textural and fresh with chickpeas, and preserved lemon.

If there’s any bread leftover, use it to savour every last drop of chicken brodo, poured beneath a large cabbage roll rillette. It’s a comforting dish, stuffed with pork and chives, and that feeling carries through to pasta dishes such as the duck ragu, tender and twirled through al-dente papardelle. The menu, like the wine list, meanders through various regions of Italy, with the occasional Australian touch

Good to know: Sister venue Bar Lina next door does a fine line in Portuguese and Basque food and drink.

Good Food reviews are booked anonymously and paid independently. A restaurant can’t pay for a review or inclusion in the Good Food Guide.

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Last visited: September 2026

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Source: The Age

At a glance

Topic
World
Country
🇦🇺 AU
Publisher language
EN
Added to Allnira