Carlton Restaurants

A unique, comfortable atmosphere of casual and informal elegance: the perfect opportunity to unwind, relax and dream.

The name Palladino stems from the Latin Palatinus, which roughly translates to the champion of a cause and re-establishing of order, think Paladin and the Knights of the Round Table. It’s also the shared name of the owner’s mother, Rita Palladino, who at seventy-five years of age is an exacting warrior in charge of the pasta making. In many ways this reflects the philosophy of the establishment, which the current custodians at 555 Nicholson Street, (formerly Tansy’s in the heady 80’s, 555’s and more recently Bistro Flor) aim to respect; a delicate melding of a rich culinary and cultural history, while simultaneously creating overt change.

The salone - dining room, is adorned with a classic marbletop bar ideal for a cocktail or aperitivo, and the hidden courtyard is an oasis reminiscent of a bygone era that exudes a quiet charm. The establishment is deliberately the antithesis of ubiquitous corporate style branding and moves beyond fashion and trend. There’s a highly personalised expression at play here, a love of nostalgia, Italy and indeed old Carlton, where hospitality is paramount. Patrons can inulge in local and Italian wines, beers or classic cocktails alongside traditional cicchetti, savory snacks typical of the bars in Venice.

While many locals have made Da Palladino their home away from home, there’s an eclectic mix here who appreciate the focus on casual, amiable service. It’s the perfect setting to gather with friends, or indeed meet new ones. For those feeling the pangs of hunger, there's a short seasonal inspired menu scribed onto a chalkboard daily that includes a selection of regional comfort foods, typically found in an Italian trattoria. The favourite is undoubtedly Rita’s artisan pasta, lovingly prepared by hand on premise and served with sugo, a slow cooked tomatoe based sauce found in the Mollisse region. Paired with wine from the same region, it's Italian simplicity at its very best.

We are a family owned and operated restaurant. That means that you are welcomed to our house and served as part of our family. We want you to have a wonderful time with us. We’ve created a little Argentina in the heart of Melbourne for you to feel transported 13,000 km into our traditions and enjoy the best meat in a pleasant Latin atmosphere.

“Gaucho” is the Argentinian version of the American cowboy. Gauchos were strong, honest and hard-working types. They would have very simple lives and have no more belongings than his clothes, his horse and his long knife. A Gaucho learns only by experience and is real expert in what he loves the most: friends and meat!

While Argentina was becoming a world-famous meat exporter, the Gaucho was the real expert in that matter. His diet was composed almost entirely of beef cooked with charcoal in the range.

These long years of experience and sharing is now our tradition, this is what represent us, this is why we are El Gaucho. We’d love to share it with you.

Scopri, which means to discover, or to find out, in Italian, comes directly from the experience gained in Italy by owners Anthony Scutella and Alison Foley.

The whole of 2008, they travelled and worked their way through Italy, eating and drinking their way through its 20 regions, ‘discovering’ along the way the diversity of Italian food and wine – something unable to be gained anywhere else, introducing a seasonally varying menu with its traditional format of antipasto, pasta, main and dessert, using incredible local products from artisan producers.