Masani Italian Dining & Terrace

A wonderful lunch experience, freshly shucked oysters, followed by crostini with flavoured olive oil. Next was succulent gamberoni beautifully matched with a zesty sauce. The salad with bacon and sprinkling of parmesan cheese brought a nice fresh break. Finally the cacciucco Seafood stew showcased fresh seafood, from shellfish, mussels and barramundi and salmon. An excellent end to a great meal.

What an incredible find!! I was simply walking past to the carpark and it enticed me in. Beautiful atmosphere, service equivalent to the finest dining, and the food equivalent. I couldn't go past the specials board pappardelle di funghi, my weakness and was not disappointed. The flavours were excellent. Truly up there, with generous servings of truffle. Appreciated. This was paired with a mellow Italian Zenato Valpolicella Classico Corvina. Worth a second glass. Not in a hurry to leave, I could not go past the poached pear orange blossom frangipani tart with bee pollen. Finished with a dessert wine of Sicilian Carlo Pellegrino Passito Liquoroso di Pantelleria. How did my solo night out turn into a patch of heaven? Nice touch that the chef himself came out to check if everything was ok. He said they'd been here 40 years! Let's keep a Carlton treasure like this going, it would be a true loss otherwise. Highly recommended. ✨✨✨✨✨
Convenient paid parking nearby.
Relaxed fine dining. ✨

Masani is a beautiful restaurant with an old-world charm, serving high quality dishes which transported us back to Italy. We couldn’t fault a single dish – the food was so fresh and made with local ingredients. Best of all, Masani has an impressive wine list curated by an award-winning sommelier, featuring unique wines from across the world.

Aperitivo: Italian green olives, terrine, pickles and house made crusty sourdough bread.

Primi piatti: Piatto del orto – seasonal zucchini flower with goats curd, ricotta cheese, truffle water and balsamic vinegar. This was such a well-balanced and fresh dish which had a nice crunch.

Pasta: Paccheri pasta with slow braised oxtail ragu, venetian spices, sage & thyme – our favourite dish, the pasta was cooked perfectly al dente.

Dolci: bonet – dutch cocoa, nocello & amaretti custard, and hazelnut praline. The use of dutch cocoa (70% cocoa chocolate) gave this dessert a lovely bitterness which was balanced out with the sweet custard.

So old fashion, reminds me of nonnas home, food was so amazing and the man behind it all Richard Maisano, one of the nicest and most respectful people iv ever met, thanks so much for this amazing experience, love every bit of it! I’ll definitely be back

A beautiful night in a beautiful restaurant, the service was outstanding thanks to Kara for making it such a personal experience, the food was honest rustic and delicious, the wine was another level especially the amazing (& very long) list to choose from which was brilliantly backed up with a world of knowledge & good advice from Kara yet again & the company wasn’t bad either. All in all it was a perfect night, what more can you ask for?

Masani is a Melbourne tradition for myself; friends and family for the past three decades.
Brilliant food; classical Italian service; and one of the best wine lists in Australia.
Chef and owner Richard Maisano is one of the best chefs around. His food is equal to anywhere in the world.
I travel heaps due to my work making documentaries, but when I land back in Melbourne I cannot wait to get back to Masani's and their incredible team headed by Richard and Kara.

Beautiful food in an amazing dining room with very friendly family service. This place is worth the visit. Thanks for making our Sunday afternoon.

Beautiful meal. The fish with crustacean bisque was exceptional. Elegant, genteel atmosphere and friendly service. Great experience.

One of the best Italian restaurants in Melbourne for sure 🤌🏻 highly recommended, fresh and tasty.

Masanis, one of my favourite restaurants. Lovely food and wine, and the best service!

Masani Restaurant on Drummond Street provided an unforgettable dining experience for my birthday celebration. The food was delicious, with the Steak Florentine impressing my husband and the surprise Vanilla Soufflé being the best I've had in ages. The suggested wine pairings were spot-on, enhancing our meal perfectly. The attentive service led by Ricardo and his staff made the evening truly special. Highly recommended for any occasion. We'll be back soon, bringing others along to enjoy Masani's excellence.

Honestly the best Italian food I have ever eaten. Great service and friendly staff. Have visited a couple of times now. Would definitely recommend if you enjoy Italian food and a warm atmosphere.

Second time here and absolutely loved it! The food is fresh and the flavour is insanely good. Staff is welcoming, professional and the wine list is more of a wine bible. Will definitely come back.

I feel like I've been hiding under a rock! What a fabulous restaurant! My mum and I stopped in here for an impromptu lunch. We were greeted by beautiful smiles and a very warm welcome. The food was outstanding! Absolute quality and the perfect portion sizes. And the wine list ..... I just enjoyed reading it like a book. The pricing was as expected for a restaurant of this quality. I would have lingered longer for another rwine or coffee and dessert but sadly had to go to an appointment. I can't believe it's taken me this long to try this place. I will def be back for another vino or 2. Do yourself a favour and book a table now!

Recently had a lovely experience at this restaurant. I love the heritage and history of this place, playing host to some famous chefs and a strong passion to cooking fresh Italian cuisine with local ingredients. Recommend adding this restaurant to your list of places to visit in Carlton!

Great night, great food and very beautiful and delicious food, all staff were extremely nice and we enjoyed a great late dinner service, thank you everyone at Masani for making our night memorable,

We had a 120 person wedding at Masani’s in December 2023. The food, wine and service was incredible. Our guests had an absolute ball in the upstairs dining room. We could not have faulted the service on the day - it was truly fantastic.

Great authentic food. Great host. What a great night we had here! I would 100% come back when I’m visiting Melbourne again! Amazing wine selection too!!

An elegant gem of culinary expertise.
A wine list that will knock your socks off. Brilliant service by talented professionals. Prawn entree was a highlight.
Definitely recommend this place if Italian fine foods are your thing, and if they're not try it anyway because they'll change your mind.
A great experience and I'll be returning soon for more.

The food was really delicious! The pasta is one of the best pasta I have ever had. The service was great and felt really personal.