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Restaurant

Osteria Ilaria

367 Little Bourke St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia

Recommended by 11 people

Updated

Find Osteria Ilaria

367 Little Bourke St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia

Directions ↗
+61 3 9642 2287
HoursMonday: 12:00 – 10:00 PM Tuesday: 12:00 – 10:00 PM Wednesday: 12:00 – 10:00 PM Thursday: 12:00 – 10:00 PM Friday: 12:00 – 10:00 PM Saturday: 12:00 – 10:00 PM Sunday: Closed

*Opening hours may differ during holidays.

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About Osteria Ilaria

Right on Little Bourke Street, Osteria Ilaria serves refined, modern Italian dishes with casual ease. Regulars aim for bar seats facing the open kitchen to watch the line plate up dinner. Order the multi-course Chef's Menu. Diners often single out the crisp porcini mushroom croquette, followed by charred cabbage in pappa al pomodoro hit with mustard oil. Primi deliver generous portions—tender spanner crab tagliolini and rich lobster spaghetti keep conversations buzzing across the room. Pacing stays steady right through to a clean, refreshing scoop of cucumber sorbet.

  • Curated Chef's Menus: Guests praise the multi-course tasting progression, highlighting dishes like porcini mushroom croquettes and charred cabbage pappa al pomodoro.
  • Standout Seafood Pastas: Plates like spanner crab tagliolini and rich lobster spaghetti earn consistent acclaim across the room.
  • Front-Row Kitchen Bench: Counter seats along the bar offer a direct, engaging view of the kitchen brigade firing and plating dishes.
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What's On at Osteria Ilaria

Upcoming events, special menus and other reasons to plan a visit.

No events or specials listed right now.

Why Dine at Osteria Ilaria

Contemporary Italian dining highlighted by open-kitchen theatre, generous tasting menus, and welcoming hospitality.

  • Paced Multi-Course Tasting Menus

    The multi-course Chef's Menu offers an extensive tasting progression of courses tailored seamlessly across starters, pastas, mains, and desserts.

    The menu offered a generous variety – two entrees, two starters, two mains with a side, and two desserts – all perfectly paced so each dish arrived at just the right moment.

    LoveEat LoveCook

  • Diverse Dish Selections for Celebrations

    A versatile kitchen format accommodates varied dietary choices and celebratory groups with carefully portioned pairings.

    We opted for the Chef’s Menu, which allowed us to enjoy a fantastic variety of dishes, with the Pappa al pomodoro featuring charred cabbage and mustard oil easily taking the top spot as our favorite.

    rheesmiles

  • Warm and Attentive Celebration Care

    Front-of-house staff provide welcoming, attentive service that makes special milestone dinners feel genuinely celebrated and cared for.

    The service was equally impressive, as the staff went above and beyond to help make my boyfriend’s birthday celebration feel truly special.

    rheesmiles

  • Relaxed Yet Sophisticated Hospitality

    Guests experience genuine hospitality that balances sophisticated dining with comfortable warmth regardless of dress or arrival time.

    Service was attentive without being intrusive, and the atmosphere struck a perfect balance between relaxed and sophisticated.

    MJC

  • Front-Row Culinary Theatre

    Dining along the open kitchen counter allows guests to watch the culinary brigade sauce and plate dishes in real time.

    watching the theatre of the kitchen from the chef’s bar is definitely the pic of the seats

    Kate Dezarnaulds

  • Engaging Open Kitchen Craft

    Direct bar and counter seating gives guests an intimate vantage point of kitchen coordination and chef craft.

    One of the standout features of the restaurant is the open kitchen, which adds an engaging element to the dining experience and allows you to appreciate the skill and coordination of the chefs at work.

    Jacob Saill-Dilnot

Signature Italian dishes and multi-course dining experiences

  • Chef's Menu

    We opted for the Chef’s Menu, which allowed us to enjoy a fantastic variety of dishes

    rheesmiles

  • Wagyu rump steak

    the standout for us was the Wagyu rump steak. It was cooked to perfection – wonderfully crisp on the outside while staying rare and tender in the centre.

    LoveEat LoveCook

  • Lobster spaghetti

    The lobster spaghetti was a standout perfectly cooked pasta with generous lobster and a rich, balanced sauce that complemented the seafood beautifully.

    MJC

  • Pappa al pomodoro

    the Pappa al pomodoro featuring charred cabbage and mustard oil easily taking the top spot as our favorite.

    rheesmiles

Other favorites

Memorable starters, sides, and house desserts

  • Porcini mushroom croquette

    The porcini mushroom croquette, brocolli cheese, tuna crudo and Wagyu were my highlights

    Karen Kwok

  • Cucumber sorbet

    I like the dessert cucumber 🥒 sorbet, surprisingly refreshing and yummy 😋

    Jiaxue Snowy Li

  • Beef Carpaccio

    I'd have to say the Beef Carpaccio, would be my death row meal.

    Alana Foster

  • Black olive ice cream

    The black olive ice cream dessert was also insane.

    Tessa Consedine

Beyond the menu

Attentive hospitality touches and kitchen-side details that elevate your meal

  • Front-Row Kitchen Bench Theatre

    When seated along the kitchen counter, guests can watch chefs plate and craft sauces up close as they coordinate each course.

  • Thoughtful Milestone Celebration Care

    Diners celebrating milestone occasions receive dedicated hosting touches and attentive service tailored to make celebrations feel distinct.

  • Customized Chef Selection Adaptations

    The kitchen smoothly personalizes multi-course tasting selections across tables with mixed dining preferences, including pescatarian and vegetarian guests.

  • Individual Plating for Shared Pasta

    Staff split shared dishes into individual plated portions for diners tasting across courses together.

Before you head over

Practical advice on seating, walk-ins, and parking for your visit to Osteria Ilaria.

  • Snag a Seat at the Kitchen Bench

    For the best view of the culinary action, request seating at the kitchen bench or chef's bar where you can watch the kitchen team prepare dishes up close.

  • Drop in Casually at the Bar

    If you are dropping in without a booking or arrive early, check for open spots around the bar, which often accommodates walk-ins even when tables are full.

  • Park Nearby at Bourke Square

    Drivers can find easy parking just around the corner, as Bourke Square Car Park is situated approximately a one-minute walk away.

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