Italian food covers plenty of ground, and these West Vic venues take different approaches to it. Expect hand-made pasta, woodfired pizza, antipasti, seafood and local wines. 

Casalingo

A moody venue with an extensive wine and cocktail list, Casalingo serves hand-made pasta, woodfired pizza and main meals with a strong focus on seafood. Expect to pay between $28 and $45 for a meal.

Where: 1 Moore Street, Apollo Bay

Hours: Sun-Thurs: 5:30-8:30pm Fri-Sat: 5:30-9pm

Totti’s

Totti’s offers a relaxed Italian dining style with a 70s-inspired interior and ocean views. The menu centres on antipasti, house-made bread, pasta, seafood and meat dishes, alongside Italian wines, cocktails and spritzes. This restaurant is on the pricier side for meals, with mains starting around $35. 

Where: 176 Mountjoy Parade, Lorne

Hours: Wed-Sun: 12-10pm

Bottega Toscana

Bottega Toscana draws from different regions of Italy, with a menu spanning pasta, meat dishes, risotto, seafood and traditional sides. Desserts include house-made tiramisu, panna cotta, affogato and chocolate cake, with Italian wines available alongside dinner. Dishes range from roughly $30 to $40.

Where: 26 Bank Street, Port Fairy

Hours: Mon-Sat: 5:30-9pm

Grano 

Set inside Ballarat's historic Goods Shed, Grano is a neighbourhood pasta bar with hand-made pasta and hand-stretched pizzas at the centre of the menu. Antipasti and shared plates round things out, while the bar offers Italian and local wines, spritzes, cocktails and amaro. Pizza ranges from $20 to $30 while pasta and other mains are priced between $30 and $40.

Where: 200 Lydiard Street North, Soldiers Hill

Hours: Wed-Sun: 5-9pm

Sicilians

Sicilians has been serving Ararat since 1988, starting as a pizza and ribs shop before expanding into a 100-seat restaurant. Its menu combines Italian food with Lebanese influences, covering pizzas, pasta, risotto, seafood, ribs and steaks, with Grampians wines available from the bar. Sicilians offer well-priced options with no mains on the menu over $40.

Where: 102 Barkly Street, Ararat

Hours: Tues-Sat: 11am-8:30pm

Raccolto Pizzeria 

Raccolto keeps things focused on woodfired pizza, using Italian-style methods and simple ingredients cooked in a brick oven. The Halls Gap pizzeria offers a casual dine-in setting, with pizzas available to take away for a meal elsewhere around the Grampians. Expect to pay between $20 and $30 for a pizza.

Where: 2 Heath Street, Halls Gap

Hours: Mon: 9am-8pm Tues: 3-8pm Wed: 2-8pm Thurs-Fri: 5-8pm Sat: 9am-9pm Sun: 9am-8pm

Header image: Grano Ballarat