Il Mercato Centrale, a taste of Italy in Melbourne CBD

On September 19, a new food hall opened its doors in the CBD of Melbourne: Il Mercato Centrale. Pasta, pizza, risotto or arancini… With no less than 23 artisans, and shops spread over 3 levels, it’s a real piece of Italy that landed in the McPherson’s Building on Collins Street! But does this new place live up to the hype that accompanied its opening? I tested Il Mercato Centrale for you!

Pizza, pasta, risotto or arancini?

Summary

The first "Il Mercato Centrale" outside of Italy
Is Il Mercato Centrale worth the visit?
About Il Mercato Centrale

The first “Il Mercato Centrale” outside of Italy

Cheers, salute, alla vostra! After several years of gestation, many delays and extensive work, Il Mercato Centrale finally opened its doors in Melbourne CBD on September 19. Other markets of the same name already exist in Italy (in Florence, Rome, Turin and Milan), but this is the first of its kind in Australia.

The concept: bringing together several Italian chefs and artisans in one place, offering a wide variety of typical dishes. From gnocchi to cannoli, from seafood to gelato, and of course pasta and pizza of all kinds, with 23 artisans in total there is something for everyone! Not forgetting a cafe to accompany your pastries, as well as an enoteca (wine bar), a distillery, or even a cocktail bar to raise a toast with your friends. Some spaces also serve as grocery stores to purchase typical Italian products, cheese, or wine.

Is Il Mercato Centrale worth the visit?

The opening of Il Mercato Centrale was a big event, and every single Melbourne media covered it extensively. I had to be part of it, so I decided to try it on the first Saturday night with a friend. It was absolutely jam-packed, as I expected, but I was still able to form a fairly good opinion of the place. Does it live up to the hype that accompanied its opening? My feelings are a bit mixed, with some very positive aspects, but some other a bit disappointing.

What I enjoyed

I really liked the place itself. The fact that it was crowded didn’t bother me at all. It contributed to create a warm, Mediterranean atmosphere that reflected Italy pretty. The air was also filled with a strong but very pleasant smell of pizzas cooked in traditional wooden ovens. The design is quite elegant with mosaic walls mixed with industrial elements, and despite the crowd we easily found a seat. There was also a DJ on a platform right in the middle, which added to the nice atmosphere.

Another very positive point, the kitchens are open and you can see the cooks at work. The star was undoubtedly chef Annapaola D’Alessio of La Pasta Fatta in Casa on the upper level: a large number of curious people (including me) spent quite a while observing her preparing her fresh pasta by hand. Impossible to not have your mouth watering at this sight!

Finally, even if I am not usually a big fan of QR codes on tables which in my opinion loses a lot of the human dimension of hospitality, this system is particularly appropriate here. It avoids endless queues in front of each stall, and makes it easy to browse the different menus. You can order from several locations simultaneously, and an SMS informs you when your dishes are ready to be collected. The service was also very efficient, despite the crowds of the opening night: our pastas, announced with a 45-minute wait, were finally ready in 15 minutes!

What I liked less

In summary, I overall enjoyed my experience and will very likely return to Il Mercato Centrale to try other dishes and enjoy the atmosphere. I also encourage you to go and make up your own mind, but be warned: this is not a place where you can eat cheaply. Too bad!

Finally, the biggest downside for me is the value for money. The arancini we ordered for the aperitivo were rather cheap, but I found them quite disappointing: I have eaten much better ones in Italy, or in other restaurants in Melbourne. Regarding the pasta, nothing to say about the frankly delicious taste, however $36 for a small cardboard bowl of carbonara is way too expensive. It was not an exception: the other prices we saw on the different menus generally seemed rather high.

If this QR code system is very useful, it also has its limits. You can quickly get lost in the countless offerings of each restaurant, and their names do not always suggest everything that can be found on their menus. We wanted to start with some finger foods and a glass of wine, and we had to open each page of each restaurant one by one to find out what our options were. While they all have their own dishes, none specialise exclusively in antipasti, and it took us a lot of time to make our selection.

About Il Mercato Centrale

Il Mercato Centrale is located in the CBD of Melbourne, more precisely in the McPherson’s building, 546 Collins Street. Trams 11, 12, 48 and 109 stop right next to it, and Southern Cross Station is less than 10 minutes’ walk away.

It is open everyday from 7am to 10pm, midnight on Friday and Saturday.

Most stalls only offer take-away service: you order via QR codes on the tables, and you pick up your dishes when an SMS informs you that they are ready. However, there are also two restaurants where you can book a table: La Pizza Napoletana and Il Ristorante, the latter serving as fine dining.

For more details and to view the full list of chefs and artisans operating at Il Mercato Centrale, click on the link below to visit the official website.