Rocco’s Bologna Discoteca — Restaurant in Melbourne

Another evening out for dinner with one of my best friends visiting from interstate and by agreement (happily) we chose here.

Welcomed by the sweetest Sean, complimenting my pants which I always appreciate a compliment when it comes to an outfit. He sat me down as I waited for my bestie to arrive.

It’s a beautiful restaurant that’s tucked in with gorgeous graphic for a logo. Hats off to the designer for that. The ambience is comforting and friendly, perfect for small groups - or for the matter that we were there, a long awaited catch up between 2 best friends.

The lovely Foster and Sean had also served us throughout the evening, both with exceptional people skills. Not over doing it, just genuine and kind people - the kind you want to remain a friendship with.

The menu wasn’t overwhelming. There is nothing I dislike more, than a 5 page menu. We got some bits and pieces to share and it was the perfect amount to feel content.

Now to talk about the items and their scoring. Focaccia 4/5 - covered in this gorgeous honey and lightly chilli sauce with a nice crunch. Delightful. Salumi of the day 5/5 - to be paired with the focaccia, amazing, nicely shaved, melted in the mouth. Shoestring fries 5/5 - some of the best fries, and I really love potatoes. The sauce as well wasn’t too heavy of garlic. Meatball sub 5/5 - the hero of all items. This was one of my favourite things that my mouth has ever endured and I feel fortunate enough to have experienced the same love with my best friend. Rocco’s house soft serve 5/5 - whatever the hell this was, I want monthly. It was so decadent. Light. Airy. Sweet but not to the point where you feel heavy and “ugh” but a, “that refreshed my palette”

Overall, this has entered my top 3 dinner places and I’m grateful...

@roccos.bologna 📍Fitzroy

✔️ Pork + Veal Meatball Sub, salsa verde, aged Reggiano, white sauce ⭐️ Veal Cotoletta Milanese roll, bone marrow mayonnaise ⭐️ Shoestring fries, rosemary salt, herb aioli ✔️ Pistachio soft serve

Rocco’s Bologna Discoteca, situated on Gertrude St in Fitzroy, is an inviting Italian trattoria-style restaurant that began as a pop-up sandwich bar during lockdowns. Since then, it has evolved into a charming double-story venue, complete with a bar and courtyard, brought to you by the same team behind @poodlefitzroy. 🥪

Operating for both lunch and dinner, Rocco’s is renowned for its lunchtime sandwiches. The Veal Cotoletta Milanese Roll, a simple yet perfected delight, features crispy, seasoned schnitzel paired with fresh lettuce and sauce. The Meatball Sub also impressed with its soft roll and flavorful, slightly spicy meatballs — though we did notice a hint of burnt flavour, possibly from the bun.

Noteworthy as well were their rosemary salted fries — hot, crisp and complemented by a herbaceous sauce. To sweeten the experience, Rocco’s offers a rotating soft-serve special and during our visit, it was pistachio. Drool. 🤤

The venue exudes a retro Italian vibe, reminiscent of dining at Nonna’s house. The service is friendly, and our food arrived quickly. Impressed with our lunch, seeing other dishes being served gave us massive FOMO, we cannot wait for a return visit to explore more of the...

Came to Rocco’s to finally try their meatball sub. We were greeted warmly by Michael, who led us to our table. Our waiter came by to ask if we wanted drinks but I wished that they noticed we didn’t have our menus for food yet. It was a busy night though so I can understand how this could’ve been left unseen. We asked for menus and ordered 3 entrees and 3 mains to share! The focaccia we ordered was unique in terms of flavours and textures. It was a generous portion for one. The Salumi platter was simple but packed with a good sweet and savoury flavour. It didn’t feel oily/fatty. The mussels were good for sharing between 4 people. The herby, tangy broth that accompanied was perfect to dip the side bread into. Meatball subs were of course amazing. Rich with flavour, decently slathered with sauce (it wasn’t a messy affair) and it was good to share between 2 people. We had cabbage too (not in photos). It was tender and it had a nice roasted after taste. The sauce with the cabbage complemented well and was just enough for the dish. The greens were greens! It was good to have a something simple. Everything was great, lovely for casual and...