In 1986 a bowl of spaghetti bolognese at Marios in Brunswick Street cost $4.50. On Thursday, a bowl of spaghetti bolognese at Marios will still cost $4.50 – owners Mario Maccarone and Mario De Pasquale will reprint the menu at 1986 prices, in celebration of their 30-year milestone.
Some things never change: that bolognese recipe has been the same from day one, and you might order it from head waiter Massimo Di Sora – he's been at Marios for as long as Marios has been Marios (barista Nicola Scardavilli has been on staff for only 17 years: "I'm the new guy," he says).
Marios was one of the first Melbourne cafes to offer breakfast from open until close; 30 years on you can still rock up at 10pm and knock back a plate of bacon and eggs; get one at 303 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy.