Italian$$$
WHERE AND WHAT
The name isn't false advertising - this humble little osteria is all about the passion for real, rustic Italian food nurtured by owner and chef Carmine Costantini, who has runs on the board at Tea Rooms of Yarck, Stefano's and Caffe e Cucina. With a menu of whatever Costantini is cooking that day, this humble Bridge Road shopfront decorated with a distinct lack of pomp offers one of the city's singular dining experiences.
WHERE TO SIT
With two rooms, it's a tight squeeze of a place but you will want to be in the front room facing the street, where most of the action takes place and the chef slices cured meats and cheeses from the glass cabinet.
WHEN TO GO
Opening hours are Tuesday to Saturday from 6.30pm.
DRINK
The current Age Good Food Guide's BYO of the year, Osteria La Passione has a $20 corkage fee for every bottle you bring along. This might sound a bit steep but look at it this way: the food is a bargain and it's an excellent excuse to dust off something worthy from the cellar. Failing that, there's a Dan Murphy's close by - or there's a tight little Australian and Italian wine list that ought to yield some drops that are pleasingly off the beaten track.
EAT
In the true definition of the osteria, Costantini's menu changes nightly, occasionally mid-service so that some tables receive different dishes. There is, of course, no menu. Six courses come at a cost of $75 and additional ones are $15 each. Some nights might veer towards seafood, some towards red meat (horse, hare and wild boar might make an appearance along with the usual porky morsels the Italians couldn't live without - Costantini makes most of the smallgoods on offer). Every table gets an unlimited supply of the house-made smoked flour and buckwheat bread. The meal might kick off with salt cod puree on toasted bread or a zingingly fresh braised octopus salad. Every table seems to receive a charcuterie selection and pasta - rosemary-scented wild boar ragu with pappardelle gets top points for its incredible depth of flavour, while the gnocchi are architecturally outstanding - and the game crowd ought to love the rare slices of venison draped with lardo. For dessert it could be anything from a classic panna cotta to a slice of the vibrantly coloured carrot cake.
WHO'S THERE
A diverse crowd of Italian food lovers.
WHY BOTHER?
Osteria La Passione is about as Italian as it gets outside of Italy.
Osteria La Passione - 486 Bridge Road, Richmond, phone 9428 2558.
Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox.
Sign up