Matteo Bruno’s balls are the talk of the town: his hand-kneaded succulent spheres of meat are the star attraction at the most carnivorous eatery in Melbourne’s Flinders Lane foodie district (a sister property lies South East of the CBD in low-rise Richmond). The roots of his recipe can be traced back to Italy where his grandparents were cattle farmers. Matteo’s Nonna passed the secrets on to his mum, and now the lucky folks of Melbourne can benefit from the three generations of experience at The Meatball & Wine Bar, with pork chicken fish and vegetable options available in addition to the traditional beef.
The authentic heritage that Matteo brings to the table has been reflected in the restaurant design by Eades and Bergman in collaboration with industrial specialist Paul Grummisch. The interior has been stripped back to the brick, and the exposed arches lend the intimate atmosphere of a cellar, while the high ceilings mitigate against claustrophobia. Other important contributors were Matthew Collins of Art & Interiors (surfaces and decoration, including the distressed mirror wall), VN Projects who installed the bespoke copper bar, and Daniel Barbera who designed the stools to go with it.
Interior photography, Nicole England
