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Feel like pasta? Try Il Solito Posto. Tucked down a laneway off Collins St, this little bistro may look unassuming from the outside, but inside it’s a hub of activity, buzzing with conversation and oozing with charm; its dimly lit, rustic atmosphere the perfect canvas for after-work drinks and a bite to eat.

Il Solito Posto
Basement 113 Collins St (entry on George Pde), Melbourne VIC
www.ilsolitoposto.com.au

A handful of rustic salads and antipasto delights dominate Il Solito Posto’s bistro menu, but their generous serves of pasta are clearly the star of the show, prevalent in an array of shapes, sizes and flavours. There are six house pastas, including:

• farfalle salmone: a delicious, highly addictive summer staple featuring bow pasta, smoked salmon, tomato, broccoli and cream

• penne ragu: an all-season, plain Jane favourite that’s in equal parts flavoursome and safe

• casarecce pollo: a creamy comfort-food concoction of twisted pasta, chicken, mushroom, spring onion and white wine, ordered when a good post-work rant simply isn’t enough

• linguini fruitti di mare: linguini with chilli, garlic, fish, prawns, calamari and mussels. Not in the same league as the equivalent dish sampled at Caffe e Cucina, but nice all the same.

Look to the blackboard for the pasta specials, which change regularly. Last month, I sampled an excellent orecchiette with calamari, zucchini and cherry tomatoes, the latter adding the right depth of sweetness to a dish that tasted fresh, light and actually quite good for me. Tubbymaster typically took the meatier route, devouring a spaghetti and chorizo concoction that looked infinitely manlier next to my summery plate of greens and reds. Despite the fact we had the dodgy table (the two-seater beneath the door, across from the kitchen where the wait staff regularly gathered), we both left happy – if that was the ‘worst’ experience we’ve had, it’s pretty damn good.

Il Solito Posto’s popularity speaks for itself. No bookings are taken for the bistro, which usually isn’t a problem – especially if you’re happy to sit by the bar during peak periods. (Just don’t stop by during the Comedy Festival. You’ll probably find yourself across the laneway, settling for Italy 1.)

VERDICT: If Barry Hall had an obedient child, it would be called Il Solito Posto. (It’s not big nor bad, but it sure is bustling.) You’ll find a busy yet intimate establishment, powered by a good dose of x-factor. Don’t feel like pasta? Try the fine dining restaurant, accessible from the bistro. If you’re searching for a really great pasta in a more romantic setting, I’d lean toward Caffé e Cucina.

TIP: Go for breakfast. The photos say it all, really.

Bircher muesli, bursting with berry goodness

A very pretty mushroom and tallegio omelette, with tomato relish

A side serve of eggs on toast, with chipolatas