For rustic Italian food in Alexandria, head to Pino's Vino e Cucina

This Alexandria favourite serves up traditional Italian meals with an elegant twist. Step through the door and be transported to a rural Italian tavern, with the reclaimed timber design and details of copper, brass and leather warmly inviting you in for a meal or a seat at the bar.

Executive chef and owner Matteo Margiotta has put together a menu filled with rustic favourites. The lunch menu is an offering of dishes that prove simplicity and quality go hand in hand. Alongside standards like lasagne and the fish of the day, you’ll also find swordfish carpaccio and roast potatoes with truffle duck fat.

The more extensive dinner menu features a line-up of Italian meats and cheeses to begin with, before moving on to the antipasti selection, which includes Pacific oysters, Canadian scallops and Pino’s pâté with crostini. For the main course there is a range of pasta, made fresh by hand everyday, duck breast and a 1kg Black Angus steak, as well as a selection of sides.

Out the front, bar manager Davide Colombo oversees the formidable wine list, which hosts vintages from across Italy, as well as France, Spain and our own Barossa Valley. The bar is stocked with spirits including Scotch whisky, American whiskey, gin, vodka and tequila and mezcal.