Three good-looking new locals for a low-key luxe night out

Scopri’s charming sibling, Bar Olo, has opened just down the road from the beloved Italian restaurant, a long-awaited spot for Scopri customers who want to come in for a drink before or after dinner.

But everyone can roll up for wagyu arrosticini (skewers), vitello tonnato, and agnolotti del plin, the pinched pasta parcels Scopri is known for.

Bar Olo is the more casual little sibling to a favourite Italian restaurant.

Chef Kirsten Sattler (ex-Pinotta, Alimentari) is leaning into Melbourne’s sandwich obsession with tramezzini: crustless, triangular white-bread sandwiches that are popular everywhere in Italy from quaint espresso bars to fancy establishments. Prawn with crispy tropea onions is the first iteration.

Like Scopri, Bar Olo is a slice of Italy’s Piedmont region. But the bar’s name points to a specific devotion to one of the area’s most revered wines: there are 120 barolos on the list.

Prawn tramezzini sandwiches at Bar Olo.

In the spirit of Italy’s aperitivo tradition, from 4pm to 6pm, your drink – perhaps a slightly foamy, superbly bitter Campari shakerato – comes with a free surprise snack, whether a straight-from-the-wheel hunk of parmigiano reggiano, or zeppole: fluffy deep-fried dough balls.

A vintage vibe can be hard to create, but the team has done it through cafe curtains, a curved art deco-style bar and food served on antique crockery.

Open Wed-Sat, 4pm-late

165 Nicholson Street, Carlton, barolocarlton.com.au

Albert Park’s new midweek hangout might be Omen, a newbie from three ex-Rockpool staff who want to offer classic Euro flavours and Aussie wines in a light-drenched space they’ve renovated themselves. It’s a big change from their glitzy former workplace at Crown.

“We’re ready for anything. We’re going from a 200-seater to a little 40-seater,” says manager Pierre-Marie Caillaud.

A Big Green Egg ceramic grill is the backbone of the kitchen, roasting pig’s cheeks glazed in honey, grilling prawns paired with a shellfish sauce, and smoking O’Connor beef short-rib.

Wine-friendly snacks include brioche doughnuts filled with chicken liver parfait. Later, there’s pumpkin agnolotti with burnt butter sabayon (a lush egg yolk sauce).

After dinner, chefs Dean Stagno and Declan Carroll are offering the best of both worlds: a dessert-meets-cheese course where stilton blue is paired with a wedge of apple tarte tatin and lavosh.

Caillaud’s wine list is a mix of Gippsland, Geelong and Beechworth producers, with a smattering of French and Italian.

Open Wed-Sat, 5.30pm-11pm; Sun, noon-5pm

149 Victoria Avenue, Albert Park, omenrestaurant.com

Ora, already a morning destination for Kew locals, is hoping to win hearts after sunset with its new evening menu and swish renovation that’s installed a separate dining room in the neighbouring tenancy.

Walls have been knocked out, walnut panels installed and a suite of granite-topped tables now join olive-green upholstery and a handsome backlit bar. Art deco-inspired lights make the space feel night-time-ready. The cafe continues to trade as normal – just with an extra-plush look.

Owner of 10 years Phil Nikolarakos says the wine bar offering will be a magnet for locals who may not want to walk the 20 minutes to High Street venues such as Mister Bianco and its bar, Bianchetto.

Cocktail hour might include one of the half-dozen classics on the list paired with house-made duck rillettes, and whitebait with yuzu kosho mayo. A fresh spin on surf and turf involves scallops with an oxtail “marmalade”, a heavily reduced braise that’s fragrant with juniper and star anise.

Larger choices include pan-fried ricotta gnocchi and caponata, and grilled king prawn skewers with chimichurri. To finish? A mezcal Old Fashioned is the pick.

Open from April 19, Fri & Sat, 5pm-11pm. From May, also open Wed & Thu, 5pm-11pm.

156 Pakington Street, Kew, orakew.com.au