In the eight years he\u2019s been in Melbourne, Kiwi Joss Jenner-Leuthart always lived in the north. But when he and his wife moved to a particular pocket of South Yarra, he felt something was missing. <\/p>\n
\u201cI definitely found there was a lack of places you didn\u2019t need to book, where you could pop into for a glass of wine and didn\u2019t feel you had to dress up,\u201d he says. \u201cThere\u2019s an awesome food scene at the top end of Toorak \u2013 France-Soir<\/a>, Gracie\u2019s<\/a>, Bar Carolina<\/a>, Nobody\u2019s Baby<\/a> \u2013 but there\u2019s a lack of stuff down this end.\u201d<\/p>\n By \u201cthis end\u201d he means the corner of Chapel Street and Toorak Road, closer to special-occasion restaurants Omnia<\/a>, Yugen<\/a> and Steer Dining Room<\/a>. It\u2019s here that Jenner-Leuthart has planted an Italian flag in Julietta, a romantic 35-seat wine bar with vintage touches such as upholstered corduroy bar stools and glass vases sourced from CCSS<\/a> and others.\u00a0<\/p>\n Though Jenner-Leuthart has a long history in the industry and took over Hot Listed<\/a> Mexican institution Mamasita<\/a> two years ago, this is the first restaurant he\u2019s founded. With him are Mamasita\u2019s executive chef Jimmy Garside (ex-The Apollo<\/a>, Sydney) and operations director Merilin Nogo. <\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019d kind of been looking for something,\u201d Jenner-Leuthart says. \u201cWe wanted to do a different concept, which we’re still going to do, much more Mamasita size and vibe but different cuisine. But this site came up and I was like, \u2018What do you reckon we do like a little wine bar thing? Low-risk, low-key.\u2019 And then kind of like all things I do, it became a much bigger project and we ended up doing a real restaurant.\u201d<\/p>\n Italian food \u2013 comfortable, accessible and nostalgic to so many Australians \u2013 just felt right. Plus, Garside grew up cooking pasta at home in the UK thanks to a friendly nonna who lived down the road. Inside Julietta\u2019s tiny kitchen, his extruder squeezes out lesser-known forms including the flat, sheeted fazzoletti (\u201chandkerchiefs\u201d) and radiatori, shaped like car radiators. The former is sauced with cacio e pepe, but using pine-y green peppercorns in place of the classic black. The latter is paired with spanner crab, saffron and orange-hued sungold tomatoes.<\/p>\n Elsewhere on the menu there\u2019s focaccia, rotating cold-cuts like mortadella and prosciutto, prawn and scallop crudo, and burrata with pine nuts and raisin agrodolce. But Garside looks proudest when he talks about his hulking meatballs of Wagyu and house sausage, sauced up with buffalo ricotta and sugo.<\/p>\n While Jenner-Leuthart talks up Julietta\u2019s classic character, drinks have more of a contemporary bent. Alongside legacy wines from the motherland, there are decidedly new-school options from Australian vintners like Sigurd, William Downie, Patrick Sullivan, Lucy M and Das Juice. The house prosecco, pinot grigio and sangiovese are all made in the King Valley-Alpine Valley region and feature cute labels designed by Jenner-Leuthart\u2019s wife, who\u2019s an artist.<\/p>\n But the decent selection of amaros (20, all up), fun house cocktails and five original takes on the Negroni could be the things that get locals into a committed relationship with Julietta. Thank consulting bartender Eduardo Conde for the Negroni Blanco (gin, Rinquinquin peach liqueur, citrussy Suze aperitif), the Andalusian Negroni (shiraz gin, Pedro Ximenez sherry, cream sherry) and the Julietta Martini (Archie Rose gin, Cocchi Americano aperitif, Amontillado sherry).<\/p>\n Per Jenner-Leuthart\u2019s intention, you\u2019re welcome to drop in for any or all of this, but we have a feeling bookings will become very essential very soon.<\/p>\n