JOE MAMMONE

Established 1995 • Little Collins Street, Melbourne CBD

​

Opened in late 1995 as a Venetian-influenced offshoot of Caffè e Cucina, Il Bacaro is among the longest-running Italian restaurants in the Melbourne CBD. Joe Mammone became co-owner alongside Graeme Ballentine and manager Marco Tenuta, and under their stewardship the restaurant became known for its consistency — Gourmet Traveller critic Michael Harden noted it was still “packing the house” after almost twenty years, crediting its “unfailing class” rather than novelty. In 2020 the restaurant underwent a head-to-toe refurbishment, led by longtime collaborator Chris Connell, returning the menu to its original Venetian focus.