Did someone say spaghetti and spritz? Striking the perfect balance between traditional and modern Italian, Mark & Vinny’s is anything but ordinary. 

The menu is inventive and colourful, serving up a range of vegetarian, vegan and gluten free friendly dishes. Owners Mark Filipelli and Vince Pizzinga wanted to create a place where “everyone could sit down and break bread”, no matter what their beliefs or dietary choices. 

The space is warm and you can’t help but smile at the giant “Fly me to the moon” neon sign on arrival. There’s an extremely impressive drinks menu, where traditional cocktails have been ‘spritzified’ including the humble margarita. For the more classic of drinkers, the negroni with Vince’s chilli is a must try. 

The plant based dishes are pretty OG and enough to convert any carnivore, such as the fluorescent blue spirulina tagliatelle with king prawns, lightly fried zucchini flowers stuffed with soy ricotta and the famous charcoal bucatini with vegan egg yolk, smoked mushroom pancetta and vegan parmesan. 

For the meat eaters, the beef maccaruni calabrese is insanely good - a family recipe that’s been handed down across the Pizzinga family. Dessert is also an inclusive experience, a deadly tiramisu or a vegan cannoli with gelato that changes weekly. 

No matter what your food philosophy or dietary requirements, this place does not compromise on taste. Mark & Vinny’s is the perfect pasta joint for everyone. 

Good news for those heading up to Byron for Easter - they have just opened up a second Mark & Vinny’s location in town, ‘MVP’. An apt setting don’t you think?