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Pellegrini's Espresso Bar
Restaurant in Melbourne, Australia From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Pellegrini’s Espresso Bar is a café on Bourke Street in Melbourne, Australia, described as “one of Melbourne’s most iconic destinations, in a city that prides itself on coffee and fine food”.[1] Established in 1954 by brothers Leo and Vildo Pellegrini, Italian migrants who had worked at Florentino's, a popular Italian restaurant on Bourke Street. Pellegrini’s was among the first cafés in Melbourne to use an authentic Italian espresso machine, helping to kickstart the city’s now-famous coffee culture. While many Italian-Australian cafés in Lygon Street, Carlton, acquired espresso machines at the same time, Pellegrini’s was one of the earliest to bring espresso to the city centre.[2]
Originally a small venue, the café expanded in 1958. Its heritage-listed curved neon Espresso Bar sign, once pointing towards a now-closed rear area on Crossley Street, remains a defining feature.[2] In its early years, the café was a hub for Melbourne’s Italian migrant community before attracting a broader crowd, theatre-goers, taxi drivers, intellectuals, and eventually tourists.[2] It has retained its 1950s ambience: mirrored walls, red vinyl stools, a long marble counter, and classic service style that has changed little over several decades.[3]
In 1974, the Pellegrini brothers sold the café to fellow Italian migrants Nino Pangrazio and Sisto Malaspina, working alongside them for three months to ensure a smooth handover. As Nino later recalled:
“People said it would never be the same without the Pellegrini family running the place, but we had the same mindset as them. We just continued the way they had been.”
Under Pangrazio and Malaspina, Pellegrini’s became even more firmly embedded in Melbourne’s cultural fabric, known for its simple, hearty Italian fare served in generous portions – spaghetti bolognese, lasagne, ravioli, minestrone, and the much-loved watermelon granita. Meals are recited rather than printed, with regulars knowing to say yes to granita and to leave room for apple strudel or tiramisu. Prices remain modest, with a big pasta plate often in the mid-teens, making it a rare central-city spot offering “comfort food at comfort prices.” Coffee is prepared in the classic Italian style that has defined the café since its opening.
In 2014, Pellegrini’s was inducted into the Good Café Guide Hall of Fame and listed by the National Trust of Australia.[4][5] Its reputation rests not only on food and coffee, but on its fast, friendly, and unpretentious atmosphere, which has earned it consistently high praise from locals and visitors alike.
Tragedy struck in November 2018 when co-owner Sisto Malaspina was killed during the 2018 Melbourne stabbing attack. The event prompted a huge outpouring of grief: flowers, tribute books, and thousands lining the streets for his funeral.[6] Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews described him as a “Victorian icon” and offered a state funeral.[7] In 2020, a memorial table was placed outside the café bearing his portrait and the inscription “Sisto of Pellegrini’s”, alongside a plaque reading in part:
“The outpouring of grief that followed Sisto Malaspina’s death… made sense: Sisto loved Melbourne – and Melbourne loved him back.”
That same year, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Sisto’s wife Vicki and son David bought out Pangrazio’s share. David now manages the café, maintaining the traditions his father and the Pellegrini brothers began. In September 2024, long-time staff member Rocco Eliche retired after 50 years of service, marking the end of another chapter in the café’s storied history.[8]
Pellegrini’s Espresso Bar remains at 66 Bourke Street, Melbourne VIC 3000, near the corner of Crossley Street in the theatre district. Open Monday to Thursday from morning until late evening, and slightly later on Fridays and Saturdays, it is closed on Sundays. No bookings are taken. Patrons simply find a seat at the counter and enjoy a coffee or plate of pasta, just as they would have in 1954.
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