Julietta has opened on the corner of Toorak Road and Chambers Street in South Yarra, a 35-seat neighbourhood Italian restaurant and bar from the team behind Mamasita, led by owner Joss Jenner-Leuthart alongside Executive Chef Jimmy Garside and Operations Director Merilin Nogo.
The cocktail list digs a little deeper than a straight classics run, but never loses the core. Led by Beverage Director Eduardo Conde, he keeps the structure familiar, then nudges it with small, deliberate tweaks, while drawing from 1960s and 1970s classic builds.
The dedicated Negroni section is the anchor – not just a token inclusion, but a full spectrum of styles that move from spirit-forward and dry through to brighter, more playful builds. The ‘Andalucian’ leans savoury with shiraz gin and cream sherry adding weight and salinity, while the ‘Guilty Rosita’ flips things lighter, layering tequila with strawberry campari and white cacao for something that drinks softer but still holds bitterness. Beyond that, it’s a tight edit of Italian-leaning classics and aperitivo-style serves designed to slot straight into how people actually drink.
Inside, it’s built to feel like it’s been there longer than it has. European awnings, pavement seating, and a dining room that leans into worn-in trattoria hues – lime-washed ceilings, brass lighting, burgundy banquettes, and shelves stacked with Italian bottles, house pickles, and pantry staples.
Food follows that same logic. Garside’s menu centres on hand-made pasta, produced daily and kept to a tight eight-dish lineup. It moves from straight classics – cacio e pepe, tagliatelle with sausage or short rib ragu. Antipasti set the tone early with burrata, crudo and cured meats, while desserts stick to the brief – semifreddo, citrus-driven cake, and chocolate with olive oil – clean finishes, no overthinking it.