What Makes The Perfect Panini? Melbourne’s Best Share Their Secrets
Squishing fresh ingredients between two slabs of bread may sound easy, but the art of panini making isn’t as simple as it seems—so we asked some of Melbourne’s most inspired culinary creators what it takes to craft the perfect panini.
While generous, tasty fillings are of course paramount, it turns out the type of bread is often what makes or breaks the perfect panini. While many stay loyal to focaccia, others opt for pizza dough and schiacciata—a fluffy on the inside, chewy and crunchy on the outside flat bread with origins that date back to pre-Roman times.
Here’s a taste of some of Melbourne’s top offerings.
Grazia D’Asporto
157 Burke Rd, Glen Iris VIC 3146
The hype around schiacciata, the traditional flat bread hailing from cities such as Florence and Genova, has stretched from viral hole-in-the-wall panini bars in Italy, across the seas, to our fair city.
People are obsessed with schiacciata, according to Grazia D’Asporto co-owner and chef Joe Di Cintio. It works becuase it’s typically a thinner, crispier, chewier bread, often lathered with salt, water and olive oil.
Co-owner Marco Zanone says, “with a panini, you want the first bite to be very, very crunchy and salty, and inside, it’s to be soft and moist and go very well with the ingredients. That’s what you want, no?”
The team, led by schiacciata perfectionist Alessandro Bellomunno, was so determined to get the bread right, they spent a fortnight learning how to bake it from a maestro.
Their most popular panini is the Cotoletta di Pollo—herb-crumbed crispy chicken thigh, provolone, lettuce, tomato, chef Joey D’s chilli crisp, green sauce and kewpie. Order yours takeaway and head to the perfectly positioned park just down the road.
Carlito’s
32 Stanley St, Collingwood VIC 3066
Carlito’s owner and executive chef Carlito Libonati says “we are nothing without our community who are keeping the dream alive”.
The made-to-order Italian-inspired sandwich shop, just hitting its one year milestone, feels like an extension of his home, Libonati says.
“We don’t go in for hype—just proper good food and great energy.”
The sourdough focaccia and ciabatta roll recipes are a tightly guarded secret, made by Iris the Bakery in Brunswick and delivered fresh daily.
While the signature Cotoletta panini with crumbed chicken, iceberg lettuce and plenty of pickles is a fan fave, the steak sanga made its mark on us with top quality flank steak, house mustard mayo, caramelised onion and a couple of guindilla peppers for heat.
Sangaweech
300 Lygon St, Carlton, 3053
Sangaweech, comedy trio Sooshi Mango’s new sandwich bar in Carlton, opens this month, just a few doors down from their restaurant Johnny, Vince & Sams. Similarly to their first venure, it brings with it retro, Italian Nonna vibes, with panini fillings like peppers, sausage and potato mix or mixed meats (mortadella, prosciutto, salami) on homemade focaccia-style bread.
“The bread is by far the biggest thing. The star is what’s wrapped around the freshest ingredients,” says co-owner Carlo Salanitri.
Romanello
93 Therry St, Melbourne VIC 3000
Romanello, opened by Carla Mammone and Joe Vitale after their travels to Italy, is schiacciata heaven.
“We use a schiacciata dough made with high-hydration flour, extra virgin olive oil and slow fermentation to develop flavour,” says Vitale.
Top fillings include the slow roasted porchetta seasoned with fennel, garlic and herbs, and the chicken schnitzel with vodka sauce, fior di latte cheese and hot honey.
Noi Pizzeria
3072/60 High St, Preston VIC 3072
According to Noi Pizzeria owner Stefano Maffei, panini are so loved because they deliver a true taste of Italy. For some they bring back childhood memories and for others, it reminds them of travelling through Italy.
“Biting into a panini is familiar, comforting and deeply nostalgic.”
Noi's bread is baked in the woodfire oven, using 72-hour pizza dough, coming out fluffy on the inside, crispy on the outside, with a unique, slightly smoky flavour.
The Pompei panini is a crowd pleaser with Nonna’s meatballs slow-cooked in ragu, friarelli (Neopolitan broccoli), smoked provola and parmigiano reggiano cheese.
Officina Gastronomica Italiana
532/534 Malvern Rd, Prahran VIC 3181
There are five staples on Officina Gastronomica Italiana's panini menu, with daily seasonal specials also making their mark.
Owner Claudio Casoni wants to “honour slow food, artisan espresso, natural wines and the craftsmanship of farmers and producers.”
Panini are served on three different types of bread; the focaccia is made in-house with Tipo 00 flour, baguettes come from Cobb Lane Bakery and ciabatta is delivered fresh each morning from Pane e Pizzico.
The Caprese is a stand-out, built around imported buffalo mozzarella from Campania, paired with ripe tomatoes, fresh basil and extra virgin olive oil.
“Panini require little decision making, delivering on flavour when made with quality Italian ingredients. We have one customer who has been ordering the Caprese panini at least three times a week for ten years.”
Fornoria
10 English St, Essendon Fields VIC 3041
Making their mark on the panini world, independent supermarket playground LaManna is home to Fornoria—an in-house, take-away spot serving Italian deli-style rolls with fine fillings.
The menu features four types of rolls named after Ninja Turtles (yes, really), with the most popular being the Raphael—hot salami, hot honey, provolone, Fornoria mix (a signature antipasti blend), salsa rossa and rocket.
According to La Manna’s Jason Shiong, “Anything between two slices of bread is the ultimate comfort food.”
Porco Ciccio
822 High St, Thornbury VIC 3071
Two blokes called Julian threw open the doors at Porco Ciccio around three months ago, serving panini and Roman-style pizza by the slice.They’ve been mates for ten years and working in hospo for nearly 30.
“We respect the ingredients and try not to over-complicate it. We showcase simplicity,” says Julian Ardolino.
He says the airy panini with crunch are made with pizza bianca—a 48hr fermented dough that leads to an easier-to-digest meal.
The signature panini Porco Ciccio is up to its sixth iteration, made with house-made pecorino cream, organic porchetta, fennel salad and house-made salsa verde.
The Mortazza offers an induldgent stack of salty faves: house-made pistachio cream, thinly sliced mortadella, creamy stracciatella and a generous drizzle of salted-pistachio sauce.
“In Melbourne’s thriving, on-the-go culture, standing on the street with a panini just hits different,” says Julian Mancuso.
Bar Marmelo
Ground Floor/130 Russell St, Melbourne VIC 3000
Strictly speaking The Bifana is not a panini, but it'd be a disservice not to include it here. Surrounded by Portuguese-inspired art, you’ll find a mouth-watering, hyper-juicy pork roll at Bar Marmelo that pairs perfectly with a crisp, cold beer or cocktail.
Marmelo’s Ross Lusted says “The Bifana reflects our love of honest, flavour-forward cooking rooted in Portuguese tradition. Simple, punchy and built around great pork.”
“It’s a relaxed, quick lunch option and it really came into its own once we put Super Bock on tap. It’s like a quick trip to the streets of Lisbon.”
Pazzo Panini
18 Everage St, Moonee Ponds VIC 3039
A family-owned panini bar tucked away in a Moonee Ponds side street, Pazzo Panini arrived just a few months ago, and locals are loving it.
Co-owner Johno Clemente says the place honours his late dad who ran cafes and kitchens across Melbourne for years.
All paninis are made with super-light focaccia bread and largely based on family recipes like Nonna’s Classic Cotoletta, served with marinated peppers, homemade pesto, melted provolone and spinach.
Other stand outs include the homemade Italian pork sausages with spicy calabrese nduja spread, chilli oil, roasted peppers and bolognese sauce, and The Wog Boy, stacked with mortadella, sun-dried tomatoes, pesto, spinach and stracciatella cheese.
For Heaven’s Steaks
1465 Centre Rd, Clayton VIC 3168
Paul Di Genova’s dad and his then business partner came up with the idea of an Italian-style scotch fillet steak roll way back in 2002, and the recipe hasn’t changed one bit in the over 20 years since.
For Heaven’s Steaks uses Banh Mi rolls baked by Hoa Hiep Hot Bread in Noble Park.
Contrary to what the name suggests, you're in for more than just steak when you visit—other highlights include the Italian pork sausage roll with added trimmings like roast peppers, lettuce, cheese, egg and salami.
Ugo Burrata Bar
322/326 Coventry St, South Melbourne VIC 3205
UGO Burrata Bar has firmly weaved itself into the fabric of South Melbourne Market in recent years, dishing out delicacies like the focaccia-based UGO panini—a crowd fave brimming with Abruzzo porchetta and crispy crackling with added salsa verde and burrata.
“We have a seasonal vegetarian panini option too. Burrata is a perfect pairing with fresh ingredients, so it’s a no-brainer to use it in panini,” says co-owner Dario Di Clerico.
De Clerico, proudest when people say he’s making the market smell like Italy, agrees with an old Italian saying, "You can eat anything between two slices of bread.”
For more of Melbourne's best sandwiches, head here.