Pietrantuono, a sommelier, migrated from Florence to Melbourne when he was 23 years old, following in the footsteps of his brother, Donatello, a chef.

The Pietrantuono brothers grew up in the family restaurant in Florence and their father was the executive chef of the Jolly Hotels group.

Even though he had originally planned to go to America, Pientrantuono’s first stop was Caffe e Cucina, the legendary Italian restaurant in South Yarra owned by Maurice Terzini.

At Caffe e Cucina, Pietrantuono met El Deek, an Italian from Tarquinia, in Lazio, with Egyptian heritage.

The two went into business together, opening their restaurant Cucinetta in South Yarra, in 2013.

“It’s small, with a contemporary menu, and a considered list of wines and beers,” Pietrantuono said in an interview with Rete Italia.

“It’s perhaps more suited to a younger clientele who don’t mind if the tables are very close to each other.”

In 2019, Pietrantuono and El Deek took over Cosi Bar Ristorante, an Italian restaurant full of history.

Cosi is an elegant, sophisticated space full of burgundy banquettes and beautifully starched tablecloths, reminiscent of Italian restaurants.

A mutual friend, who is an artist from Florence, created a mural using the “pietra spaccata” technique, which looks like marble, but is actually hand painted.

“Cosi Ristorante has been an institution in South Yarra for twenty five years,” Pientrantuono said.

“This year we’ll have some big celebrations, now that we’ve reopened after yet another lockdown.”

Omar El Deek (left), Donatello and Giacomo Pientrantuono

Cosi offers attentive, yet friendly, service – perfect for either an aperitif or an important dinner.

Marble tables line the outdoor space on Toorak Road, and the terrace at the rear of the building is reminiscent of a Tuscan garden, offering live music on the weekends.

Cucinetta’s menu changes constantly, while Cosi embraces the classic structure, divided into appetisers, first and second courses, and desserts.

All the pastas are handmade in the fresh pasta laboratory that Donatello runs in Ballarat, in his restaurant Carboni.

During the lockdown, the Pietrantuono brothers and El Deek applied for a licence to open a distillery in Ballarat, where they will produce limoncello, an orange liqueur, and a chilli-infused limoncello – the perfect digestif to end a dinner at Cosi, Cucinetta or Carboni.