Alio

Aussie head chef Ashley Hughes has embraced rustic Italian cooking after a spell at London’s legendary River Cafe and shows it by making six types of pasta by hand every day. When you step into the dining room — modern, sleek, woody and warm-toned — and settle down to the spaghetti alle vongole, you’ll think there’s an Italian mama in the kitchen. Less rustic is the chargrilled salmon with asparagus, peas, zucchini flowers and bagna cauda sauce — that’s elegance on a plate. But he’s no slavish Italophile; for dessert try soft-centred chocolate pud with roasted coconut icecream from a menu that elicits admiration from those with far more Italian names than Ashley. There’s a six-course degustazione for $65. Entree $19—$22, main $27—$40, dessert $14.