Pino Pinelli Public Bar
Italian · Collingwood ★★★★★ 4.8 Closed
There are plenty of Italian restaurants in Melbourne, but Pino Pinelli in Collingwood takes a slightly different approach. Part Italian eatery, part public bar, it is the kind of place that works equally well for a casual dinner, drinks with friends or a longer night that starts with food and carries on at the bar.
Located at 9–11 Peel Street in Collingwood, Pino Pinelli sits in the heart of one of Melbourne’s most popular dining and nightlife neighbourhoods. The venue has developed a reputation for its lively personality, generous Italian food and relaxed approach to dining.
The food at Pino Pinelli is firmly Italian, but the setting is less formal than a traditional Italian restaurant.
The menu centres around wood-fired pizza and pasta, alongside pub-style snacks with an Italian influence. That makes it an easy restaurant to visit with a group, particularly when everyone at the table wants something different.
Pizza works well for sharing, while pasta provides the option for a more traditional Italian dinner. The menu also gives diners plenty of reasons to order a few things for the table rather than treating dinner as a strictly individual affair.
It’s this combination of proper Italian food and a public bar atmosphere that gives Pino Pinelli its character.
One of the best things about Pino Pinelli is that you don’t need a special occasion to go.
The restaurant works for a midweek dinner, a casual date, drinks after work or a big catch-up with friends. The combination of food, cocktails, wine and a lively room means the evening doesn’t have to finish when the plates are cleared.
For groups, that flexibility is particularly useful. You can settle in for dinner, order a few pizzas and pastas for the table, then move onto drinks without needing to change venues.
Pizza is one of the main attractions at Pino Pinelli, with a selection of wood-fired pizzas that goes beyond the standard list of Italian classics.
The restaurant also makes fresh pasta, giving diners the choice between a pizza-focused meal, a bowl of pasta or a combination of dishes to share.
Alongside the Italian staples are classic pub-style snacks with an Italian twist, which help bridge the gap between restaurant and bar. It’s an approach that makes sense for the venue: you can come in hungry for dinner or simply drop by for a drink and something to eat.
Pino Pinelli isn’t somewhere you need to rush through dinner.
The cocktail and wine list is an important part of the experience, complementing the food and giving the venue a distinctly social feel.
It’s particularly well suited to those Collingwood evenings where dinner is only the beginning. Start with a table, order some pizza and pasta, have a few drinks and see where the night goes.
That combination of restaurant and bar is one of Pino Pinelli’s biggest strengths.
Pino Pinelli has found a comfortable space between a traditional Italian restaurant and a neighbourhood bar.
It’s polished enough for a dinner out, but relaxed enough that you don’t feel like you need a reason to be there. The food is familiar and approachable, the drinks make it easy to stay longer, and the Peel Street location puts you right in the middle of Collingwood’s food and nightlife scene.
What makes Pino Pinelli worth a visit:
Pino Pinelli is located at 9–11 Peel Street, Collingwood VIC 3066, making it an easy option for diners already heading into the Collingwood area for dinner or drinks. The venue can be contacted on 03 9077 2727.
Pino Pinelli is the sort of restaurant that doesn’t take itself too seriously while still putting plenty of attention into the food and drinks.
For Italian food in Collingwood, it’s a particularly good option when you want more than just dinner. The combination of wood-fired pizza, pasta, Italian-inspired snacks, cocktails and a public bar atmosphere gives the venue plenty of flexibility, whether you’re dropping in for a quick meal or settling in for a night with friends.
And in a suburb where there is no shortage of places to eat and drink, that ability to turn dinner into the start of the night is part of what makes Pino Pinelli stand out.