DOC has been serving Italian food in Carlton for 20 years now. The institution, known for its buffalo mozzarella-topped pizzas, has additional locations in Southbank, Mornington and even Sydney’s Surry Hills. Now, DOC has opened its sixth restaurant (and second seaside location) this time in St Kilda at the Saint Moritz residences on The Esplanade.
The new site, previously occupied by fine diner Loti, has seen its kitchen custom-renovated to suit the pizza-focused menu. “How do you install a full-size stone-base oven through a single-door frame?” asks DOC director Michael Costanzo. “Piece by piece.”
While classic dishes like margherita pizza and DOC’s tiramisu still hold their place, the St Kilda menu also features secondi, contorni and seafood.
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SUBSCRIBE NOW“While Italy has the best of cheese, wine and cured meats, some of the world’s best seafood can be found here on this coastline,” says Costanzo. Seafood will play a big role and will change with the seasons. Current highlights include Tasmanian Pacific oysters, Spring Creek barramundi, Skull Island prawns and Mooloolaba swordfish.
For DOC executive chef Tom Jones-Davies, the best part of the St Kilda menu is working with fresh pasta. He says he’s excited to make less common pasta shapes like ruffled campanelle (served with duck ragu and truffle Reggiano foam) and house-made bucatini made with Italian semolina (served tossed with Goolwa pippies, garlic, chilli, miso and nori Del Bocia butter and finished with pangrattato).
While the classic Aperol Spritz and Negroni stand their ground, another cocktail to try is the DOC Sgroppino. Somewhere between a dessert and a drink, the Sgroppino, with lemon sorbet, prosecco and vodka, is a St Kilda exclusive. The wine list is all Italian apart from one local bottle, a vanilla oak pinot nero from Merli in Merricks North.
DOC St Kilda retains predecessor Loti’s calm, neutral palette – though with the addition of green and red in a nod to the Italian flag. There’s tomato-red detailing on the coffee machine and pizza sign and there are olive banquettes, where diners who haven’t opted for the alfresco terrace overlooking the bay or a seat at the bar, can sit.
DOC St Kilda
14-16 The Esplanade, St Kilda
9968 6667
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