Say ciao to Sergio’s, the award-winning Roma’s more affordable late-night sibling

In an industry constantly chasing the new, Con Christopoulos is more interested in legacy. It was his old-school approach to hospitality that helped secure Roma as The Age Good Food Guide’s New Restaurant of the Year. Sergio’s, which has just opened across the courtyard, extends that philosophy, drawing on a bygone era of Melbourne dining in the 1990s.

“I look back at those days, and they were real honest and exciting times,” Christopoulos says. “Cafes were a big part of our everyday culture, pre-internet. They were like what the pub was 100 years ago in a town like Melbourne. The cafe in the ’90s was the modern-day meeting place.”

That spirit – coffee all day, a menu dynamic enough to suit all sorts of diners, and the kind of place you don’t feel rushed out of – is what he’s hoping to recapture at Sergio’s, which plans to trade from noon until 3am daily. It’s intended as a democratic meeting place for everyone from CBD workers and residents, to students and hospitality staff finishing their shifts.

“A benchmark for me is someone like Marios on Brunswick Street, which is a byproduct of that era,” Christopoulos says. “You can pop in for a coffee and a cake, or you can have a glass of wine, a bit of cheese, or, if someone’s hungry, they can have a bowl of pasta. There’s no rules, and all are welcome. Everyone feels comfortable.”

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Sergio’s follows a similar anything-goes format. The broadly European menu, overseen by chef Matt Wilkinson, draws a little from Roma, a little from his former menu at Pope Joan, and a little from further afield. You could have a chicken and jalapeno roll at noon, cold cuts and antipasti at 4pm, a schnitzel at 8pm or a bowl of spaghetti with red sauce at 2am.

House-made terrines and black pudding croquettes make use of the group’s interest in offal, while larger plates like fish and chips with mushy peas, chicken Kyiv or sausages with mash cater to those looking for a more substantial meal for under $40.

The idea is to offer the quality of Roma without the occasion or price tag. “Not everyone can afford to eat at Roma every day, but you can afford to eat at Sergio’s every day,” says Christopoulos.

He admits drinks are not the core focus here –  “our focus is to feed people” – though there are local beers on tap, a concise natural-leaning wine list and variations on classic cocktails. Those after something more special can also access bottles from Roma’s extensive cellar.

Music is another drawcard. Sergio’s houses an impressive sound system featuring vintage JBL speakers sourced from Japan, which Christopoulos had kept in storage for three years while waiting for the right opportunity to install them.

Paired with French amplifiers assembled by hi-fi specialist Trevor Lees, the system will soundtrack the space with vinyl curated in-house and by Greg Molinaro, a respected figure in Melbourne’s music scene and former owner of Abbotsford record shop Hub 301. Molinaro’s new shop operates as an independent business within Sergio’s, connected to the bar by a large sliding door that can be opened or closed depending on the mood.