Restaurants and cafés, especially in popular spots like Brunswick Street, come and go all the time. Which makes Marios' upcoming 30-year anniversary all the more awe-inspiring. The Italian eatery, founded by Mario Maccarone and Mario de Pasquale, opened in 1986 at a time when Fitzroy was a far cry from the gentrified neighbourhood it is now. "We've watched it transform from a rough and ready area to what it is now," Mario Maccarone recalls. "When we started there were only three other cafés and none of them had a kitchen; you could only get a cheese and tomato toastie and a coffee. We came from a fine dining background and saw an opportunity to make the refined dining style more accessible."
Initially inspired by fellow Italian institutions Pellegrini's and Tiamo, Marios' hasn't changed much conceptually. They still lay out fresh tablecloths every day before service, waiter Massimo Di Sora (the first person hired at Marios 30 years ago!) still works the night shift wearing his black vest, and the bolognese is still cooked the same way. Maccarone, however, is quick to add that they don't just do the pasta dishes they've become known for. "Most people are under the perception that nothing ever changes at Marios, but the truth is we've been changing our menu every eight weeks for the last 30 years! That said, half of the pasta menu has never changed: that's the lasagne, bolognese, pesto, carbonara, puttanesca and the amatriciana that the regulars love."
L-R: Mario Maccarone, and Mario de Pasquale
To celebrate their 30th birthday on Thursday April 28, Marios will be serving its entire menu (barring alcohol) at 1986 prices. Back then a cup of coffee would set you back $1 ($4 in today's prices), while a bowl of lasagna will be $4.50 ($17.50 today). No doubt seats will be going fast, so Maccarone recommends coming in early. So what is it about Marios that makes it so popular 30 years on, even as new eateries come and go around it? "I think it's because we don't pretend to be anything we're not," Maccarone says. "There's a level of preciousness to all levels of dining now that used to be reserved to fine dining when I was younger. We still bother with the table cloths and that the waiters look like proper waiters, but we keep it simple. Most importantly, people come in expecting an honest meal and good service, and we give it to them consistently."
As for the future of Marios', Maccarone hopes that Marios will still hold the fort on Brunswick Street long after he's gone. "I would love it if Marios was still around 50 years from now."
So do we, Mario. So do we.
Mario Maccarone in front of the Marios' shopfront in 1986, celebrating with a champagne after he received the keys to the shop