Greek chef Andreas Papadakis was at the top of his game when he left the world of fine dining seeking a more relaxed, more fun and affordable approach to food. A restaurant where the focus was as much on the ingredients as technique. He spent an inordinate amount of time eating out and, after failing to find an excellent bowl of pasta in Melbourne that wasn't being served in an expensive, upmarket restaurant, saw the pieces of his puzzle coming together. This was a light bulb moment that threw light on a lifetime of influences and experiences - from childhood summers in Crete to cooking in Santorini and Paris, to regular trips into Italy on his motorcycle to eat pasta, and a stint running a restaurant in New Zealand. He opened the tiny, perfectly formed Tipo 00 on Melbourne's Little Bourke Street in 2014 to critical and popular acclaim that endures a decade on (just try getting a booking!). The opening of Italian-influenced restaurants Osteria Ilaria and Figlia followed, with equal success. Andreas still rides a motorbike and still consumes an inordinate amount of pasta, grateful for the sweet spot of doing what you love and loving what you do, everyday.
