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Don’s

A natural wine bar serving snacky bites including “pasta on a spoon”.

Dani Valent

Don’s “pasta on a spoon” might be a  duck raviolo with mandarin butter.
1 / 5Don’s “pasta on a spoon” might be a duck raviolo with mandarin butter.Justin McManus
Inside Don’s in Prahran.
2 / 5Inside Don’s in Prahran.Justin McManus
Don’s fried chicken sanga.
3 / 5Don’s fried chicken sanga.Joe Armao
Focaccia served with olives, pickled chilli and torn burrata.
4 / 5Focaccia served with olives, pickled chilli and torn burrata.Justin McManus
Carrots with sunflower seed hummus.
5 / 5Carrots with sunflower seed hummus.Justin McManus

Contemporary$

Owned by Alex Gavioli (Stan’s Deli) and his partner Sarah Freudendal, Don’s is dominated by a 12-metre timber bench running the length of the room. On one side is the open kitchen and servery, on the other is seating. Tiny perches for two or three line the far wall and there’s a communal table for up to six at the back.

The snacky menu leads off with salt-sprinkled, springy focaccia, served with olives, pickled chilli and torn burrata. There’s a burger, too, made either with fried chicken or eggplant layered with buttermilk-dressed slaw in a sweet bun.

Don’s is also known for its “pasta on a spoon” – a $9 mouthful of housemade pasta piled onto a tablespoon for eating in one or two bites. It could be a spaghetti cacio e pepe, silverbeet pesto, or a duck ravioli with mandarin butter.

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The racy little wine list skews to the natural: navigating it may take conversations and tasting sips, which is pretty much the idea.

Dani ValentDani Valent is a food writer and restaurant reviewer.

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Original URL: https://www.smh.com.au/goodfood/vic-good-food-guide/don-s-20250502-p5lvzq.html