A celebration of life through food, wine, art and culture.
Stefano’s restaurant
Stefano’s Restaurant in Mildura celebrates the art of Cucina Povera, a rustic Italian cooking style that transforms simple, local ingredients into extraordinary dishes.
Located in the cellars of the Mildura Grand Hotel, it offers a seasonal menu inspired by the flavours of the Murray-Darling region, highlighting Stefano’s dedication to fresh, regional produce and traditional techniques. This intimate dining experience beautifully showcases regional Australian cuisine, elevated by Stefano’s signature creativity.
What is Cucina Povera?
Cucina Povera is a term that derives much of its essential meaning from the Italian art movement of the 1960s titled arte povera.
It refers to the use of simple, everyday objects from a working life to make compelling art.
Using fresh ingredients seasonal to prepare simple, but flavoursome dishes is also a thousand-year-old, quintessentially Italian art.
STEFANO DE PIERI
I stumbled into cooking perchance, relying on memory and instinct to create the food I serve.
The conventional belief is that the use of ‘poor’ ingredients to prepare delicious dishes can constitute a money-saving exercise.
On the contrary, the practice of ‘cucina povera’ is essentially an intense labour of love requiring time, patience, creativity, and commitment to the freshness and integrity of the produce. I am not interested in excess or in the use of any ingredient superfluous to achieving full flavour through the simplest means.
Give the Gift of Good Food
Gift Vouchers
Treat someone special to an unforgettable dining experience at Stefano's Restaurant, where legendary cook Stefano de Pieri transforms local Murray-Darling produce into extraordinary Italian cuisine.
Our gift vouchers offer the perfect way to share the magic of traditional Italian hospitality in one of Australia's most unique dining venues.