Tax office seeks to wind up Melbourne institution Di Stasio Città
Melbourne dining hotspot Di Stasio Città is under pressure, with the Australian Taxation Office filing a Federal Court winding-up application that could force the CBD fine diner to close.
Corporate records indicate the ATO lodged the action in September against the company operated by restaurateur Rinaldo “Ronnie” Di Stasio and business partner Mallory Wall. The reasons for the move are not clear and Wall declined to elaborate, but confirmed service continues. “It is business as usual at Di Stasio Città,” Wall said on Monday.
The case adds a fresh twist for one of the city’s most visible hospitality brands. Opened in 2019, Di Stasio Città is the city offshoot of St Kilda’s three-decades-old Café Di Stasio and sits alongside a sister venue in Carlton that debuted in March 2021. The CBD restaurant has long drawn a well-heeled crowd from business and politics—famously hosting a Liberal Party celebration in late 2020 after Melbourne’s long lockdown—and is a regular in the social pages, welcoming figures from former Packer lieutenant David Gyngell to Collingwood president Jeff Browne.
The tax action follows Di Stasio’s sale of a 32-hectare Yarra Valley property about a year ago for $7 million. An ATO spokesman declined to comment on the dispute with Di Stasio Città, citing taxpayer confidentiality rules.
The development lands amid ongoing pressure across Melbourne dining, where rising labour, rent and ingredient costs have tightened margins since the pandemic. Notable recent closures include Adrian Richardson’s La Luna in Carlton North, which shut in May last year after 25 years, and Angie Giannakodakis and Guy Holder’s Epocha in Carlton, which closed in September after 12 years.
For now, Di Stasio Città remains open as the Federal Court matter proceeds, with loyal regulars watching closely to see whether one of Melbourne’s most influential dining rooms can navigate its latest challenge.
Jonathan Jackson, 21st October 2025
