About Basil & Vine

With a name like Francesca Fargnoli, my heritage is no secret! Passion for food and love of all things Italian is what inspired Basil & Vine Café.

The Fargnoli family come from a very picturesque part of Italy between Rome and Naples called St Andrea, a village set in the rolling ‘valley of the saints’. Life for my grandparents and forebears was very simple and rustic. It is quite near to Mt Vesuvius where the volcanic soil makes the vegetables and tomatoes the best tasting in the world.

Food is central to our Italian way of life and large family meals are customary in our household. Meals are relaxed affairs enjoying each other’s company and the sense of community. Traditionally Italian dishes are made with simple ingredients that can be made or procured inexpensively such as pasta, bread, cheese, olive oil and tomatoes. Italian cuisine is all about using quality ingredients well and not so much about fancy cooking techniques.

Basil & Vine’s goal is to capture that sense of relaxed dining and extended family that Italians do so well– where eating is a family affair that involves talking, socialising and loads of food made with quality, wholesome ingredients.