A dinner table with a red and white checkered tablecloth, set with plates, glasses of wine, bottles, a candle, and a centerpiece of tomatoes and other vegetables.
Three uncooked pasta tubes with ridges and hollow centers.
COME ALONG
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Four pieces of uncooked pasta with a bowtie shape and a light yellow color.

The book club

for pasta lovers

Bookatini is a Melbourne-based book club for pasta lovers. Here you’ll find great reads, fork-twirlingly good pasta, homemade Italian fare and a warm community that brings stories to life over shared plates.

  • Think: Rustic, small group, specific book deep dive

    Join us for our OG Booktatini event aka. an ode to stories and spaghetti, a deep dive into literature and linguini, with notes of pages and pinot. We’ll spend 2 hours together enjoying a homemade three course meal (Italian themed, and always featuring a pasta) while discussing a chosen monthly bookclub pick. There will be up to 12 people at the table, to keep an intimate, small group feel. 

  • Think: Out and about, no set book, bigger group dinner

    Think of this as Bookatini’s boujee big sister, where we dine at some of Melbourne’s coolest restaurants. This event often features a book swap, with everyone bringing a wrapped up book then swap amongst the group for a lil game of ‘bookish bad santa.’ This event also often has literary themed trivia, to bring out that competitive edge. There’s usually 15-20 people at the table so there’s a good chance to meet a bigger group. 

  • Think: Cosy bookshop, author spotlight, cocktail style

    The perfect pre-dinner literary pairing aka Bookatini’s spin on a cocktail hour with a twist.
    To begin, think mingling with new pals over bookish chitchat while enjoying an indulgent cheese board and paired beverage.. All set in the cosy glow of a neighbourhood bookshop. After flowing through self-guided chat about our chosen book, these events often feature the author themselves taking part in a live Q&A, topped off with a book signing. This event is cocktail style with 20-25 people in attendance.

Our Events

BOOK YOUR SEAT
Group of women sitting around a table having a celebration with candles and food, in a dimly lit room.
Four chips of fried snack, possibly cheese or potato chips, arranged in a scattered pattern.
Stack of uncooked spaghetti noodles.

Ciao! Mi chiamo Rach!

I ‘m the pasta-loving, reading addicted foodie behind Bookatini! 

Woman in a colorful strapless dress slicing a celebratory cake in a kitchen with decorated plates on the counter.
Digital illustration of a ripe red tomato with green stem and leaves.

It’s as much of a shock to you as it is to me that we’re here, because when I say I used to hate cooking, I mean I REALLY used to hate cooking. It wasn’t until I was living out of home in my mid twenties that something clicked and suddenly I was hooked. Now, cooking for and with the people I love brings me unmatched joy. The excitement of a new recipe, the intrigue of unfamiliar ingredients, the curiosity of untasted flavors - I love it all. Good food just makes me happy. Despite the drastic change of heart when it came to cooking - my love of reading has been a constant for as long as my memories will carry me back. So much of my imagination, my escape and my calm have been found within the pages of a novel

And with all that said - it only makes sense that Bookatini was born from the combination of two of my great loves and my ‘why’ is pretty simple (as the finest of Italian dishes often are) 

I love bringing people together surrounded by good food and deep conversation - centered around books! It brings me so much joy to see people tentatively walk into our events and leave a while later with new friends, a full belly and a happy heart.

It’s as simple as that. 

Kind Words

  • Cat P.

    “It was gorgeous. You gave space to some of the quieter voices as well as the louder ones”

  • Molly B.

    “The food was delicious, the setting was perfect, and the conversation flowed”

  • Ash P.

    “It was my first time, I thought the participant size was spot on, the venue was large enough to support this, the food was lovely, Rach you were super warm and inviting to the new guy, as was your partner and your mum”

  • Chelsea A.

    “It was incredible! A beautifully curated event and the layout was great.”

  • Annabelle S.

    “So much fun and so great meeting many people from different walks of life, talking about the same thing that we all love”

This month’s books…

Homestyle Bookclub Dinner ft. Sarah Bailey

Homestyle Bookclub Dinner

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