We went here for a rare work lunch, and an even rarer work lunch when the company was shouting, so on their dime I luckily got to enjoy a much wider variety from the 90 Secondi menu than I normally would.
Let's start with the staple: Pizza was great. On an pitta bread style crust, there were a few charcoal singes here and there from the wood fire oven, but it all adds to the character, as does having to slice it up yourselves. Delicious.
Calamari was honestly among the best I've had. Only lightly dusted in flour and cooked to absolute perfection. Arancini balls also get a big tick.
It was the pasta though that really knocked it out of the park for me. I'm always super harsh on pasta, as find many bistro and cafes just don't often do it well and leave me thinking I've paid $25 for something I could have whipped up at home for 20 cents, but this was divine. I got the lamb shoulder penne, and savoured each and every bite.
Acoustics of the place is a bit of a negative - it was full when we started lunch and you honestly couldn't hear someone unless they were shouting in your ear, such was the din. It eased up as people went back to work while we stayed on and worked our way through a third and fourth bottle of wine (for a group of 6..I'm not that much of a boozehound..maybe) as the wine list had some great selections.
Staff were friendly, but a little funny. We had an older gentlemen who playfully chastised anyone who didn't finish every single bite on their plate and would feign annoyance if someone was taking too long to order. Other younger staff that brought out the food were eager to chat about their homes back in Italy, which spurred our party's conversation to focus on travel for most of the afternoon, which was pleasant. That's all part of the experience for me, but I do know some diners like their wait staff to appear more as part of the furniture they don't notice, so thought it worth a mention.
Location is a blessing and a curse. Easy to get to, just near Southern Cross station and literally right outside Gate 3 at Etihad Stadium, but also ...it's literally right outside Gate 3 at Etihad Stadium. Not much of a view from inside looking out, unless you get your kicks from sporting arena turnstiles and giant slabs of concrete.
I'd probably avoid having a nice intimate date night here when the footy is on, but otherwise well worth a try. read more