Caffe E Cucina has to be one of my favourite restaurants in Melbourne. I've been frequenting this old faithful when I visit Melbourne since 1996 when I was recommended trying it after a weekend away for a friend's wedding. Caffe E Cucina has stood the test of time, having changed hands during the 20years I've been going there, but the atmosphere is still wonderful, as is the food. Whether it be a visit for a nice lazy lunch with friends or a romantic dinner this restaurant ticks all the boxes. I've been to Melbourne many times on work trips on my own, & feel quite comfortable sitting at the bar with a plate of calamari, & a glass of Pinot Grigio. It might not fall into the category of cheap & cheerful, but it's consistently great. The atmosphere of the restaurant could have you thinking you've ducked into a great little place on the streets of Venice or Rome. It's all things Italian. There's options for seating, upstairs has a privacy to it, there's also little juliet balcony spot for two upstairs, if you're trying to impress someone special. Street side seating on Chapel St for those wanting to enjoy the outdoor atmosphere of Melbourne, or there's inside on the main floor. My favourite place to sit is inside downstairs, where it all happens & you see the coming & going, & can see the staff making drinks & coffee's behind the bar exchanging friendly banter Italian style. ;-) Start with a glass of prosecco & get in the mood, transport yourself to Italy for a few hours.. Specials are written on the chalk board on the wall, as well as old favourites that are hard to pass by. My favourite of course would have to be the calamari. Caffe E Cucina has the reputation of having "the best" calamari & I have to admit I crave it & when I finally have it, I savour every last mouthful. Light, soft, tasty.... nothing chewy about it. It's how all calamari should be in my eyes. They know what they're doing. It can be entre size, but I feel like it's never enough, so my recommendation would be to have a main plate of the calamari to serve amongst two as a starter. I love the rocket salad on the side to share as well, light & delicious, whether on the side when having pasta or the calamari you can't go wrong ordering this. The pasta's are great, & consistent, the flavours are all balanced just right, not too heavy, & the sauces just coat the beautifully cooked pasta just right, & will leave you wanting more. I've been fortunate enough to experience risotto at it's best here too. Having been tried a few different specials over my times here, one was a Granny smith apple one that I can't even begin to describe & alway hope to see it on the menu again. I had a beetroot & goats cheese risotto recently that was delicious, silky & full of flavour. There are also many great mains, but honestly my favourite meal here is some calamari, a side of rocket salad, & a bowl of pasta, a glass or two of wine.. followed by great coffee & perhaps share a desert to finish off. The deserts & coffee are great. Tiramisu is of course on the menu & great. It's a little on the spendy side, but I enjoy it, so find it worthwhile. After all, a couple of hours in the heart of Italy through the doors at 581 Chapel St is always something I look forward to when in Melbourne. read more

See all

Probably one of my all time sentimental favourites - I feel like Caffe E Cucina could be on some little back street of Paris or Rome. Maybe just behind Piazza Navona? But filled only with locals, no tourists, hehe. It is JUST LIKE the classic little restaurants you would find in those archetypal European cities that serve you all your favourites perfectly executed. The decor is lots of brass and wood with an art deco feel; handsome Italian waiters scurrying about to tend to your requests. It's very small and cosy and so authentically European and chic. Not trendy. Go somewhere else for trendy. This isn't it. Think upscale and traditional. I had the Spaghetti with Vongole... it hit the spot. Then the affogato for dessert. Flawless. Another to add to add to my list of Melbourne favourites. Cannot imagine returning and not having a meal here. I would eat here all the time if this was in Sydney, especially when I was yearning for a little slice of Paris and Rome. *sighs wistfully*... read more

See all

I like this place for three reasons. The wine is outstanding if you are willing to part with $20 a glass. The service is second to one. The food is consistently good even though the menu hasn't changed in years, there are always 4-6 specials. What I don't like is the waiters being pushy about ordering sparkling water which is ridiculously overpriced and the alcohol markup being so high. I noticed from 2 bottles that there markup was about 350%. Pre drink and order the baked linguine, fois gras steak, or the calamari. read more

Went to Caffe e Cucina for dinner and ordered a few dishes to share. Overall everything was fresh and delicious! My favourite pasta for the night was the Tagliatelle al Ragu Agnello (homemade Tagliatelle with Lamb Ragu). It was so flavoursome! Wine was also great and we received great service from the friendly staff. This restaurant is also featured in the 2017 Melbourne Entertainment book. We received 25% off (up to $50) our total bill :) read more

See all

Too easy here to drift off and sink into a perfect dream like world. Great Italian fair, comfortable environment and reliable service. Caffe e Cucina is a Melbourne experience that I never fail to tell others about.Trust your senses and try what ever is recommended always. Wine list is extensive however "when in Rome" taste one of the vast Italian selections. read more

I tend to agree with some of the other reviews here. I had pretty high expectations after urbanspoon but left the place, not unhappy, but not ecstatic. I had a steak which is pretty un imaginative I give you, but it's what I was hungry for. It just wasn't great. In fact, I felt like I have done better myself and Curtis Stone I am not. The place was packed. It certainly has some character but I think you can do better. Perhaps not on Chapel for Italian, but likely within a short distance. And, to top it all off....I didn't have dessert!? Nothing jumped out at me. Now THAT says something! You won't hate this place, I'm just not sure you'll love it. read more

AMAZING!!! All the food is fresh and the pasta is homemade, the decor and interior are small, however, the environment and vibes are fresh, clean and classy. The staff is friendly and very attentive. -Coffee=strong and beautiful coffee art The antipasto platter was full of fresh cold meats and the meals were very fulfilling and delicious. Definitely would go back and would rate it one of the best restaurants in Melbourne! read more

Absolutely amazing. Great service. atmosphere is amazing, that of a real italian restaurant. Recommend sitting upstairs

Unusual experience at this very nice restaurant. We are there last week during the Australian Open. The food and service was excellent. Unfortunately, when I got back to the states my credit card was charged twice. Hoping to resolve this A bit irritating. read more

Great food, great atmosphere and very romantic indeed. hey the prices aint bad either .. going back for sure

Classic Italian - just like a small family owned restaurant in Italy. Will be back for sure.

We were able to get a table for dinner with out a reservation! Service was great! When I got my ragu it looked and smelled delicious till I took my first bite... it tasted as if I had eaten a spoon full of salt . Very disappointed in the food and price of drinks. #ijustgotbackfromItaly read more

Food was decent, nice in house made pasta dishes, but service was under average, lack of details, calamari was split to ground during serving, water and wine splashed out of the glass when pouring, order was taken wrong too, we asked for entrée size but charged for main Price. Overall, nice food but lack of service. read more

Great Italian restaurant and well worth eating at. Authentic Italian with lots of Italian yelling in the kitchen. What more would you expect in a busy Italian kitchen, comes with the territory. Pleasant and worth the money. I will be back. I was there for wine tasting with the wine maker from the Barbaresco wine region in Italy. Done in a regular basis when they can get the wine maker out. A great education and cultural event. read more

not good taste. very disappointed. prices are higher then what they should be. they ask us to sit by small table when there are many empty big tables. big plates on a small table make it so crowded. read more