A long time Templestowe institution in the heart of Templestowe (on the roundabout)that has seen…read moremany other businesses come and go over the years. Consistently hearty (large) pasta dishes, personal favourites - the spicy Amatriciana and Calabrese although the menu extends to other Italian classics and a good selection of daily specials including seafood. A popular spot with plenty of (heated) patio seating, well suited to a family gathering.

Second leg of a catch up with old friends. We moved on from the local pub to here on a…read morerecommendation. This is a largish suburban Italian restaurant. I'd call it comfort food they serve here. My marinara pizza reminded me of the good ones I used to eat in the old days out in the 'burbs. Nothing fancy about it but plenty of good tomato sauce and ample seafood and expertly cooked. A seriously good old style pizza. Not gourmet, not wood fired, just old style with crusts you loved to finish. I really liked it. The other dishes at the table were good too and there were lots of nods all round. They also make a great coffee here. Mine was a beauty. A final compliment for the servers here tonight especially the older lady who mainly attended to us. The service was fantastic. Brisk, efficient, friendly and at times, witty. It helped make for a very nice night. As I wandered off to go home I began to reflect on how little I really knew. The chances of me coming to a place like this without a special occasion and being wedged into going we're probably zero. It would have been my loss.

My wife and I showed up for dinner at 7 pm on a Monday night and we were seated inside after a very…read moreshort wait. We probably could have sat outside after a few more minutes, but the interior is beautiful, stylish, and airy, so we were happy to experience that space. We ordered two mains: --Ricotta gnocchi, one of their specialties. It came out piping hot in a cast iron casserole dish, and was delicious, the gnocchi delicate and creamy, the tomato sauce with lots of basil, and plenty of melted parmesan. --Spaghettini Prawns, only average, the prawns were tender and a bit too salty, the tomato sauce sparse and underflavored, topped with lots of fresh dill (actually an interesting flavor variation) and basil. The ambience is urban, sleek, social, very fun date night restaurant.

This place was always busy when we walked by and the food looked incredible so we had to stop!…read more We got the Salumi Due pizza, which had light, crispy crust, and was a good size to split between two! The burata on top was delicious. Also tried the Tagliatelle Carbonara, which was phenomenal! Pasta was slightly al dente, creamy, and lots of pieces of pancetta. Would come back again just for that!! Drinks were ok -- G&T and a Limone Spritz. Nice, but nothing special. Service was a bit slow, but overall the atmosphere was nice and the food was good.

2.8 is my call. The…read moreplace needs an overhaul, I'm afraid. It has a slightly run down feel and a renovation is called for. Our food was ok but well short of outstanding. We started with antipasto piled on two plates for ten. It was a bit rough and ready with insufficient thought given to presentation. Somewhat hurled on the plate. The quality of the antipasto was good again but not top draw by any means. The calamari dish was too rich for us as it came with a thick, strong intense tomato sauce covering it. I love tomato sauce but this was too much. Others had the barramundi. It was on the menu as grilled barramundi with calamari. The barra was crumbed though which took people by surprise as that wasn't mentioned on the menu. Again, the calamari on top of the barramundi was in that thick tomato sauce which was not specified either and didn't agree with several people. Dessert was ok. The tiramisu was served at the table with the glad wrap removed in front of everyone to reveal the dish. A tad eccentric. The trio of gelato was nice but not that well priced at $12. Service was not that great here either. The staff weren't really on their game and tried to clear dishes several times that hadn't been finished. Once is understandable. Multiple times is not. I don't like talking places down but this was a disappointing meal overall. I detect warning signs here as it's hard to talk up any aspect of the experience.

Cosy atmosphere, home made salami, wine, pasta etc, just like the olds in Italy…read more We've here over and over and it's consistently great.

A nice little cafe for lunch. Go for a late lunch around 2 and it's quiet. Enjoyed my shepherd pie…read more . Would go again Have been again since- had the leek and chicken pie-served with salad. Very nice. Closes at 3pm

Great café. Good coffee and home made muffins. Excellent service…read moreI accidentally dropped some money out of my pocket. A waiter found it and gave it back to me the next time I went. David Perry, Sandringham

Ordered the Spinach and Cheese Borek. It was so freaking delicious, I went back later on that day…read moreto get another one.

Stumbled upon this little place right around lunch time and very glad I did!…read moreThe choice is quite reasonably priced (3$) and the spinach&cheese delicious! Great value for money and fresh of the oven! Worth searching and waiting for!

If you're in Camberwell and in need of some exciting and authentic Italian flavours look no further…read morethan Italy 1. I particularly love the beetroot salad as a starter ($18.50), which is served with goats cheese, watercress and fig vincotto. It's very light and the sharpness of the beetroot is cut with the creamy cheese. For a hearty main I recommend the gnocchi with braised lamb shoulder and green olive and tomato ragu ($29). This is melt-in-your-mouth soft and so rich, its perfect accompanied with a bottle of red. Italy 1 boasts a decent wine list, and it's always worth consulting with the maître de about which drop to choose. Make sure you've got room for dessert - my favourite is the lemon tart with yoghurt sorbet ($14). The great thing about Italy 1 is that there are so many options and each one is beautiful. Be sure to book well in advance, it may be a small restaurant but it's in high demand.

Lovely restaurant, a 4.2. Nice exterior and interior. Long and not so wide a space inside but it…read morefeels good and the space has been cleverly used. It feels warm and welcoming as does the service which was wonderful tonight. We were warmly greeted on arrival and the warmth lasted throughout the evening. The food was delightful. Every entree was wonderful including the peppers and the arancini. The scallops though were nothing short of a triumph. My barramundi for main was lovely. There were lots of nods for the other mains. The osso bucco looked particularly good. I would have ordered it had it been winter. One last comment. Finally a restaurant that serves decent sized sides. The two salad sides we had were spectacular (seriously). They were large, excellently composed and immensely satisfying. We left really happy. This is a lovely restaurant and it deserves to do very well.

I recently had brunch at Rustica in Melbourne and it was truly a treat. The service was excellent…read moreand the space was beautiful and cheery! First off the espresso was spot-on--perfectly pulled! I tried the Spanner Crab Omelette, which was delicious, and the French Toast was also really good. The Lobster & Prawn Benedict was nice, but the real stars of the meal were the Truffle Toastie and the Maple Cruller. The toastie had that perfect balance of crispy and melty, and the cruller was so good I couldn't resist bringing some back to Los Angeles with me! If you're in Melbourne Rustica is definitely worth a visit.

Cronut. Go there…read more Devour Cronut. Lick your fingers, don't waste a crumb. Seriously so amazing. A croissant and a donut got together and made the most deliciously glorious baby.

This was another one of those random cafes that I visited on my way into work. Being close to the…read morerailway station did help somewhat because I meant that I could jump off the train, have some breakfast, and the squeeze onto the next train heading into the city. Well, sort of because it wasn't really one of the best. The coffee was passable, but I did really like the eggs benedict, which used bacon as opposed to ham, which I tend to prefer a lot.

3.2. Curious name. Curious place…read more Basic but not unpleasant fit out. Cute wallpaper in the middle room. Gorgeous chill out mix on, lovely mellow sound from the Jamo speakers in the middle room. Reasonable menu. Lots of brekkie favourites but not OTT. No water provided on my table which was unusual. My large long black was just ok and failed to scale any heights. It was a bit underpowered for me. Generic flavour too and no length at all. I ordered the vegan fry up for my brekkie. It was just the cleanser I was after. Sourdough. Avocado. Onion. Tomato. Mushies. Spinach. All nicely cooked. It was a tasty dish. Really enjoyed it. I'm surprised surprised more places don't offer something similar. Neither the manager or staff were friendly or engaging here. There was no attempt at conversation on entry and ordering or on exit. No enquiry about my experience at all. There was little or no warmth evident. Good service is critical. It was all a bit flat for me here. Perhaps it was the cold, grey and wet Melbourne weather. But, I can't see a reason to return here.