We had a lovely dinner at this cozy white tablecloth Italian restaurant on a busy Friday. Our…read morereservation (absolutely a must) was for 5:30 when they opened and we were dining with some local Ozzie friends. The menu features traditional Italian dishes with interesting local twists. My wife and I enjoyed the caprese salad with luscious tomatoes and fresh burratta and even though we split it-the portions were still huge. Our friends enjoyed the sesame encrusted tuna tartare. We all got pastas as our mains-me the lobster/angel hair, my wife the ravioli and another guest the risotto feature. Delicious sourdough bread with olive oil was also a part of the meal. The extensive wine list has hundreds of selections including a wide range of Italian and Australian wines. Service is fast and efficient but don't plan to linger too long as this small restaurant is in high demand and they will likely be needing your table after 90 min. Recommended.

This is one of my fav places, the ambience is perfect for date nights…read more I especially loved the spaghetti vongole. Giorgio was so kind and helped settle us in. I highly recommend if you love italian!

Thank you to the Zia Teresa staff members who looked after our table of five on the night, and to…read moreLinda whose help was much appreciated. We had a wonderful night with every dish ordered a hit! Delicious

When you seek an authentic Italian meal, Zia Teresa never let you down…read more The staff are efficient, friendly and knowledgeable. You always feel as though you're visiting someone kitchen, it oozes warmth and comfort. From what I understand the lady that runs the kitchen and cooks is that same person that started the business, her daughter runs the floor. Great selection at the bar too. I've told so many about Zia and they too have never been let down.

Very good pasta! Ink spaghetti is great. Love the garlic bread and the minestrone soup. Best of all…read moreis the service 1st class, promt and friendly.

First dates can be tricky. You can often run out of things to talk about, one person always likes…read morethe other more and then what do you do when the cheque comes? I was taken on a first date to Il Cantuccio and it was incredible. It was a very brave choice by the gentleman concerned considering this venue is quite intimate and romantic - perhaps more an Anniversary destination than a first date. The wine list is extensive and the staff have that warm, family feel and will help you match your wine to your meal and assist with any other queries. The food is traditional Italian but not the greasy, cheesy kind you can so often find in other restaurants on the Lygon street strip. This food is filling, classic and made with love (yes, with love.) This is a great destination when you are trying to romance your partner - it worked on me!

Friendly service with authentic Italian staff! Great Food…read moreand Good Coffee! The owners of Sapori d'Abruzzo 861 have taken over the old Il Portobello restaurant site in Essendon. They have fully renovated the restaurant to make it more open & spacious. This does cause a bit of noise when there are a lot of patrons, but the friendly service & great food definitely make up for it! The menu has traditional Abruzzo meals to enjoy and a good wine selection for accompaniment. All in all it is definitely worth a try with a friend, partner or large group of friends. There is also a large function space upstairs to enjoy!

Great provincial Italian fare expressed through a modest menu. Seasonal produce from the family…read morefarm. Ask the proprietor about the name. Apparently 1889 is the year Queen Margarita went to Naples. The locals made a tomato, cheese and basil pizza. Many good things happened, especially if you like Margarita pizza. The gluten free pasta is just like the real deal. Very close to Edinburgh Gardens if you want take out.

The food is authentic Italian fare. The pizzas are very tasty and the mains are big serves. The…read morestaff are very friendly and professional. The house white is very quaffable too ! We'll be back !

Good place for a quick bite. The pizza's are nice, but alot depends on who's making them also. And…read morethe service is pretty good too.

We were looking for a restaurant that was less touristy than many of the others along the laneways,…read moreand we came upon Tipo 00 so we made a reservation. We're glad we did! Here's what we noticed: - It was difficult to get a reservation at prime dinner hour, so we opted for a 3:30 PM late lunch/early dinner which worked out perfectly for our schedule. - The place overall has a great vibe, good music, and it is pretty small. - There were some really interesting drinks and good wines to choose from...we went with wine since we had other plans later that evening. - We decided to start with the salad with pear and honey, and then my wife and I split both the black squid ink pasta, and the special pasta that had Moreton Bay Bugs. The salad was incredible perfectly dressed... Having it first gave us away as Americans for sure, but it was perfect. The squid ink pasta was every bit as good as everyone said in reviews, and so was the special pasta. - Service was great, not overbearing. They even brought us some extra bread so we could sop up the sauce from our pasta. Bottom line: There are so many great restaurants in Melbourne and Tipo 00 is right up there and should be on your "to try list".

Sat at the bar and enjoyed wine, complementary focaccia, an appetizer of fried zucchini flowers,…read morethe tortellini for our entree then their house brownie tiramisu for dessert. Delicious meal from start to finish, excellent service and one of the best Italian meals we've had. Highly recommend.

Best italian food in brunswick and they do open for lunch as well …read more.. Right on sydney road infront of barklys square shopping center great vibe , great food , great people ... Highly recommended

From the owner: Italian pizza pasta lounge bar ....read more

When I took the first bite out of the world record food I was speechless. The service there was so…read morefriendly And the place made it felt like Italy. The texture of the restaurant was unbelievable. The ricotta made my mouth water. You should definitely go to this place for a birthday an outing or a date. It's just the perfect restaurant.

Wow loved this place. When I walked up I loved that they have both indoor and outdoor covered…read moreseating. The ambiance is really nice with an upscale feel. The host was very kinda and greeted me and they were very attentive throughout the night. 4 different staff members asked how I was doing and I'd needed anything, all very friendly. The food was delicious!! They have wide selection for food , starters, drinks etc , popular for their pastas and pizzas!! Definitely would come again !!!

So do you want the good news first or the bad news? Ok, the bad news is that there are a couple of…read moreweeks each year when Bar Idda stays closed. The good news is that during this period of closure, the owners go to Sicily to visit family and come back to Bar Idda with new, delicious recipes. Hooray! Not that Bar Idda's home-style Sicilian fare isn't delicious enough as it is. I would recommend every single dish on the menu but that's not terribly helpful. Instead, I'll pick one dish from each course - primi, secondi, contorni and dolce - that I simply cannot not order when I eat here. First things first, pan-fried ricotta gnocchi with mushrooms and greens...I'm starting to salivate. Then, the mulinciani - layered eggplant with tomato, basil and pecorino. Drool-worthy indeed. On the side, so simple yet so refined, the house salad of chicory, celery and sultanas. And the sweet surrender - soaked and spiced figs with vanilla bean gelato. Oh. My. Word. I also recommend doing it Italian-stylee with the drinks by starting off with a refreshing Campari and soda, a vino rosso to accompany the food, and finally, a herbal Averna to wash it all down. It's la dolce vita in a meal. Really.

Melbounites, u lucky dogs. I want to take this chef back to Los Angeles to open a restaurant so I…read morecan go there every day. Nothing was fancy, mind you, but everything was simple and delicious (except for the greens and meatballs). I had about 5 appetizers, 4 main, 3 sides, and a dessert plus ample alcohol, and all were excellent. Linguini with dried tuna was specially amazing - I had ones with dried/salted sardine in Sicilly which was better, but his version is probably as good as u can expect outside of the homeland. It's also one of the two pasta items on the menu, btw - Sicilians less reliant on pasta and tomato sauce, and more on herbs, fish, eggplant, lemon, cinnamon, etc. The main fish was also fantastic. Simply grilled with lemon, caper and olive oil. All the dishes were 8- 15 dollars each, and expect to share on table. Very family type restaurant where u drink inexpensive table wine and enjoy simple but delicious food with friends. Make sure to call in to reserve as tables are filled quickly by local patrons. There are two bar chairs where u can dine quickly. Olive oil- non spicy kind- is amazing. I'm jealous. If I lived here, I'd buy a couple bottles a week to use it at home. Not a place to impress, but a place to cherish. Definitely worth a visit or two or more. U lucky dawgs.