Ordered: Pasta (Marinara - combination seafood in Napoletana Sauce) 18 AUD + Margarita pizza 11 AUD + Mika Coffee ($3.50) Ambience: Busy spot! Can have a line outta the door. Not fancy looking but expect GOOD service even though they are SO busy. Tight space meaning the tables are pretty crammed and closely knitted. Can host larger groups. Has a family friendly restaurant feel. Review: Margarita pizza was AMAZING. Soft crust and right level of sauce. The cheese was high quality and it was delicious. It's good for one person. The pasta was a little disappointing given that's it's an Italian place. Didn't feel like home made pasta. It wasn't saucy and the sauce didn't taste good. Wouldn't recommend the pasta. But what I would really say is a MUST try is the coffee mocha. If you're in Australia you know the coffee is already crack - but this one is especially creamy and the perfect blend between chocolate and coffee. read more

See all

Only ordered a couple of pizzas, which were delicious. Friendly staff, not too busy or loud, and not as expensive as it's counterparts that surround it. Pretty standard Italian Restaurant which I will probably visit again. read more

Pretty good pizza joint on Lygon St. The pizza was good. I forget what the name of the pizza is called but it had 4 different types of pizzas. The four of us got a large and got the chance to try all 4 types. All were really good. Service was great, no complaints there. read more

Papa Gino's - Italian Near Me - Carlton, VIC

First-time visiting. Came here based on the high reviews. Ordered their Super special pizza, medium size. Pretty large for 1 person but I finished all of it since I was pretty hungry. Served straight from the oven so it's burning hot. After a while, I got tired of the smoked mussels as the pizza got cold. Interesting combination of flavors though. Not too bad. Good amount of cheese. The staff is very friendly. read more

Papa Gino's - No 1 on their menu - Italian Near Me - Carlton, VIC

Traditional Italian Pizza's on Lygon Street. A cliche perhaps but if you're looking for heavenly homemade style pizza, then this is the place to eat. The pizza come in three traditional sizes (S, M, L), however don't be fooled - the large pizza is roughly double the size of your standard dominos pizza. If you walk in and order your pizza on the spot, you will not only get a feast when its ready but visually the process is grand to watch. The pizza's are made by two men, one older, the other younger. They work like a well oiled machine, not even looking at the dishes when placing the freshly made dough down or throwing on the ingredients on. Really a pleasure to watch. The pizza's are absolutely delicious, a bit on the oily side but nothing dramatic. The menu also offers pasta's, but i recommend sticking to the pizza. The pasta's are a large serve however lack the same quality of flavour offered in the pizza's, quite plain to be honest. If you're eating in, the service is quick and friendly but the venue is usually crowded and noisy, so not somewhere if you're looking to have an intimate conversation. read more

Papa Gino's - Italian Near Me - Carlton, VIC

See all

This is one of my favourite places on Lygon. Coming here is just simple and easy. It might not be revolutionary cooking but you know what you're going to get every time - good comfort cooking. The bolognese pizza is quite interesting. I quite liked it but it does go soggy real quick so many people might not be too happy with that. The people there are great to talk to, I always manage to have hilarious conversation with owner, at least I think he's the owner. Keep in mind that Papa Gino's is always busy. One time I was lucky enough to get there when they were one table away from reaching maximum capacity. So, more likely than not you may have to wait for a little bit to get a table, as for the food though, they manage to get it to the table quick-smart. I know that sitting outside is the place to be but you have to experience sitting indoors amongst the old brick arches at least once. read more

Papa Gino's - Italian Near Me - Carlton, VIC

Papa Gino's takes your traditional Italian food and sprinkles in some local produce. It's reasonably priced and they have a decent number of food options (even gluten free). Add in some outdoor tables and it's a great option for a night out. Things come in entree size and full meal size. Entree is the reasonable pasta portion people tend to serve in Italy. The larger size is an American sized portion. We got a small Marinara fettuccine and a small lasagna. Marinara here is a mixed seafood in tomato sauce. The mussels in it were the New Zealand blue lip mussel. We also got a small bolognese pizza. I'd say everything was quite good although I wouldn't say the bolognese sauce differentiates itself from others. Glasses of house wine are less than A$5 so go nuts with that. read more

Nice meal, but ordinary service (took a while when not busy). No fresh Parmesan, only packaged (stinky) cheese.

Sometimes in life you do not want the latest and greatest fashion in Melbourne food. Sometimes you want consistency and taste that only a family favorite restaurant can seem to give you. This is what Papa Gino's is for me. I have been going there since I was a child and I can say that the pizzas and Spag Bol are just as I remembered and still fabulous. I am taken back to special outings on lygon street for dinner followed by gelato and possibly a movie. Food here makes me feel like I am at someones home eating, staff are friendly and it is all no fuss. read more

I have been coming here since my Melbourne uni days all those long years ago. I have tried a few other places on lygon street but I keep coming back to papa Gino's because of a few small things that make a restaurant great. Friendly staff, delicious food and terrific service. The range of pizzas is long and covers just about all combinations but if you can ask for things added or subtracted to a pizza and the staff are more them happy to oblige. I have tried the pasta before and it was excellent too. The pizzas are made right fresh in the front of store so you get to see the dough being tossed up into the air as you enter the restaurant or if you are just walking by through the window. The coffee's are excellent and the strawberry crepe I had for desert was lovely from the first bite to the last same as the pizza. Definitely a place I will go again when in Melbourne next read more

Unpretentious, great service and full of real Italians eating. Prices from the 80s, couldn't even make it through an entree serve of lasagna at $12. Wine list is full of unknowns but our Sangiovese (the most expensive on the list at $35 a bottle!) was decent. Complimentary limoncello with the bill - who doesn't want to pay when they receive a round of digestif shots?!?! read more

There is a reason that this restaurant is packed and has a line out the door! Great service and amazing food! This restaurant has the perfect ambiance and the food to match. Yes, it can get very crowded but it kind of feels like a huge Italian family get together! I have been to this restaurant only twice but each time it is bustling with people and the aromas of all the food are so enticing! The tables are close together so you may not even need to look at a menu... just look at your neighbors plates and ask what delicious dish they have ordered! I love their pizzas which come in a multitude of varieties and also their vegetable soup is superb. Their chicken parmis are also a classically good dish and sure to allow for leftovers. I really have nothing but praise for this little Italian gem! If you arrive and there is a 30 minute wait to get a table... stay because it's worth it! read more

I'm totally digging this place. There's something easy to pan about Lygon street's everything. Most of the Italian places have the same menus, same 'free glass of wine' deals at happy hour, but Papa Gino's is a bit different It's no frills. It's good pizza, made to order (not warmed up when you ask for one in the window). It's good pasta, in a BYO sense. YOu pick the noodle, and then you pick the sauce and size. It's so great to pick the pasta the way you like it, because it's not difficult to make it but other places won't give you such a choice. Trust me when I say this: if you've never been here, you need to wait and watch the tables around you get their foods. The sizes here are ENORMOUS. You will overorder if you don't wait and see how this goes. My friend and I got one small pizza and two main-sized dishes and we were rolling outta that place like Violet after she ate Willy Wonka's blueberry gobstopper. Buon Apetito! read more

I thought this place was really good! I went there for the first time a few days ago and I really enjoyed it! In a nutshell, they have huge servings of (probably authentic) Italian food (pasta, pizza etc) and the prices are quite low. The service is also quite fast and very efficient! I had a huge portion of lasagna and a salad. I was also impressed that they didnt have "takeaway pizza style" garlic bread but instead had proper garlic focaccias and I was even more impressed that when I ordered a soda water, they served a nice Cascade soda water in a nice looking bottle making it look like it is a really sophisticated drink!!!! What all this boils down to though, is that being in this place made me feel like I was having a meal in Italy. And this is the way that I judge an Italian restaurant. If I feel like Im in Italy, then I like it. So, lets recap: good food, cheap price, Italian authentic atmosphere, quick service, very relaxed, nothing pretentious - all pretty good! 5 stars! read more

In the heart of Melbourne's Lygon street, it certainly doesn't disappoint with its Italian specialties. The Margarita Pizzas had high quality cheese with great crust, sizing and pricing is also appropriate and is often buzzing with business. The tables are a tiny bit cramped but this can assist in giving a tight knit feel which is suitable for families. read more

We have been coming here for years and its not just my fav pizza place but my fav place to eat out of anywhere, I love the lasagna and the pizza are awesome Cheap great service great food and in and out as quick as you like! If you want real Italian food at a real price this is the place! read more

My wife recommended papa Gino's for a causal dinner . She used to come here a lot when she was at uni. Now I know why !! The pizza is amazing especially when you can watch the guy doing it in front of you, the throwing and everything it is like a side show. I love that. I had the ravioli with Puttanesca sauce (olives, capers & anchovies in Napoletana sauce) it was awesome. read more

Papa Gino's - ravioli with Puttanesca sauce (olives, capers & anchovies in Napoletana sauce) it was awesome. - Italian Near Me - Carlton, VIC

Once upon a time, Lygon St might have been genuinely good. Probably back when the mass migrations of Italians and Greeks occurred after the end of the Second World War. Nowdays, though, it's pretty much just overpriced and overhyped. There are a few exceptions to this, however, and Papa Gino's is one of them. They do traditional Italian pasta, they do it cheaply, and so very, very quickly. You sit down and give an order, and your large bowl of steaming pasta will be with you in about ten minutes. And it'll be good. Not fancy, and certainly not funky, but good all the same. read more

I really loved the Quattro pizza with 4 different types to try. The pasta with marinara sauces was killer...it was exactly what I have been wanting since trying the great Italian food on Lygon. I think most American kids would like the margarita pizza here, but only one of my 3 boys was up for the challenge! One of my sons refused to eat it since a mushroom ended up in a small spot on the cheese pizza part. That is ok as it was all delicious as leftovers for me! read more

Staying in Melbourne from Brisbane for a week - just up the end of Lygon St, very accessible to lots of Lygon St restaurants! Ended up going to Papa Gino's twice because we really liked it. First time I went there I accidentally ordered the large pizza which was MASSIVE - well worth the $19. Could barely eat half though! Lots of pizza variety as well as pasta. Very quick service & all priced pretty well at between $15 and $25. Chicken, steak & seafood dishes obviously a little bit more expensive. Would definitely go there again! ...and again. read more

Located in a lovely part of town. We tried the cheese ravioli with meat sauce and lasagna. We also tried the garlic focaccia bread. The bread was fresh out of the oven, the ravioli was pretty good but the lasagna was bland. The portions are very generous and the prices very reasonable. It looks like they serve a lot of pizza. The service was very good. read more

Food and Service was always good, do try to book ahead it gets crowded fast. Tip: Read the menu VERY carefully, the Mexican Pizza is VERY VERY hot, it made us cry even though my friend and I are very good at handing spice, raw chilli seeds have that affect on you. When they meant chilli they actually meant raw ones diced up very fine that you can't remove them. The pizza was so yummy but we cried a lot while eating it. read more

Amazing food for great prices. Staff were wonderful and the restaurant had great vibes. Very, very generous servings and a "main" course pasta may easily be shared between two people. Would definitely recommend to friends and family. read more

Papa Gino's - Italian Near Me - Carlton, VIC

One of the few remaining, non touristy old school Italian pizza and pasta places in the now forgettable Lygon St. Food is simple and inexpensive. Service very efficient. Entree size pastas are big enough for hungry adults and just 10-11$. Great value. Pizzas are okay with thin crust. Very busy bustling restaurant with many nearby Melb University students. The last reminder for what Lygon St used to be like 20 yrs ago, for those of us that enjoy nostalgia. read more

100% yummy food. I had Parma chicken and veal scaloppine with octopus salad. Yummy,delicious, flavorful and not heavy. Best meal after a long day at work and workout. Staff is welcoming, genuine and make u feel at home. I am not really into pizzas but their pizzas smelled yum too. I may try them next time! read more

Great tasting authentic Italian home-cooked food, and good sized serving. The pizza's here are my favorite pizza's and are made fresh with generous amount of topping, not like all of the other pizza places these days that have scant ingredients on the pizza. The restaurant has a very friendly vibe that also extends from the very friendly service. read more

I don't mind Italian food, and while I have had dinner on Lygon Street a couple of times, I generally don't make it a regular occurrence, which is probably a good thing due to the average price of a meal. However, I generally do enjoy the atmosphere of the place. As for Papa Gino's, well, there wasn't all that much about this place that made it stand out from the rest of Lygon Street, though my German friend with whom I had dinner here with chose the place so she obviously liked it. Mind you the dinner itself was fun because it was a 'let's get together and speak German' dinner, which was an experience since even though I can speak, and understand, German, I am still a very long way off from being able to hold up a decent conversation with a native speaker. Oh, the pizza was hot, but that was probably because of the cheese, and I pretty much expect that whenever I order pizza (unless it is from pizza hut, but then I don't make a habit of buying food from there - Papa Gino's pizza is so much better). read more

I could eat their pizza everyday - all day!! For me as a limited vegan I have to "splurge" due to the cheese - but its TOTALLY worth it for this place. They have three different Vegetarian options. They have a transitional Veggie with Tomato, Mozzarella Cheese, mushrooms, green capsicum & olives - small 11.50, medium 14.50 & large at 20.00. Then they have a Mushroom which boasts Tomato, Mozzarella, & Mushrooms - basic but definitely DELICIOUS!! (Same prices for as the Veggie). And my most favorite of all the Ortolana- Diced tomato, mozzarella cheese, spinach, red roasted capsicum, zucchini & olives - AMAZING!!!! MY FAVORITE :) Prices for this one are small 12, medium 15, and large $21. As for the sizes - I've only ever order a medium & it comes with 8 slices - so 4 pieces for two people...just go from there. Look, its Lygon Street so you do have a ton of options BUT this place should definitely be on your list for a stop & try - you will NOT be disappointed :) Enjoy!! read more

Great wine list and well priced. The pizza was good but not authentic Italian cuisine. Overall good value for the price and nice location but not the most high-end Italian restaurant out there. read more

Love this place. An easy night out for dinner. Good, Easy, quick Italian food.

Wonderful pizza and great atmosphere. Wasn't a big fan of the bolognese sauce, but it beat the one we tried down the block. Would definitely go here again. read more

This restaurant is great. I've been going here for 10 years. The food is the same, homely, nice and well priced. The portions are massive: they come in S, M, L sizes. The L size is much bigger than the equivalent Domino/Pizza Hut size. The potato gnocchi is scrumptious and nice and the texture is creamy with a hint of herbs in it. The garlic foccacias are excellent and are proper ones (not the takeaway type) the bread and butter before is the right sort of crunchy, the pizzas have a thin base and sparse toppings. It's so good. What's even better, the pizza can also have custom options, you can add or subtract things. Also the pizza menu is pretty long and it covers most things. Watching the guy(s) do the pizza is so cool, it's like a show. The service is quick and efficent. Be warned though, Thursday-Saturday nights are EXTREMELY busy and you may have to wait. They don't take bookings, as far as I know, so it's first come first served. The noise is very loud, especially on Thur-Sat nights. The Coca-Cola came in glass bottles, something I like. Also sitting under the wooden arches is pretty cool. Groups up to 4 are pretty easy to accomodate. Overall, I will go back and try some of the other dishes. read more

Very good and affordable Italian food. Both the pasta and pizza are excellent. Well done Papa Gino!

This was definitely the worst pizza I ever had... If you like your pizza cramped with slices of ham of a bad quality, (imagine: ham instead of cheese) this is the place for you. But if not, stay away! A very disappointing experience! read more

Best focaccia pizza in town! Very generous portions and great prices too. We've tried many of their main dishes too and never been disappointed. Great service. Very friendly staff and if you go often they will remember you. Expect it to be packed on Friday and weekends, but if you wait you'll get a table pretty quick. My hubby and I are there at least once every fortnight. We love it there. read more

Cheap but good food. Can't complain about the serving sizes as they are a decent amount.

Papa Gino's serve up simple, inexpensive, quality Italian food. Their pastas are quite nice, but it's their pizzas that really stand out. They have thin crusts and fresh toppings, with interesting flavour combinations. It's nothing gourmet, but they do what they do well. My personal favourite is the Calzone Rustico (which I always ask them to add spinach to). For around $15, this is a very satisfying main meal. The calzone is also a good one to share amongst a group as a starter. In terms of straight-up pizzas, you can't go past the Super Special, which includes prawns, salami and a variety of vegetables. I know prawns and salami might sound like a strange combination, but trust me...it's awesome! read more

I went in here as my usual place was shut, and I was pleasantly surprised. The place gets pretty full, but if you are in a small group (less than 4), you shouldn't have to wait too long for a table. You might want to book if you don't like to wait. The pizza is great. The base is thin, the crust bubbly, and the toppings sparse. Just how a perfect pizza should be. If pizza is not your thing, you can choose from one of the many pasta, meat or poultry dishes on the menu. Prices are good, about $12 for a medium pizza, and around $17 for a main pasta. The servings are decent. You are definitely full once you finish eating, though if you are like me you will order too much and need to be carried home. read more

Great atmosphere, and kid friendly. Staff was great and really cool to see them throw the pizza die up in the air from our table. Only bummer was the 1st come 1st serve with no reservations. That is the reason for 4 out of 5. read more

Great very reasonably priced pizza & steak etc italian restaurant in Lygon Street with Friendly service. I ordered the GF aussie pizza which was extra $5 which is ok( normal for gf eating out). Pizza was fantastic, great base & plenty of topping. We were on a table of 5 and after ordering some drinks & food, we got some free shots which was a nice gesture. Definately give Papa Gino's a try if youre in the Carlton area & looking for a great meal and not wanting to spend a fortune. read more