I had walked by Pepe's many times and loved the charming patio. It has a quintessential Italian vibe. Many of the Italian restaurants around Melbourne are more dressed up than I prefer when I'm craving a plate of authentic pasta and pizza from the stone.
They were busy even at 3:30 in the afternoon but the hostess was able to find a table for me inside.
Pepe's touts themselves as a cocktail bar as well as an Italian eatery, so I started with my favorite classic dirty gin martini. Things started off right when 3 olives came out on the pick. I'm not too selective with my dirty martinis, but this one was in a frosty glass, and perfectly balanced.
The waitress was knowledgeable about the menu when I asked about the dishes I was considering, and she had her preferences and recommendations. The pizza was a popular choice, so I ordered the Bianca that includes potato, rosemary, and mozzarella. I also added the optional ham. It was a fantastic, rustic Italian pizza with a perfect crust. If you find yourself at Pepe's, I highly recommend having at least one pizza to try at the table.
I also ordered an Orange Endive salad but didn't get the exact name of it before the menu was gone. It was the only salad with 'Orange' in the name. It was a very simple salad with not much to it. At times, I would get a bite of a very salty, bitter, charred flavor that was unpleasant to say the least. Otherwise, it was a plate of endive leaves with a few candied pecans. As a fan of anything with Orange on the menu, I would highly recommend skipping this salad. It will disappoint. It also cost around the same price as the pizzas. Order more pizza.
Despite the disappointing salad, the rest of the experience was top notch. Pepe's is still 5 stars for me. The restaurant is a lovely place to dine, both inside and out. The service was excellent, the drink was 10/10, and I would have ordered every flavor of pizza offered on the menu. read more