S 5
Seriously wonderful regional Italian food. Best service staff in Melbourne. Welcoming atmosphere.
We arrived at this basement restaurent a little early for our noon booking, and were greeted with pleasure, and thus the beginning of an excellent service experience. Without doubt the service staff here are the very best I've come across in the last few years in Melbourne, and many other locations. They are understated, unobtrusive, alert, knowledgable, helpful, and exuded calm pleasure in sharing their skilled service. (And I think they were all female.)
The restaurent itself was warmly presented with the decor being "traditional" ... Beamed roof, marble topped tables with white damask table cloths and napkins, space to move between the tables, a gleaming wooden bar, and the space divided by columns and furniture into "rooms". It is thoroughly charming.
When it came to ordering, the menu was very interesting and not oversized, but we eventually chose to order from the specials. The list of specials was extremely impressive, and we actually forgot most of them after we heard them, so a printed specials page would have been useful. However we managed, and what we chose was delicious.
We shared our entrees ... Seared scallops, fat and juicy and succulent; and sardines with pickles, pesto and amazing dried shaved Spanish onions. Just lipsmacking.
Both of us chose pasta for our mains .. My partner in gluttony chose gnocchi in a sublime butter sauce with an amazing generosity of shaved fresh Australian black truffles. The gnocchi was perfectly silky and the flavour explosion from the sauce married with those little pasta nuggets quite beautifully. (I was allowed a mouthful.)
I chose papadelle with a fine grained mince ragout-like sauce made from veal, pork, and (I think) rabbit. This too was quite delicious, full and round (but my tastebuds wanted an acid edge to the sauce, like a touch of tomato or lemon zest).
We each ordered a glass of Italian wine and my choice of a Soave was buttery with a slightly apple aroma. Also delicious.
Our side salad was of peppery rocket with crisp pear walnuts and shaved parmesan. It was a little overdressed, but the ingredients were prime.
We didn't quite manage to clear our plates, and were so replete we couldn't even think about dessert or coffee. Only afternoon naps.
Cost for two was $200, including a very well deserved tip. We WILL be going back.
