An amazing little place! The ambiance was quiet and romantic! The service is great and the food was…read morefabulous! We had the Capricciosa napilitono pizza -San marzano tomato's, ham, anchovies and olives! Yum!! Also had the Rucola Salad- rocket, grana, carmalized pear, and vincotto. The perfect place for a lovely dinner!

Great honest Italian food made with love. Generous and delicious antipasti platters with gorgeous…read morecured meats. Not all dishes I tried was a raging success but the truffle risotto with smoked ducked was spot on and my mackerel dish was cooked to perfection with a nice crispy skin. This is a little gem of a place that can be found at the wrong of the city serving great values Italian food. They've only been opened for dinner on Saturday nights for a year and with the friendly prompt serving I am sure they will have many more. Loved the extra touch of the chef bringing and explaining some of the dishes too.

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!

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.

Tutto Bene which means okay is more than an okay restaurant. Located on level one of Southgate…read moreShopping Complex, it is situated facing the Yarra River. Hence, you can bask in the sun when seated outdoors or sit inside to escape the winds of Melbourne. They offer a $40 set menu which includes two course (starter and plat principal) and a glass of wine (red or white) or a coffee. My friend got the two-course menu while I decided to go for squid ink calamari risotto. We were provided with complimentary delicious sourdough bread with olive oil and olives. Staff are friendly but slow. Though our drinks came out quickly - my coffee was very bitter and strong but acidic tasting, our food took forever to come out - and it was a lunchtime and the restaurant was only one-third full. The stuffed calamari with risotto looked like a polish dumpling with a fresh basil flavour and was quite salty. The potato gnocchi had a beautiful rosemary flavour, a subtle sweetness, and the truffle and mushrooms only added to the flavour. However, the winner was the calamari risotto - just the right amount of kick to it with freshly chopped chilli and chilli oil, beautifully separated risotto rice (not the mushy rice you get in some restaurants) and small bits of calamari. It could definitely do with more calamari which was barely there. The food was well salted and flavoured. Portion sizes are small compared to most pasta places so best to get a starter if you're very hungry. Would definitely come back to try other dishes.

A wonderful experience!! The venue overlooking busy Southbank and the Yarra River is a great place…read moreto watch the world go by!! My friend had the lunch special of the day - a delicious beetroot risotto- the colour of which was a divine shade of pink. This was great value at $ dollars which included a glass of wine! I selected from the starters. The carrot arancini came looking spectacular , in the shape of s carrot with its own carrot greenery and sitting in a bed of creamy mashed carrot. My other choice was watermelon wrapped squares wrapped in prosciutto. The presentation was divine looking almost too good to eat. The choice of wine was a Seville Rose from the Yarra Valley which was the perfect accompaniment to our lunchtime food choices. Attentive staff were friendly and the service provided was excellent. Can thoroughly recommend this venue.

We picked this restaurant because it was close to our hotel so when it turned out to be truly…read moreSPECTACULAR we were stunned. Even though Melbourne is filled with great restaurants this one was worth coming back twice in the week that we were here. It shone in every dimension. Memorable food ( absolutely excellent and innovative combinations but not crazy) lovely service, helpful and aware, and a cozy space. Excellent wine list and a delightful ambience. We recommend this most highly!!!

A wonderful restaurant in the heart of the city. The chefs choice meal was perfectly out together!…read moreThe service was perfect and the food delectable.

Just had an amazing meal! The staff made you feel like family. Lovely spit and you can tell there…read moreare many regulars. Was recommended by our good friend Manny and he was spot on. We had the house risotto that was divine a the salads were perfect. Would go back next time in Melbourne!

This place is without a doubt, my favourite restaurant in all of Melbourne. It is so unbelievably…read moregreat in every conceivable way. Firstly, stepping into the restaurant, the staff are warm, attentive and treat you like friends/family. Even on my first visit here, they were hospitable and friendly. They've got terrific memories, and know you by the time you make your second visit (and believe me, you will). They really take the time to go over the specials, and answer any questions you have regarding the menu. Secondly, the decor. Yes, it's a small restaurant, but it gives it a homely feel and it's cozy on wintery nights, and open on summer nights with the big sliding French doors. It can get noisy, but not overwhelmingly so. Parking is easy; there's usually a space right outside. But I'd never come here without making a reservation first, or you could be disappointed. Thirdly, the food. It is DELICIOUS. I've never, ever had a problem with the food. It comes as you order it (i.e.. if you make any amendments, they honour it and are very obliging. Everything comes as you'd imagine; hot and as if it were homemade. It's fresh and unique. The special board is always changing and there's plenty of variety. It may be a teeny bit pricey for some, but to me, it's worth every penny. I could go on and on about how much I love it here, but I think what you should do is try it for yourself and I'm sure you'll agree with me. It's simply outstanding!!!

This place was jumping on a Saturday night, the host was kind and put us on the waitlist and we…read morecame back to our table in like 25 minutes, our server made excellent recommendations as well, strawberry cocktail if you like sweet and pasta. The food was superb, some of the best pasta I have had seriously! The restaurant sits in an alley and we had a quaint table outside, walking and car traffic, if you're in Melbourne say yes to this place for outstanding food and service!

The Vegan options here are amazing! I had a pizza and pasta and the change in ingredients did not…read morelack flavor at all.

A little taste of Italy in North Melbourne This is…read moretraditional Italian home cooking and service. The portions are generous and the prices are reasonable. The veal scaloppini in mushroom sauce was excellent and the spaghetti meatballs was good. BYO is a plus!

We had a group of six at Maria's Trattoria one Thursday evening. Most of the group enjoyed their…read moreenormous serves of pasta. I had the ravioli - what can I say- being Italian it wasn't very impressive. Most Italians can do these dishes at home with more pizazz, but for those in our group who weren't Italian or home cooks thought it was good food. I guess if going to eat out for Italian food I want to be impressed with home cooked pasta and ravioli - interesting fillings or great sauces. Nothing like that here. However if you're not Italian and want to try it, have it and can be bothered making it then this is a good place to go. I have to say the fish- entree sardines and grilled fish mains were fresh, tasty and simply cooked. Would I go again? Probably not for pasta but perhaps for the fish- being close to Victoria market you'd expect it to be fresh and it is.