Hearing good things about La Svolta, we decided to give it a go. To be honest, it wasn't as good as I thought it might be. It was nice - don't get me wrong - but nothing startling, and there are other Italian restaurants I like better (and are quieter). I started with a nice Caprese Salad, but for my main, it's entirely possible I just made a wrong choice. I ordered the Pizza Agliata which has Flor di latte mozzarella, garlic, oregano and extra virgin olive oil. If I'm being honest, it totally lacked taste. I really only finished it because I'd barely eaten all day. I think if I go again, I'll just stick to my usual choice of a Margherita pizza. For dessert I had a scoop of lemon and a scoop of chocolate gelato which was ok. The lemon was exceptionally tangy and the chocolate was half frozen (but tasted nice at least). Service was spotty (we were offered dessert between eating our entree and getting our main - and when we told the waitress we hadn't had mains yet, she walked off without clearing away the entree plates, lol). Overall, I MIGHT be tempted to try this one more time and choose differently, but I would only go if others insisted on eating here. read more

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Really cute place on the main drag in Hampton. The pizza was better than most in Melbourne, and the service was super-friendly. The pizza here has a very thin crust. As an American, I staunchly refuse to eat pizza with a fork and knife -- I always eat it with my hands -- and this is the type of pizza that you really need to fold because the crust is so thin. It's so thin that if you pick up a slice without folding it, all your ingredients will come sailing merrily off and will no doubt end up in your dining partner's lap. Which may get awkward. In spite of its uber-thinness (or perhaps because of it), I really loved the crust. Soft and delicious. We all know people who have an irrational hatred of pizza crusts, people who will ALWAYS hack their pizza crusts off with a knife, lip curled in disgust, no matter where you take them. Trust me, even these people will like the crust at La Svolta. My boyfriend and I both had vegetarian pizzas, mine without cheese to make it vegan. (His was the "Parmigiana" and mine was the "Ortolana.") Mine came with eggplant, mushrooms, olives, tomato, and capsicum. The pizza bases are all non-dairy/non-egg, so you can choose any of the vegetarian pizzas and ask for no cheese to make it vegan. Service was fantastic -- the servers all sounded like they were actually from Italy, which is nice. They were very friendly and helpful. Food was pricey but this is Hampton, after all. Luckily, the portion size was quite large by Australian standards, so it's worth it. We finished our pizzas but only because we hadn't eaten anything else all day. The place is a bit loud and crowded, but I didn't mind that at all. If you're on a first date and trying to have an actual polite conversation, La Svolta might not be the best pick, but otherwise it's fine. read more

La Svolta - Parmigiana pizza - Italian Near Me - Hampton, VIC

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If you live in St Kilda, Prahran or South Yarra - you have a new pizza contender that has stepped up to the plate to take on the big guns of Mr Wolf, Ladro and Chris Lucas' newly opened Baby Pizza. La Svolta has secretly slotted inself down a side street off Chapel St, almost running parallel to Greville St (home of Ladro), and right across from the newly renovated David's. With owners Valerio Calabro and Giuseppe Russo sticking with a formula that they know works after a successful opening in Hampton, the new outpost, evermore creeping closer to the CBD, on Cecil Street has brought authentic Italian to the inner southern suberbs. They must have a stable of Italian mares cause each and every person who we encountered here on our first visit weren't putting those accents on for theme park fun. The space is split into two - an open restaurant with the other half being kept for barflys and walk-ins. The main restaurant space is sizeable and needs people to fill it to give it some heart, considering how good the honest and earthy cooking coming out of the kitchen is. The large specials chalkboard takes up the entirety of one wall - in which they utilise the map idea that we have seen previously at D.O.C. on their menus. But is the huge hand-drawn map of Italy with vines and grapes right? It gives off a kind of rusticity that don't really translate to the rest of the decor of the restaurant, which is all concrete floors, exposed brick and harsh lighting against black walls. This industrial decor is in contrast to the old-school Italian music being played, which is reminiscent of the places you would visit while on holiday, which have red-and-white tablecloths and the only light being a solitary candle on each table. But we are here for the food and the first dish that comes out has exactly what you would expect to get from a trattoria in Italy. There is certainly a strong emphaisis on basic but authentic ingredients. First up we ordered the La Svolta Tasting Plate - a sharing platter of antipasti for $27. Particular standouts were salami, the creamy rice-filled arancini and ham and cheese croquettes. As you would do in Italy, the pasta course naturally comes next and I went for something that piqued my interest on the specials board - gnocchi with barramundi in Napoli sauce. Would it come out as a side of barra draped over the top of some pasta? Luckily not. It came exactly as I had hoped - broken down into flakes with a slight kick of chili to make things interesting. Handing over to Wordmonkey for the decision on pizza we went for Signor George - tomato, fior di latte mozzarella, salami and chilli - although she thinks there wasn't enough chilli. But then she does like lashings of chilli. Now I will admit this, I am a particularly fussy pizza eater. The simpler the toppings, the better. And I am particularly against swamp bottom - the term I give to the soppy mess that happenes right at the centre of the pizza when the base isn't crispy enough and the toppings too liquid-y. I'm just not into that. For the most part this pizza lived up to expectation but I thought that a few less olives would have balanced out the saltiness here. Secondi wasn't an option as were were reaching our food limit, but we did try the chocolate and raspberry cake, which was split between the two of us rather than trying to pick at it from the centre of the table. We couldn't see the raspberry but boy it was in there, not as chunks of fruit but as a kind of puree that had been swirled into the cake mix. A very smooth cake that made sure our meal ended on a real high. With Italian this authentic, the establishment had better be worried as the mafia has just strolled into town. read more

Nope! I did not enjoy this place. The waiter literally threw a plate of pasta in front of me without a word (that I had ordered an hour beforehand) and came back 10 minutes later to ask if I would like Parmesan. Being busy is no excuse, I have been to many busy restaurants that have still offered exceptional service. The quality of my pasta was very poor and I did not eat more than a quarter of it. I will not be returning to this place. read more

This place was fabulous. Honestly, no joke, one of the best pizzas I ever had in my life. It was like soft pancake dough with burnt crispy bits. Mixed starter was great, excellent salami and prosciutto . It's BYO, the staff are super friendly and Italian, and it's just a great vibe. Didn't expect this on Hampton Street. I'll definitely return. It's a bit pricey, and I'd never usually dine at a pizza place, but really, it was worth it. read more

I've eaten here 3 times in 3 weeks, which should say something. The ragu spaghetti bolognaise is my all time favourite! A great venue for just a couple, or with friends and family. read more

Extremely friendly staff! And consistently good food! The tasting platter is delicious and the calamari is a must have! Nutella pizza is also great- especially if you have a sweet tooth. read more

Noisy and cramped (tables are very close together so you felt like you were part of the conversation at the table next to you), even on a week night. Could barely hear ourselves talk. We ordered pizza and were not impressed. Wouldn't return based on our experience. read more

This is a terrific and authentic Italian local eatery. Due to its popularity it is crowded and noisy but definitely worth putting up with the noise of laughter and chatter for the excellent food choices. Calamari is always a great choice as it is consistently tender and the daily specials offer affordable alternatives not readily found elsewhere. read more

Off the boil would be the easiest way to put it... strikes me as if it has changed hands, It used to be spectacular but service was sloppy and slow, staff seem disinterested at best and it has become a hang out for Bandidos members and seedy types.... food is great although portions are a little on the slim side as is the case with the wine, the tide was definitely out... will we return? not sure, especially something better comes along. disappointing asI've really enjoyed La Svolta on previous occasions... what's with the Bandidos? is this now a drug haven? geez read more