For some reason Becco isn't nearly as impressive as I thought it would be…read more I really wanted to like the restaurant and expected it to stand amongst other Italian giants like Grossi and Bottega but it just didn't measure up. The menu is small, and while it offers some authentic and rustic charm with dishes like duck leg confit with radicchio and grappa sauce, and spaghetti Marinara, the price tags are somewhat less charming at $41 and $42 a piece. I would highly recommend Becco as a destination for some pricey but fabulous desserts. Elderflower semifreddo ($16.50) and lemon custard with poached rhubarb, raspberry dust and marshmallows ($17.50) are the standouts. The service is okay, but unfortunately not overly warm and while the setting is very comfortable, it simply isn't as exciting as a few other options around the corner. Becco would be great and very worthwhile, if only the price tag was at least $10 lower.

One of the best Italian restaurant I have been to in Melbourne…read more We had calamari, spaghettini, oxtail, and red velvet cake. All of them are superb, and it is rare. From all the places I have eaten in Melbourne, I believe they have the best calamari. They are done proper; baby squid and light breading. I personally am not a spaghetti fan because they tend to use pre-made spaghetti. However, Becco's very very different and I think they are freshly made. Al dente is barely describing it. It was bouncy, moist, and flavorful. I can eat that allllll day. Drooling as I type, the oxtail was perfect. It melted in my mouth. And it was good finish as an entree. The dishes are not massive, but good enough to share for two. I would recommend making reservation. I am not going to comment on wine because that is someone's else job and career. Least to say, they have a good wine list and I enjoyed my wine. I would also recommend outdoor tables during the warm season in Melbourne. Very chill and European like. The End.

An awesome little bar/restaurant tucked away. I had the oyster special and French beer …read more Everything tasted great and went down well. Well worth a visit.

A lovely small restaurant hidden away in Melbourne. Fantastic service and atmosphere…read more Highly recommended.

Great good earth food. Popped in here for a quick lunch and was thoroughly comforted by its great…read moretaste, pride-of-the-earth food. Had octopus for my entree. It was tender and juicy, with grand flavours of the sea. Not to be missed. The main was slow-cooked lamb, complemented by an earthy mint dribbling and accompanied by a small swig of fresh turnip. The lamb was tender and comfortingly earthy. Lunch was concluded with with a dessert dish comprising of donut balls and accompanied by lemon curd. Lovely conclusion to a great lunch Ambience of the place was good too, with nice sunlight flooding through the big glass windows surrounding the room. The nearby sea outside the windows adds a further component to a relaxed afternoon at St Kilda

I've visited Circa on a number of different occasions - for big lavish dinners with pre and post…read moredinner cocktails, light lunches with the girls, meals in the bar, and even just stopping past for a G & T on the way home. With an inside vertical garden and a peephole to the kitchen, the restaurant proper is a lovely space to sit. Do be sure though to wear your cutest dress, ladies, because you will feel like you are very much 'on show' in this space! For more laid-back, though still very chic dining and drinking, head to the bar where you can get a glass of wine from the Enomatic, or a martini to go along with something from the more casual bar menu. My pick? Take a friend, order a few bits and pieces and then splash out on a bottle of something delicious from the wine list. The sommelier will guide you through and won't even bat an eyelid when she realises that you plan to match it to the (legendary) Circa Burger.

Quite disappointed given the rave reviews. My steak came well done, I ordered medium. It had a…read morebitter taste I wasn't expecting, and was anything but tender. The mash was so dry, and very heavy. It was chewy, and certainly not light and fluffy as it should be. Frankly it tasted like they just added water from a packet. Don't get me started on the water like, bitter peppercorn sauce. Awful. I didn't finish the meal in the end. Getting the attention of the wait staff was nigh on impossible, pleasant as they seemed. It's rare that I don't tip staff but I didn't interact with anyone beyond someone dropping the food in front of me and never coming back. Food did come out very quickly and the onion rings were ok, crispy, but still very greasy. The ambience in here is a bit weird. Families, work groups, noisy, dark, and decor like you're visiting your auntie Kay in her front room. I've not been checked on in thirty minutes. Might be something to do with the awful table tucked against a wall.... I definitely wouldn't recommend eating here. Maybe two years ago it was good, maybe I got it on a bad night, maybe it just sucks. I'm going with the latter. There are plenty of other options sound Melbourne to eat. This one definitely wasn't worth the $30 taxi ride out here from the CBD.

This was actually a pretty decent pub, particularly with the choice of beers they had on tap (being…read morea number of decent craft beers). It seems to be more focused on being a restaurant than a pub, though the front section is more of a bar (though they tend to have high tables and stools, which I'm not all that fond of). There is also a nice beer garden, and it looks like it has been recently done up, which is also pretty cool. Mind you, the beer garden is designed mainly for smokers so unfortunately there is no food out there (though that may have changed). However, I still quite liked this pub, though it did sort of lack a uniqueness that sets it apart from a great pub.

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.

An awesome group night out with a group of my closest friends celebrating one of my friend's…read morebirthday quite recently. If you are not into Greek food; you would be punished for not having an open mind as the food is just sensational, and generous servings too. Cheese, fish, sausage, calamari and other meat and seafood varieties just keep coming and coming, and for $45 a pop for dinner (including a drink or two, go for a glass of quality house red) you will be left feeling full and satisfied without the plate smashing frenzy, and more of that restaurant as opposed to that tavern feeling. The dinner buffet also included dessert, and yet some birthday cake was also provided to us on the house. I felt sorry for the staff considering all the dishes they had to wash that night. Four hours later we were ready to go nightclubbing in nearby Russell Street. Nothing was too much trouble for the staff, and if you are a Qantas Frequent Flyer (yours truly just scored more abundance without even knowing it) you earn points for your dining experiences here. On a hot Saturday night; this was heaven in Europe. And Melbourne. Something would have to be so wrong with you if you left this establishment hungry.

For every great cafe or restaurant in Melbourne there's probably another 5 bad to average ones to…read morecounter them. While maybe not falling into the bad category, Kri Kri was very average and not a place I'd recommend if you're looking for great greek food. We went for their lunch banquet option where the food was average at best then was complimented with extremely slow and unfriendly service. The only saving grace for this review receiving two stars is the fact that someone else in our party ordered a seperate mains which I tried and it wasn't bad yet at the same time, not great. Wouldn't recommend in a rush especially on that end of town where there are great alternatives.

Perfection! This was our second trip to copper pot to try the new season menu and it was just as…read moreamazing as our first trip. We literally licked the plates clean! (Not kidding.......) Let's start with the service. The staff really need to be commended. Attentive but not annoying, knowledgeable, friendly and made you feel comfortable. Now on to the food! We started with the schmaltz. Literally lard with delicious bits added. So decadent! We've decided this is a once a year treat so we don't have heart attacks, but it's a treat worth dying for! We used the extra bread to mop up the white wine sauce on the oh so soft mussels. I could of had a second plate of these! Just for me. Next was the main - pork belly with cabbage and blood pudding served with sides of heirloom carrots and spetzel (sp?). German Mac and cheese! Perfect combinations! The pork was melt in your mouth amazing! To finish we couldn't go past the creme brûlée. Seriously. SERIOUSLY! This thing is incredible. The softest, silkiest and most creamy creme brûlée ever. A must! Before we stop! The wine list is very carefully curated. You'd be hard pressed to find something not amazing. We went for the Tempranillo and Rose by the glass and couldn't fault their delicious European choices. Ask for recommendations if you're unsure. Can't wait for next season and the next menu!!

And here we have a fine establishment thats broken me out of my short yelp rut…read more WOW. Just excellent - the food, the people, the place. Come here for date night or come here for a quick bite i don't care! You will want to come back a second or more times. We decided against the road trip (chefs surprise picks off the menu) and picked what we wanted to eat for the same price. We were not disappointed. Every dish was a delight and i cant even think which one i liked the most. Special mention to the sea snail - awesome! And the creme brulee - best one out! Impeccable service, our assigned waitress is indeed knowledgable on both the drinks and food and very attentive. Try to book the seat by the bar and get lost in watching the kitchen staff do their thing and see how much dallops of butter they chuck in everything om nom! Will be back :)

I arrived before the kitchen was open, but they seated me and I ordered a glass of wine while I…read morewaited. A couple minutes before the kitchen opened they took my order. I ordered a pear and arugula salad and one of the house specials, rigatoni bolognese. The salad had very small slivers of pear and thin slices of parm cheese. I believe it was supposed to be a balsamic dressing but it seemed to be mostly olive oil and lacked any real flavor. The pears were so thin I almost missed them entirely. However, the main course was perfection. The pasta was perfectly cooked to al dente. The sauce was meaty and flavored softly with tomato. I loved this dish and would recommend it. The service was fantastic and the ambiance does remind one of a small Italian restaurant. While the salad was disappointing the pasta more than made up for it and I would love to return and sample another dish.

Very friendly place with terrific specials including a delicious truffle risotto. Rocket salad,…read moreNegroni. Perfect meal for one on a cold night in Melbourne!