Pasta Rustica - Melbourne

Attending a lecture in Melbourne and we were way too early. Decided to have dinner prior to going to the lecture. Hawker out font was very convincing in a gentle and polite yet firm manner. Kudos to him! He helped me with my many dietary problems and let me know what was in certain foods. The seafood with gluten free penne was delicious, but the pasta could have been cooked a tad longer, was still a little crunchy. However, this did not dismiss the delightful presentation nor the excellent flavours. The octopus in the meal was tender and melted in the mouth. Not rubbery and horrible at all, like other places I have eaten. The alleged free glass of wine was to be a chardonnay but was exceptionally sweet. Did the job though! Ha ha. However, on the bill it said it was $9.00. Ah, no. We managed to get that taken off the bill. Friend had the pork belly and was disappointed it only had 2 veg. And not much of it. Only a few half very small potatoes really. I tried some of his pork and whilst it was nice, it was a little dry. He was disappointed but I found my meal to be very nice. However, 8 out of 10 for it due to the pasta not cooked correctly. And no it was not meant to be 'al dente ' it was still in the 'al dentures ' phase. Ha ha. I think I would go back again to try some other meals. We sat outside on a cold Melbourne evening and was protected by the wind by clear perspex to above head height when sitting. A large tower heater with flame was near us to keep us nice and warm.

I have visited this restaurant twice and both times I was pleasantly surprised. The Saltimbocca and pasta were a great way to start the meal. Authentic Italian cuisine. The service was always attentive but never intrusive.

Firstly let me start with that we were the first into the restaurant for the day. Followed soon after by many others. We ordered a bolognese, kids bolognese, bruschetta and gnocchi pesto with a garlic bread to start. The garlic bread never came out, we asked about it twice. We saw garlic bread go out to other tables. No apology was made, even when they tried to still charge us for it at the end. The bolognese was ok, the bruschetta was very bland, the tomatoes were ice cold and there was no balsamic or red onion or any other than a few bits of basil. I had the gnocchi pesto. I was looking forward to the pine nuts but it was mushy. If there were pine nuts they must have been put through the blender with the sauce : No Thank You.

Little dinner to welcome in 2018. Simple but extensive menu and staff willing to please. Enjoyed atmosphere and polite staff.

Hawkers beckon you to the restaurants on this street. Be sure to bargain for a complimentary glass of wine and order a sharing appetizer at the very least. Once seated, let the knowledgeable staff guide you in selecting the perfect dishes. Opt for reasonably priced Australian wines over costly imports.