Bottega

74 Bourke Street, Melbourne

Located on the Bourke Hill precinct of Melbourne's Bourke Street, Bottega is a small restaurant with a fine dining interior that serves an interpretation on modern Italian cuisine as well as a range of local and imported wines.

 Taleggio & leek croquettes

 Caciocavallo all'argentiere - Sicilian pan-fried cheese, roast chestnuts, beer jelly

Whenever I spot a new and exciting dish on a menu, I can't stop myself from ordering it and trying it out. When I read that there was a pan-fried cheese with beer jelly on the menu, I could not even begin to imagine how the dish would look or taste. Fortunately it was quite enjoyable, although I'm not sure if I would order it again myself.

 Saffron risotto, scallop carpaccio, fennel pollen

The saffron risotto was tinted a lovely and deep yellow from the saffron which was visually appealing, although it was very hard to pin down any of the subtle flavour that saffron can impart to a dish. This is not to say that the saffron risotto was not a good dish though, as the texture of the risotto was very pleasant and the flavour the scallop carpaccio added to the dish was beautiful and mellow. 

Bottega is definitely a great place to visit for a special occasion, with friendly staff and a great range of Italian dishes and wine. Theater-goers will also be happy to know that they also offer a pre-theater menu as well as private dining options.

Food Rating 8/10

Overall Rating 8/10

Cucinetta

Shop 4, 3 Murphy Street, South Yarra

From the outside, Cucinetta looks like any other small restaurant around the South Yarra area. However, they are one of only a few Italian restaurants in Melbourne to offer the "cheese wheel pasta". Apart from this specialty dish, they also offer a variety of Italian dishes on their ever changing menu.

Cucinetta

Cheese wheel pasta - cacio e pepe $23.00

Cacio e pepe is one of my favourite Italian pasta dishes, along with the Roman carbonara. Although it may seem like a relatively basic dish at first glance, cacio e pepe is a rich dish with defined characteristics, which allows you to enjoy the flavours of the cheese and pasta with a hint of cracked black pepper incorporated into it. 

There really isn't much to say about the cheese wheel cacio e pepe at Cucinetta, other than to simply give it praise. The pasta was cooked perfectly so that when it was finished, there was just the right amount of resistance, and just the right amount of cheese coated each of the rigatoni noodles after it was finished in the cheese wheel. Some black pepper and a small grating of cheese on top finished the dish perfectly, with the option to add truffle oil on top for an extra three dollars.

Although I have never visited Cucinetta for their other dishes, after just trying the cacio e pepe, I am more than happy to recommend people with a love for cheese and pasta to book a visit to Cucinetta.

Food Rating 8.5/10

Overall Rating 8.5/10

48H Pizza & Gnocchi Bar

15 Gordon Street, Elsternwick

48H Pizza & Gnocchi bar is a popular Italian restaurant located on Malvern Road close to one of Melbourne's most well known dining districts, Chapel Street. The name 48H comes from how long they leave the pizza dough to sit and rise, as the owners believe that pizza dough should be left for a minimum of 48 hours, although most of the time they leave it for even longer, around 72 hours.

Earlier in 2017 they expanded by opening their second restaurant in Elsternwick. Not only is the Elsternwick restaurant a pizza and gnocchi bar, but they also have a delicatessen offering premium and boutique goods to customers.

48H Pizza & Gnocchi Bar

The Kitchen

Margherita

I am usually quite a harsh critic when it comes down to margherita pizzas, as they are one of my favourite things to eat. I was quite impressed by the margherita at 48H and although the toppings were quite standard when compared to other great pizzerias, the dough base was done perfectly. Most likely the result of the amount of time they allow the dough rest, the base was the perfect thickness and chewiness with a slight char which added flavour to the pizza.

Organic stradelle, coffin bay vongole, zucchini flower, black garlic, pink pepper

Black and white gnocchi, zucchini flower, Patagonia wild prawn, goat cheese, Italian saffron

Being one of their specialties, I was expecting the gnocchi dish to be quite spectacular. The gnocchi themselves were amazingly made, with a consistent texture and a firm, yet tender bite. Although the gnocchi were well made and the dish was quite nice as a whole, I would really have liked to have seen more emphasis on certain ingredients. I felt as though the Patagonia wild prawns were hidden and that the zucchini flowers really didn't add anything to the dish.

Tiramisu

Tiramisu is one of my favourite desserts and although I don't usually order too many desserts, I always have to try a tiramisu when I see it on the menu. The different layers of the tiramisu at 48H were intriguing. While they were not distinct layers, the sponge fingers lining the top of the glass were only half soaked, so there was a pleasant and light coffee fragrance, while the sponge fingers lining the bottom were saturated, creating an intense coffee burst with every bite.

Although the newer Elsternwick location of 48H Pizza & Gnocchi Bar is somewhat out of the way for me, it was definitely worth it to travel for the visit. If you are looking for a traditional Italian style meal, then you should definitely give 48H Pizza & Gnocchi bar a visit!

We were invited by and dined courtesy of 48H Pizza & Gnocchi Bar.

Food rating 8.5/10

Overall Rating 8.5/10

Woodstock Pizzicheria

Chadstone Shopping Centre, 1341 Dandenong Road, Malvern East

Woodstock Pizzicheria has been around since their Nicholson Street store first opened in 1994. Since then they have expanded to different locations such as Brunswick, Essendon and their most recent location, at the Chadstone Shopping Centre. As Woodstock Pizzicheria was introduced to Chadstone along with Chadstone's massive renovation and the opening of the new dining terrace, they recently celebrated their 1st birthday. We were lucky enough to be invited to share in this celebration event with them and to meet some of the people behind Woodstock Pizzicheria, as well as try some of their food.

Woodstock Pizzicheria

 Aperol Spritz

 Chef at work

 Bite-sized pizza

During the night there were many different types of appetizers as well as samples of the pizza and pasta dishes. While a lot of people are quick to dismiss food found in shopping centres, Woodstock Pizzicheria is quick to disprove this thought. The food served here would definitely be worthy of any traditional Italian restaurant, which makes it a great place to visit for the thousands of shoppers at Chadstone every day.

We were invited by and dined courtesy of Woodstock Pizzicheria.

Food Rating 8/10

Overall Rating 8/10

Rococo

797 Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn

First launched in 2005, Rococo brings both classic and contemporary Italian flavours to the table and with two locations, St Kilda and Hawthorn, they are a great place to visit for some modern Italian flavours. When travelling down Hawthorn's Glenferrie Road, it is difficult to miss Rococo. The large signage accompanied by the even larger restaurant will definitely catch your attention.

Since we were not very hungry, we chose to order one pasta dish and one pizza dish to share between the three of us. Although the pizza was enjoyable, with a good balance of flavours within the toppings and a slight char on the crust, I would have to say that we enjoyed the pasta at Rococo a lot more. The reason we enjoyed the pasta more than the pizza was not because of anything incredibly special, rather it was the lack of mistakes that a lot of other large Italian restaurants often make. This includes aspects such as how the pasta is cooked, to the ratio of ingredients and sauce to the pasta.

Although Rococo would not be my first choice if I were looking for an authentic Italian style meal, they would definitely be my choice for a solid meal with Italian flavours, in a relaxed and spacious environment.

Food Rating 8.5/10

Overall Rating 8/10

Gelocchio

230 Lygon Street, Carlton

Gelocchio is the new gelato store on the block, having just opened on Melbourne's Lygon Street. They offer many different types and flavours of all natural gelato and sorbet, as well as other icy treats. 

While Gelocchio is already an established store in Cairns, their opening on Melbourne's "Little Italy" on Lygon Street has put them among a number of excellent and already established gelato stores, such as Pidapippo and Il Dolce Freddo. 

Gelocchio

Pinocchio inspired decor

Paddlepops and Maxibons

Other than gelato, Gelocchio also offers many different icy treats, such as their various flavours of gelato pops as well as maxibons, my favourite of which was the passionfruit pop.

Range of different flavours

Even more flavours!

Pina Colada

Although there were many wonderful flavours on offer, my love of coconut led me to the pina colada flavoured gelato. The pina colada gelato was a smooth gelato with a strong coconut base, which was then enhanced with hints of pineapple in the background. This made it so the gelato did not have two clashing flavours, only flavours that complimented each other, which I noticed was a technique that was applied to many of their flavours.

Gelocchio was a fun and quirky place to visit, with friendly and knowledgeable staff, as well as a diverse range of sweet treats. They have shown that they are more than capable of competing with the other well established gelato names on Lygon Street and I would definitely recommend giving them a visit!

We were invited by and dined courtesy of Gelocchio.

Food Rating 8.5/10

Overall Rating 8.5/10

Six Slices Pizza Bar

117 High Street, Kew

Six Slices Pizza Bar is the new venture by the same team responsible for Zero95 and Zero95 express. While Zero95 is defined more by their use of traditional techniques and recipes, as well as the home of the best margherita pizza in the world, Six Slices looks more to innovate and push boundaries while still drawing inspiration from their traditional roots.

Six Slices

Aperol Spritz

Grilled octopus, crab meat croquettes

Eye fillet carpaccio, wagyu meatballs

Although Six Slices is primarily focused on their signature pizza, their other menu offerings are also solid dishes and definitely not to be outdone. My favourite of the starters would definitely have to be the crab meat croquettes, as the texture of the croquettes was very pleasant and the flavours worked well together.

Six Slices prawn pizza

Six Slices salmon pizza

The pizzas served at Six Slices differ from the Napoli-style pizza served at Zero95. Their pizza is an evolution of tradition backed up by solid Italian flavours. Unlike the traditional pizzas, each slice is crafted individually so there is an even distribution of flavours from the high quality ingredients.

Tagliolino spanner crab and calamari pea puree

Six Slices sweet pizza

The launch of Six Slices was an amazing event and not only for the food, as the staff were incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about what they did. Although it was definitely a bit different than what I would expect when having Italian cuisine, Six Slices is a must try for any foodie that enjoys discovering new things.

We were invited by and dined courtesy of Six Slices Pizza Bar.

Food Rating 8/10

Overall Rating 8/10

Zero95

904 Doncaster Road, Doncaster East

Having won the title of "Best Napoli style pizza in the world" in 2016, Zero95 is undoubtedly the place to go for high quality pizza in Melbourne. I have the luck of living quite close to Zero95, so have been visiting for quite a while and we all know nothing can satisfy a craving as much as pizza.

Zero95

Doncaster East location

Smoked salmon salad

Home-made gnocchi alla Sorrentina $26.00

The Gnocchi alla Sorrentina is one of my favourite non-pizza dishes served at Zero95. The fluffy and perfectly cooked potato gnocchi is complemented with the well seasoned tomato sauce and cheese, to make a great dish. Although the dish was quite expensive it is definitely worth it.

Margherita $18.50

Although I have visited Zero95 multiple times in the past, getting to try the winner of the best margherita pizza in the world is something that always excites me. Traditional Napoli style pizza is strictly defined by multiple rules, including being baked for 60-90 seconds in a 485°C stone oven with an oak wood fire. The cooking process makes it so the pizza is softer and more elastic than other types. Although I enjoy the softer base of the Napoli style pizza, our visit to Zero95 this time included a pizza with a base that was softer than usual. This made it so it was difficult to eat the pizza, although the toppings were still of an amazing quality.

I would definitely recommend a visit the Zero95 if you are a lover of pizza. Although our visit this time was slightly worse than usual, we still had a great time. Apart from the food the staff are amazing and if you are lucky you might see the world champion at work!

Food Rating 7/10

Overall Rating 7.5/10