Cafe Di Stasio

2.3 Not Recommended

Food  3      Ambience  3      Service  1      Value  2     

We had dinner there this week on the recommendation of a staff member at our hotel. It was a truly appalling experience. The waiter was rude and arrogant to the point of obnoxiousness. He seemed to take it as a personal affront that we did not want entrees. He proceeded to bang down glasses and plates on the table. When I asked him to repeat the details of a special, he sneered and practically spat the words at me in doing so.

Bread was on the scarce side, with our being provided with one small piece each. Main course pastas at $39 each were not of a substantial size and the food, although nice, was nothing special. When our meals were presented to us I thanked the waiter and he muttered something curtly in response, nothing like a simple you're welcome, graciousness is clearly a foreign concept to this individual.

We visit Victoria from WA every couple of months and have had many wonderful dining experiences in restaurants such as Longrain, Movida, Rockpool, etc. Our experience at Di Stasio left a lot to be desired. The waiter concerned really needs to be reminded of the old adage that common courtesy costs nothing.

Sep 16, 2011 

4.3 Below Average

Food  5      Ambience  6      Service  2      Value  4     

I have been to Cafe Di Stasio several times in the past and really enjoyed it. Last night, however, they really missed the mark. The maitre d' could barely conceal her hostility from the moment we walked in the door. A seriously cranky unit. We were not given menus for about ten minutes, and then not asked for our order for about a further twenty minutes.

Bread service was stingy and bad-tempered. Ditto the water. Entrees, then mains took Way too long to come out. Our salad dressing was so salty as to be inedible. I ordered the roast duckling, which was essentially a dry, chewy husk-overcooked does not begin to describe it. In fairness, I had a quail risotto for entree which was beautiful, but tiny. And cost $28. My partner had stuffed zucchini flowers. They seemed tasty enough, but covered in (as she described it) 'fish and chip batter'.

Overall, the service was slow, lousy and aloof, the food was underwhelming and, given its quality and that of the overall experience, significantly overpriced. A real shame, as I have loved the place in the past. But I will not be going again.

Mar 02, 2011 

2 Not Recommended

Food  3      Ambience  1      Service  1      Value  3     

We attended this restaurant for our daughter's 21st family meal. It was her choice as she wanted an Italian restaurant with classy cooking and she found it on the web as having two Michelin hats. Family members travelled in from out of town for the event. I had read some reviews of the restaurant and they seemed quite mixed but, so I was a bit anxious about it, but having rung and discussed our needs with a woman at the restaurant I felt reasonably convinced that we would have a good experience there.

What a disappointment! When we walked in, the restaurant was cold (it was a cold and rainy night so we would have appreciated some warmth), and it smelt really bad. As some of the reviews I had read mentioned, the service was supercilious as well as unattentive. It is a long time since I have encountered such arrogance in waiting staff. There was no consideration for our needs. As my elderly parents had had a long and difficult journey, my father was evidently very hungry and asked the waiter if there were any nuts or anything to eat straight away.

The waiter merely said "no" without even considering that the request may have come from hunger. When the waiter reappeared I pulled him aside quietly and asked if some bread or something could be brought for hungry members of the party, and was assured bread would be brought immediately. It appeared after 15-20 minutes. The restaurant was not full so it was not as though the staff were overworked.

When we asked for clarification on some menu items the waiter treated us like idiots for not knowing all the nuances. As all of the family members have eaten in restaurants all over the world I really resented this. The food was Ok but barely so and I had stomach-ache in the night afterwards, I don't know about the others. I have also noticed that other reviews referred to the small portion sizes. I am not a big eater and do not support large portions, but I did notice this.

After we had finished our main course we waited for a long time for a waiter to return to see if we wanted dessert. As it was a family birthday meal we did enjoy the evening, but that was in spite of the restaurant not because of it. The prices were not too bad which was the only up side, but I would have preferred to have paid more for a better experience. A very poor showing from the restaurant indeed. I would never go back there.

Oct 24, 2010 

9.3 Highly Recommended

Food  10      Ambience  8      Service  10      Value  9     

Thoroughly enjoyed the food and the service was outstanding. Perhaps, those people who didn't give this restaurant a good rating are more used to fast food with a price tag to match! The suckling pig was fantastic and the blueberry pie had a great taste and lovely short pastry. Bread was excellent, probably homemade. My partner had chocolate tart and loved it.

Jul 31, 2010 

8.8 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  9      Service  9      Value  8     

I have no idea what all the bad reviews! We had a fantastic time here, and while it was quite pricey it was well worth it. Food was amazing, and the waiter really knew his stuff. While he (the waiter) was slightly stiff about the upper lip I found that it actually added to the appeal as he had quite a dry sense of humour. The three of us who dined spent the night trying each other's meals and trying to decide who had the tastiest dish! Definitely will go again!

Jun 08, 2010 

4.8 Average

Food  7      Ambience  6      Service  3      Value  3     

A group of us tried Di Stasio on a $35 2 course sunday lunch special. Between our waiters poor service, eye rolling and condescending tone we were made to feel like scum. To be honest this was from just our main waiter, the other waiters were fine. Our waiter single handedly ensured we did not enjoy our time here.

The food itself was decent, but the serves small. I'm guessing that the portions sizes and the waiters attitude may improve when not dining as part of a deal, although after this experience I'll never go back to find out.

Mar 31, 2010 

9.3 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  8      Service  10      Value  10     

Have been a few times and the service is always outstanding, you can really tell the staff love their food offerings and always unfailingly knowledgeable about the extensive wine list. Again, comments about price annoy, either do your research first or go somewhere more applicable to your wallet. Stasio is not expensive compared to its peers and neither are the wines from their pleasant and extensive list. Food is lovely and consistent.

Mar 26, 2010 

8 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  8      Service  10      Value  6     

I have to disagree with many of the other reviews on this site. I had an amazing dinner at Cafe di Stasio. The service was excellent. The waiters weren't arrogant or pretentious. They were helpful, kind and knowledgeable. The atmosphere was very relaxed. The food was delicious. I had the maltagliati, chargrilled whole fish and zabiglione. I also tasted my partner's quail risotto, which was very tasty. I would definitely recommend this restaurant for a special night out.

Mar 07, 2010 

5 Average

Food  5      Ambience  6      Service  6      Value  3     

Wanting to take my wife out for a special dinner to celebrate our anniversary, I booked Cafe Di Stasio due to the Good Food Guide review and the 2-hat rating. It turned out to be something of a let down.

The entree was nothing special when you consider the high price and my main course consisting of lamb ribs were bland at best, uninspiring and very fatty. No condiments, just 4 fatty ribs. My wife's cannelloni was the best dish ordered but it was fairly stock standard and nothing that special that would warrant the high price.

I don't understand how this "hat" system works because I have had much better experiences at restaurants that don't get awarded hats. During the meal I thought may be it was an aberration or a lack of understanding on my part on fine dining but the other reviews here appear to show a similar experience.

The service matched the high prices and the waiters were fine. A huge wine list although you would need to be quite rich to afford a few of them.

Feb 12, 2010 

8.5 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  8      Service  8      Value  9     

I'm puzzled to read so many poor reviews for Cafe Di Stasio. I feel like something of a regular there and the reason being that the food, service, ambience have always been good. Price and value? Never bothered me in the least and I'm always happy to pay and give a decent tip for terrific service.

We seem to get the same waiters, which is nice and they've treated us well over the many years that we've been coming here. I love the fact that the specials are pronounced with such care (mixed in with humour). And whenever I can get my crumbed scallops for entree, I'm happy for the rest of the week. Yes, it's the kind of special place that will have me coming back over and over again. And what a wine list!

Feb 09, 2010