Da Noi

6.5 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  5      Service  8      Value  5     

A brusque greeting nevertheless resulted in being whisked to the back room, which was host to a group booking of mainly loud woman. This highlighted the poor acoustics of the room as much as the inconsiderate behavior of some co-diners.

Our waitress was very efficient and helped to guide us through the menu and again explained each dish as it arrived.

I loved the antipasto, which was brought to the table in a procession of small, tasty morsels.

My main course was he duo of lamb, which was quite delicious. My partner had the gnocchi with mushroom and truffle paste. It was rich in flavor and by this time the service was really hitting it's straps but the noise of the other party drove us out before we could try the desserts. No fault of the restaurant of course.

Good reliable standard and recommended. 14/20.

Apr 07, 2012 

8.8 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  9      Service  9      Value  8     

Intimate and intensely satisfying. Make sure you go for the "set menu". You are asked about your likes/dislikes and then presented with course after course of brilliance. Not cheap but well worth the price. Two words, suckling pig.

Dec 29, 2010 

8.8 Highly Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  10      Service  9      Value  8     

Nice and cosy, limited menu, but very traditional experience.

Oct 06, 2010 

9.5 Highly Recommended

Food  10      Ambience  8      Service  10      Value  10     

I dropped in one evening midweek without a booking and was accommodated immediately. Although the wait for the arrival of the main took a little longer than anticipated (the waiter graciously apologised for the delay) I was quite content enjoying the freshly baked bread, beautiful complex texture flavour and aroma, good start and set the appetite.

The main (@ $40) was exceptional, every component perfectly cooked tender and sweet in a light seafood broth with the accent sweetness of fresh tomato lightly cooked, could not fault or improve on it. The serving was very generous, thankfully I had passed on an entree but later succumbed to the temptation of dessert, a favourite, ruhbarb strudel.

This in my opinion was near perfection, the fruit a little less tart than I prefer was beautifully complimented by the dried fruit component, the pastry light crisp and flakey, simply faultless, partnered with coffee beautifully nutty and aromatic with a perfect head of crema. (A special thankyou to my waiter and the compliment of a special loaf baked that very day provided a greatly appreciated and superb breakfast treat).

Jul 31, 2010 

8.8 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  7      Service  10      Value  9     

Started with amazing anti pasto, best of all it was not all shoved onto one plate. Best was the smoked flake and potato salad. Home made breads were great. The next two courses were both pasta, gnocchi with cheese sauce and spaghetti with blue eye and capers. Gnocchi was a bit too soft for me and a few to many capers in the other sauce, but still very good.

Roast porchetta, amazing, what more can I say. Desserts were okay, should have had cheese instead. We sat upstairs at the back with one other table who never stopped taking photos of each other and posting to FB (seriously 2 cameras, 2 phones and a blackberry for 3 hours non stop).

Waiter was knowledgeable and helpful and managed not to kill the girls on the other table, very commendable!

Oct 27, 2009 

4.3 Below Average

Food  5      Ambience  8      Service  2      Value  2     

I was expecting great things of Da Noi, it being a chef's hat restaurant. I was exceptionally disappointed. Firstly, the waitress who served us was the most rude, abrupt and disinterested waitress I have ever been attended by. She was clearly sick of explaining how their menu works, and had summed us up as "newbies".

I was also very disappointed in the food. At $36, the beef was really an "osso buco" and was exceptionally over-priced. In addition, the vegie ravioli was too small a serve. There are too many good choices on Toorak Rd (The Fawkner, Francoise, even Piazza Navona) for lack of value and poor service.

Aug 15, 2008 

9.8 Highly Recommended

Food  10      Ambience  10      Service  10      Value  9     

Rustic and welcoming ambience. Service was very efficient and friendly. The food was a culinary exquisite journey for the senses. The chef has great imagination and knows food! Have been to Da Noi on more than one occasion this year, and am always delighted with the surprise feast which we enjoy.

May 05, 2008 

9.5 Highly Recommended

Food  10      Ambience  10      Service  10      Value  8     

A truly special dining experience! Foodie heaven! I had a view into the kitchen which, in many restaurants would be a disadvantage but in the case of Da Noi it is a revelation. Even the simplest cold starters are prepared fresh (in our case, salmon carpaccio). I loved the unexpectedness and the surprises here. It is like eating in someone's home (with a few extra guests). The sommelier was knowledgeable and recommended a lovely wine and our food matched perfectly. Highly recommended for a special night out!

Dec 17, 2006 

9.3 Highly Recommended

Food  10      Ambience  8      Service  10      Value  9     

Awesome meal to treat yourself on special occasions. Just mention what you don't like and place your trust in the chef and you will be rewarded with a truly special meal that you will remember.

Dec 10, 2006 

7.8 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  8      Service  8      Value  7     

Certainly an experience and not for the faint hearted. There is no menu.

Instead we had a delightful series of tasting plates. You are asked your dislikes and likes by the waiter who passes them on to the chef. You are then served dishes that fit in with both your desires and the ingredients the chef has that day.

A novel idea that has you excited and anxious in anticiipation of each and every dish.

Jun 21, 2006