Sosta Cucina

8.5 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  8      Service  8      Value  9     

Went to Sosta for the first time last week and will definitely be going back. We had a pre-dinner drink over the road at the quaint Town Hall Hotel, then arrived at Sosta and were impressed from the start.

Great, friendly staff and food to die for. I had the guinea fowl (which I've never eaten before) and it was delicious. Melt-in-your-mouth, very juicy and tasty. That was after shared entrees of oysters and beautiful grilled scampi.
My partner had the homemade ravioli which he loved.

The wine list was very good and the prices quite reasonable for what we had. A very pleasant experience.

Aug 12, 2011 

2.8 Not Recommended

Food  2      Ambience  5      Service  2      Value  2     

Had a really ordinary meal. Service only just and they could not believe the meal could be bad. In denial. Arrogant attitude.

Apr 04, 2011 

10 Highly Recommended

Food  10      Ambience  10      Service  10      Value  10     

My favourite local. A stylish but relaxed space. Service is excellent. Food is gorgeous, regional and seasonal Italian relying on quality ingredients. The buffalo mozarella and proscuitto entree is wonderful, and the pasta with spanner crab is a winner.

Nov 24, 2010 

9.5 Highly Recommended

Food  10      Ambience  9      Service  10      Value  9     

Food - Superb intensely-flavoured and well-balanced Sicilian fare prepared with top-notch fresh produce. Love the fact that they usually have an offal dish, their lambs fry and liver dishes were perfectly cooked. Two course is more than enough for us (and we have healthy appetites!), so unless you're expecting super-sized portions, the serves are plentiful. The menu changes weekly, so regulars will never get bored.

Ambience - Best described as a bustling bistro. Lovely low-key wood panelling and decor with a touch of the old-school cool (chandeliers and running mantlepieces). Yes, it does get a bit noisy when full, but that kind of adds to the rustico southern Italian experience!

Service - Always impeccable! Well looked-after and the wait staff are always happy to provide more bread to soak up the robust gravies. They know their food and wine too, no question goes unanswered.

Value - Surprisingly good value considering that the food is fine-dining. The selection of wines is healthy and you'll find the right drop to match your meal. Their lunch and 'early dinner' specials are incredible value: $27 for two courses or $35 for three courses!

In summary, Sosta is my current favourite restaurant, as reflected in my scores. Highly recommended, a true gem tucked away in Errol Street!

Oct 12, 2010 

7.8 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  8      Service  8      Value  7     

Lovely food. Small portions though.

May 10, 2010 

8.8 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  9      Service  8      Value  9     

We had our son's 1st birthday at Sosta with family only so there were 14 adults and 2 children. The organisation of this place was great. We booked well in advance and had a set menu put in place which was simply delightful and varied to cater for all. The quality of our food served on the day was cooked to perfection. All our guests were amazed at the quality and service this place provided. They were efficient and easy to deal with. We will definitely be back and bring other friends and family along with us. And it was great to find out that some of our guests actually booked in for other functions to go back.

Apr 19, 2010 

8.5 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  8      Service  9      Value  8     

I dined here for the first time last Saturday night - WOW! I started with a traditional baked pasta dish known as "pizzoccheri", layers of buckwheat pasta with taleggio cheese and potato which was to die for! My partner took the advice of our waiter and ordered the antipasto special, a platter of melt-in-your-mouth prosciutto San Daniele servied with stracchino cheese and figs.

We then shared the roast of the day, a rolled pork belly served on a bed of crumbed artichoke, with a side of crispy roast potatoes and green beans. A fig tart to share to finish off a fabulous meal! The service was attentive but not over the top and the waiter's food and wine recommendations left us extremely satisfied. Can't wait to get back there!

May 30, 2009 

9 Highly Recommended

Food  10      Ambience  8      Service  10      Value  8     

My favourite restaurant in Melbourne. Every dish is a winner from entree through to dessert. Ingredients always has an amazing hand made flavour. Comprehensive wine list and a host who ensures you have a meal to remember.

Apr 29, 2009 

5 Average

Food  6      Ambience  7      Service  5      Value  2     

Our request for pepper was received with astonishment because, we were told, the chef's dishes are perfectly seasoned. Too bad the food didn't measure up to the pretentions of this stuffy little place. Tiny serves on huge plates required a number of side dishes, making it an expensive outing for rather ordinary food. Crab pasta was dominated by breadcrumbs and parsley, with no hint of seafood, while my partner's dish was swimming in oil.

Well-presented is about the best you can say of this vaguely Italian bistro, though the menu is more try-hard contemporary (but not succeeding) typical of many peers. Fussy service detracted rather than enhanced an overpriced, not-to-be-repeated dining experience.

Mar 06, 2009 

7.5 Recommended

Food  7      Ambience  7      Service  8      Value  8     

Excellent rustic Italian fare, oysters shucked to order were excellent, light 'zeppoli' with just the right amount of anchovy, crab linguine with panngratatto and bottarga, pancetta risotto, and goat leg stuffed with sage and walnut. A lovely apple tart baked to order. Excellent coffee.

Attentive service for a surprisingly quiet lunch, given the quality. An excellent beer and wine list with very modest mark ups for food of this calibre. Recommended.

Oct 31, 2008