I have been to this restaurant many times, and, unfortunately, made the decision to take my mum there for her birthday, there were 9 of us and it was quite busy when we had arrived. There were no waiters to be seen, we ordered drinks and food about 40 minutes after arriving (approx 8:40). At 10 pm a waiter came around to let my dad know that his meal was "quite a small portion" and offered something else to accompany it.
I then asked him if it was normally a small portion size or if they had ran out, he agreed they ran out of rabbit as it was very busy that night, a minute later the meals arrive (mind you if they were aware of the portion size should they have suggested something earlier) no joke there was one rabbit leg and a bit of the ribs with a plate filled with sauce, and to top it off the rabbit was raw, three salt and pepper prawn dishes were also raw and 2 spatchcock dishes were under cooked.
In the end they didn't charge us for the rabbit, in my opinon all the meals should have been free it was appalling and I will never go back and I will be sure to let others know of this horrible experience.
I have to say that every time I dine at Lentini its always a pleasurable experience. I had a party there for 15 people and everyone was extremely happy with the meals and the service. We had the carpaccio for entrees (tuna and salmon) it was absolutely divine. Always on the table when we eat there. We also had these amazing whitebait fritters that are to die for. There was a great selection at the table and every last plate was licked clean.
We all ordered different mains, I had the saltimboca, very classic dish and one that I would try again. Service was very efficient and friendly. Another fantastic night at Lentini. I just wished I could eat there every day. Will definitely endeavour to try everything on the menu as all the different mains that we all had was better than the next. Octopus, suckling pig, seafood risotto,...YUM YUM YUM
I've been twice, once with workmates for lunch and the second time with my family for dinner on a Saturday night.
First impressions were of an authentic and warm Italian restaurant that was a comfortable fit for our casual lunch. The food was rustic, genuine Italian fare, delivered by an 'Italian Mama' personality that was gregarious and overly friendly. It's not fine dining by any means, and its location is beaten by most of Leichhardt's other eateries, but it struck me as a decent honest meal.
Second time, the charm of the 'Italian Mama' was lost on my daughters who found her to be overly gruff and inflexible. Telling my children off for their menu choices, and correcting their cutlery handling techniques as you storm past the table is not charming. Presumably because it was a Saturday night, the service was far slower, and we waited over an hour for our entrees. After waiting a further 30mins for our mains, with the children getting more and more tired and restless, I enquired about the delay. I was dismissed with a '20mins' as Mama passed, and against my better judgement, decided to wait it out.
When served, I realised what a mistake that was. Both my husband and I had ordered the suckling pig. It was without a doubt, the worst dish I've seen in my life. I did try it (only just), and it was exactly what it appeared to be - a large slab of fatty crackling centred in a bowl of hot pig fat. Really. We promptly requested the bill, and was out the door before the meals had stopped steaming. Both my husband and I have not been able to eat pork since, and when I think about, it really makes me feel ill.
This is of course, the experience of one dish on one day, in the long history of a presumably successful restaurant. But it's a strong memory, and one that will keep me from ever going there again.
My family and I have been dining here for many years. We are welcomed like family every time we walk in the door and the favourites are always on the menu..If you go make sure you try the fungi trofaliti,oyster mushrooms in the white wine, garlic and chilli (use the bread to finish the sauce) and the spinach and ricotta balls with gorgonzola sauce, they are to die for. For mains you can't go past the rabbit or pig. We will continue to dine here and hopefully so will our children.
Every time we eat there it just gets better and better. The entree's are a must, even as an italian degustation. The staff are wonderful especially the cute waiter behind the bar with the 80's retro hairstyle. The places needs a freshen up though... just to spark it up, as its lacking that something. The music is awesome!!! beautiful selection.
We first went to this restaurant to catch up with some friends who were about to go overseas. When we arrived we were kindly greeted and seated immediately. The food that came to our table was better than excellent. The wait staff were great if there was even a bit of food left on the plate, they divided up amongst us so as not to take food back to be thrown out. We had an assortment of entree's and mains to share amongst us.
Everything was cooked and persented beautifully, I've been back again and found the same service. The Chef John Paul really knows what he is doing in the kitchen. Give it a go, easy parking and value for money.
We stopped by for dinner at 9pm on a Saturday night. We've eaten there many times over the last 10 years. I haven't had a bad meal. My wife loves the veal meatballs. When they have it I highly recommend their suckling pig. Service can be indifferent at times. The lady matre'd can be abrupt but she does have a funky fashion streak which we like. Their wine selection is very limited so best to BYO.
We took the oldies there for Friday night dinner and it was very pleasant surprise for my local. Good place for restaurant where you want a bit of noise and energy but not so if you are looking for a quiet place.
Service was flawless and food was mostly great. The steak arrived overcooked, however, the waitress noticed before we did and insisted she take it and return it right without us asking. The scampi is a little overpriced for the serving size (5) but the main meals were cooked perfectly. Give it a go.