Reviews


Ladro, Fitzroy

Restaurants, Italian, Pizza, Child Friendly, Has Bar

Overall 5.5  11

5.8 Average

Food  7      Ambience  3      Service  9      Value  4     


I visited Ladro back in 2007 after watching Rita (owner) making pizzas on cooking shows and reading many great reviews of the place. We heard the place was booked out far in advance but when we called we got a booking that same day on a Saturday night.

The atmosphere was a little bit noisy but the food was what brought me to Ladro so as we perused the menu for two pizzas as starters, one of the two we landed on was Radicchio with Fennel Sausage which ranked up there with the best pizzas I've ever tasted. Pizzas are pricey but worth the money. After two delicious pizzas we eagerly awaited out mains which we thought were a little on the pricey side to begin with but as long as the quality and taste was anywhere near that of the pizza, the money was well worth it.

Here is where the review gets interesting. I ordered the Roast Lamb after hearing about how it is done in the pizza oven. I thought that at a whopping $36, that the Roast Lamb would be something special seeing as it isn't an expensive cut of meat that is usually between $14-$16 in most other places. To be truthful I was disappointed. The lamb was tough and not tender at all. I've had nicer Roast Lamb in more modest restaurants and pubs for just over $10, which made me realise just how overpriced Ladro really is.

I mean $36 is what I might expect to pay for Eye Fillet in any number of top restaurants but for a simple Roast Lamb that maybe costs them $2 to make per serve, I'd say the mark-up is unable to be justified. The others that I was with both ordered pastas that were such small serves I just couldn't believe. The ravioli serve came with just four ravioli. I couldn't believe how much the pastas and mains paled in comparison to the great pizza.

If memory serves I believe that we were still hungry after dinner. We decided on that night to just stick to pizzas on the next visit.

Apr 08, 2009

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Tusk Cafe Bar, Windsor

Cafes, Modern Australian, Vegetarian, Has Bar, Licensed

Overall 6.5  8

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful

9.3 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  9      Service  10      Value  9     


Tusk is most likely my favourite place for breakfast. The breakfast is so good that I am still yet to sample the lunch menu. At one point I ate breakfast here every week. The "Tusk Breakfast" is a superb take on the traditional English breakfast with spicy chorizo, sensational mushrooms and scrambled eggs done to perfection served with caramalised onions on top of an English muffin. This dish is a staple of my many visits. The juices are great as is the coffee.

The atmosphere can be frenetic at times but thankfully Tusk has so much space in the outdoor area that being shoulder to shoulder with other customers is never a concern unlike the set-up at places such as Orange. The staff are among the best I've encountered. Right on their game and even share a joke or two with the customers.

Not to mention that only after the first few times we went there, one particular waiter had already memorised our drink orders and food orders which was impressive. This is the ultimate place to sit for a couple of hours and enjoy numerous lattes and a great breakfast while you chat with friends. A great place to meet up with people and even though Orange has the more popular reputation among the Chapel Street crowd, I think that it pales in comparision to Tusk with is more deserving of that status, not just for the food and great service but the ambience too.

You feel like the staff care and are more like buddies than staff. This place is incredible and exceeds even the highest expectations. Do yourself a favour and visit Tusk.

Apr 03, 2009

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Cucina Vostra, Armadale

Restaurants, Italian

Overall 8.3  7

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

10 Highly Recommended

Food  10      Ambience  10      Service  10      Value  10     


A perfect ten! I have been frequenting Cucina Vostra for a few years now. It is my local restaurant where I have a lot of my meals. A humble little place that is in my opinion, one of the best restaurants in Melbourne. It wasn't well advertised, that is until a stunning review in Melbourne Weekly which has now made it one of the busiest restaurants in town. I used to just stroll in unannounced but now I book well in advance. I have become very friendly with the staff, and in fact they recognise me over the phone by voice alone.

That is how often I'm in the joint. The food takes us back to that good old fashioned style of Italian home cooking. Amazing quality, tastes good to the pallet, simple presentation but most importantly the food is always the same. Consistent time after time which is a lot to ask for from most restaurants these days. I have never had a bad meal. The eye fillet is cooked to perfection, the veal is tender, great pastas, one of the best minestrones that is like your Grandmother used to make and authentic Italian pizzas that you could only find in Italy not to mention a chocolate mountain mousse cake and tiramisu worth killing for.

The ingredients on the pizzas are light and sparse with not too many ingredients, but any pizza connoisseur knows that the best pizzas are those that only have around three or four combinations at the most with each flavour lending a holistic hand. Among the best pizzas are the zio pepe with prosciutto and rocket and the vulcano with hot salami, roasted capsicum, artichokes and olives. No amount of my praise can do justice to Cucina Vostra. This place has been good to me and when you find something as special as this, you tend to not want to go anywhere else. Unless they are booked out.)

Jul 29, 2007

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Chinta Ria Jazz, Prahran

Restaurants, Indonesian, Malaysian, Vegetarian, BYO

Overall 8  2

9.3 Highly Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  10      Service  9      Value  10     


This little place just off Chapel Street is quite good. The food is great quality and priced at the lower end of the spectrum for people looking for affordable Malaysian food. The staff are always friendly and even if taking away, they will bring you out a bottle of complimentary water while you wait, treating you with the same courtesy as those who are dining in which is a rarity as take away eaters are often disregarded as out of sight, out of mind.

Recommended dishes are the nasi goreng, mee goreng and the crispy fried beef or seafood combination. Just make sure you bring cash or credit, no eftpos available which has caught me out a few times in the past.

Jul 29, 2007

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Embassy Taxi Cafe, West Melbourne

Cafes, Modern Australian, Outdoor Dining, Serves Breakfast, Serves Dinner

Overall 7.5  2

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful

8.5 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  8      Service  8      Value  9     


This little gem is a diamond in the rough and since being taken there by a friend who works in the area, I have found myself at least once a week since. From the outside it doesn't look like much and in fact the average person would drive straight passed it. The interior is old and in fact looks like something circa 1981. That is what I loved about this place. Looks ordinary but let me tell you, the food is nothing short of brilliant.

Well priced, good quality food that reminds us of the 'cab stand' from Goodfellas. It is certainly a time warp and these days that is something special, because every block of Melbourne is beginning to look the same nowadays. If quick old fashioned burgers, steak sandwiches, toasted sandwiches and milkshakes tickles your fancy then you will not be disappointed. Tastes all the more better if you go there after a night out at 2 or 3 in the morning.

Jul 29, 2007

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Displaying: 1 - 6 of 6 reviews



Ladro, Fitzroy

Restaurants, Italian, Pizza, Child Friendly, Has Bar

Overall 5.5  11

5.8 Average

Food  7      Ambience  3      Service  9      Value  4     


I visited Ladro back in 2007 after watching Rita (owner) making pizzas on cooking shows and reading many great reviews of the place. We heard the place was booked out far in advance but when we called we got a booking that same day on a Saturday night.

The atmosphere was a little bit noisy but the food was what brought me to Ladro so as we perused the menu for two pizzas as starters, one of the two we landed on was Radicchio with Fennel Sausage which ranked up there with the best pizzas I've ever tasted. Pizzas are pricey but worth the money. After two delicious pizzas we eagerly awaited out mains which we thought were a little on the pricey side to begin with but as long as the quality and taste was anywhere near that of the pizza, the money was well worth it.

Here is where the review gets interesting. I ordered the Roast Lamb after hearing about how it is done in the pizza oven. I thought that at a whopping $36, that the Roast Lamb would be something special seeing as it isn't an expensive cut of meat that is usually between $14-$16 in most other places. To be truthful I was disappointed. The lamb was tough and not tender at all. I've had nicer Roast Lamb in more modest restaurants and pubs for just over $10, which made me realise just how overpriced Ladro really is.

I mean $36 is what I might expect to pay for Eye Fillet in any number of top restaurants but for a simple Roast Lamb that maybe costs them $2 to make per serve, I'd say the mark-up is unable to be justified. The others that I was with both ordered pastas that were such small serves I just couldn't believe. The ravioli serve came with just four ravioli. I couldn't believe how much the pastas and mains paled in comparison to the great pizza.

If memory serves I believe that we were still hungry after dinner. We decided on that night to just stick to pizzas on the next visit.

Apr 08, 2009

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Tusk Cafe Bar, Windsor

Cafes, Modern Australian, Vegetarian, Has Bar, Licensed

Overall 6.5  8

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful

9.3 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  9      Service  10      Value  9     


Tusk is most likely my favourite place for breakfast. The breakfast is so good that I am still yet to sample the lunch menu. At one point I ate breakfast here every week. The "Tusk Breakfast" is a superb take on the traditional English breakfast with spicy chorizo, sensational mushrooms and scrambled eggs done to perfection served with caramalised onions on top of an English muffin. This dish is a staple of my many visits. The juices are great as is the coffee.

The atmosphere can be frenetic at times but thankfully Tusk has so much space in the outdoor area that being shoulder to shoulder with other customers is never a concern unlike the set-up at places such as Orange. The staff are among the best I've encountered. Right on their game and even share a joke or two with the customers.

Not to mention that only after the first few times we went there, one particular waiter had already memorised our drink orders and food orders which was impressive. This is the ultimate place to sit for a couple of hours and enjoy numerous lattes and a great breakfast while you chat with friends. A great place to meet up with people and even though Orange has the more popular reputation among the Chapel Street crowd, I think that it pales in comparision to Tusk with is more deserving of that status, not just for the food and great service but the ambience too.

You feel like the staff care and are more like buddies than staff. This place is incredible and exceeds even the highest expectations. Do yourself a favour and visit Tusk.

Apr 03, 2009

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Cucina Vostra, Armadale

Restaurants, Italian

Overall 8.3  7

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

10 Highly Recommended

Food  10      Ambience  10      Service  10      Value  10     


A perfect ten! I have been frequenting Cucina Vostra for a few years now. It is my local restaurant where I have a lot of my meals. A humble little place that is in my opinion, one of the best restaurants in Melbourne. It wasn't well advertised, that is until a stunning review in Melbourne Weekly which has now made it one of the busiest restaurants in town. I used to just stroll in unannounced but now I book well in advance. I have become very friendly with the staff, and in fact they recognise me over the phone by voice alone.

That is how often I'm in the joint. The food takes us back to that good old fashioned style of Italian home cooking. Amazing quality, tastes good to the pallet, simple presentation but most importantly the food is always the same. Consistent time after time which is a lot to ask for from most restaurants these days. I have never had a bad meal. The eye fillet is cooked to perfection, the veal is tender, great pastas, one of the best minestrones that is like your Grandmother used to make and authentic Italian pizzas that you could only find in Italy not to mention a chocolate mountain mousse cake and tiramisu worth killing for.

The ingredients on the pizzas are light and sparse with not too many ingredients, but any pizza connoisseur knows that the best pizzas are those that only have around three or four combinations at the most with each flavour lending a holistic hand. Among the best pizzas are the zio pepe with prosciutto and rocket and the vulcano with hot salami, roasted capsicum, artichokes and olives. No amount of my praise can do justice to Cucina Vostra. This place has been good to me and when you find something as special as this, you tend to not want to go anywhere else. Unless they are booked out.)

Jul 29, 2007

Was this review helpful?   |



Chinta Ria Jazz, Prahran

Restaurants, Indonesian, Malaysian, Vegetarian, BYO

Overall 8  2

9.3 Highly Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  10      Service  9      Value  10     


This little place just off Chapel Street is quite good. The food is great quality and priced at the lower end of the spectrum for people looking for affordable Malaysian food. The staff are always friendly and even if taking away, they will bring you out a bottle of complimentary water while you wait, treating you with the same courtesy as those who are dining in which is a rarity as take away eaters are often disregarded as out of sight, out of mind.

Recommended dishes are the nasi goreng, mee goreng and the crispy fried beef or seafood combination. Just make sure you bring cash or credit, no eftpos available which has caught me out a few times in the past.

Jul 29, 2007

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Embassy Taxi Cafe, West Melbourne

Cafes, Modern Australian, Outdoor Dining, Serves Breakfast, Serves Dinner

Overall 7.5  2

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful

8.5 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  8      Service  8      Value  9     


This little gem is a diamond in the rough and since being taken there by a friend who works in the area, I have found myself at least once a week since. From the outside it doesn't look like much and in fact the average person would drive straight passed it. The interior is old and in fact looks like something circa 1981. That is what I loved about this place. Looks ordinary but let me tell you, the food is nothing short of brilliant.

Well priced, good quality food that reminds us of the 'cab stand' from Goodfellas. It is certainly a time warp and these days that is something special, because every block of Melbourne is beginning to look the same nowadays. If quick old fashioned burgers, steak sandwiches, toasted sandwiches and milkshakes tickles your fancy then you will not be disappointed. Tastes all the more better if you go there after a night out at 2 or 3 in the morning.

Jul 29, 2007

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Florina's Greek Taverna, Malvern

Restaurants, Greek, BYO, Licensed, Serves Dinner

Overall 7.2  10

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful

9.5 Highly Recommended

Food  10      Ambience  8      Service  10      Value  10     


An incredible Greek dining experience. No fancy presentation, it's not chic or modern, just simple food done very well. The lamb was melt-in-your-mouth, the BBQ calamari was tender and the charcoal chicken was tasty. Brilliant service with a smile and good waitress-customer interaction. Highly recommended for anyone who is looking to treat their pallet to some of the tastiest Greek cuisine in Melbourne.

Jul 29, 2007

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Displaying: 1 - 6 of 6 reviews



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