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European

Pidapipo CBD

I had promised my sister a pasta-and-gelato date for the next time I came back down to Melbourne, and despite minor shenanigans in the form of a last-minute search for a restaurant that was actually open, the first part of the operation was carried off without a hitch. After wandering around for a couple hours, digesting the ridiculous amounts of carbs we ingested, we hit up Pidapipo for our gelato fix. I had first come across Pidapipo a couple years ago, when they only had their flagship Carlton store. The deliciousness of their gelato, the hazelnut flavour especially, absolutely blew my mind. Unfortunately Carlton is just out of the way enough for me to not be able to frequent it…

22/05/2019

Cheapie Lunch (Under $15), Dessert, European, Italian, Melbourne CBD, Victoria

Lupino

I had been promising my sister a pasta and gelato date for the next time I’m in Melbourne for months, only to realise a few days before coming back that the only day we can go out is on a Sunday… the day which Grossi Cellar Bar, my sister’s favourite place for pasta, happens to be closed. After a bit of frantic searching on my part, I found Lupino – a well-established and well-reviewed Italian restaurant that I’ve oddly never come across in all my years exploring Melbourne.

15/05/2019

European, Impress Your Date ($30-$45), Italian, Melbourne CBD, Victoria

Rosso Antico

Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve had a pizza?? I do – it’s literally been over 6 months, I kid you not. As expected, the cravings hit a critical mass somewhere around March this year, and I found myself at Rosso Antico. I’ve been eyeing off Rosso Antico for over a year now, ever since I first stumbled across it on my way to Bovine and Swine. I was impressed with how legitimately Italian their menu looked, and their adorable pizza chefs certainly didn’t hurt either. The humble Margherita ($18) is my benchmark for sussing out the quality of a new pizza restaurant, and Rosso Antico fell somewhere in the middle of the road with their rendition.…

08/05/2019

European, Italian, Just A Bit Special ($15-$30), New South Wales, Newtown, Pizza

La Favola

One year on, I’m still trying to find the perfect pasta in Sydney that doesn’t break the bank. Although I’ve had a few bowls here and there, I found that most of the time they’re either cheap and super inauthentic, or pricey but only somewhat authentic. Admittedly I haven’t been looking around as much as I would have wanted to – at $30 or so per dish, it’s just a little bit out of my price range for casual meals. But last year, La Favola burst onto the Newtown scene in a whirl of rave reviews, with bold promises of freshly made pasta and Authentic Italian, all for something like $20 a bowl – consider me sold.

10/04/2019

European, Italian, Just A Bit Special ($15-$30), Newtown

Postmistress

Frankly, I don’t know how anyone can stomach dining with me. I will always passive-aggressively insist on picking the restaurant (after falsely offering the privilege of choice to my unfortunately companion), and as soon as something has been agreed on, I will go ahead and change my mind to something entirely different. This will occur approximately once a day until the day of the meal, where I am forced to decide on a restaurant. But the ordeal doesn’t stop there. Once we actually arrive at the restaurant, I am a flaky dining companion at best, and a mortifying one at worst. I will get up without warning to take photos of the interior, garnering stares from diners and staff alike,…

10/10/2018

Brunswick, European, Italian, Just A Bit Special ($15-$30), Pizza

Bar Tapa

As someone who usually identifies as a glass-half-empty sort of person, I can be remarkably optimistic when it comes to food. Despite an appalling experience at the well-rated Encasa, as well as the general consensus that Spanish food in Sydney just isn’t that great, I was still bright-eyed and bushy-tailed when I heard about Bar Tapa, which promises to be unapologetically Spanish. On a Saturday night, Bar Tapa has a convivial, buzzing vibe, and if it feels a little everyman, it’s made up for by the energy of the diners. The wall-to-wall Spanish memorabilia makes for some good conversation starters, and definitely adds to the authentic feel.

19/09/2018

Darlinghurst, European, Impress Your Date ($30-$45), Spanish, Tapas

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