Al Dente Enoteca Restaurant — Restaurant in Melbourne

A modern Italian fine dining restaurant serving an ala carte menu as well as a five course tasting menu with optional add-ons. Depending on the day and time of the week, only the tasting menu is available. Dined here on a Friday night and had the tasting menu:

Started off with some small bites; the mini white fish sushi was interesting with a risotto base. Tuna broth was intended to be a palette cleanser which had a clean savory taste Oysters; had two different toppings, favourite was the preserved strawberries which tasted like a dessert, sweet and refreshing Fresh scallop crudo with added oscietra caviar for some brininess, paired with a sweet and tangy sauce and pickled fennel Sourdough focaccia; soft and airy with a thin crusty top, accompanied with cultured butter Yellowfin tuna sashimi; lean soft cut of fish dressed in a savory and slightly sweet sauce. The crunchy heirloom carrots and jelly like pearls added some textures to the dish Spaghetti was al dente, very saucy and flavourful, slightly spicy with the 'nduja. The steamed sourdough which is for soaking up the remaining sauce was very soft and spongy Casoncelli; stuffed pasta paired with a mild tasting cream topped with crispy bits and crunchy crutons for textures. Very satisfying when you get a roasted hazelnut in the bite King ocean trout; soft and flaky fish, savory and briny with the caviar balanced with a sweet cauliflower puree and citrus ponzu Beef stracotto; tender roast beef with three different sauces; one of them was the brown sauce cooked with dark chocolate which added a subtle and pleasant sweetness Latte e miele; a pre-dessert which was creamy with a sweet honey taste mixed with some crumbly bits inside Coffee and carrot custard with a coffee gelato centre sitting on a bed of macadamia crumble, and topped with a wattle seed crisp with dollops of coffee liquor. Liked how the carrot gave the custard the sweetness and colour, great variations of textures and the dessert was refreshing and not too sweet with a nice kick from the coffee liquor Petit four; mini macaron with chocolate and liquor infused ganache, and a sugar coated strawberry gelee

Overall a tasty meal; pasta dishes and desserts were the highlight, though the portion size of the spaghetti was quite small. Roast beef and oyster with preserved strawberries were also delicious. The fish and seafood dishes were good but didn't really stand out. Service was great and the staffs were very knowledgeable about the dishes and the...

ORDERED: 🦪  Scallop, burnt onion, pancetta ($9.00 each) 🐄 Smoked beef tartare, kipfler potato, mustard, capers ($26.00) 🥖 House baked crostini (5.00)

🍝 Al Dente spaghetti, Moreton Bay bugs, bisque, Warrigal greens ($40.00) 🍝 (Specials) Ravioli del Plin, filled with scallop, kingfish, tomato, lemon + coriander, finished with prawn crudo, carrot caviar & kingfish jus ($46.00)

I spent $66.00 here.

REVIEW: The food at Al Dente Enoteca was delicious. Although it wasn't completely flawless, the flavours articulated is far greater than average. You really can't drop it below a 5! The smoked beef tartare and house baked crostinis, and the special Ravioli del Plin were our favourites. Smoked beef tartare is true to its word, you can see and both taste the smoke. It adds a little bit more depth to a classic dish, and the capers bring in that interesting brininess and tartness to every bite. Smothered on the salty and snappy crostini, and you have perfection in every bite. I didn't quite notice the kipfler potatoes though. 🤫 Apart from absurd price of getting FIVE ravioli pieces for $46 ($9.20 per ravioli!!) it was crazy yummy. Plump filled pieces, with a ravioli skin that is perfect cooked that has a little bite as well. There's taste in every corner of this dish, somehow combining the lightness of the seafood together in a way that's addictive. We seriously considered ordering a second serving of this dish. 🤣 Al Dente spaghetti was slightly on the hard side for me. Not complaining - I enjoy a good hard noodle actually. 🤭 The quantity was good, and it had a very overpowering strong lobster taste. A hard hitting, sweet, and rich taste that flooded your senses. If you like lobster, you'd love this dish.

It was a little hard to flag the wait staff down once you've placed your order. We were trying to get their attention for a while (for an order of crostinis) but I ended up walking to the front to place the order myself. They were really nice and efficient in getting the crostinis out, but more table service would've been preferred. 🙂

Atmosphere and decor is quite minimalistic, with yellow lighting fighting the shadows. I haven't seen proper stiff white tablecloths in a very long time, so getting to experience that moment of luxury is nice. I will say the yellow lighting and the wooden tones adds an age/maturity to Al Dente Enoteca that I also don't see often either. I wouldn't say that the decor of the restaurant has any particular character, just a nice minimalist place with a focus on...

Absolutely worth revisiting!

We returned to Al Dente after three months, and I was thrilled to see that most of the menu had changed. I really appreciate restaurants that update their menus regularly—it shows creativity and dedication to their craft.

Here’s what we ordered this time:

Entrées 🥖 Sourdough with cultured balsamic butter 🌟 The sourdough and butter were so irresistible that we ended up ordering a second serve. Absolutely a must-try! 🦪 Scallop with pangrattato and salsa verde Perfectly cooked and seasoned. 🐙 Octopus alla Siciliana with pomodoro, olives, and squid ink bagna cauda Tender and flavorful—cooked to perfection.

Mains 🍝 Vongole Tagliatelle 🌟 Hands down, one of the best pastas we’ve had! The al dente texture was impeccable, with the seafood sauce clinging beautifully to every strand. 🦆 Victorian Dry Aged Duck Breast 🌟 An absolute must-try! Tender, perfectly cooked duck paired with tangy cranberry and plum sauces—a stunning combination. Generous portion too, making it great value.

Sides 🥗 Mixed Leaf Salad The salad, dressed with aged balsamic vinegar, had a sophisticated flavor profile.

Dessert 🍰 Tiramisu As a tiramisu lover, my partner found this a bit too sweet for his taste (based on personal preference), though the texture was great.

Overall, Al Dente is a place where you really can’t go wrong with the food—it’s consistently excellent. Service was warm and attentive, which made the experience even better.

A big bonus is their seasonal menu updates. It gives us a great reason to come back every few months to try something new! Highly...