Bar Idda — Restaurant in Melbourne

Came here for a birthday dinner so we went all out: set menu plus the wine pairing. We went for with the option with the bonus barramundi course - this wasn’t on the menu in person but we’d seen it on the website and the staff were happy to do it for us.

Started off with some antipasti and prosecco – woodfired flatbread, olives, pickled veg and some ‘gabagool’. A nice way to start the meal.

Pasta dish was next - a classic pork and beef ragu which went down a treat. Was served with a fresh fileja-style pasta - worked well and was super tasty. Paired with a rosé which was nice.

Fish course was pretty good - nice crispy skin on the barramundi and the fish was well cooked. I didn’t mind the almond flake garnish but I think there was a bit too much of it that distracted from the texture of the fish. That said, the flavours were on point, well complemented by the salsa verde and the white wine.

Lamb shoulder came next and was a showstopper - super tender and rich flavour. The potatos were crispy and well seasoned and the chickory salad was a nice light touch with a lemony vinaigrette.

By this point, we were in full-on food coma mode. With a struggle we managed to fit in the nutella and ricotta cannoli. Went really well with the amaro to cap off an excellent meal.

Really happy with the choice to come here. Food was very good, set menu is a steal (5 drinks for a measly $45, in this economy!), the service is unfussy and the atmosphere is super nice....

📍Bar Idda, Brunswick

You know a Sicilian place is good when it is endorsed as an authentic place by the Sicilian herself.

Bar Idda has a vibrant feel to it, with a colourful interior littered with nods to Italy (hello hanging Salami) and plenty of people squished in making it very lively which I love. The tables were maybe a tad too squished, but I think was more noticeable as we were sat right next to the door. This is probably one of the only flaws though.

We had the pasta special, spaghetti alla Norma which was so flavourful and a gorgeous texture. You could tell that the pasta was made fresh, which goes a long way. We also had pasta with broad beans and peas, which were yum but probably the dish I would skip next time.

We also had the cauliflower capunata which I was dying to try and I was not disappointed. It really packed a vinegary punch which I adored and was well balanced with fresh parsley and crispy walnuts. Would 100% recommend this!!

The saffron Arancini were also fab and crispy on the outside. Importantly, they were in the traditional triangular Sicilian shape. It was accompanied by a sauce which I thought added a nice texture to it, but the others thought it maybe wasn’t needed.

We also loved the focaccia, which was crispy and well seasoned. It was recommended for us to get one between two, but in hindsight I think one for the four of us to snack on would have been plenty.

The service here was also exceptional!

Overall 4.6...

As someone who works in the hospitality industry and especially functions I was appalled by my recent attendance to a function at Bar Idda.

Upon arrival we waited for over half an hour before anyone came to serve our group. Not only did we wait when we first arrived but, the intervals between each time a server came to take drink orders was at least 30 minutes. On top of this they acted as if it was such a strenuous task to do their jobs, the attitude was extremely noted. They made my friends and I feel like idiots for checking on orders we had made after waiting for almost 20 minutes.

For some context, my friend who had organised this months in advanced via email asked the young male server ‘what the tab was at’ to which he rudely replied ‘no one told me about a tab’ as if that were our fault.

The food was incredibly average, and the time between courses was at least an hour each time. I understand it was a busy Saturday night but that’s an unacceptable interval between courses.

I can overlook the average food, I can overlook the wait time on drink orders and food but I cannot overlook the extreme rudeness from staff towards us especially on my dear friends 30th Birthday, we spent over 2 grand at your venue and we did not feel...