Buono Restaurant & Bar — Restaurant in Melbourne

My girlfriend brought me here for my birthday last year in November, but I just realised I forgot to leave a review despite the fact that this was one of the BEST dining experiences I’ve ever had.

I start from the beginning

I ordered a spicy cocktail, and unlike most of my experiences with spicy cocktails, this cocktails was actually spicy and very well balanced right up my alley. One of the best cocktails I’ve ever had.

Then we ordered one starter (calamari), which is one we usually do when we go to places like this, we order one dish for both of us before we order mains. Often when you order an entree, regardless of how many people order it, they bring it in one plate. These guys actually served us the one entree we ordered in 2 seperate plates, perfectly portioned as if we had ordered two entrees. It was a nice touch and we didn’t expect it. So we both appreciated it very much

Then the mains. The mains were also really good. Cooked to, perfections, beautifully presented

The icing on the cake was, they didn’t know it was my birthday, but the manager, overheard my conversation with my GF, and outta nowhere we got a plate that said “happy birthday” with some nice pieces of chocolates on it. That’s something you’d expect from a Michelin starred restaurant. A couple of pieces of chocolates isn’t the most valuable thing, but it’s the gesture that matters. Especially when you don’t expect it at all.

This was one of the best dining experiences of my life and it made my birthday really special last year. I’ve only been reminded to leave a review here, cause I’m going back again for the first time since my birthday, as my mates birthday is coming up and I decided to bring him here to make his birthday special too...

Buono Restaurant & Bar are our go-to place for delicious Authentic Italian Cuisine and it's absolutely Buono.

The wonderful team at Buono opened late last year and we loved their food in take-away containers so much, that made sure to get the full dine-in and food on plates experience. The owners are absolutely friendly and welcoming to families, and Sunday lunch is the most popular time for families. We personally love an early dinner, which we think is a great option before the mad rush.

Buono has a wonderful menu, which includes a range of pasta, seafood, and other traditional Italian meals, but the specials board got our attention this time.

📷 Pumpkin & Ricotta Ravioli with Fruit Mustard & Amaretti Biscuits 📷 Salmon with Sweet Corn & Pickled Beetroot 📷 Kid's - Calamari & Chips 📷 Kid's - Penne with Butter and Cheese

They don't have a kid's menu but will cater to your kid's tastes with a range of options. They'll happily serve pasta with Napoli, Ragu, or plain with butter and cheese. Calamari and Chips was the winner for Esther!

The food wowed us yet again! Each dish was perfect and made our tastebuds dance. The ravioli was perfectly balanced with pumpkin and ricotta, the fruit mustard was sweet and delicious, with the Amaretti biscuits adding a nice crunch element to the dish. This was definitely a dish I'll be thinking about...

This restaurant is one of a kind... simply a gem. The venue is cute, cosy, with a nice atmosphere. Ideal for lunch/dinner with family and friends or for a night out with your partner. The food is amazing. We tried Polpo (octopus) and Calamari Raviolo as entrees. The Octopus is one of their signature dishes and is simply delicious. Then we tried the spaghetti with bottarga and truffle gnocchi. You can clearly see that everything is prepared with high quality ingredients and all the possible love. Their pastas are at the same level of the best italian restaurants in town. Then... if you wanna go to heaven with a bite... just have the Ovetto Carbonara as dessert. I promise you'll think of my words when you'll try it. The wine/drink list is amazing... and I am not the only one to think it cause they just won 3 glasses from Australia Wine List of the Year. In the end (but not less important) the service is fine-dining level. Fabio e Cinzia are kind, attentive and passionate about what they do. You can definitely understand how their only intent is to let you live a nice experience, and leaving in you the desire to come back for another...