Cafe Terroni — Restaurant in Melbourne

3s (Melbourne eateries with good solid tucker that I wouldn't mind eating fairly regularly. Food is competent)[63]: Allegro (CBD) Alma (Geelong) A Minor Place (Brunswick) Bar Idda (East Brunswick) Bekendales (Croydon) Bellarine Estate (Bellarine) Bistro Guillaume (Southbank) Bistro Thierry (Toorak) Boire (Collingwood)[RIP] Brunswick Flour Mill (Bunswick) Cafe Terroni (Yarraville) Carlton Wine Room (Carlton) Carsons (Yarraville)[RIP] Chapelli's (South Yarra) Cheeky Monkey (Richmond) Chez Bob (Armadale) Chez Olivier (South Yarra) Chris's Beacon Point Restaurant (Apollo Bay) Cicciolina (St Kilda) Collins Kitchen (CBD) Cornershop (Yarraville) Di Palma's (East Kew) D.O.C. Mozzarella Bar (Carlton) Donnini's (Carlton) Dragon Boat (CBD)[RIP] Emerge (Geelong) Empire Cafe Gallery (Brunswick)[RIP] En Izakaya (Balaclava)[RIP] Enoteca Vino Bar (Carlton North) Feast Of Merit (Richmond)[RIP] Fiorelli (Hawthorn East) France-Soir (South Yarra) Grossi Florentino: The Restaurant (CBD) Ides (Collingwood) Izakaya Chuji (CBD) Kinya (Docklands)[RIP] Kofi Beans (Croydon) Laurent Boulangerie Patisserie (Toorak) Lau's Family Kitchen (St Kilda)[RIP] Lindt Chocolat Cafe (CBD)[RIP] Little Creatures Dining Hall (Fitzroy)[RIP] Miss Marple's Tearoom (Sassafras) Monsieur Truffe (East Brunswick) Mr. Wolf (St Kilda) Orange (Windsor)[RIP] Pumphouse Hotel (Fitzroy) Punch Lane (CBD) Reunion Cafe And Dining (Surrey Hills) Sapa Hills (Footscray) Secret Kitchen (Doncaster) Shujinko (CBD) Thanh Phong (Richmond)[RIP] The Carlisle Wine Bar (Balaclava)[RIP] The Green Refectory (Brunswick) The Hardware Societe (CBD) The Kent Hotel (Carlton North) The Perch At Lavers Hill (Lavers Hill) Tim Ho Wan (CBD) Truffles Patisserie (Balaclava) Vines Restaurant at Helen's Hill (Coldstream) Wing Loong (CBD)[RIP] Zelena Cafe Bar & Restaurant (Croydon) Zen (Hawthorn)

4s (Melbourne eateries with great food. Food is a strength[32]): APTE Cafe (Alphington)[RIP] Attica (Ripponlea) Bamboo House (CBD) Biagio's (Niddrie) Brae (Birregurra) Chin Chin's at Koto Moon (Carlton North) Choi's (Hawthorn) Cumulus Inc. (CBD) El Mirage (Brunswick) Estivo (Kew)[RIP] Ezard (CBD)[RIP] Flower Drum (CBD) I Carusi (East Brunswick) Igni (Geelong)[RIP] Jack Rabbit (Bellarine) Junior Tan Hawker Kitchen (Bayswater) Ladro (Prahran)[RIP] Le Petit Bistro (Kooyong) Locale at De Bortoli (Dixons Creek) Mule (Brunswick)[RIP] Papa Goose (CBD)[RIP] Paris Go Bistro (Carlton) Pioneer Kitchen @ The Grovedale (Grovedale) +39 Pizzeria (CBD) Ribs & Burgers (Hawthorn) Riche (Richmond) SUD Food And Wine (CBD) Tao's (Bulleen)[RIP] The European (CBD) The Grand Dining Room (Richmond)[RIP] Vue de Monde (CBD) Wall Two 80 (Balaclava)

5's (The Best Melbourne Eateries. Food is very much a strength)[5]: La Fantaisie (Richmond)[RIP] LeTAO (CBD) L'uccellino (Yarraville) Rockpool (Southbank) Tulip (Geelong)

Eatery of the Year 2011: Tao's (Bulleen) [RIP] Eatery of the Year 2016: Ladro (Prahran) [RIP] Eatery of the Year 2017: The European (CBD) Eatery of the Year 2022: Paris Go Bistro (Carlton) Eatery of the Year 2023:...

Cafe Terroni is a seriously good authentic southern Italian restaurant open 7 nights a week for dinner, located in the heart of Yarraville village, a short distance from the Sun Theatre and from the Yarraville railway station. They would be happy for you to drop in for a quick meal before going to the cinema nearby.

From the street you can see Pinocchio in the window and a myriad of interesting wine and liquer bottles. There is a small and cosy dining area and another one upstairs. With red brick and a very large painting of the Ascension of Mary painted by a local artist, there is a warm ambience; you could indeed be in southern Italy.

On arrival, we were warmly greeted by Alina and it was busy even on a Monday night. There is a very interesting menu but we focussed on the specials blackboard.

For entree, we had a super fresh burrata salad; a generous serve of burrata cheese, basil, heirloom tomatoes and almonds. At Alina's suggestion, we had the Tiger prawns, perfectly grilled in a garlic sauce; they had been sliced with a butterfly technique and so it was easy to extract the prawn flesh. The Tiger prawns will soon be part of the new menu.

We also had a a home made Gorgonzola gnocchi with fresh figs, walnuts in a cream sauce. The gnocchi melted in your mouth and there was a subtle blue cheese taste which made for a beautiful entree. It would also be a great main course, with an accompanying salad.

We enjoyed the entrees with a glass of Dr L Riesling 2017. This was easy drinking and a very dry finish so perfect with the entrees and fish.

For the main, I had the pan seared blue eye fish with cauliflower puree, broccolini, mixed vegetables caponata and salsa verde. A well balanced meal with no additional sides needed and very well priced at $28.90.

My partner had the chittarra pasta with veal, pea, thyme and cream; a great combination and a very generous serve. It could have done with a wedge of lemon to cut the heaviness of the cream texture and possibly a small side salad.

My partner stayed with the Dr L Riesling but I switched to the red wine by the glass that was on special; Le Monde Cabernet Franc 2014 from Friuli Grave, Italy. It had a deep plum colour and a taste of blackberries; a lighter style and a dry, acid finish; perfect with the fish or a pasta dish.

We finished by sharing the Italian classic, Tiramisu, which was both generous and light and very well priced at $10.90.

We are keen to explore more of the menu and will definitely be back. The wine menu has an interesting selection of Italian and Australian wines and worth noting that Monday you can BYO. Probably wise to book as the restaurant is popular with the locals and visitors attending the nearby Sun Theatre.

Our sincere thanks to Alex and the restaurant for the kind invitation...

Cafe Terroni was the perfect choice for our annual gathering with former students from 2002, and everything about the evening was absolutely brilliant. From the moment we arrived, we were welcomed with genuine warmth and hospitality by the owner and staff, setting the tone for an unforgettable evening. We kicked things off with the bruschetta al pomodoro, calamari fritti, and burrata—all beautifully presented and packed with fresh, authentic flavours that transported us straight to Southern Italy.

For mains, the spaghetti marinara and the barramundi special were absolute standouts. The spaghetti marinara was perfectly cooked, with a rich and well-balanced sauce, while the barramundi special was fresh, tender, and expertly seasoned, highlighting the quality of the produce. The cocktails were another highlight—imaginative, refreshing, and made with care, they paired wonderfully with the food and added an extra touch of indulgence to the evening.

What truly made the night extraordinary, though, was the impeccable service. The staff were attentive and friendly, ensuring that everything ran smoothly and creating a warm, vibrant atmosphere that made it easy to reconnect with old friends and relive cherished memories. The setting was intimate yet lively, making it the ideal spot for such a special occasion.

Cafe Terroni exceeded all expectations—it’s not just a restaurant but a place where meaningful moments are shared and celebrated. If you’re looking for exceptional food, brilliant service, and a true taste of Italy, this is the place to go. We can’t wait to...