Di Stasio Citta — Restaurant in Melbourne

Akin to a show bag, this establishment looks good but fails to deliver.

An architectural industrial style interior and white jacket clad waiters is what is needed to entice and seduce you into believing that the food will fit this perceived high standard. How wrong we were.

An outback diner with a dirty singlet clad chef with no teeth called Wazza who just got released from Pentridge might have served up better fare.

My wife had three dried up (we think they were scallops) tasteless nothingness served up in three reusable shells, no garnish, no presentation just what looked like a take on a 60’s bad mornay kitsch. Almost inedible….”these are dry” I exclaimed to the waitress….”I’ll let the chef know”…..good for you…that was the end of that interaction.

I had the squid ink pasta with (not sure what was in it) apparently octopus….tasteless, presentation looked like a pro hart ad….oh what a mess….

Onto mains….you can’t really get meat wrong…very single dimensioned in taste….the eye fillet was hosed down with some sauce and my rump served blue (medium rare at best) was chewy and doused in oil had a hint of rosemary and that was it. No lingering melt in your mouth or can’t wait for that next mouthful sensation.

The food was below par and not commensurate with the ridiculous price tag or any price tag for that matter.

This might be punitive but added to the experience…..when we were asked if we’d like sparkling or still water, it’s usually restaurant convention or etiquette that if you order still it’s usually tap and FREE. No warning just a $15 charge for 1 litre of what tasted like tap water. The good ol’ trick of filling up a mineral water bottle eh plus we did not ask for mineral water nor did it taste like one either. Never ever have we paid for still water let alone $15 worth. You can’t be serious? Yep.

Service…what happened to personality? Austere. Started well with napkins put in our lap. We then had 4 different waiters. Not efficient nor does it allow for a micro relationship to be fostered. A lot of running around. Yes got food in record time, hardly surprising given the zilch effort that went into it’s prep and we didn’t really need the time to appreciate or savour our food because there wasn’t anything to appreciate or savour, except the coffee and bread perhaps.

How much would you pay I hear you ask? Drum roll….wait for it….$290. For a substandard 2 course meal, a glass of their plonk, a side dish, the latte I had to start with was the highlight and oh yeah the $15 bottle of water and the 15% surcharge of $37. That’s about 4 visits worth to our local Vietnamese restaurant that we have deprived them of….the flavours, the freshness, the quality, the presentation, the value. Imagine if the locations were reversed….he would blitz and this one go broke because they ain’t got the veneer to fall back on and keep recurring clientele.

We felt duped, dissatisfied, dissapointed….ripped off to be blunt. Peel away the veneer and serve up acceptable fare instead.

On the plus side I would like to thank this establishment for making me appreciate the outstanding 5 star cooking my wife of 28 years has been so consistently and lovingly serving.

It also reinforces the other important factors in life….don't judge the book by the cover, mutton dressed up as lamb etc.

If you want to get the architectural experience just get a coffee. Don’t waste your money on the food. Give it to Wazza instead.

If Richmond had lost, this review would have been less forgiving.

We just don’t want others to make the same mistake that we did where superficiality beat us to what we were really after which was an excellent experience in culinary delights which is where it...

Took 6 of my girlfriends / colleagues to Citta last Saturday for lunch prior to hitting the Elton John concert. I arrived 15 minutes early as I thought the girls may miss the discreet entrance. It was a sunny Saturday morning so I sat outside on 1 of the casual cafe tables. Before I knew it, we had table service, champagne, bucket, oysters and other nibbles to be enjoyed by the arriving group. It really worked, despite being on the city pavement, we basked in the sunshine opposite the park and took in the top end of Melbourne, anticipating what Citta had in store for us inside. We were not disappointed. All of us loved our main course; some had the lamb and gave it a huge wrap- tender and tasty squares, we dont know how it was possible. Many had the crab pasta that was acclaimed as divine, I had the Barolo risotto. It arrived having not the most appetizing appearance (a flat round of red arborrio, - don't really know how else it could be presented) - but this is exactly how you do risotto and I cant wait to get back and have it again. Barolo wine and tangy Parmesan taste worked perfectly for me. I asked the sommelier for wine suggestions, he discreetly suggested a price range and then he chose wonderfully. Don't expect a budget wine list, but all that I recognized was great quality and great tasting. Citta also offers Prosecco (yes, believe it or not, I have found that some Italian inspired restaurants do not..!), however the champagne and wine were perfect for our celebration. By this time of the afternoon, we were joyous with delicious food and wine, enjoying the modern but warm chic gallery-like decor that compliments the menu and service style in a wonderful marriage of traditional meets contemporary. I found the wait staff courteous, friendly, engaging and efficient. ( I was not expecting this after many experiences at DiStasio St Kilda in the old days - always a fabulous dining experience with great food however sometimes haughty waiters kept you on your toes. Personally, I don't get offended, as they are efficient and not rude). I was relieved to experience the service, with the right mix of professionalism, style and hospitality for the environment at Citta. It was now dessert time, we had to scramble a little to get to Elton John and they obliged; we shared all of the desserts and they were equally delicious, hitting the sweet spot for all. My favorite was the frutta - bitter / sweet thin slices soaked in some yummy sort of campari -type concoction - much better than my description. Worked well with my espresso. Way too soon we had to depart to see Elton - he was fantastic but nearly outdone by our first class lunch experience. Our group without exception cant wait to get back. Thank-you for helping me spoil my staff with your chic decor, expert service and sophisticated but simply...

A few weeks ago, I finally had the chance to dine at Di Stasio Citta, a place with a well-established reputation. I went in with very high hopes, especially since I had a great experience at their sister venue many years ago. Unfortunately, while there were some positive aspects to the night, they were not enough to make me want to return or recommend it to others.

The venue itself has a rather cold ambiance, dominated by high concrete walls. The atmosphere was further affected by the large projections on the walls. While the idea of projecting movies might seem artsy, it didn't add to the dining experience. In fact, one particular projection of a lady in the ocean with rocking waves made me feel a bit queasy when looking in that direction for too long.

The main waiter at our table was not very inviting, and the whole feel of the service was a little pretentious. We were not handed food menus even after 20 minutes and had to ask for them ourselves. I don't know if this is their standard way of doing service, but they didn't ask if we had been there before or take the time to explain their approach. This led to a rather cold service experience, making us feel like our request for menus was an imposition. The vibe was really weird and uncomfortable.

On a positive note, the entrees were delicious. We had the fried anchovies and the little pizzas, both of which were delightful. However, the mains, while tasty, did not justify their high prices. They fell short of the high expectations set by the restaurant's reputation.

At the end of the night, another man who worked there wished us goodbye. He was so chatty and friendly, and we could only wish he had served us instead. His warmth and friendliness would have totally changed our experience, as feeling welcome is a big part of dining out.

In summary, while Di Stasio Citta might still attract those curious about its famous name, it didn't meet my expectations. The cold atmosphere and pretentious service overshadowed the quality of the food. Being such a popular restaurant, I'm sure the venue suits other people, but it's not one I would go back to. Give me warm, friendly atmospheres over cold and...