Giardino Pizza & Pasta — Restaurant in Melbourne

Ah, Giardino Pizza & Pasta—a place where the divine marriage of dough, sauce, and cheese is executed with a level of precision that would make even a Swiss watchmaker weep with joy. Their authentic pizzas and pastas are a testament to human ingenuity, a symphony of flavors that dance across the palate like an Italian opera. These dishes are not mere meals, but experiences, crafted to provide the exact level of gastronomic satisfaction required to satiate a single, well-proportioned human being.

And let us not forget the desserts—the perfect, saccharine crescendo to an already delightful feast. They have been engineered with the precision of a NASA-calibrated instrument, delivering the right balance of sweetness and texture without tipping into excessive indulgence. The pricing? Neither exorbitant nor suspiciously cheap, just the right amount to purchase a meal without feeling like you’ve contributed to a venture capitalist’s next yacht purchase.

So far, so good, right? Wrong.

Because, dear reader, all of this brilliance is cruelly shackled by a mind-bogglingly ridiculous operational schedule. They are open only in the evenings—a revelation that makes about as much sense as a submarine with a sunroof. What, pray tell, is the use of perfecting the fine art of pizza and pasta if the very people meant to consume it are denied access for the better part of the day?

Imagine a world-class surgeon who only agrees to perform life-saving procedures between 6 PM and 10 PM—does that sound like an optimal business model to you? No. And yet, Giardino seems to have adopted this confounding approach to hospitality. The cruel irony is that this establishment excels in everything that matters—except the trivial yet crucial act of being open when customers might actually want to eat.

Lunch? Forget about it. Afternoon cravings? Your hunger shall remain unfulfilled, your dreams of mid-day pasta cruelly crushed. Should you dare to desire a slice of their masterful pizza at any time before sundown, you must resign yourself to the grim reality that Giardino, like a mythical creature, exists only in the twilight hours.

The sheer absurdity of this decision is akin to inventing the cure for baldness but only making it available to penguins. What possible reason could there be for depriving the masses of their right to well-made Italian cuisine during the day? Some say it’s a strategic business move, others argue it’s an elaborate social experiment designed to test human patience. Either way, it is an egregious misuse of culinary excellence.

So yes, I grant thee three stars—one for the excellent pizza and pasta, another for the delightful desserts, and a begrudging third for at least having the decency to exist at all. But unless you have the nocturnal eating habits of a vampire, prepare to be eternally tormented by the knowledge that Giardino’s brilliance remains perpetually out of reach until...

Arrived at the restaurant happy and enthusiastic only to still be sitting there 50 mins later with no small garlic and cheese pizza which we ordered upon arriving. It finally came (without the cheese) then we proceeded to wait another eternity for our main meals.

When this was brought to the attention of the owner/manager he was unapologetic, indignant and did not seem to really care. I advised him we were regular customers and it still did not warrant an apology.

The food arrived with no chilli as requested and we had to get up and find Parmesan ourselves.

I feel sorry for the waitresses who were actually run off their feet while the owner/manager appeared to take his time making drinks behind the bar. Seems like yet another restaurant that does not hire enough staff to cater to the needs of patrons and is poorly run, with the waitering staff usually the ones to bear the brunt of dissatisfied customers.

Whilst eating our meal we witnessed an entire table get up and leave due to still waiting for meals.

The only person apologising profusely and sincerely was the lovely waitress we had. For a business owner to be so rude is quite astounding to me and I can only imagine he has zero passion for the business.

There are enough great pizza/pasta restaurants around please try/frequent them first to avoid...

This has been a regular for us over many years. Unfortunately it has been taken over by a new couple who know nothing about customer service. They are both extremely rude, have been to us on 2 occasions now and it is not uncommon for them to ask patrons to leave the restaurant before finishing their meal as they need the table, which I find incredible. The front half of the restaurant is left half empty with tables for 2 or 4 people while the back half is crammed full with tables for larger groups to the point where chairs are pressed back to back allowing barely enough room to breathe. The noise and acoustics are so poor that you struggle to hear each other even if the restaurant is only 1/4 full. The staff themselves are usually quite nice but unfortunately are ruled by the 2 bosses and have to follow their lead, most of the time very unhappy about it. The food is extremely hit and miss as well. 4 out of 6 people got severe food poisoning after last nights meal. Needless to say, last night was the last time we will go there after so many years. Give your hard earned money to a business that deserve and appreciate their customers....