il sogno — Restaurant in Melbourne

We came here on a Saturday night to celebrate my mother and father's birthday, and it was a worthwhile visit!

Firstly, can we talk about how generous the food portions are? Most western cuisines serve very small portions despite their high pricing, but at il Sogno, the plates were sizeable for around $45~ a plate and left us with full bellies - a completely reasonable price!

My main recommendations are the barramundi fish ($47) and capesante ($31.9), although all dishes were lovely and well-received in my Asian family. The barramundi was seared and the skin was crispy and salty, just how I like my fish. On top of that, it came with a delicious sauce and was accompanied with a refreshing mix of vegetables to prevent it from feeling too heavy. The appetiser we ordered, capesante, was tender and delicious, even for me who isn't usually a scallop fan. I think il Sogno's appetisers were quite unique, and, in hindsight, I wish I ordered more rather than the mains.

Moving on, let's talk about the risotto. Despite the dish tasting great (and something I would highly recommend for cheese lovers), it tasted mostly of cheese and was too salty for my family's palettes. While I didn't think it was salty, I found it slightly frustrating how cheese wasn't mentioned at all in the description but the dish was basically comprised of cheese. Other than that, the texture was delicious and creamy and the mushroom tasted delectable as well. Strong umami flavours, and a dish I would've highly enjoyed if it wasn't for the cheesy elements.

Moreover, the seafood linguine pasta was spectacular! The dish was packed with a selection of seafood (which I appreciated) and the shrimp they gave us was massive. Eating it felt like a joy, especially as a palatte cleanser after the heavy risotto dish...I wish the pasta was more al-dante, but it was nowhere near soggy or limp so still an 8.5/10

Personally, I would suggest people to pass on the pork eye, as the meat was too tough and the overall dish felt stodgy to finish. Maybe it's because I'm Asian and I'm not used to eating just a chunk of meat with potatoes but it felt overwhelming to eat more than 1 or 2 bites. The sweet potato was good, but that's just because I like sweet potatoes. Otherwise, it's not particularly noteworthy and I would pass ordering this again.

Hence, I think it's quite obvious that we left feeling cheery after the meal as most of the dishes we ordered were wonderful! Despite the risotto having flavours I would usually avoid, the fact that I enjoyed it speaks volumes about the quality of the meals here at il Sogno. Definitely...

I'm very disappointed by the response from the owner. Rather than taking accountability, the blame was shifted to other patrons for the presence of what was a large cockroach, not a small one. This kind of reaction shows a concerning lack of customer service and responsibility. Cleanliness and how concerns are handled are very important. I had hoped for a more professional and thoughtful response, but unfortunately, that wasn't the case.

Disappointing We have been to this restaurant several times previously and always appreciated its charm, warm service, and quality food. Sadly, since what appears to be a change in ownership, our recent experience was disappointing on several levels. While the food remains quite lovely, the prices have increased and, in our opinion, are now difficult to justify given the noticeable drop in attention to detail and customer service. The most concerning incident was when my husband discovered a cockroach on his serviette at the table. He discreetly informed the manager to avoid causing a scene, but the manager’s response was surprisingly minimal — a quick apology and removal of the insect, with no further comment, concern, or effort to reassure us. We were shocked that no goodwill gesture was offered. In fact, when we politely asked if a reduction to the bill might be appropriate, this was refused. Additionally, our entree was forgotten entirely, and only the mains arrived. There was a brief apology but no effort to amend the oversight. It’s a real shame to see a once-great local business lose the qualities that...

Service was attentive, as previously mentioned owner explained the specials and portions. Waitress pleasant and also attentive. Water is beautiful and clean tasting. But slow to refill. The food- just as it should be. All pasta is homemade! (Not just gnocchi as usually seen). The ragu is to come back for, tender, seasoned, tasty, thick sauce. Portions decent. The special was fish with risoto- amazing. I usually don't like risotto, this was creamy, light and fresh to taste with the zest and parsley, fish cooked right with a very crispy skin. The veggies tasty with crunch. A little pricy than the average italian place but you get what you pay for (no pizza on the menu). Only criticism is $5 head for corkage fee even if...