La Bocca Trattoria — Restaurant in Melbourne

With one of the best and cheapest cinemas less than 500m away, we needed a quick meal before the start of our movie at 6.15pm. My 19 yo son and 16yo daughter chose this place because they wanted a pizza/pasta fix. Along with their partners, we arrived at 5.15pm but all the tables were set. They were booked out. But I let them know we were here for a quick meal and would be gone by 6.10pm so they kindly escorted us to a table. The menu looked appetising with a good selection of pizzas including gourmet ones. We were offered a complimentary focaccia pizza as we were a table of five. Delicious! We chose the following: spaghetti carbonara, spaghetti bolognaise + 3 small pizzas that were margarita pizza, lamb pizza and chorizo pizza. The small size is perfect for one. The main pasta meals were generous and we asked for the leftovers to take home which they obliged. There is a simple wine and beer menu as well as the usual soft drinks. We stuck with water. We’d finished up by 6.05pm and for $90 felt it was good value for money. Wheelchair accessible at the front of the narrow restaurant. Dietaries catered for. Staff were delightful. Good parking in Main Street. Will return.

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I’ve dined here a few times (giving them the benefit of doubt) but every time whilst the food has been good, the service has been terrible! No friendliness, no smile, no offer of drinks on arrival and long time between being seated and order being taken. Even then had to ask for drinks as were only asked what we wanted to eat. Sign on door and website says they close at 9pm every night but sign on door was turned to “Closed” at 7.35pm! Only three tables in restaurant were being used and yet the service was so slow. Used glasses and plates were left on table well after they were finished with. Take away boxes very quickly handed over for left over food. At 8.15 a portable speaker was placed opposite our table turned up quite loud! We couldn’t hear each other talking so asked for it to be turned down. Chairs around us were placed up on the tables and then 15 minutes later the music was going again. At this point we gave up and left and went somewhere else for another drink and dessert. Don’t know how the place survives with the service and atmosphere. Surely management reads reviews and wants to make some changes before no one bothers...

Sadly not a great experience here, the food was nice but the service was terrible. We were a family of 6, the staff sat on the tables out the front playing on their phones and chatting. We had to get up a couple times to approach them to order drinks. we ordered food and specifically requested the children's 1 x Pizza did not have Basil on, the other child (who is very fussy) just a bowl of plain pasta. The waitress asked any cheese or butter. We said butter only please. The pizza arrived with basil and the pasta had butter, parmesan and herbs sprinkled on top. The waitress walked past me and noticed me meticulously scraping herbs off the pasta and said nothing, no offer of replacement. I was then charged $12 for the pasta (which was literally 2 spoonful's) It was an incredibly hot day and sadly the air-conditioning did not work well at all this made it very unpleasantly hot inside. The food was nice, arancini, lasagna, pizza but unfortunately the service let...