Park Street Pasta & Wine — Restaurant in Melbourne

A Fiasco of Flavors: A Tragic Tale of Culinary Disappointment

Dear fellow food enthusiasts, prepare yourselves for a tale of gastronomic annihilation, a dining experience so catastrophic that it defies the very notion of hospitality. This is the story of an establishment that not only fails to deliver on its culinary promises but also shatters the boundaries of etiquette and communication.

Our ordeal began when the server approached our table, inquiring whether we were Italian or not, as if gauging our cultural background would dictate the quality of our dining experience. Despite informing him that only three of our party members were Italian – a minority in our group of 7 – he inexplicably proceeded to explain the menu and food in Italian, as if the non-Italian members were mere apparitions, invisible to his gaze.

As if this linguistic faux pas was not enough, we were then forced to choose the chef's selection due to our party size, leading us to the precipice of a culinary abyss. An outrageous $80 fee procured a pasta al pomodoro that was the epitome of culinary desolation – overcooked, flavorless, and utterly unremarkable. It was as though the dish had been stripped of its very soul, leaving only a barren wasteland of gastronomic despair.

The second pasta fared little better, with its tragic mockery of al dente perfection. The appetizers were a dismal display of scarcity, a mere half of a burrata and a single meatball per person.

As for the service, it was a cruel blend of apathy and incompetence that only heightened our sense of despair. When we dared to express our discontent with the disastrous pasta, our concerns were met with chilling indifference – I was left aghast at the callous disregard for our dining experience.

If it were possible to award zero stars, I would do so without hesitation. But, bound by the constraints of the rating system, I must reluctantly assign the lowest possible score. I implore you, fellow gastronomes, to avoid this culinary disaster zone. Do not subject your taste buds or your wallets to the merciless onslaught of mediocrity that awaits within. I will never return, nor will I recommend this abysmal dining experience to any soul who values the joy of a...

ORDERED: 🍞  Focaccia with whipped ricotta 🧆  Carrozza: 2 mozzarella, culatello prosciutto, rocket salsa for ($24.00) 🍝  Malfadine: ‘cacio e pepe’ black pepper, Pecorino-Romano($29.00) 🍝  Tortelli: crab, chives & mascarpone, prawn bisque, curly parsley ($42.00) 🍝  Tagliolini: prawns, lemon, ginger & pistachio pesto ($42.00) 🍰  Tiramisu: Adore coffee, savoiardi, mascarpone ($18.00)

$51.67pp for three people.

REVIEW: I enjoyed my time at Park Street Pasta & Wine. We were one of the early arrivals, so were recipients of their full attention. 🙌 The focaccia was delicious. Golden brown all over, soft and savoury on the inside, it's perfect with a simple whipped ricotta. So blessed it's provided complimentary for start of service.

The carrozza is unique. I haven't had something like it before, but it reminds me of arancini. A heavy mozzarella filling, it's elevated with a delicately salty prosciutto. Aesthetically I loved the look of the teardrop of pecorino romano pooling on the inside.

From the mains, the Malfadine and the Tagliolini were my favourite. Caution! Our Malfadine had a heavy hand of pepper with very bolded edges. It got a little bit heated at times. 😅 Considering they make all their pasta in hand, the pasta itself was magic. Curvaceous ribbons to stringent tagliolini - it was an honour to taste and enjoy. Tortelli was a little left field for me. From the description I was expecting a light seafood flavour, but it was heavy and unsettling. On the other hand, I liked how much of the crab flavour I was tasting. Perhaps it was brought from the heftiness of the flavours, but it wasn't my favourite.

Tiramisu was nice. It wasn't overly sweet, but Epocha's tiramisu still holds my heart.  🏛️

Overall, I think the price for Park Street Pasta & Wine at almost $52 per person is worth it. From the craft, to the environment they've created... it's a nice experience...

Good things about this restaurant: ambiance and lighting. Bathroom was very clean. The waiter was really lovely, explained all of the dishes in detail as well as the specials, regularly refilled water throughout the night.

Things that need improvement: food was really slow. Ordered malfadine. Pasta was hard all the way through, not Al dente, completely hard. Given how hard the pasta was, it was pretty clear it wasn't freshly made. Fresh pasta doesn't become that hard. Sauce tasted like someone had accidentally spilled an entire shaker of pepper, it was completely inedible and I didn't eat more than two or three bites. I understand the dish contains pepper but this was excessive, so much pepper the sauce was grey. The cheese was supposed to be the star of the dish was practically non existent. Gave feedback to the waiter when he asked why I had barely touched the dish. He advised he would let the chef know.

Lemonade was completely flat like they'd used a bottle that had been left open for a few days.

Dessert was nicer but the donuts were still doughy in the middle and lacked flavour, the passionfruit and lemon curd beneath it was very nice.

All in all, for the price you pay, it's reasonable to expect better quality dishes, especially when the menu is so very small. If you're going to have such a small list of dishes to serve, you need to ensure they're top notch quality.

I also think your menu should contain some guidance around what each dish contains. It's completely written in Italian and we had to get the waiter to read out the menu to us and explain what each dish contained. I'm all for authenticity but at the very least provide a little more guidance in English. This will also ensure people order dishes...