Piccolo Mondo — Restaurant in Melbourne

My partner and I visited this restaurant after almost a decade of walking past it for our one year anniversary.

The wait staff were definitely on the ball when it came to taking orders, massive props to them.

I ordered a mixed grill which comes with a lamb cutlet, steak, veal and chicken breast accompanied with salad.

I was not asked how I would like my steak cooked, which I believe is quite a common question these days if your establishment is serving steak, but, I gave them the benefit of a doubt that they'd do well.

The lamb cutlet was cooked slightly more towards well-done, not a deal breaker but was a bit tough, the veal was a nice medium but the chicken was raw.

I can't speak on the steak because I didn't receive it, unsure if it was an error on their menu and they were mean to write "Veal Steak" but it was listed as "Lamb Cutlet, Veal, Steak, Chicken Breast", not in that order but there were comma's separating the items, which you'd assume means you're getting one of each.

After catching the wait staff's attention, I notified her that the chicken was raw and showed her, she agreed it was raw and took my plate back to the kitchen.

She returned not so long after with the same plate minus the chicken which seemed to have been scooped off.

At this point of time my food is cold.

The waitress returned 5 minutes later with a little bowl that included the very same chicken that was on the plate (It was clear because I had sliced it into pieces to check if it were raw prior to her taking it back).

When she returned, she relayed that the chef claimed the chicken was adequately cooked the first time around and that if he cooked it more it would be dry.

After checking the chicken once more, there were still several pieces that were slightly undercooked and pink whilst also still being incredibly juicy and tender by sight and tough, I wasn't bold enough to try it.

Needless to say, the entire experience put me off, I had a cold plate of food and still left with raw chicken.

We paid our bill and unfortunately, left dissatisfied.

I'm hoping this is a one off, considering how long this restaurant has been around.

The wait staff were definitely a saving grace, hence the two stars.

Would love to pay another visit in the future and have my...

I went there a few months ago, in October last year. At first, I was greeted by a friendly staff member, whom I believe was the manager or supervisor and she kindly helped me carry my stroller up the stairs. However, when my daughter and I were seated at the patio, we were served by a male staff member who was NOT FRIENDLY at all.

It was disappointing because I had heard great reviews about the restaurant’s friendly staff, but my experience was quite the opposite due to this one waiter. I noticed that he was friendly to all the other customers except us. His face turned sour when it was time to serve us (and no, I’m not making this up).

For example, when I was about to pay, I accidentally tapped my card on the wrong side of the terminal. Instead of politely guiding me, he sighed and aggressively tapped the correct spot to show me where to place my card. I apologized, saying, ‘Oh, sorry,’ but he did not respond—not even with a simple ‘Thank you’ or ‘Come again.’ However, I saw him being much friendlier to other customers when they’re about to pay.

Another instance occurred when I was outside the restaurant street, preparing to leave. It was raining heavily, and as I was putting my daughter into the stroller, I looked back to check if anyone was behind me before opening my umbrella. Just as I opened it, he walked past and pushed my umbrella away with his finger without saying ‘Excuse me’ or offering any apology. Even though I immediately said ‘Sorry’ to him, he just rolled his eyes, sighed again, and then went to talk to the other staff member.

He has blonde hair and skinny.

Overall, the food was mid—I ordered the Squid Ink Pasta & Garlic Bread and the other staff were friendly, except for the guy...

Best Italian restaurant in Melbourne @piccolomondocarlton will take you back to a trip in Italy with their culinary magic through the menu.

What we had here:

Seafood platter, Octopus salad, Grilled octopus with halloumi and capsicum, Grilled scallops, Spaghetti with squid ink, Spaghetti with whiting fish, Tiramisu, Flan (GF options available) Panna cotta (GF options available) Fluffy duck cocktail

That giant seafood platter was the star of the mains whereas that octopus salad and the grilled octopus both made us fall in love with it at the start of the course. I think both the octopus dishes shouldn’t be a special of the day instead a permanent item on their menu.

The octopus salad was just perfect, so refreshing and tasty, whereas the grilled octopus was simple yet delicious and had a melt-in-the-mouth effect to it. Highly recommended

Seafood platter, everything was so fresh in this, especially the grilled barramundi, bay bugs and the prawns were the highlight in this platter. Must try for sure.

The desserts are all homemade, extremely yummy and irresistible, for me, the standout was the panna cotta and the tiramisu. Must try.

They have got good quality wines and amazing cocktails. The service is impeccable and the staff are all very friendly, welcoming and very attentive. They will make you feel so comfortable here, and you will have a great time here. And the food quality is so fantastic considering the standard pricing of everything. So why not visit this long weekend, for a sumptuous Italian feast with your friends and family @piccolomondocarlton

I can’t wait to...