Quando Quando Cucina & Bar — Restaurant in Melbourne

(By no means am I a food critic, the below is simply based on my personal preference and opinion).

Tucked away in an unassuming alleyway, Quando Quando offers an authentic Italian experience that lives up to the cuisines reputation. This charming restaurant has mastered the art of classic Italian cooking, transporting you straight to 'il bel paese' with every bite.

Upon entry the host welcomed us with an apt ‘buona sera’ and took the time to engage in simple yet intentional conversation. Gazing across the quaint room your attention is immediately drawn to the open kitchen displaying the culinary art and finely tuned craftsmanship that so often goes unnoticed and under-appreciated. Stylishly designed and decorated, complemented with the faint sound of Italian music humming lightly above the ambience, you feel the true sensation of being in Italy.

Service: Prompt and friendly. Nothing felt forced, we had great conversations with the wait staff and felt very attended to throughout the night.

Entree: Quando quando antipasto (9/10). Consisting of capocollo (gabagool), mortadella, salami and bread. The meats were delicious and portioned generously, tasted fresh and paired well with the bread which was lightly toasted and fluffy. The only thing that could improve this would be a bowl of olive oil to dip the bread in (though this comes down to personal preference, it really was tasty as is).

Carpaccio di manzo (8/10). A very tasty dish, fresh ingredients that work together very well, I did feel a bit more parmigiano and mayo could have been used (though it’s worth mentioning there isn’t a limit on how much cheese or mayo I could add to a dish so it’s almost a moot point), however still a great antipasto.

Mains: Pappardelle al ragu’ di agnello (10/10). I’m not a food critic, it was bloody nice and I have nothing further to say on the matter… But for those eager on the details, the pasta (as advertised) tasted fresh and homemade, it was cooked to perfection, not too hard nor soft, al dentissimo. The sauce also tasted homemade (I didn’t ask), balanced finely between thick and thin, subtle so as to not overwhelm the flavour of the lamb yet distinct enough to taste the fresh tomato amongst it, topped with grated parmigiano and a twig of rosemary. They had sold out of pappardelle on the night but (to me) it’s nothing to complain about, whether my pasta is cut long, short, in triangles or in a square if it tastes like that you can form it into any shape you want.

Contorni: Insalata caprese (10/10). This was actually plate of the night for me and my family. The mozzarella is so fresh it melts in your mouth, perfect amount of olive oil and salt, basil and tomato were extremely fresh. It’s a simple dish but they’ve absolutely perfected it. Highly recommend.

Overall, the restaurant felt very authentic, from the people to the food to the environment itself, it was a wonderful experience that I...

My partner took me to this restaurant for Christmas dinner, and while the evening had its highlights, it also left us with some disappointments.

Atmosphere

The vibe of Quando Quando is lovely—charming and authentic Italian, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere. It’s a great place to spend a special evening, with a sense of tradition in the décor and ambiance.

Drinks

We tried the Petala di Rosa cocktail (a recommendation) and a glass of Shiraz. While we loved the Shiraz, the cocktail felt overpriced. It wasn’t particularly outstanding in flavor or presentation to justify the cost, although it was enjoyable.

Food • Entrees: We initially ordered the Parmigiana di Melanzane, but it was sold out. The recommended alternative was excellent and a great start to the meal. We also tried the special of the day, Le Sardine alla Beccafico. This dish seemed to depend on personal taste—I found it okay, but my partner enjoyed it. • Mains: The Pappardelle al Ragu di Agnello was the biggest letdown of the evening. The pasta was undercooked and not al dente in a good way. The Linguine allo Scoglio, however, was fantastic—packed with flavor, and we both loved it. Unfortunately, both main dishes were only slightly warm when served, which made them feel less fresh, as though they’d been sitting out for a while.

Service

The service was disappointing and far below expectations, especially for a festive occasion like Christmas. We waited an hour for our drinks and another half and hour for our dishes. Tables that arrived after us were served, finished, and left before we even received our mains.

The staff, though polite, lacked attentiveness. Despite it being a busy evening, it’s the responsibility of the wait staff to notice when a table hasn’t been served for an extended time. My cocktail sat on the bar for 30 minutes before we had to remind the staff to bring it over, which shows a clear lack of coordination.

The open kitchen was the only redeeming aspect of the service experience—the kitchen staff seemed hardworking and efficient, even if the wait staffs and bartenders didn’t match their efforts.

Overall

The food at Quando Quando is authentic, and the atmosphere is nice, but the poor service and long waits dampened the experience. Considering the quality of service and the inconsistency in the food, the restaurant feels Overpriced.

Rating: 2.5/5 I hope they work on their service and food timing because there’s potential for this place to be a fantastic Italian...

Be surprised! ... not in a good way. My partner and I adore trapesing the tiny alleyways of Melbourne of the foodie paradise that it is, choosing a restaurant at random. This is absolutely not part of that clique.

It has the exterior aesthetic, interior atmos everyone craves, plus welcoming professional staff. No need check the menu on entry for what was on the menu or the prices. It wasn't linen table cloths and waistcoat waiters, and the restaurant was empty at dinnertime. Cafe-ish size? Italian? Can't be so bad. Approve!

We sat, ordered a beer and a cocktail. Everything was lovely. The specials board looked interesting, reasonable, Italian dishes in Italian, not English, I like this. It's authentic. It conjures for us great produce to come, by cooks in their gleaming open kitchen, brass pipes overhead.

We order safe, classics. A ricotta spinach ravioli. Calamari. Easy. It was a little concerning that a ravioli was nearly $50 and the calamari was equally exxxy. Inflation is real, understandable. But for pasta, huh. What? We have drinks now, we may as well ride it out. This flour and egg better blow our socks off.

Our dishes arrive, I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. Italian at its heart is great produce, cooked fantastically to perfection. At fiddy bucks I want an olive oil flair around the plate with beautifully placed burnt butter sage leaves.

A vastly undercooked dumpling of bland arrived for my partner (al dente? Oh no no. Luck your finger and put it in a flour jar). I received a plate of twisted (perfectly cooked to their credit) ploppings of unfortunate tasteless white nothingness, nary a garnish.

The disappointment was real. The peev of the over inflated cost for the disappointment, was the missing salt from our food, rubbed into those wounds.

The waiter was lovely enough to discount our meals when I brought up our disappointment.

Quando Quando, or perhaps, translated: When When, your customers continue to be charged at a insane price point I would strongly recommend a hard pass for a below "La...