SHOP225 — Restaurant in Melbourne

I recently ordered a takeaway meal from Shop 225 and, unfortunately, it left me feeling underwhelmed. I had high hopes, but the experience did not meet my expectations. I had ordered the gluten-free Carbonara, and it was far from what I expected.

The gnocchi in the Carbonara were disappointingly soggy, lacking the desired texture that would have elevated the dish. The sauce, which is supposed to be creamy and indulgent, resembled scrambled eggs more than the rich Carbonara sauce I was hoping for. This was a major letdown, as the heart of a Carbonara lies in its velvety sauce.

To add to the disappointment, the Guanciale (an essential ingredient in a traditional Carbonara) was dry and overcooked, further detracting from the overall experience. The dish lacked the harmonious blend of flavors I associate with a well-prepared Carbonara.

Another issue was the uneven distribution of pepper on top of the dish. It seemed as if the pepper was carelessly clumped in one corner, disrupting the taste balance and making some bites overwhelmingly peppery while others lacked any seasoning.

I also ordered a pizza and Cannelloni alongside the Carbonara. While they were decent in taste, they were nothing exceptional, especially considering the price I paid for the entire meal.

Overall, my takeaway experience from Shop 225 was not what I had hoped for. The gluten-free Carbonara, which I was particularly excited about, fell short of delivering an authentic and satisfying taste. The pizza and Cannelloni were average at best, but they did little to compensate for the disappointment I felt with the Carbonara.

While I understand that takeaway meals can sometimes differ from dining in at a restaurant, I was still expecting a higher level of quality, especially considering the reputation of Shop 225. Sadly, I cannot say that I would recommend their takeaway offerings based on...

Had my brother’s 30th tonight, we’ve been quite a few times in the past but haven’t been for a while as of late. To say things have changed is understatement. The food used to be so tasty and worth the money however now the prices have soared and much of it was bland and tasteless. The zio pino barely had any truffle oil, the marinara had no salt at all and the capricosa had a few mushrooms, was mostly just cheese. We had to ask for everything, salt, sugar, Parmesan, chilli oil, water and mind you, there were empty tables, it wasn’t crazy busy. The worst part was the cake we brought with us. They wanted to charge a cakeage fee which would normally be fine however the waiter told us they don’t actually cut or serve the cake. So they wanted to charge us $2.50 per person to just give us 5 plates and 5 spoons but for us to cut and serve. Sorry what? Another restaurant we have been to charge you a $3.5 cakeage fee but actually cut the cake for you, serve it on a plate and add ice cream. How can you justify charging a customer $2.5 per person for doing nothing? The waiter literally just placed our cake in the box in front of the birthday boy, no candles lit, no nothing. The kitchen guy was arguing it’s because they wash the plates.. After helping run my family business for 16 years and during/after covid, I can guarantee we never charged to wash peoples plates and give them their cake in the box with unlit candles. My customers would have been mortified and would have complained to. This was someone’s birthday, a memorable occasion and somehow $12.5 is that important to this business after we had already spent $230. You think you’d value your customers happiness and money but nevertheless, not the case at this restaurant anymore. Won’t be...

Visited SHOP225 around 2 weeks ago to catch up with a good friend. It was the perfect spot.

From the jump we were greeted with such lovely ambiance and friendliness from the staff and owner. Throughout the whole night they truly looked after us and ensured we had everything we needed.

Onto the food, the Arancini balls were an amazing starter. Addictive and you can taste the quality of their ingredients from the jump. After a great deal of contemplating for my main I ordered the Lamb pasta dish (Paccheri Agnello). For someone who struggles to find authentic Halal food this place did hit the spot, but unfortunately I wasn’t entirely the biggest fan of the Paccheri Agnello. I don’t fault the chefs at all, but I definitely think the flavour profile was quite simple and missed some depth I was expecting. However my friend having ordered the Gnocchi, her dish was absolutely perfect. The dish was rich, creamy, and hearty.

Even after being full, we were enticed into ordering some dessert. The white chocolate cake roll did not disappoint whatsoever (I believe it was the July special, but I definitely hope they bring it back). It was light, airy and the most fluffy sponge, certainly the perfect way to end our meal.

I truly wish to return to try the pizza options (which I personally lacked by not ordering) and the authentic Italian tiramisu which is confirmed to be halal which is a rare siting in Melbourne.

Overall, the shop was extremely bustling yet we were constantly being checked up on and the service was excellent. I would highly recommend SHOP225, to anyone craving a quality Italian meal, and I’ll most likely be back soon to give this place another proper shot although I’m already...