Zia Rina's Cucina — Restaurant in Melbourne

After reading countless 5-star reviews and looking on the 4.6 star rating, I had my hopes high for the restaurant. As I walked in, I noticed the atmosphere was basic but cosy.

When I went to order, the waiter said that there was no menu nor drink menu. Ok, maybe it was not bad to try Omakase in Italian way, but it was still a bit irritating. He suggested that I buy a $360 bottle of wine (Giuseppe Rinaldi Vino da Tavola Rosae 2019), but I opted for the $180 (I Custodi, Nerello Cappuccio 2020) one instead, which he strongly recommended and it tasted as if it was bought for €10, it was very disappointing. Nevertheless, I waited for my food. This took very long.

The restaurant offered many wines you couldn’t find anywhere else, the fact that they have no wine menu made me feel as if the price is non-transparent to customers. I complained about being over-charged with the wine, and the waiter explained it’s the way that ordering wine in an restaurant should be. Finally, the cost of the wine was listed $160 instead of $180 on my bill.

The price was $75 each person, this was not cheap for the quality of the food. They also charged the same price for kids, as they had no kids menu.

The food they served was mediocre overall and didn’t look appealing.

The restaurant offer BYO for $25, which I recommend. Overall, I wouldn’t recommend having high hopes for this place. You can get better experience with $75 in other restaurants on this street.

Atmosphere: 3.5/5 Price: 2.5/5 Food: 3.5/5 Wine: 0/5 Service: 3/5 Final rating: 2.5/5; would...

rinas made me feel like I was back in Italy.

this is a home-style italian trattoria serving up seasonal, traditional dishes sourced from the most impressive local suppliers (think the chef’s dad’s garden and western port bay fish caught the day prior).

it feels immedately cosy, welcoming and warm. you’ll be greeted by joyous and passionate waitstaff who will do their absolute best to make sure you enjoy every moment of your visit. you won’t be given a menu, but rather told to simply trust the chef will bring you a delicious 4 course (alternatively - you can leave a note on your booking of a preferred main you might prefer, the table next to us had duck).

they tailored their cocktails just to our liking. how cute is that mini campari!?

we were welcomed with a spread of antipasti - housemade crusty bread, cured meat, peppers and white bean, mussels on a prickly pear sugo, and beautifully fried zucchini. second course, came the bone marrow casarecce. rich and fatty but not at all heavy. the pasta had the most perfect grainy bite. we filled up on with fresh, lightly fried flathead, paired with an eggplant caponata and the most HEAVENLY potatoes I have ever put into my mouth. i don’t think I can ever enjoy another potato. not unless its cooked three times and salted like this. WOW. lastly, a crunchy bite of zesty ricotta canoli and a generous housemate limoncello (on the house - that’s rare in melb!).

at $75pp, I thought this was quite fulfilling. we felt welcomed into Zia’s home here and left with very satisfied...

We were recommended to go with a friend (this WAS one of her favourite places) and we were offered one of the specials (a steak and asparagus) assuming it was the same price as everything else on the menu. Most of the meals come to around $30 - $45 and we were absolutely shocked to see on the bill at the end of the night $100 for this special. All 3 of us were shocked and appalled and when we raised it with the waiter (who looked after us and explained the menu) the best he could say was 'I apologise that this was no communicated to you, would you like a free limoncello or coffee' (Keeping in mind that we had already finished our coffees and desserts for the night, so we didn't want anymore drinks - but didn't even offer to take the existing drinks off the receipt).

The special turned out to be almost half the cost of the entire meal. The whole way it was handled totally ruined what was an otherwise good night. You've sadly lost 3 customers over a single $100 steak that was not communicated to your customers, and you've totally ruined your reputation in the process.

To any customers planning to go there, be sure to ask what the price of the special is prior to accepting it. Understandably, people come into a restuarant with certain expectations based on the price that is shown to them on the menu and if that price is to exceed almost 3 times the average price, the consumer should be informed and not be surprised with a hefty bill at the end...