IL Matto Torquay — Restaurant in Torquay

Today my friend and I visited Il Matto for something as simple as a coffee. I placed the order for the two coffees at 10:19am. As time progressed and we patiently sat waiting at one of the front tables we noticed that others whom had ordered after us were receiving their coffees. I have prior hospitality working and management experience of 18 years so I understand orders can be lost/misplaced, so quietly asked the waiter where our coffees were. He asked what the order was for and said he would follow it up and apologised.

We then continued to wait another 20 minutes, after the initial 15 minutes we had already waited. Again, other orders placed after ours came out- so obvious in fact that the table next to us enquired where our coffees were on his own accord as he couldn’t help but notice our long wait time.

Finally after 45minutes wait one coffee came out- it was not in a mug as ordered but glass but I chose not to bother after the wait time already. 5 minutes later the other coffee came out in a takeaway. When asked why the waiter stated they had no glasses left, then walked past us a couple minutes later with coffees in glasses to an adjacent table.

The rude response given for the ridiculous wait time for two very burnt and not drinkable coffees was that they were very busy- as stated prior with my hospitality experience they were by no means too busy for two simple coffees and they managed to produce all others ordered after ours so simply that excuse doesn’t fly.

It’s pretty simple- if you make a mistake or the order is lost just say that! 45 minutes for two coffees even if you are busy (which you were not) is just pathetic. You deserve a minus 10 star review...

Previously been on multiple occasions and absolutely loved it. Unfortunately we recently attended and were extremely disappointed by what we were provided. My wife had the squid entree that consisted mainly of bread crumbs and barely any squid. I had the bolognaise lasagna, it was nice but not to the quality I previously enjoyed. My son had the pizza marinara and the cheese was not cooked and once again was not to previous quality we enjoyed. My son had three or four mouthfuls and refused to eat anymore. We informed the waiter of our concerns and he barely responded and came back later with a dessert (on the house). We were one of the first to arrive for dinner and most of the staff were chatting away in the background and didn’t bother to check on us. We previously loved the atmosphere the staff provided. When we paid for the meal the guy looked at me with total disdain We are so disappointed as we always loved visiting this place when we visited my parents in Torquay and now have to find a new favourite place. Must add that this place is not cheap.

Following on from disgraceful reply your sleezy male waiters were all over 3 women who come in while giving us no attention. This is not a family restaurant no more. Your place no longer serves quality food. We used to think this was the best Italian restaurant we had been to but your attitude and lack of patrons sums it up. So disappointing!

By the way my wife can’t get over horrible attitude and wanted to let you know she was the one who made the complaint on the night. I have given 5 stars to a number of places in Torquay. Your place doesn’t...

This place was an absolutely incredible find, and totally unexpected! We were driving late at night on a public holiday, still far from Melbourne, and realized we wouldn’t make it there in time to eat. Around 10 PM, we stopped in Torquay, and this was one of the only places still open—and what a fantastic choice it turned out to be!

What We Ordered: • Margherita Pizza – Our child loved it! The cheese and tomato sauce were rich and flavorful, and the pizza was well-made. • Seafood in Tomato Sauce (a dish for two) – Outstanding! The seafood was perfectly cooked, with tender calamari, a generous portion of mussels, shrimp, and clams. The tomato sauce was delicious and well-seasoned, and it was served with freshly sliced focaccia—an absolute delight! • Braised Beef in Shiraz & Italian Herbs with Corn Polenta – This dish was fantastic. The beef had been marinated for 48 hours in Shiraz, infused with aromatic Italian herbs, making it deeply flavorful and incredibly tender. The corn polenta was served as crispy sticks, adding a nice texture to the dish. • Beef Carpaccio in Aged Jus – A bit of a surprise! Usually, carpaccio is thinly sliced raw beef, but here it was cured beef instead. It was still delicious, just not what we expected.

This restaurant was an unexpected gem, with fantastic Italian food and excellent execution. The seafood and slow-cooked beef were particularly outstanding, and the unique touches in the dishes made the experience even better. If you’re ever in Torquay late at night looking for a great meal, Il Matto is...