Pino's Trattoria — Restaurant in Victoria

One of the very few places open on a Monday on the island, with a good menu but boring service.

When we arrived, it was a beautiful day out, but the waiter shoved us inside for some unknown reason, without giving us an option to sit outside (even though there were people sitting outside and plenty of tables free!). He seemed to be in a bad mood and we didn’t want to make it worse, so we settled for a crap table that was sandwiched between two larger tables.

One of these tables had a nice family, but the other one was quickly filled by a rowdy group of people who had bad body odour and were practically screaming as they decided what to order and what alcohol they wanted to consume. In hindsight, I should’ve asked to sit outside like I wanted, but the waiter also should’ve offered, and I shouldn’t have been made to feel like I should compromise my experience because he was unhappy.

The waitress was actually quite nice, but the meals came out at a silly pace. We started with an entree, and not even five minutes after, our pizzas arrived when we had not yet finished. Oh well, maybe that’s how they run things here, but I thought they didn’t start mains until entrees were cleared or about to be finished.

Nonetheless, the salmon croquettes were delicious. Very tasty and well cooked, with a beautiful golden coat and a tasty sauce to match.

The pizzas were nothing to write home about. Very standard. Actually maybe slightly below standard because the dough is under-seasoned. But the toppings were generous and I was full enough that I could takeaway half of it, and was happy to eat it at home with a bit of extra mozzarella and some anchovies for better flavour.

The other stand-out was the salad. Deliciously savoury, unlike many salad dressing that you get these days which are pumped with sugar. A generous amount of salt and olives, which made every bite taste good, and not just like you’re munching on a pile of wet leaves with no flavour or bite.

I didn’t really like that when I asked a waitress for the bill, she said to just go up to the counter and pay. But when I went up to the counter to pay, the cashier asked for the table number. Wouldn’t it just be easier for the waitress to print out the bill, bring it to the table, and then we take the receipt up to pay? Or she should at least say to note down your table number before you go up, it’s common practice to want a bill to read before you pay.

Even though there’s some flaws in their systems (including where they seat people without asking for their preferences) and an awkward interaction at the till, the food isn’t too bad if you order the right things. I would go here again just for the salmon croquettes and that salad! And hopefully happier waiter too.

Overall, this place has a lot of potential to be great, but right now, it’s just decent. But thank you for being open on a...

BEWARE IF YOU HAVE A FOOD RESTRICTION!!

TL;DR WE ARE VEGETARIANS AND ORDERED VEG PIZZA AND WAS SERVED HAM. MANAGER SAID THIS COULD HAPPEN AS KITCHEN WAS BUSY.

We went to the restaurant last night and ordered the veg pizza ( minus the pineapple; which authentic Italian restaurant puts this in the pizza ). We were served pizza with ham pieces mixed in the sauce and it was not visible from the outside. We proceeded to eat the pizza and half way thru my wife found the meat pieces and our friends confirmed it was ham.

We let the restaurant know and asked to speak to the manager. The manager made no effort to understand the problem and said his could happen as the kitchen was busy. We were pretty aghast at this and asked to speak to the owner.

The owner came in and again assumed it was because the pizza cutter might have had some small pieces. We then showed how the pieces were mixed in the sauce. Following this, came an insincere apology followed by we will not bill you for the pizza.

The way they spoke to us during the conversation made us feel as if we were being looked down ( whatever be the reason). Very appalling behaviour!!! PLEASE TREAT EVERYONE AS EQUALS !!! We came there to eat because we can afford it and not looking for any handout !!

The thing that scares me is what if someone had a food allergy and this had happened to them

See all the other 1 star reviews and you see a pattern of bad service, pretty average food and management who doesn't know how to speak to customers or run a...

The worst experience in Melbourne. The food and atmosphere were just okay; however, the service sucked. The front guy, Diego, asked us how many people, then asked the group behind us—who were Asian too—with a very mean gesture and tone of voice. I answered with an ‘American’ accent because I felt those racism vibes from him. I wasn’t that sure at first, and my husband thought I was just overthinking it at that point.

Then he escorted us to the small dining space on the left… full of Asian families and couples. , somehow, was trying to be positive, but then I walked to the restroom and passed a nice, high-ceiling dining space filled 5–6 Caucasian families and empty tables....

The food was served, the waitress was okay, and we ate but didn’t finish everything. We were still trying to be nice for some reason, stacking the plates for them to collect easily—as we always do in Japan. The old lady (assuming the owner), who was clearing plates from a table next to us, definitely saw us do that. We stood, got ready to go, and said “Thank you” to her—she just gave us a frustrated look and that was it. At that point, I was done.

We went to so many restaurants both in the city and outside, ranging from $ to $$$. I literally kept saying Melbourne is the most inclusive Western city I have visited so far—and it still is. This restaurant should really...