Cicciolina

This was a great meal, where not one dish let me down. I shared the scollops, tuna carpaccio, polenta, salmon spaghetti and pork ragu. The polenta was fantastic served with pea pure and fennel! The service was great and the means were brought out perfectly timed and ordered which always contributes to an enjoyable dining experience. The serving sizes were very generous and brought out in two bowls as our waiter new we were sharing Would definitely recommend!

A consistent Favourite! I love this place all season round from warm and cosy nights to cooling down in summer. Great start to the night is a drink in the backbar and move your way into restaurant when your table is ready. The steak, fish of the day and trusty salmon, leek and caper pasta tend to rotate as favourites. What stands out is the staff, they have been there for as long as I can remember and conduct themselves with smooth professional, warmth and hospitality. Go… gather your loved one/​s now and immerse yourself in a soulful experience thats like a bit of home.

One of my all time favourite restaurants. Wholesome, beautiful Italian type food and friendly staff.
I keep going back to this place. It has never dropped its standards over the years. Tuna carpaccio still delicious. The ‘honey cream’ that makes an appearance in various desserts seasonally might be what ambrosia tastes like. Drinks are great with a nice wine list and full bar. Yes that means cocktails. Yum.

Don’t visit this restaurant in winter
They turn off heating early we’ll before all customers have left

Though this is not a every day type place I have been fortunate enough to celebrate a few special occasions here. Delicious Italian food and fantastic wine selection make this one of the stand out st Kilda restaurants for years now. It’s easily one of the best Italian restaurants In Melbourne.
The service is As you would expect from a fine dining establishment like this one. The waiters are mature and know their menu and wine selection inside out. The have all been doing this for a long time and are proud of what they serve and happy to explain the menu or make suggestions. Being vegetarian I do not often have problems in melbourne finding good non-​meat options however the (very) few options this place offers are terrific. I wouldn’t go so far as to say they have exceptional vegetarian food but when I went with a vegan on one occasion they were still able to cater. Though I wouldn’t go here often (pricey) the handful of times I have been have been very nice.

Been going here 10 years never disappoints. Same menu mostly but the specials board always changes .
i agree the sticky date is out of this world. Crème brûlée also worthy mention. Just get there early

Serious excellence especially when you don’t have to wait for a table. The crab soufflé was so good we were lapping up the sauce with extra bread. my lobster ravioli didn’t taste like lobster but was still pretty good. The Italian wine I had for $ 52 was fantastic. Service was great.
We split the venison main and they brought out two plates with equal sides. I thought it was Both original and delicious with the juniper berry crust and when I made a suggestion for another sauce they brought it out within two minutes — now that’s service with a smile.
First time I have left a fat tip since the USA.

One of the top Italian places in Melbourne.
First if the bat is their famous sticky date pudding. It’s a 20 year old recipe and tastes amazing. I can literally drink the butterscotch sauce it comes with.
Always amazing food and specials change all the time.
Can be a bit pricey but well worth it.

We had to wait a REALLY long time for a table but the food was excellent. They let you sit next door in their bar until a seat opens up, and the bartender ushers you over. The pasta dish was so good! And we had an entrée of some sort, I think carpaccio. On the pricier side but well worth it if you want excellent food.

Absolutely gorgeous restaurant. Great atmosphere, really delicious gourmet menu and friendly staff. Really enjoyed our night out here.

Fabulous lunch, perfect Aperol Spritzer to start and a glass of good Italian Prosecco. The risotto with asparagus and hazelnuts could not be faulted. There were delicious sounding desserts but the peach and nectarines poached in Prosecco with pistachio praline and red berry
sorbet won me over. The macchiato was a real caffeine hit. Service was friendly and efficient and well paced.

This place truly lived up to the hype. Chalkboard menu, Really well executed, super fresh dishes, big flavor and great service. Had a «saltimbocca» dish that while being a little rarer than I would normally like was none-​the less awesome. Would definitely go back.

Whilst this restaurant consistently receives great reviews, unfortunately for me, I was left bitterly disappointed with my prawn spaghettini that was very dry, lacking in prawns and VERY expensive.
Perhaps I ordered the wrong thing at the wrong time, but it was a shame that it did not live up to the hype on my first visit.
The ambience however, was cosy and sophisticated, which made for an enjoyable evening of catching up with close friends.
I’m willing to give this restaurant a second chance mostly because of the good write-​ups it gets, so here’s hoping to an amazing meal next time!

Start with a Campari in the back bar to ease you in the the evening. Perhaps a bowl of warm olives, or a plate of perfectly round arancini that have the distinct zing of fresh herbs and lemon zest mixed in with the cheesy rice goodness? Yes, do it.
When a table in the restaurant is ready, you will be ushered in, marched quickly down the outside lane to get between the two. Most tables feel intimate — as if you have been tucked away in a little nook ready for an evening of secret discussions. It’s warm and cosy and the service is attentive but not over the top.
The steaks are perfectly cooked and come with enough accompaniments so you don’t need to rely on sides to feel like you’re hitting all your food groups. I like that they serve mustard in little dishes, rather than throwing it on your plate as other restaurants do.
But the best bit? The epic wine list that is as much fun for me to read as it is to order from. There’s a wide price range and plenty of European bottles to match the food. Served in appropriate glassware, it really makes an evening here a winner in my books.

So good in so many ways.
I have a rule when it comes to eating out; no queuing, well except maybe for thy thy 1, but that’s a different story. This rule as a consequence has meant that I’ve not had the opportunity to eat here.
So when I realised I was going to be in the area, early afternoon to early evening, I left one venue and met my wife for dinner here. We walked in and had a table straight away, a scarcity I’m told, hence the early arrival.
What an excellent meal, great service without being pushy; or condescending. I had chicken dumpling broth, Spaghettini with Prawns and Apple Tartine. All beautifully presented and tasting divine. It’s been a long time since I’ve had such and all round exceptional experience at a restaurant in Melbourne.
To quote ‘The Governator’, «I’ll be back».

Ah may zing! Impossible to get a seat, but if you get one of these hens teeth its well worth the wait.

I am about to make a very big call. Ready for it? This is my favourite restaurant. There, I said it! It’s a bold thing to say nowadays when there is so much variety and competition, however Cicciolina in St Kilda has been my favourite restaurant for the last ten years and continues to remain so.
I was first introduced to the cosy elegance by a friend, who was taking me out for dinner. I have always looked longingly at the crisp, white table cloths and yellowish low lighting. A diamond in the rough on Acland Street.
Subtle nudes adorn the walls and the waiters have that perfect air of justifiable arrogance. I proceeded to order a steak, well done. My friend ‘K’, stopped me and demanded I try it rare. He was buying the meal so I obliged. A top class restaurant is the place to try new things and needless to say, I have never eaten well done again.
Everything is right in this establishment, the 200 wines, the exquisite soufflé, the steak. They put a back bar in a few years ago, genius idea as you can’t book, but you can go and while away an hour or so drinking the finest, smoothest red whilst you wait for that coveted table.