Mario's Cafe
Fitzroy (03) 9417 3343
In the heart of hectic and colourful Brunswick St, Fitzroy it is refreshing to find a wonderful little retro cafe/restaurant that epitomises the wealth of what the Italian's have brought to Australia.
In it's 25th year of operation- A feat in itself- Mario's is truly an "establishment" for Melbournian foodies. The restaurant is small, traditional and cosy. A great place to wind away the afternoon reading the paper in front of the street-facing windows, or chat casually with the very friendly waiters, such as the quintessentially "Italian-to-the core" Massimo, who has worked at Mario's for over 25 years. Quite a character!
To be honest, at first I was only expecting to have a nice quick caffeine fix but looking around me at all the delicious food the other diners were eating - I just HAD to test it out for myself! I perused the menu quickly and impulsively ordered the: Penne Matriciana.
A generous and hearty serving of penne pasta flavoured with mouth-watering shavings of pancetta, olives and chili arrived to my table in no time at all - piping hot and smelling divine! The Pasta was perfectly cooked and seasoned with fresh parsley and lashings of Parmesan on top. The Napoli sauce alone made it hands-down, one of the best-tasting pasta dishes I have ever been fortunate enough to eat. The complimentary bread was so soft and fresh too. I simply could not fault my meal whatsoever. 10/10 - No question about it!
The Roasted Beetroot Salad with Rocket & Feta on Toasted Sourdough was also a great-tasting snack for those on-the-go. A customer next to me commented that she was now addicted to it and Massimo cheekily informed me in my ear, that he almost had to bolt the door to stop her coming in all the time!!
It is obvious to see why...I think I too could become easily addicted to this great little cafe/restaurant! Perhaps Massimo should be on the look-out for me too from now on!
Roasted Beetroot Salad with Rocket & Feta on Toasted Sourdough (below)
Smoked Salmon on Multi-grain Toast (below)
The only downside for me I hate to say, was that the coffee was really not up to scratch by 'Melbournian' standards. Not the creamy, perfectly frothy creations that I am used to as a caffeine addict who haunts the many cafe's around Melbourne, searching for the perfect latte. In my opinion, it reminded me a little too much of Instant Coffee, which was really quite disappointing. I hope it was just perhaps an 'off' day for the Barista....
However, I really believe that if the Barista/coffee-making standards were improved slightly, or if I had a great coffee next time around - that I would be a dedicated and devout customer, sipping my latte's and cappuccino's proudly every week and ordering up BIG whenever I possibly could!
Anyway, the staff were so friendly, welcoming and charismatic that I was willing to forgive this small trespass, for now. It more than made up for it in other ways!
For instance, the ambiance of Mario's is very Fitzroy. Busy, bohemian-grungy/old world and vibrant. Yet pleasingly, it also fosters the vibe of allowing one to blend in anonymously and crowd-watch in true 'La Dolce Vita' style. Added to this is the fact that the waitstaff are immaculately groomed, knowledgeable and are excellently trained in customer service.
All in all, if you love cute, quaint, traditional cafe's with loads of character, animated milieu and proper Italian cuisine - then please do yourself and your friends a huge favor and try out 'Mario's'. I'm sure you will soon be addicted too!
- Yaelizaveta Ait Eshtehardi
1 comments:
Absolutely inspiring!
Thanks for sharing, I enjoyed the visit. :)
Post a Comment