Cafe Di Stasio

We dined at Cafe Di Stasio this evening for my husband’s birthday. Such faultless food and service, with an understated elegance. The service was exemplary, the food absolutely exquisite. After having visited Melbourne several times over the years, this was truly an exceptional dining experience.

The cuisine was generally enjoyable, particularly due to the excellent quality of ingredients, but my experience with the spaghetti con le vongole was disappointing. As an Italian, a gourmet, and a seafood enthusiast, I've savored this dish across Italy, from Viareggio to Naples, and from Bari to Venice. It's a culinary principle that butter should never be added to vongole, as it masks their unique and subtle taste, much like cheese on fish. Egg pasta should also be avoided. The service was somewhat lacking, which might be attributed to the pre-Christmas Friday craziness. Hence I don't want to express my judgement.
I hope this can be fixed as everything else was amazing.

The pasta was 45 dollars in this economy! There were no prices on the menu which should be illegal.

It was great to see a St Kida icon back again. Always great food and service and of course, the atmosphere. It is only open on Thursday and Friday nights.
Go!

Over priced with rude and sloppy service. This used to be a great restaurant but is now an overpriced average restaurant with bad attitude. No choice but to take a $99 menu with 3 courses - was hard to get our money’s worth. They messed up our order several times with no apologies. And as for the desserts they were virtually inedible. Won’t be going back.

IT IS SO GOOD 100/10
PRICE VERY GOOD EAT THERE EVERY NIGHT
I WILL TAKE PICTURE TONIGHT AND POST ONLINE
BYE LOVE YOU ALL

Was a great restaurant once, absolute icon. Looks like it's gone for good. What a crying shame.
Nice if the the owner honestly announced the future and took the temporary closed sign down.

Tasty, generous serving sizes. Tad on the expensive side. The linguine would have been an amazing mains.

One star for the baked ricotta to start the meal - all downhill from there. Tasteless linguine, Occo bucco with no meat just one lone bone and some soggy rosemary potatoes. Only good thing was the salad and I made that myself! Review from Vicki

What a lot of bull.we came from queensland and expected so much (reading the Week end Australian) its start by the waiter saying " as described "in an arrogant voice; after asking nicely to repeat the specials!
and then wild boar with ONE chestnut, my lamb filet without sauce with 5 slices of tomatoes a wedge of lemon (?) and so on.what a rip off

Still one of the best in Melbourne. Consistently good Italian food, old school classics that just don't get any better

Where the female voice post deep red does not penetrate the tympanum, and the elegant delivery of your repast by the starched white staff is gracious, and everything is an edible treat while also being auditorily pleasant. There is a quietness that makes this place my favourite Italian. Besides; lies over pressed linen are always sweeter to listen to because it causes the liquid to flow so much better. For Massimo, Nikola, Andy, JP, Steve (now gone), Julia and the amazing hands in the Kitchen a thank you for making me welcome. I have memories that stretch over a decade that will make for reminiscing when I am old.

Disappointing experience, food only just and I'm being generous. Waiting staff I'm still waiting for, but overall the food was the serious downfall. Previous experiences were first class and memorable, unfortunately this experience was memorable for all the wrong reasons. Sorry but there would be 20+ restaurants within the area I would rate superior.

A lovely restaurant with great food and service. I would have given them 5 stars, but for the fact that they kept plowing us with bottled water at $10/bottle. I think most of our glasses were full when we left.

Always amazing service and a quality menu with a range of options. Wine menu is okay the prices are acceptable. Next visit I will add photos.

Where the female voice post deep red does not penetrate the tympanum, and the elegant delivery of your repast by the starched white staff is gracious, and everything is an edible treat while also being auditorily pleasant. There is a quietness that makes this place my favourite Italian. Besides, lies over pressed linen are always nicer to listen to because it causes the liquid to flow so much better. For Massimo, Nikola, Andy, JP, Steve (now gone), Julia and the amazing hands in the Kitchen a thank you for making me welcome. I have memories that stretch over a decade that will make for a good read when I am old.

Amazing Italian food done right. No fuss, just the traditional way. Probably the closest you can get to Italy now due to Covid travel restrictions! However, this place is not your everyday eatery. The price is a bit steep, so it's definitely a place to go to for a special occasion. Not to mention, service was also great.

It's an institution, and an old favorite. I don't love the set menu as the meals seem to be more preprared over cooked to order.
The cocktails are great. Staff are friendly. I love the place but will wait until the normal menu resumes before going back.

Over priced, bossy rude waiters, the linguine was just pasta ton of salt and half of one prawn diced! Overcharged and had to send the bill back.

Very disappointing. Booking for 4 for friends 50th. Fork showed al a carte. Waiter rude and insolent. Example: ‘how is the baked chicken done’? “It’s put in the oven, baked, and put on plate”. No mention of sauce or anything. When asked half hour later if he could repeat the specials; sites looked at watch. Very rude and arrogant. No help on menu. Slow service. Asked 3 times for water. Waited a long time for drinks service and to order. $95 set menu. No al a carte option. Not explained this on arrival. Home brand wine starts at $75 per bottle for very average wine. Prawn linguine just oily with some chopped up prawn. Husbands family Italian so very disappointing. Told about pork pasta special, ordered then told none left on sat night. Ordered affrogato, told no frangelico. Rude arrogant waiters, expensive, poor service, average food, expensive wine; plenty of other better places. Not like it used to be. Go elsewhere.