Di Stasio in Melbourne

[Pat Churchill]

OK. I have been there twice - for a dinner for six, then I took a friend there for lunch last week.

The acoustics are very bad. The party of six - three each side of the table - could hardly converse. An outside table wasn't an option as it was chilly. Food not memorable.

Their lunch special was pretty ordinary. Scallops OK, vitello mediocre. A couple of waiters were rather precious considering the dishes they were delivering.

Two hats? I am mystified. I get a much better meal/service from my "local" Ragazzi.

Someone tell me they've had a good meal at di Stasio.

[edited to correct spelling]

Edited September 14, 2006 by Pat Churchill (log)

[beandork]

I've had great meals at DiStasio.

I offer that with the following qualifiers - this was a couple of years ago now, I had their lunch specials, and I sat outside on some nice days. I remember having some very nice whitebait fritters, pork poached in milk, a divine carpaccio dish...

Whether it has gone downhill in the last few years, I'm not sure. The waiters have always been cool, including one incident where one admonished a fitzroy street baglady who'd approached our outside table to nick our roast potatoes.

Ragazzi...is that in albert park? Does the divine pizzas?

[PCL]

I await eagerly any further floggings.

They have always pissed me right off.

Never bothered to post about them for that reason alone.

Overrated.

And a 2 star place doing lunch specials advertised weekly? I mean, if you're that good do you need to flog yourself so hard?

[Pat Churchill]

Ragazzi...is that in albert park? Does the divine pizzas?

←

Yes, that's the one. We've been there a lot and it's always consistent.

[tonytonytony]

cafe di stasio advertise prominantly in the age epicure ... i hope that this wouldn't effect their judgement ... i also couldn't see any reason for the 17 points (2 hats) when we went there last week ... ... simple, overtcooked food with oversalted gravy (same gravy for both dishes at our table) ... wine came half way through main course ... and the prices for both food and wine were outrageous for what we experieced ... vue de monde; three, one two; longrain; movida; and france soir were much, much better

[Michael Symons]

Came across these grumps when booking, and vowed to report on latest experience - again excellent, deserves both hats.

Been going to Cafe di Stasio since it opened, in recent years for lunch special (whose price used to track the years e.g. $19.97 in 1997 - now $30), usually with a couple of additions for the table of old favourites. Perhaps it's become a habit - we're not visiting Melbourne if it's not Marios, di Stasio and one or two other places. True, the restaurant is not at its best when noisy and crowded. However, the Age guide is right to stress lack of complication in food, and I can't recall a dud. The service has to be among the best in Melbourne. Where the place gets the extra points is some category we might call 'statement', which extends to the food, which seem to tend towards the bitter. The di Stasio 'statement' is also probably why people either love it or not.

[AussieSaver]

I have also recently been to Cafe di Stasio, the service was indeed outstanding. I didn't see this lunch special of which you speak though. Might have to take another look.

[J_elias86]

Di Stasio is a gentleman's club.

They take the Italian old world cheesiness to a new high. The room is dimly lit so that it creates mystique. For me there is a fine line between mystique and seediness.

Depends what mood you catch me in. I'll either love it or hate it (like most people). Most days its the negative.