Review Ricardo's Trattoria - Albert Park

We had a lovely to late Saturday lunch here, sitting outdoors in the sunshine. Doesn't get much better than that. The kitchen is open all day, so no closure between the traditional lunch and dinner hours which was perfect for us! We had the King Dory special, and a nice big Greek salad and polenta chips, and a bottle of Italian rose. Yum! Service was attentive and the ambiance was great, we chatted to both tables next to us and we brought our puppy who got lots of attention to his delight! Will be back soon for a winter arvo bite and wine! Keep up the good work⭐

Amazing food, great service. Was suprised how delicious food was. 5 star foor and service.

Beautiful italian food 🍝🍝and wine 🥂🥂🍾🍾options available if you have enough $$ Impeccable service. Bit expensive for desserts🍰🍰🧁🧁🍮🍮

Hands down, one of best Italian restaurants in Melbourne

We had the most amazing lunch today due to the impeccable welcoming from every staff working .. the food was delicious (pasta pre cooked and overcooked) but the whole experience was just perfect. Thanks again! We will definitely come back! The lamb cotoletta was just awesome !

A very busy, obviously popular restaurant, Ricardo’s Trattoria in Albert Park has been around for 26 years! A smart, casual affair serving typical Italian fare. Thankfully, we were seated in the ‘backroom’ as it was much quieter than in the main area. The service was friendly however a bit rushed, given we kept saying we were not in a hurry and the food was … well … okay.

Cozy Italian joint in albert park perfect for special occasions and date night. Antipasto comes with couple of different cuts and prawn which we never see before but overall refreshing and great for starters. The risotto and penne was seasoned nicely and cooked to perfection. Food - 8 Service - 8 Vibe - 10 Price - $$$

Absolutely delicious We were traveling for work and stopped here for lunch. This restaurant was packed, a real buzz. Our group went to the rear bar area till a table came up which was only about a 10 minute wait. The wait staff were very attentive, gave impressive run through of the specials of the day so much so, our group of 3 ordered these. Our mains were absolutely delicious, the most divine dishes. Credit to the chef. Great food, excellent service and priced well.

Delicious food and classy environment. Family run staff so natural feel and uncontrived hospitality.

Hands down, this is my favourite Italian restaurant in Melbourne, if not just my favourite restaurant in general. It's always, always delicious and homely. It's a local gem, so the owners and staff get to know you and are always warm and welcoming. <br/><br/>The food is really, really good. The menu is a mix of basics like lasagne, but then there is an ever changing specials board with beautiful creations. Almost every dish can be made starter size or main meal size. The first time I came here, I had the lasagne, and it was one of the best I've ever had. But after that, I tried their Chicken Tortellini and I've never looked back. I haven't found that anywhere else, and it's honestly the best pasta dish I've had pretty much anywhere. Desserts change either weekly or monthly, but they're on a rotation, so you'll eventually see a favourite again.<br/><br/>The only slight negative I could say about here, is that it's a small space, so it can get very cramped in here. But taking everything in to consideration like friendly staff, great food, easy parking and a nice atmosphere, makes even that bearable. I highly recommend Ricardo's. Eccellente!

A local institute. We’ve never had a bad experience here. Diners are welcomed as family, offered amazing specials or menu favourites, bantered with by genuine staff then sent home perfectly sated and looking forward to their next visit. Great wine list too!

Very busy on a Friday lunch and for good reason. Sunshine and the French doors fully opened. Tables on the pavement. Hectic, charming. The food is good, the service professional and friendly. And it’s BYO so great value. Vitello Tonato ( very good) followed by Penne Calabrese ( great pasta but the sauce was on the mild side of spicy ). I’d return here in a heartbeat on any sunny lunchtime.

Ricardo’s offers an authentic Italian experience. It feels more like you’re a visitor in their home and not in a restaurant. <br/><br/>The service is fantastic, yet not pretentious at all. <br/><br/>We made a reservation, so we were seated immediately upon arrival. As it was Saturday night, it was very busy, yet, it seemed to run like a well-oiled machine. <br/><br/>We were given a bread basket and a bottle of EVOO as well as water. <br/><br/>One of the staff recommended us a bottle of Shiraz and we also asked for a bottle of Chardonnay. The Shiraz got opened and poured in a decanter while we were enjoying the delicious Chardonnay. <br/><br/>I wanted a light meal, so I just ordered the Linguine Gamberoni - with King Prawns, diced fresh Tomatoes, Garlic, and EVOO. An absolute perfection in a small dish. The linguine was cooked to a perfect al dente. The King Prawns were so fresh - they tasted like they’ve just come out of the sea, and were cooked just beautifully. Importantly, the garlic wasn’t overpowering the dish. It was extremely well-balanced. <br/><br/>My friends had Pollo Mr. Pecorino (with half a chicken), a Schnitzel, and a Lamb Shank. These were on the Specials board. The Schnitzel was the only thing I tasted. It was served with Puttanesca and it was ridiculously tender and flavoursome. <br/><br/>I ordered a Tiramisu and it’s definitely in the Top 3 I’ve had. <br/><br/>The total bill came to $385 (2 entrees, 3 mains, of which one was half size, and 3 desserts as well as 2 bottles of wine), which I thought was very reasonable. <br/><br/>A great experience and I look forward to going back to try something else from the menu.

My partner walked passed this restaurant one day and thought it’ll be a good place for a date. We stood at the door waited to be seated and there were two other people waiting behind us, the waiter came up to us and asked who came first. Well, first of all, I think it was rather obvious who came first. We were finally seated after 10 minutes of waiting. The waiter was pretty rude while he was explaining the specials to us so it ruined the mood. The food was pretty average. We ordered the pastas and they definitely over cooked the prawns because it was a little rubbery. They’ve over salted the pasta. Overall, we did not enjoy ourselves. Giving them a 2/5 because the other waiters were nice

We LOVE Ricardo’s! Thank you guys for making our night so special, yet again the food was amazing and the service second to none. The gnocchi gratin is my favourite dish, and the bruschetta the best we’ve ever had!

One of my go to restaurants when we have people visiting, or just for a dinner with my husband! The staff are always so accommodating, the food is amazing - pasta is fresh and always well cooked. So hard to go past the fettuccine gamberoni but the blue cheese and pumpkin risotto is an equal favourite! The prosecco is one of my faves and their wine list is absolutely top shelf (and they are more than happy to help you choose one). An absolute local gem that we will keep going back to!

Although the bread was nice, it did not make up for an exceptionally well overcooked rockling of $42 with two mouthfuls of boiled vegetables. A fish is not rump steak, and one would assume that for such a steep price a chef would treat it in a manner unlike that of a $5 fish bought cooked from a fish and chip store. <br/><br/>All you need is another 30 seconds, a bit of care, and a bit of deeper analysis - it can change one's entire experience. The atmosphere and service is the only reason for the (significantly) higher rating. Little can be said for the other options; I didn't feel like spending $12.50 for an additional side of vegetables to bring it up to $54.50... you know, for a small fillet of overcooked fish and a few vegetables.

Great service, amazing food, good wine recommendations.... definitely going back there. Best to book to ensure you get a place. All tables inside where booked when we arrived. Got a place outside with a heater next to us :)

Last minute decision to pop down to Riccardos for dinner last night. Lovely service! We started with one of the specials, figs with blue cheese and prosciutto - they were lovely! I then had the prawn linguine and the cabrese salad. Both were delicious! A lovely place to check out, it quickly filled up so it's obviously a local favourite!

It has been a long time since a place has really wowed me - the sort of place that you makes you want to run back and try everything on the menu and relive the experience all over again. Ricardo's is one such place.  Situated on Dundas Place in Albert Park, Ricardo's serves up magnificent Italian cuisine.

Great Italian place! Probably the best Italian restaurant I have been to. <br/>The watermelon salad with figs and walnut is superb and a great touch to the hot weather. <br/>The spagetti are also good but not amazing. Would recommend coming here if you want good food. <br/>The lasagne was very delicious too. <br/>The staff are nice and friendly, and are welcoming to all newcomers.

The staff are extremely friendly, accommodating and attentive. Food is to die for, I always order one of the specials and am never disappointed.

Best Italian in Melbourne. Charming waiters, unbelievably good food. Must try the pasta and osso bucco and the creme caramel is to die for!

Very nice atmosphere here. Staff were super friendly and many customers seem to be regulars and they all had a laugh for a chat. Food we had were Antipasto Ricarso's, Spaghetti Marinara and Tortelloni di pollo. Food were really nice! We enjoyed every bite of them.

One of my favourite restaurants in Melbourne! I find a lot of Italian restaurants can be quite boring but when I discovered Ricardo's, I was blown away. Traditional, fresh food, varied menu, wonderful specials and great wines. The food is consistently excellent and the atmosphere is always so warm with such a buzz. The staff are great & very knowledgeable. My favourite dish is the tortellini de pollo.

6 of us dined at Ricardo's last night and were treated to a wonderful dining experience.  The wait-staff were attentive, extremely welcoming and friendly. We all consumed 3 delicious courses each and none of us could fault any of the dishes that were prepared by an amazing chef.  This was my first time dining at Ricardo's and my husband and I will definitely be returning to enjoy another beautiful home-made Italian meal.  Loved it.

Oh my, Ricardos! If you have not been you should definitely go. Small restaurant with an incredible buzz, true Italian staff and traditional Italian food. Great portions and your real 'what Nonna would cool you'. No special tricks or degustation delicacies just simple tasty food. <br/><br/>Make room for the homemade desserts and the best Creme brûlée in Melbourne! That or the cheesecake is a winner the sizes will not disappoint. <br/><br/>One of Melbourne's Italian institutions.

Tasty food, bit over-priced and really a commercial experience rather than a dining experience. Pretty pushy and flagrant up-selling is the vibe here. Once you've made your order for dinner that's it , you're left alone until the payment of the bill is sorted. Coffee is awful, the entrees are filling, they do split bills here but after we threw in a tip to make it easier for the waiter, but mains are marked up way too much as are the desserts. Only for the locals. So much better value elsewhere without the slight patronising and once again the worst coffee I have tasted , left it on the table when the head waiter came by- he knows it's shite alright.

We are a group of 5 women out for dinner. We are laughing and having a wonderful time. The restaurant is very full and noisy. <br/>We had just received our meals when to our absolute horror, the waiter came over and said very loudly "LADIES keep your noise down"!!<br/>Are you kidding?? <br/>We shared 1 bottle of wine between 5 people so definitely none of us where drunk. We may have been loud but very noisy and hard to hear any way. Not just us. <br/><br/>I have never been so embarrassed. He not only asked us to keep it down, he did this in a way so that the entire restaurant saw and heard him. <br/>Everyone was taking loudly. It's a small Restsurant. <br/>The food is very good but we all left with a very bad taste in our mouths. <br/>Bad form Ricardo's very bad form. <br/> <br/><br/>

I enjoyed my seafood marinara pasta but that was about it. Antipasto was okay. Tiramisu was okay. My husband did not enjoy his veal scalopini at all, dry and the portion was way too small. The food is average for the price. Service is okay. BYO wine a bonus. Won't hurry back though.

Riccardo's Trattoria has to be Albert Park's best restaurant and one of my favourites in Melbourne. Their waiters are by far the friendliest and most knowledgeable in any restaurant you will come across. They always take the time to make you feel welcome and to make you smile and laugh. The food is always of the highest quality, and quantity is never an issue. My favourite dishes here have to be the Gnochi Ragu al Forno (not always on menu but they are always happy to make it for you on request) and the Tortelloni di Pollo. They have great specials of the day each and every day which are always a delight. Make sure you come and try it out for yourself, I highly recommend it.

On a quiet shopping strip in Albert Park you wouldn't expect to find such a beautiful restaurant that is so amazing. Hands down my favourite Italian restaurant in Melbourne and every time I go it gets better than the time before.<br/><br/>The Calamari is an absolute must as an entree, brought out by one of the veteran waiters who will out wit you with every single comment, they have a line for everything. Be warned.<br/><br/>My personal favourites are the lamb cutlets or the pecorino chicken. Both are incredible. The cheesecake for dessert is unbelievable, my favourite dessert anywhere.<br/><br/>This place works for dates to business lunches, everybody treats you like family and I look forward to the next time I can make it there.

Disappointed in the attitude of owner...arrogant and unfriendly. You obviously need to be a local to feel welcomed

Jnever again. Worst place ive ever eaten food was tasteless over priced waiters were rude this guy flipp was a dirty sleazeay man with no respect Never again

FANTASTIC.... Delicious, sumptuous, plentiful, delightful... ...impeccable.<br/>Now I'm full. :-)

The food at Ricardo's is akin to eating at Nonna's place. You get hearty servings of traditional Italian cooking. This glass-fronted restaurant overlooking the busy Bridport Street shopping strip in Albert Park has become a neighbourhood favourite - and has been packing in diners for a very long time.

A local gem! The food and atmosphere is brilliant but even better is the way Phil, cam, Joe and even Nino make you feel so welcome. A weekly must for me!

I have been going to this restaurant for 30 years and it has never faulted from being excellent. Worth noting that in 30 years there have only been two owners, which goes to show how loyal they are to their customers. You are always welcomed and farewell by the staff in a very warm manner that makes you feel like a friend not just a guest. The food is always hot and delicious and the only problem is actual deciding what to choose!! Their nightly specials are always interesting and the description given of each dish by the staff, makes your mouth water in anticipation!! A great upselling skill! The loyal staff and awesome food makes this small intimate restaurant a must to visit.

One of the worst meals I've ever had. Ordered eye fillet medallions and a meat schnitzel type thing drenched in cheese came out. Small wine glasses, calamari entre which was very bland and boring. I said hopefully they will have good coffee-then the made one of the worst espressos I've ever had (seriously how do you ruin espresso!) all in all they charge like a nice restaurant and have you leaving feeling cheap and dirty after a nasty pub meal. Service was also not great- makes me want to run to Ciccolina, last time I'll branch out for a while.

Incredible food! So Italian and servings so generous it makes you feel like you are at home with your Nonna serving you love on a plate! <br/>I've eaten here many times and loved the service, the specials, the desserts (delicious homemade cheesecake and creme brûlée are their specialities) and the atmosphere. Truly a little star in Albert Park that can't be missed. <br/>I feel sorry for those who have eaten there and not received the full Ricardo's experience. All I can say is that they are always busy and I'm sure sometimes it's difficult to please everyone. <br/>This family restaurant of Italians and Italian waiters really make it a special night for all.

VERY DISAPOINTING. We live in the area and not have been to Ricardos for a five years.First time we went it was fantastic great food and service. After last nights meal we will never return. The food well there is only one word"crap", tasteless and cooked with no passion.The service well these waiters think they are back in Italy and acting arrogant,no service and made us feel that we were not wanted. I am Italian and I can assure you that the food at the Albert Park Hotel is much better.

Always good. This is one of my favourites, food is always great, service brilliant. Anti pasta is a great starter but I love hearing the specials everyone sounds mouth watering and I am never disappointed <br/><br/>Wellfedlady

Local Icon. How good is this... Great great staff, awesome authentic Italian menu, yummy food and a beautiful warm fire. Inner city Melbourne at it's best. Well done guys keep up the good work!

A much loved place to eat. Ricardo's is always busy but somehow they always manage to find a table for you at late notice. Service is genuinely friendly, and the menu has a huge range plus special dishes. Everything we ate was delicious and left us wanting more.<br/>We thought the mark up on local wines was a little excessive but that was counteracted by the restaurant's generosity allowing us to 'bring our own' with very reasonable corkage charge. Best of all was the owner's son offering to drive us home instead of having to find a cab on a busy night.... now that is definitely the way to build a loyal clientele. Warm night, convertible Volvo...thanks Cameron, and sorry it took us a few tries to find our address. It was very charming of you to drive us back to where we were staying. We'll recommend Ricardo's to everyone and come see you again soon.

Not a large restaurant but it was full and buzzing with diners and with the front windows open it provide a semi outdoor feel. Drinks are offered a soon a you arrive' the waiters are friendly and they know their menu. After ordering, the food arrives at a reasonable pace with just the right amount of wait time between each course. The menu itself is not lengthy but it does provide a well balance selection to satisfy most people and then the specials add to the choices available. The calamari were terrific as was my Manzo Milanese. Others at our table really enjoyed their chicken and avocado and the asparagus and prosciutto primi piati. One let down for a couple was the chicken and gamberri main as it lacked flavor and was overly salty. Dessert was great, the tirimisu, baked cheese cake and mixed gelato all hitting the spot to complete our meals. Overall the prices are a little on the high side for a trattorias but the food is well prepared and the portion sizes are on the larger size (particularly for the mains). This was definitely a worthwhile visit and a restaurant that I'd recommend.

There should be more places like this!! AMAZING tentative service. The polenta entree is mouthwatering!! You feel like you are in Italy. And you mustn't leave until you've tasted the tiramisu! Yum!!!!

Beautiful ! Delicious food the best service Can't wait to go back

We love this place!!! Love the food and the professional and friendly Joe always makes our night! <br/>That's all a local could ask for...

My wife and I decided to try Ricardo's after the long journey from Hawthorn.<br/>No booking by the way , just squeezed in, what a fab casual meal !! No <br/>presences here, great service, gnocchi entree perfect, Blue Eye mains and sides were as expected.<br/>We enjoyed a couple of glasses of white with our entrees and a red (shock /horror) with our seafood.<br/>We were treated with the utmost if respect and we will be back.<br/>P.S. I am a proud Aussie off Sicilian parents and have been in the Hospitality Industry for 45 years. <br/>Love this place and its people.<br/>Cruiser

"Warm, Friendly, Traditional, Welcoming". What a wonderful authentic Italian eating experience! Went to Ricardo's for the first time with some trepidation as read some bad reviews from some 'first-timers' like myself who thought only the "regulars" were being looked after... Well, for me that could not have been further from the truth!<br/><br/>From the moment I walked in with my friends and took in the warm and beautiful ambience, our waiter welcomed us and introduced himself as Phillip. Later found out he was the owner as well. Charming, warm, attentive and friendly, immediately brought us a lovely variety of breads and olive oil to dip it in and went on to explain the specials which were all written in Italian (nice touch)!<br/><br/>For non-meat lovers like me, had two entrees rather than a main - calamari fritti and then a cream-based cheesy gnocchi. You gotta love a good home-made gnocchi and this one was superb. My friends were equally raving with the lamb cutlets being the resounding favourite.<br/><br/>Can only put those other reviews down to "everyone has an off-night" because both our entrees and mains came within a reasonable time frame. Finished with a great coffee and tiramisu and Phillip could not have been lovelier or more attentive.<br/><br/>Would I go back? Absolutely! Happily would become "one of the regulars" and certainly would tell all my friends to join me. Brava!

Local legend! Service great, good great and wine excellent! Never change!

Where's my food, please!. It isn't easy to write a food review when one hasn't tasted the food, so why am I here? well, I want to share what was one of the most disheartening dinning experiences I've had in my home town of 54 years. My family and I decided to go out for dinner at Ricardo's on a whim and where delighted when we where able to secure a table without a booking at this seemingly popular spot. The delight ended there! We ordered drinks where given bread and waited for about 30min for menus. Had the specials explained to us by the waiter in between him greeting and kissing other dinners as they came and went. We waited a while longer to order and then waited a further 50-60 minutes for one entrée to arrive. In the mean time several other tables where seated and served. It was very obvious that the regulars where getting priority service over us. Our orders where obviously being pushed back with no explanation given as to why this had occurred, We left with only one of us having had a mediocre entrée in their belly and the rest of use going hungry, Waiting for 90 minute and watching others eat all around you is a very uncomfortable experience. I write this as a warning to others who may like us venture into this establishment and not be known to them. If entry and service is for select regulars, then shut your door put up a sign saying private function so unfortunates like us don't suffer. Maybe the GFC doesn't touch everyone but your regulars die off where will you get new customers from??

Incredibly Disappointing. Upon arrival the place looked great, with lots of people inside all seeming to enjoy themselves. However after being seated the waiting began. It took 30 mins for menus to arrive, finally we ordered. It was around this time that people who had arrived after us started getting their food. After an hours waiting and several later arrivals being served, we gave up. We left hungry and annoyed at the terrible service. <br/><br/>It definitely felt as though we were unwanted, with other tables getting friendly treatment and actual food. The general impression was that if you weren't a regular you weren't wanted. Not a pleasant evening at all.

Diabolical. No point going here unless you're about 100 and have been a regular for that long. We had two tables of people come in after us who were chummy with the owners and got served while we waited at least 45 minutes and eventually walked out from how appalling they were service-wise.<br/><br/>Can only assume the owners were sulky because we hadn't booked. If that's your beef, don't give us a table in the first place. As for the food, I've no idea because we didn't get any.<br/><br/>If you want a GOOD trattoria, try Amici Trattoria in Camberwell. At least they treat their customers consistently and with respect.

Terrible service. We waited for over 30m to be served, and over 90m for our food, by which point we had reached our limit and left. The one entree that arrived was nice, but nothing special. Given the number of people who had arrived after us that were served before us was absolutely unacceptable. Judging by the cold and unfriendly service we received, compared to the handshakes and kisses others received, they simply must not have wanted our business. I assume this place runs purely on regulars, and unless you are one of them (who will undoubtedly be faithful), I would say give this place a miss.<br/><br/>One positive: the fireplace was a nice touch.

Very rude busboys who I think are also pretending to be Italian? Food was very good, shame about the service.

Ohh Ricardo's.... I was really looking forward to eating at this place.. the buzz you see outside the windows... then one night went there and sat outside as inside was full.. it was cold outside and they ran out of gas filter bottles... but thats okay they dragged one from the couple next to us for us to share... anyway.. then came the food.. the pasta was tasteless :( my friends meals were equally tasteless cannot even remember what the exact dishes were as we were just dissapointed with the quality.. then at the end of the meal we went to pay and complain thinking maybe we will get a discount.. no discount was offered.. except next time we come we will get a free wine bottle.. no thank you... they were really astonished as to why our food wasn't good.. I did come end of last year though hopefully something has changed since then but that does not make us want to come back.. sorry Ricardos!

Look the food is really good home cooking Italian style food. However I find the service over the top - always trying the up sell - when I go out I know what I want if I want a glass of champagne I will ask for it, if I want an entree I will order it. Then if you only order a main (for a quick after work meal) the get all passive aggressive and become less attentive.

WONDERFUL AND TRADITIONAL. A group of 6 of us, went to Ricardos recently to celebrate a 90th birthday. The staff were attentive, but not overly so. Just there when needed, added a laugh and joke. Food was excellent, tasty, sufficient in size and well priced. I would recommend this restaurant for lunch or dinner, or for special occasions. Have been back again twice since the first visit and received the same wonderful treatment.<br/>I must thank all the staff who made the 90 year old, feel welcome, made her laugh, and she has not stopped talking about the night.<br/>thank you to Ricardos!

First dined there 15+ years ago. Return every few years. Beautiful food, attentive service as it should be and lovely atmosphere. Love the open fire in winter.

Pretty darn good with professional service. Went on a weeknight. All the food was excellent, fresh, balanced flavours and well cooked. Service attentive and they give you a good rundown on the specials. Only downside was table had a few crumbs on it when we got there and the coffee is average. Not super cheap but worth it as food is quality.

BEST Italian resturant (probe rely in All of Melb), consistently good, great delightful staff, old style explaining the specials how they are cooked and served with great variety of fresh food on the menu!!<br/>Graham Holmes

Favorite restaurant in melb. If you love italian home cooked style food. This is the one. Staff are lovely and very accommodating. Wine list is great and the food is the best. Too much to choose from, everything on the menu is tempting but we always end up with something from the specials board!!!<br/><br/>Come here often!

Unfortunate Disappointment. The first time we went to Riccardos the food was amazing and we have raved about it ever since and have referred people, who have been very happy. Unfortunately, we went there last night and something had definitely changed. It took them an hour to serve our entree, which was delicious, and then another hour for the mains, which were complete let downs. My boyfriend ordered a steak medium rare which came in two pieces and which he couldn't even cut through it was that tough! He had to send it back, which he has never done before, and then 45 minutes later got a new steak (which looked completely different to the last) by which time he had picked off everyone else's plates because he was so hungry. I ordered pasta that came out gluggy and scattered with what I could not consider to be king prawns. I didn't finish my meal. The rest of our party had mixed reviews, some were very happy and others were very disappointed.I hope that this was a bad night or maybe a new chef (??) because I was embarrassed that we had taken our friends there and, was even more concerned that such a great place had become, in my view, mediocre in a very short space of time. Hopefully they can turn things around!!!

Family italian dinning at it very best. Can not fault this place the staff are wonderful and the food is even better, the pastas are so amazing and filling a entree serve is always enough to fill the tummy. The table salad is one of my favourites they must soak the mushroom is something before putting them in the salad because they are amazing. This restaurant doesn't try to complicate the dishes by adding a million and one elements, each plate has a few element that are perfected and delicious. This is the best restaurant in albert park. Unfortunately it is not in everyones budget but on sunday night the have half riced pasta making it affordable for the whole family. give them a try you will not be disappointed

Amazing all round experience!. So delicious! Staff and service was great and the mains and entrees were perfect. Function room was really practical and the way the tables were laid out meant that everyone could see each other and talk. Would go back next time I am in Melbourne!

Best eating experience I've had in a while. The man looking after our table, who id assume is the owner, was friendly and humorous whilst still being ultra professional. The food was terrific, reasonably priced and I loved the cosy atmosphere of the restaurant. A+!

Loved loved loved it! Amazing food, wonderful service and very accommodating staff. We left very happy!

Unbridled aggression!. Have been a regular at this restaurant for around ten years, including taking a group of ten to Ricardos NYE 2010. But last night, NYE 2011, with a booking for four, we were thrown out on arrival when they couldn't find our reservation on the booking list and we expressed displeasure at being offered a very small, inferior table on the pavement. The owner became irrational, ordered us off the premises, threatened to assault my husband while telling us to F*** OFF! We were in shock that this once great little restaurant is no more. We are AP locals.

Amazing food, Great service!. This was our first time at Ricardo's, we sat outside and the staff came out and turned on the outdoor heaters on for us straight away. We had the special for the night which was Gnocchi which had blue cheese melted on top it was AMAZING! also Shared Calamari for entree. For mains we had the meatballs and tortelloni both very yummy! The gas ran out halfway through our meals and we didnt even ask for them to turn them back on they went out especially to get more gas for us, such great service! Cant wait to go back, this might just become our new local :)

Bon appetite. With an open fire place and intimate table settings, this Italian eatery is a must do. I had dinner here last night and enjoyed every minute. The food is well put together with twists on old classics but the stand out for me was the confidence and knowledge of the wait staff.<br/>Oh and get this... it's BYO.

Special experience. Booked the private room for 15 at Ricardo's for a farewell on a monday night, very high quality service by a seasoned waiter who was so professional that you didn't mind his whisp of pretension. <br/>would have liked the option of share platters for such a large group, but the mini a la carte menu we were provided had more than enough variety to make up for it. <br/>simply amazing food. traditional and basic dishes, cooked and flavoured perfectly. couldn't fault a single dish. perfect timing for all courses, meals and wines. affogatos were a winner. prices were very reasonable. wine list was very well balanced. <br/>would definitely recommend. second only to ciao cielo in port melbourne.

Consistently Good.. Good food and good service. Compliments to the chef.

Really like it here. After returning from Italy I felt inclined to give Ricardo's a big tick! It beats any restaurant we ate at in Italy (we traveled almost all of Italy too!). Will be making a reservation at Ricardo's very soon. Great service and the food is nourishing cooked with love.

Sundays are a bargain. If you're hankering for a plate of pasta on a Sunday evening, Ricardo's is worth considering: all pasta dishes are about 50% off.<br/><br/>A charming little place. Last time, they forgot us midway through the night (clue: empty wine glasses) but we were happy with what we paid for.

We love this place. We probably eat here a few times a year and have never had a bad experience. Not fine dining, but good quality dishes at reasonable prices. The specials change regularly and are always imaginative. Service is attentive and wine prices are reasonable.

Another very good meal. And great value. One of the best

I couldn't speak more highly of this gorgeous restaurant! Beautiful setting, lovely staff and delicious food. If it's a nice night, ask for a table outside.

Best Italian on the bayside. Well presented staff with profesional service. Fair pricing will not burn a hole in your pocket.

Italian Buzz. This very popular Albert Park Italian Trattorria providers its diners with good food and service at a reasonable price. Blackboard specials are usually worth trying as the main menu is a little predictable, but hey, that's what makes Ricardo's so popular and one of Melbourne's landmark restaurants. BYO available.