Delicious food and classy environment. Family run staff so natural feel and uncontrived hospitality.
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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.
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.
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.
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Ricardo’s offers an authentic Italian experience. It feels more like you’re a visitor in their home and not in a restaurant.
The service is fantastic, yet not pretentious at all.
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.
We were given a bread basket and a bottle of EVOO as well as water.
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.
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.
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.
I ordered a Tiramisu and it’s definitely in the Top 3 I’ve had.
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.
A great experience and I look forward to going back to try something else from the menu.
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!
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.
The watermelon salad with figs and walnut is superb and a great touch to the hot weather.
The spagetti are also good but not amazing. Would recommend coming here if you want good food.
The lasagne was very delicious too.
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.
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.
One of Melbourne's Italian institutions.
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.
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.
My personal favourites are the lamb cutlets or the pecorino chicken. Both are incredible. The cheesecake for dessert is unbelievable, my favourite dessert anywhere.
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.
FANTASTIC.... Delicious, sumptuous, plentiful, delightful... ...impeccable.
Now I'm full. :-)
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.
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
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.
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.
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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!
That's all a local could ask for...
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"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!
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)!
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.
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.
Would I go back? Absolutely! Happily would become "one of the regulars" and certainly would tell all my friends to join me. Brava!
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.
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.
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!!
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!!!
Come here often!
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!
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.
Oh and get this... it's BYO.
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.
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.
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 $$ Impeccable service. Bit expensive for desserts🍰🍰🧁🧁🍮🍮
Hands down, one of best Italian restaurants in Melbourne
We had the most amazing lunch today due to the impeccable welcoming from every staff working .. the food was delicious (pasta pre cooked and overcooked) but the whole experience was just perfect. Thanks again! We will definitely come back! The lamb cotoletta was just awesome !
Cozy Italian joint in albert park perfect for special occasions and date night. Antipasto comes with couple of different cuts and prawn which we never see before but overall refreshing and great for starters. The risotto and penne was seasoned nicely and cooked to perfection.
Food - 8
Service - 8
Vibe - 10
Price - $$$
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.
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