Review Amici Trattoria - Camberwell

Amazing candlelight dinner experience with lovely Italian cuisine. The staff is very friendly a d the food is delicious. Definitely worth going if you are looking for a hidden gem in the busy city of Melbourne.

The Atmosphere felt cosy and intimate ,the tables were set well and clean…the food sadly was a huge disappointment. Got the gnocchi and the pomegranate chicken. Chicken breast was way over cooked and tough. I unfortunately took a big bite at the start and really struggled to get that down. The Gnocchi was very underwhelming. Too much cheese the sauce was basic almost like something bought from a store. Neither of the meals were finished past a quarter of it . We did however finish the bruschetta which was rather nice.

Had dinner at Amici over the weekend. The ambience was lovely. We had a booth at the back - perfect location for a good catch-up and uncensored chatter! Service was on point - neither rushed nor forgotten and my dinner was delicious! We were the last ones to leave - and the kind owner/manager did not at any point come to ask us to leave! Definitely recommend for a lovely dinner out!

Had dinner for 4 on a Sunday night. Be prepared to order only 2 courses as all 4 Mains were large, beautifully cooked and tasty. Even complied with a dish not containing garlic ( mine ). Staff were excellent - attentive when required and stayed away when not. Liked the idea of corkage at $ 4.75 per drinker. Am about to book dinner for 14 for early May and and cannot wait .

As usual the best atmosphere and taste! My favorite restaurant, I find here everything you need for a fabulous dinner! Candlelight, soft music with the best taste of food. Thanks Amici, I'll be back soon!

Went to Amici last night as part of a group of 6 people. The atmosphere was nice, candles and all, and the staff were very friendly. They were busy and a group of 9 ordered just before us which meant a longer than usual wait for meals. However, I'm not going to fault them because of that! It's just one of those things. The meals were spot on. We started with the Bruschetta which was delicious. I had the Fettuccine Dino and my wife had the chicken with mushrooms. Finished off with the pannacotta and it was all wonderful. Will be coming back for sure!

I was in a bad mood when I went in. I needed good food to pick me up and make me feel better. I came out wanting to kill myself. Food took 50 minutes to arrive. Pasta starter was ghastly. An absolutely abhorrent dish. When the main course finally came, I thought I was living an actual horror movie. Were there maggots about to ooze out of my steak? Thankfully not, but I needed a machete to cut through it. As I didn't have one, my partner and I just laughed out loud at how tired my arm was getting as I attempted to saw through the meat; like cutting though a tree with a weakly-serrated butter knife. The presentation was something to die for. And I mean that literally - not figuratively. I wanted to die. I went to toilet and the toilet seat wouldn't stay up, the water was freezing when I washed my hands, the dryer didn't work, and there were no paper or real towels to dry my freezing hands. The place is decrepit. Just like the people who worked there. $100 down the drain. I wanted to complain so much, but my partner didn't want me to make a scene... So here I am, writing this review, and praying that you - the reader - trust me when I tell you that you will not enjoy your time here (unless you're so drunk, you can't remember walking in in the first place).

I read the poor reviews but still thought we’d try for ourselves. Brilliant ambience but the food is very disappointing. The bill is fine dining but the food was 2 star. Bruschetta was nice but eye fillet was not worth $55 and spaghetti di made was very bland and lacked seafood apart from mussels. A case of so much potential but disappointing and would not go back.

Nice atmosphere, great food and friendly staff.

We've eaten here before - a few years ago. It appears that its management has changed and so has the quality of the food. I usually order gnocchi in a restaurant as it seems to be one of the few pastas you can rely on to be made fresh. Unfortunately Amici's gnocchi had the texture and flavour of gnocchi bought in packets at a supermarket. The sauce was not a standout and so could not rescue the meal. There were also spots on the tablecloth.

Dined for dinner with hubby. Haven't been here for many years, always use to come & have spaghetti meatballs so had to order that again. It was delicious, only improvement for me would be less pasta & more meatballs because I love them. Hubby had veal tortellini & enjoyed it. Service friendly. Picked up a special 30% off food deal when we booked via the fork website.

Menu is ok, nothing really special and not much if you are a vegetarian/vegan. Service is terrible and one table actually walked out. Don’t blame them. Not a place I would go again.

Haven’t been to this restaurant in years, was looking for somewhere in Camberwell to eat and came across this place and thought why not go back there and see if it’s still a good place to dine at. Enjoyed our meals they were delicious. My only complaint would be they have placed too many tables on the floor and the wait staff who were lovely had to walk around me as I was in their walkway. If that table wasn’t there they wouldn’t have that problem and the tables may not have to be so close to each other that you hear other patrons conversations clearly.

Definitely a hidden gem in camberwell, authentic pasta - we had the meatball tomato pasta and mushroom cream fettuccine. Fresh pasta was cooked perfectly with just right amount of seasoning. Great service but tiramisu was average

Very romantic and authentic Italian restaurant that we love to enjoy. Cannot beat the service and beautiful food. Perfect for a special occasion or just a night out.

Lovely ambience, with an 80's vibe. Good service lovely food knowledgeable staff helpful and enthusiastic Would recommend it. A must try trattoria that isn't pretentious

A institution and treasure of Camberwell. Perfect for an intimate date, or family dining. We'll run by friendly owners, beautiful hardy Italian cuisine. This affordable restaurant has the best atmosphere in Camberwell Junction hands down. Check it out, try the eye fillet and try the home made pasta's and dessert's.

Really warm and cosy little place with dimmed lights and wooden interior. Staff is really friendly and service is good. Italian food is average and is served in generous portions. Pretty good for a romantic dinner or an outing with friends (there are a couple of 'private' tables you can book). We went there a couple of times with our kids and the staff were great with them too. A bit pricey.

Food was delicious and the staff were lovely<br/><br/>However the service was extremely slow, when I went the restaurant wasn't overly busy, waited 45 minutes to place our order. Then was waiting over an hour for bread, when customers that arrived over 20 minutes after us were served before us. There was a very long wait between entrée and main as well.<br/><br/>Would consider going back, as the food was very good, but an increase in staff would help improve the experience

I was pretty disappointed to be honest. The restaurant looks the part, very traditional Italian. The garlic bread to begin was very average. Vaguely warm with a vaguely garlic flavoured butter. I would expect something like this to be complementary even at a cheaper restaurant. It was essentially bread and butter. And not nice freshly cooked bread. More like wonder white in a big roll. <br/><br/>I had chicken breast and it was well and truly overcooked. To the point it couldn't have been accidentally left on a tad too long. It was well and truly roasted. The calamari was really chewy, I am not normally picky but I am certain it came in a cardboard box from a third world country. Calamari at a proper sit down restaurant vaguely near the coast should be fresh and delicious. <br/><br/> I really wanted to like this place but I couldn't. I went on a date and had to apologise to my partner. There are plenty of places in Camberwell with much better food for a similar price. Its been in Camberwell a very long time and is well known but I won't be going back..

<br/>This is my favourite restaurant in Melbourne, my family and I have been regulars for years. I’m Shocked to see so many negative reviews here. The dim lighting, candles, and vintage posters create a warm, cosy atmosphere, full of character and charm. The steaks, pastas, and chicken dishes are all to die for, especially when topped with their delicious mushroom sauce. It looks like I’m in the minority here but I’m also a fan of their unique take on garlic bread, it’s simple but still incredibly tasty. Their light, creamy passionfruit cheesecake is the perfect desert to top off an excellent meal. The staff are lovely and attentive and are always willing to accommodate special requests.

A lovely restaurant with great food, service and ambience! Most suited to couples or small groups (families not so much). I came here with my boyfriend for a romantic dinner, and loved eating by candlelight. We ordered the pumpkin arancini balls for entree, and boy were they to die for! However for $16 it would have been nice to see a few more on the plate. We both ordered pasta as a main, and the meals were delicious and filling. Staff were friendly and service very prompt. Would happily dine here again, however I would order a slightly cheaper meal as patrons are expected to tip at the end of their meal.

This was one of our favourite places to go. Love the pagnotta with garlic butter but very disappointed with the menu changes! Our favourite chicken dish has been taken off the menu and the one they have replaced it with is inferior, very salty and doesn't come with any veggies even after I asked the waitress if it did (you have to buy a side dish of veggies now).

Cozy but disappointing. We were walk-ins, around 9.15 on a Saturday night. Cozy and warm place on a cold evening. Staff were friendly enough. Firstly, this is yet another Italian restaurant still offering "garlic or herb bread", which really should be subject to a legislative ban. So we asked for "plain bread" and got a large round mini loaf of what I would call "hot bread shop" bread that had been put in the oven, so it had a shell like casing on the outside and fluffly air bread on the inside. Not proper bread as far as I'm concerned, and since it wasn't complimentary either, they really should get it right and provide some bread with a bit of density. We both had spaghetti dishes, flavours were OK, portion sizes generous, but way too much oil and the spaghetti was VERY overcooked, almost mushy in fact like Heinz tinned spaghetti. Prices around 23-28 for pasta mains. Won't go back.

Amazing service, the gnocchi was handmade and absolutely delicious. We will be back soon.

Amici Trattoria is a candlelit cozy restaurant serving Italian fare.  We went there for dinner on a Saturday night and it made for a great evening out - the staff were friendly, meal came quickly and food did not disappoint.

Amici Trattoria is a candlelit cozy restaurant serving Italian fare.  We went there for dinner on a Saturday night and it made for a great evening out - the staff were friendly, meal came quickly and food did not disappoint. As an appetizer we ordered an antipasto plate to share and a few loaves of garlic bread.  The antipasto plate had an assortment of nibblies:  salami, olives, preserved veggies and pickles, a few solid wedges of parmesan and meatball. The garlic bread, or rather rustic bread with garlic butter was a nice accompaniment to the antipasto. For mains, as a creature of habit, I ordered their osso bucco.  It's a huge serve and I loved the slow cooked texture.  It came with saffron rice to mop up the sauce. Kiddo being a creature of habit also, had her regular scallop risotto in a kid size serve.   (Please excuse the lighting in the photos as when the night wore on, we were solely reliant on candle light.  Very romantic but not so conducive to good photography). The others ordered the following which were all generously plated - sirloin steak... ...and the chicken special. For desserts we ordered few sweets to share.  The tiramisu was divine... ...and the chocolate panna cotta...  and gelato were general crowd pleasers. Verdict:  We loved it.   Overall   The mains averaged in the $20-something mark and the desserts were under $10 each.  Amici Trattoria has a very pleasant, cozy, romantically lit ambience.  We will definitely be going again.

Horrible food!. My friend and I went here. She ordered a fish dish that was rubbery, obviously frozen and looked strange. Was told that this is how fish is cooked - don't know about you but I prefer my fish fresh and not rubbery! <br/><br/>My gnocchi was obviously not handmade despite being advertised as so instead was chewy and hard. Think I could have bought better at the supermarket! <br/><br/>Dessert was a 'panna cotta' more like runny youghurt. <br/><br/>We ordered drinks and despite my friend ordering diet coke she got the regular coke. So everything we ordered was pretty much wrong or gross!<br/><br/>At the end of the meal, despite the poor food, the waitress had the cheek to ask for a tip!

Went there on a Saturday night, although the other room was empty but the owner still forced us three adults to have the table for two. There wasn't enough room to put our drinks and entree and about 10 minutes into the entree our main came out. We had to hold our entree over our main. Food was okay but because the sitting arrangement ruined the night. I mean they are not cheap and with the same price there are other Italian restaurant to choose from. I definitely will not come back again.

Friendly people but very disappointing food. We recently went with friends to this restaurant after a break of a few years, even though we had found it very ordinary on our previous visits, because the recent reviews suggested that things had improved. I've always wanted to like this restaurant, because it looks cosy and intimate and the staff are very friendly. The only problem is the food, which is just awful. I had a chicken and mushroom crepe as an entrée, which came covered in what tasted like a commercial sauce. The chicken also had that reheated taste. Then I had a veal main, which came covered in the same commercial-tasting sauce as the entrée. Why would you bother? If you want this kind of food, open a can. There are some very good Italian restaurants in Camberwell. This isn't one of them.

Best experience for a function!. A few weekends ago I was recommended to have my birthday here. I wanted to have all my family and friends and so it ended up being a good 40 of us. it couldn't have gone any better. The set menu worked perfectly for adults and children. the staff were extremely friendly and helpful. The owner was also great organising everything beforehand. we had a lovely space out the back so we could enjoy a few speeches made. <br/>Thank you Amici, you made my birthday perfect!

The Italy experience. This is a straight out trattoria and if you've been to Rome and eaten in one of the many lane ways you'll know what I mean. Busy, casual and cosy in winter. Home made pastas and a very reasonable wine list. We eat from the specials regularly and are never disappointed. If the penne with tuna is on offer grab it.

Simply gorgeous! Great atmosphere, great food and such friendly staff! I have been here on numerous accounts, and can confidently say Amici Trattoria will always be my first option for dining out!

Awful,will never come back again. Went in tonight for dinner before a movie. Hadn't made a booking as it was a last minute decision.<br/>We were greeted by the owner who said to wait at the door and promptly ignored us. Another waitress came after 2 minutes and took us to a table at the back.When we asked if we could have a better table, the owner promptly told us that what do we expect if we just walk off the street...Excuse me??<br/>A very bored waitress let us know the specials for the day. I ordered the chicken special after checking that there wasn't much cream She assured me that it was only a little. It came swimming in cream!!<br/>My friend ordered the rockling and said it was quite nice.<br/>For dessert we ordered the Italian Raspberry Cheesecake.....How can one stuff up a cheesecake?? It was just cream on pastry topped off with a rubbery raspberry jelly. Totally inedible. When I mentioned that this is not a cheesecake, I was told that "this is how we do it here" ...Suit yourself but it's terrible

Dreadful food. The entrée ordered was Bruschetta and we were served with an uncut roll and a side of mush that had been prepared earlier and cooled in a refrigerator. For the main course I had a simple Penne pasta and that was overcooked and had a gluggy mashed vegetable sauce through it. Worse still the pasta was served in a noodle bowl! Other shortcoming was the menu and specials board included incorrectly Italian spelling. Avoid.

AMAZING FRESH ITALIAN! From entrée to main then dessert.... Bellisimo! Service was great. Will be back for more.

Lovely warm & cozy. We have been coming here for years. Great for friends, family, romantic date, corporate guests. Always busy, the atmosphere is warm & inviting with low lighting & candles on each table. Friendly personalized service, great food although my pasta didnt taste as good as the last few times - perhaps not home made this time? I read a few past reviews that also mentioned this. People want home made as you can taste the difference so hopefully the owners will read these. Will be back to check but it its not home made, perhaps we will try somewhere new for future family dinners...

Very friendly owners, and yummy italian food. Come here every time i'm in Camberwell.

Great Risotto. We dined in a group of 9 on Saturday 7th December all the meals came out hot and delicious especially the Pumpkin Risotto. We would definately go again.

Worst restaurant experience ever. This is without a doubt the worst dining experience I have had anywhere, ever.<br/><br/>I have eaten here on many occasions and had a great time, but the last time my wife & I ate here was on a Friday night around 9pm.<br/><br/>The owners reluctantly accepted our business as they said the kitchen was about to close. (I never understand this. You can either take my business or you don't, you are open for business, or you are not. Accept my business and deliver full service. My money is as good as anyone else's).<br/><br/>We ordered an entree and main. The entree was good, but as we just started eating it the main pasta dishes appeared. We sent them back as we had literally taken about 2 mouthfuls of our entree.<br/><br/>About 10 minutes later the waitress cleared our dishes and brought out our mains. Stone cold and inedible.<br/><br/>We sent them back. Then one of the owners appeared, thew the dishes on the table and said eat them, there's nothing wrong with them. I showed him they were cold and that the pasta was stuck together. He told me I'd better eat them or else. I was staggered, as was the table next to us and the waitress was apologetic. <br/><br/>I ended up ringing Camberwell police station to ask what I could do, explaining the situation, especially as the owner had threatened me. The Sargent on duty said that it was a contractural dispute and that they would not get involved, unless it escalated.<br/><br/>I paid the bill, paying for the entree, tipping the waitress, but not paying for the main as it was inedible.<br/><br/>As I left the restaurant, the owners started to scream and yell at me, making a huge display in the main dining room, in front of all the other diners. The owners were incredibly aggressive, loud and rude. Another diner stood up to bar me from leaving, but when I explained what had happened, he apologized and went back to his table. All this time I stood with my hands together behind my back so it was clear that I was not aggressive. <br/><br/>As I turned to leave the restaurant one of the owners pushed me out of the door - physically assaulting me. <br/><br/>Avoid this place like the plague. They like taking your money, but the service is the worst I have encountered anywhere in the world.

I was a bit nervous dining here given the previous reviews. However, this place was highly recommended by a friend. We had seafood spaghetti and spatchcock to share. Serving was very generous, lots of juicy pieces of fresh seafood. Chicken was full of flavour and tender! All cooked to perfection. As we ordered quite early (before 730 pm), food came within 15 mins! We finished the night with tiramisu. Loved it! We will be having our Christmas function here in 4 weeks!

HMMMMM what can I say. After an awful experience down the road, My friend and I were so hungary we would have eaten anything... So we ended up here. The man who greeted up was very flustered but soon we were greeted by the lovely tall blondish server, who was bright and cheerful and helped us pick out her favourites on the menu..<br/>Im familiar with italian food. Im italian, and had two very amazing grandmothers as cooks, from two different parts of Italy, so you cant fool me. I don't believe the penne was homemade, nor the tortellini, if the tortellini is homemade its old ... becuse it didnt have that melt in your mouth experience. I do believe the fettuccini is homemade. I started out with the affetati entree at 16.00. This was an assortment of italian things, the quality was great but was disappointed they could only throw on one meatball, there was also 2 pieces of cheese two pieces if salami and some pickled things with lots of lettuce as garnish.. being as there were two of us a bit disappointed at the one meatball. After 2 glasses of wine, and a 7 out of ten for the entree my friend and I decided to take things further and order mains. we went with the pasta for two, three selections of pasta veal tortellini with the blue cheese mushroom sauce, fettuccine with the eggplant, and Giana but with penne. The eggplant dish was amazing, the blue cheese was a bit glossy and didn't have the creaminess you would expect , the Giana needed more basil. But all and all good portions at a good price. For dessert at the servers suggestion we finished with Penna Cotta al Cioccolato which is like a mouse but thicker... it didn't need the soupy creamy art around it but all in all the whole meal 7 out of ten. The only disappointment was when I was asked If I wanted any freshly ground pepper, from another server and when I asked if she had any crushed red pepper (as you would ) she scowled and ignored me, She needs some people skills.. other than that if your in a bind on Burke street in camberwell and dont feel like trekking it to Lygon this place will do.

Disgusting. Yuck!! <br/>How to make the simplest of pasta dishes inedible? Overcook the pasta until it's slimy and tasteless, smother it in pre-prepared tomato sauce, oversalt it, serve it with greasy hard 4-month-old 1980's style parmesan straws in a bowl.<br/>I ate 1/3 of my dinner, drank 1/3 of the harsh red wine and felt sick.

Long wait and horrible food that I ever had in my life..

BLACK LISTED. Service was non existent, food inedible and the meals are outrageously over priced for the sub standard food. I will starve before eating there again

Great Food but very dark place to eat. This place is excellent for its food I love the veal scaloppini Genovese, but I find dining by candlelight only very depressing as one can hardly see the food on the plate or people at the end of the table (if you are in a big group). It is very dark even with the candle lights. Corkage is very expensive.

Waitress' were great, doesn't reflect the quality of the food. The food came in under cover of candle light.

Great food. Great portion sizes you definitely get your money's worth. Staff are friendly and helpful. Only problem is it's quite dark which makes it difficult to read the menu. Apart from the lighting my partner and i loved it and will definitely come back again.

We had our wedding there. We just had our wedding at Amici in April 2013 and it was fantastic. The staff bent over backwards to help us organise everything. We have eaten here many times over the years so know it well. The food was fantastic and plentiful and the set menu prices were so well priced. The atmosphere was great in the function room, I felt so at home there.<br/>Thank you so much Amici for a great night, all our guests loved it.

Wonderfully romantic. Love this place, wonderfully romantic, consistently good food. Leave the kids at home it's too dark by candlelight

Gorgeous risotto, veal and osso bucco. Fantastic staff with welcoming nonpretentious ambience

Absolutley fantastic! Genuinely friendly staff and a true fabulous tasting pasta!<br/>Would highly recommend this place to any and all!

Lovely apmosphere and lightning. The girl near the front with a guitar and singing was the perfect finishing touch. Meals were well timed and very tasty. I especially liked the pumpkin soup and the main scallop/ mushroom/ cognac dish.. Was amazingly flavored. Under rated on urban spoon I think.

Cute&cosy atmosphere. The pasta is prepared to order so if you don't like capsicum you can make sure it's not included!!! My favourite is bruchetta, seafood brodetta, &tirimisu. <br/>If you return the staff are sure to recognise you, there is a friendly and welcoming atmosphere and the music sets the ambiance. <br/>It's not pretentious, which is maybe where other reviews have not liked it. Amici is casual dining at its best :)

The food at Amici is terrible. There is nothing in the menu that bears a vague resemblance to anything you would eat in Italy. If you expect good quality Italian food, go somewhere else.

I am a long time regular of amici. My husband and I celebrate all our special family occasions here. The restaurant, owners and staff make this into one of the most unique and ambient restaurants in the eastern suburbs. There is always a friendly and romantic feeling sitting at one of the candle lit tables by the window. <br/>I do have to say I am surprised to read a previous comment on amicis quality of seafood. I absolutely loved my fish of the day I had on wednesday. <br/>Keep up the good work amici. See you very soon!

Italy in camberwell. Been going to this place for years, love it. Staff are always friendly and on the ball, owners are friendly and food fantastic. Food is priced reasonably and there is a relaxed and happy atmosphere. Feel like I'm in Italy every time I go. Definitely recommend it!

Not very Amici. Amici in Italian means friends, and I no friend of Amici. This evening 4 of us had dinner there.From the Special Board I choise grilled John Dory. Told it was fresh I looked forward to a nice meal. Well how wrong I was first the fillets 5 in all were small about 10cm long and about 4 cm wide. Tried to cut them with a knife and they had some sort of skin on them, when I got to the flesh of the fish it was watery and taste less. To me it looked like frozen fish that came from some suspect part of Asia. When I questioned the owner he was in complete denial.<br/>Rather than been apologetic he was prepared to argue that his fish was fresh. It might have been about two year ago and it certainly was not John Dory. My two friends that had Risotto left half as they thought it tasted strange. Only good thing about the night was going home. Thumbs down to non Amici

Having just moved to the area I wanted to try some of the local restaurants. Amici Trattoria is my new favorite! It's warm and welcoming, the food was delicious traditional Italian and the service was great! The blonde waitress was fabulous and extremely helpful with recommendations. Definitely going to be a regular here!

Very good restaurant amazing service n food I ever had. Like it so much ;)

I have been dining at Amici with my family for years now and love this place. The food is great and the service really friendly. Always made to feel at home.

Went despite reviews. All meals were terrible and service wasn't much better. Thought we'd give a second chance but wish we didn't!

Romantic but Lacking. On a simple evening with my partner, we went to Amici for some hearty pasta. We got a glass of red each, which was a reasonable tipple. They do need to update their glassware. We went for the bruschetta and mixed pasta to share. The bruschetta wasn't even bruschetta, I'm sorry. It was a loaf of white bread we had to slice ourselves with a chopped tomato and red onion salsa on the side. The messiest entree ever (which is a quote from my partner). The pasta was yum, though. I was disappointed with the disproportionate serving of the creamy chicken avocado versus the tomato based gnocchi and tortellini. I know they have to cut costs somewhere, but we got not even a half serve of creamy pasta. The whole plate was filling, us barely finishing it. The gnocchi was smooth and full of bacon in the sauce. I would go back to try a main or a single serve of the creamy pasta but NOT the bruschetta.

Lovely for a small function. I held a function in the back room at Amici on Saturday night and can only praise this restaurant. The meals were good and the staff were fantastic. I like the ambience of this place, it's delightful for a low key dinner, and the lighting and music were lovely. It wasn't too loud so we were easily able to make speeches and hear each other during conversation. The best part was that noone pressured us to leave and we were able to sit back and relax until the early hours of the morning. I would definitely recommend Amici.

Went there with friends on a Tuesday evening. Most disappointing. How does it stay open? The place looked closed<br/>, especially since one of the entrances said 'closed'! It was dark and cold. We were one of only two tables of customers. We had the fish of the day which was hardly cooked. My wife's risotto arrived as spaghetti and we had to wait whilst it was sorted. Plates cold, the whole thing was a disaster. Such a shame since it's such a great spot. Replace the chef, warm the place up, improve the lighting and it could be a winner. Please post if this happens!

Very disappointing, was so looking forward to an authentic Italian meal and it was terrible. Antipasto platter was dismal, main pasta was over cooked; mushy, complete with fake parmesan we didn't even risk staying for dessert. Staff were nice

Old, tired and ordinary. I agree with the reviewer below - food and service almost on a par with the horror-dens of the East, Sofia's and Colombo's (not quite as bad...). Looks like a charming old fashioned Italian where mamma would be cooking out the back. A long history clearly does not necessarily equal quality in this neck of the woods. Just say no.

About as good as columbos or Sofia's

Veal scallopini and aramis delight. I might be biased with my affection for this restaurant because it's where we used to eat when first dating. it's dark, cosy, over flowing wax in wine bottles on the tables, decrepit italian posters on the walls but it's really a romantic atmosphere for a very straight forward old school restaurant. it's a bit daggy, but that's what i love about it. you can order entree, main, dessert and plenty to drink for about $120 a couple. which in these times, is great value. veal scallopini with garlic sauce and steamed vegetables is served more like home cooking, but it is delicious. we never leave feeling hungry and the panacotta is also yummy. the wine list has plenty to choose from, but if you like a good red, my latest favourite is 2008 aramis shiraz from maclaren vale. heaven. we love going there if it is winter as it's most suited for that season. i feel like i'm in europe when i eat there, but perhaps that's just me being sentimental. the food is homey and delicious.

GREAT FOOD AND SERVICE. My girlfriend and I have now been there several times and love the pasta. we eat out 2-3 times a week and this is certainly a favouite. <br/><br/>this place is perfect for a general outing or maybe something special.<br/>Im sure you wont be dissappointed.<br/>Cheers Jonathan

Worse than average. First time my partner and i have been there. <br/>The garlic bread was terrible, gnocchi was worse than a supermarket packet type, way too salty and something that made the dish look like something you would order in a cheap diner in the middle of nowhere.....it was smothered in mozzarella. <br/><br/>By partner's penne was served in what looked like a cereal bowl even though he ordered a main. <br/>Very average and looked unappetising.<br/><br/>Unsure why people would go there in an area with many other quality options.

Overall 10/10. Food was fantastic and value for money, friendly staff and warm service. A great way to experience the atmosphere of a typical Italian restaurant. I would suggest you make a booking for the weekend! Well worth the Visit.

Nothing special & over priced.

Disappointing. In a town full of fabulous restaurants, I would think Amici would try harder. We arrived at 7pm, ordered before 8pm and our main meals arrived after 9.30.<br/>I, and four dining companions, could not eat the (inedible) pumpkin risotto. It was undercooked, watery consistency and flavoured overwhelmingly by garlic. When prompted by the waitress I explained my reason for not eating the dish and told her I was "not comfortable paying for it". The manager was bought in so I explained (politely) that the risotto was indeed quite awful and she proceeded to argue that "the risotto is one of the most popular dishes and everyone else in the restaurant ate theirs....". She then advised that they would still charge us full price! We paid but will not be returning.

Shame. This place is a real mixed bag. Some dishes are great, others pitifully poor. Their version of garlic bread is...as others have pointed out quite a disgracefull attempt. The frozen stuff from any supermarket is far superior. On the service side, they have some great waitresses but also seem to have a regular 'churn' of new girls learning the job. Last night, i witnessed the owner (or head waiter) berating a young waitress in front of customers in a fashion i can only relate to bullying. The poor girl was actually working very hard but was being directed from table to table in a very agressive manner by this idiot. it's a place we have visited many times forgivingly, because they really DO create a great ambiance. Last night has changed my outlook and we won't be back for a while at least. There are far too many other good restaurants in town where service etiquette is more of a priority.

Terrible, unorganized service. Their garlic bread is a bread roll with a dish of garlic butter which felt like it had just come from the fridge, and was not shown on the menu, I now know why, it was $8.90. The food was ok, but presented really poorly. Not a great night out.

Great restaurant, pity about the food.... I really wanted to like this place. The dining room is fabulous, with dim lighting, lots of atmosphere, a great feel and quiet enough to hear what the people at your table are saying. But the food simply doesn't live up to the setting. <br/><br/>For starters we shared oysters Kilpatrick. The oysters themselves were fine, but the bacon was undercooked, which meant there was none of that lovely contrast between the crispness of the bacon and softness of the oyster. There was also too much bacon, which kind of ruined it as well.<br/><br/>I had osso bucco for main course, which was tasty but a little tough. There was also no marrow in the bone, which is part of the fun for me (and, I would have thought, a pretty integral part of the dish). My partner had seafood pasta, which was a generous serve and full of yummy seafood but the pasta was completely overcooked... That's got to rank as one of the biggest black marks possible against any Italian restaurant. A bit like a pub that can't do a decent Parma and chips! <br/><br/>The dessert was good, though: tiramisu that was obviously homemade and quite delicious<br/><br/>Like I say, I wanted to like this place. The moment I walked in, I wanted to make it "my" Italian restaurant and go their regularly until I'm an old man. But the food just isn't good enough for that. I doubt I'll be back.

Lovely ambience. I love the darkened, cosy ambience of this place ... very appropriate for a couply night out. Have been going here for over a decade, unfortunately food quality seems to have slipped. Bruschetta still very nice though.

We had high hopes after peeking through the window and looking at the menu, but were left disappointed. The decor is lovely - cosy, romantic and intimate. But an Italian restaurant should be able to cook pasta. My spagheetti with mushroom and white wine sauce was overcooked, bland and tasteless. Opposite of al dente. And lacked any seasoning, not helped by lack of salt on the table ( 2 pepper pots). My wife had the John Dory fish, which was again overcooked and tasteless. The bill was steep (around $95 for two with 2 glasses of wine. And final frustration - no EFTPOS. Go to Italy One across the road instead, you won't regret it.

Well Done Amici Trattoria. Our wine and food group recently visited Amici Trattoria. In our own private function area, we were served a massive entree of pasta Mista with various sauces from creamy bacon to bolognaise and napoli. Mains most of us chose the veal Scaloppini with a creamy spinach sauce, very yummy gelato's to finish. Home cooked style and very generous servings! Service was good! A great night out at a reasonable price! I would go back again

Don't order the pasta if you are hungry. Has this place been taken over? This always a firm favourite of our family however a visit on the weekend left us wanting... and set us off in the direction of Gorges for more food. The pasta I ordered was a very, very small serve, although it was listed under pasta- Mains. The pasta only contained penne and vegetables, and too much oil, and it was the smallest serving of pasta I have ever been provided, at a cost of $20.90. Although the waitress brought bread plates to the table, no bread was forthcoming. We were very disappointed that this restaurant would bother cutting costs on penne of all things, and we will not return. There are so many other great restaurants who provide great food, appropriate pricing and decent serving sizes.

Italy in Melbourne. Very traditional Italian. Fantastic cozy atmosphere, best bruschetta ever. Yummy mains. Really homely meals. Not fine dining but tasty and satisfying. Service usually really good.

Amici Restaurant. I think the restuarant takes some beating! Great variety of food, not a huge number of desserts, but then by thta stage there's not much room!<br/>What i love is the ambience-its really soft, candlelight- great for good conversation or romance. The staff are friendly and helpful and the pricing is reasonable. I love the candle waxed holders, the 80s music-all in all I think its lovely- well done!

Food was generally pretty good although my veal was a bit over-cooked. Concern that the menu prices aren't GST inclusive. Isn't that illegal?

Amici trattoria is a romantic Italian restaurant which is lit up mainly by candlelight and has wonderful food. Whether you are looking for a creamy gnocchi or an eye filler cooked to perfection, you will not be disappointed. A great spot for a valentines or anniversary indeed. Great service with a smile.