Review Cafe Paradiso - Hawthorn

Fast, friendly and efficient service. The meals are delicious and there's ample space between diners. There's outdoor seating and a beer garden out the back. All staff are fully vaccinated too.

Delicious Italian dinner on a cold Melbourne evening at Paradiso, opposite the famous Rivoli Cinemas complex in Camberwell / Hawthorn East. Fettuccine Spezzatino (slow-braised lamb shank ragù fettuccine), white-based prawn pancetta pizza, and rocket parmesan salad. 😋👍 Crème Brûlée and tiramisu for desserts. 😋👍 Fast service. Friendly and helpful staff 🙂👍

The food was really delicious, but what was so outstanding was the service. I came in with my Dad who is diabetic and unfortunately needed to eat something quite quickly on arrival. The waitress was lovely and brought out dips and bread not even 3 minutes later, without making it feel like a nuisance. Steak was cooked to perfection. Thanks to the team for taking care of us!

We had an amazing experience at Cafe Paradiso. Due to health complications in our family, we were feeling anxious about eating in a public space for the first time in a while, and the staff went above and beyond to make us feel understood and safe, seating us in their lovely courtyard with lots of social distance from other patrons. The food was delicious and the staff were friendly and attentive. Thank you for a lovely evening, it meant a lot to us ❤

It’s one of our absolute favourite date night restaurants! Great atmosphere, the food is always delicious (the halloumi salad is my go-to!) and the staff are so welcoming. The outdoor area is also lovely in the Summer.

This was beyond the best experience of my life. The entrees were perfect the pizza is amazing and the zucchini and lemon ricotta pizza was just superb. I will be coming back at least once a week 🥰

I wasn’t a fan of this place. I ordered a Chicken Parma without ham, it came out with ham so I sent it back and all they did was scrape off the toppings and put new sauce/cheese on it and put it back under the grill to melt it, which meant it came out overcooked. I would’ve been better off just keeping the original one and scraping off the toppings myself as at least then I’d have a chicken schnitzel that wasn’t burnt. However, it did look like it was cooked well when it came out the first time, so I’m sure I would’ve enjoyed my meal if it was cooked right the first time. I’m just disappointed in how they handled the situation after they made the mistake.

Great Neapolitan pizza dough, fluffy and chewy, but spoilt by below average toppings. The tomato base was very acidic and the Italian sausage felt like ordinary supermarket cold cuts. You can’t substitute quality ingredients and charge a premium price ($25-$30). There are much better Neapolitan pizzerias around.

Hi there, I just wanted to pass on some praise to your sensational waiter, Raja. My boyfriend and I ordered pizza from you guys via Uber Eats, but after the delivery driver went MIA, our food never arrived. Starving, we came into the restaurant and explained to Raja what had happened and, even though it was getting late and the kitchen was closing, he made sure we didn’t leave still hungry. We had a lovely meal (the saganaki is simply divine) and Raja’s kindness and sincerity turned our whole night around. What we thought would end up a sad night eating Maccas in bed turned into a beautiful dinner for two and I can’t thank him enough. It would mean a great deal that he received the appropriate recognition for his excellent service.

Very attentive, friendly staff. The bottle of Shiraz ($48 I think) was delicious. Garlic focaccia pizza also delicious. It was a terrific place to go before the movies. Highly recommend it.

The food was amazing. The staff were wonderful. We dropped into Paradiso for a pre movie drink/meal yesterday and were blown away. Everything was amazing. We will definitely come back!

We had my husband's 60th birthday at Cafe Paradiso in the beer garden last night. Wonderful night. Everyone loved the food. Service was excellent. Would definitely recommend having your guests there.

Excellent food. Great variety. Reasonable prices. Great staff, service and atmosphere.

I went to Cafe Paradiso last night with Friends. Lovely staff, lovely food drinks excellent service staff were very helpful. 10 out of 10!! Simply loved it :)

Absolutely great service.This rating is for this alone. Hospitality staff who can provide great service without being intrusive is rare these days.The staff were able to read their customer.

Lovely out in the beer garden. Our waiter Jordan was also lovely. Nice to be treated with such courtesy and kindness. Will be back.

Amazing food & great service! Best pizza & eggplant chips in Melbourne ��

Eat here often. Good food and service. The wine list's not bad either.

Great food, fabulous staff and good value

Best risotto balls and great beer garden for cocktails in the sunshine when it's warmer.

Wonderful evening last night celebrating my son's 18th Birthday. Food was delicious, service was outstanding. Thank you!

Great Pizza and environment I loved it ❤️

Great location, great service and wonderful food!!

Excellent...and I am stoked about the Eggplant Chips remaining on the menu!!

The coolest place in Camberwell for sure!

Second time we have been here, it didn’t disappoint. First time had been fantastic for a dinner date, and today we were there just for drinks. We tried their cocktail special, which was japanese slipper, and it was so good we had a second round. Service was delightful and kind and we will definitely be back.

We have dined here on several occasions and have thoroughly enjoyed the food and service. Recently we came across a very aggressive man who met us at the front he was rude to his staff and we witnessed a very unprofessional exchange with a kitchen staff member in the dinning room. It certainly did not make for an enjoyable evening out and won’t return. We have our own business and felt disgusted at the treatment of the staff .

I LOVE it when restaurants are so accomodating and can make their dishes vegan friendly! The head chef at Cafe Paradiso is vegan so they looked after us well 💚 ORTOLANA PIZZA without cheese was absolutely delish. Add fries and a simple garden avo salad and we were set for dins! 🍕 🥑 🍟 ✨<br/>

Really impressed with this little local gem, great unpretentious service and gorgeous garden setting out the back in courtyard, we had a delicious late lunch, they stay open right thru the afternoon, best salmon Niçoise salad ever and garlic authentic Italian pizza focaccia bread, also the pappadelle was divine. Great work guys!

I’ve been going here since before it was called Paradiso! Used to go here after work, and since it changed owners/brand it’s so much better! Love the haloumi salad, the eggplant chips are seriously the best in the neighbourhood plus they do great wood fire pizza! It’s a great vibe and I love the outdoor area. Service is always good, and food is always good. Been going for years, never had a complaint. Except we ordered coke once and they came back with pepsi.... HAHA. They’re not the same. But we all laughed about it. Good crew!

I’ve dined at Paradiso a few times before, and enjoyed it, but this visit wasn’t up to par.<br/>We ordered 2 share plates of calamari at $20 per plate, some eggplant chips $15.50, bean salad $17.50 and frittata with salad $17.50. <br/><br/>The calamari although tasty, the portion size was minuscule for the price. Needs to have some salad or fries with it. The eggplant chips were divine and generous. The bean salad was bland... needed a dressing, and the frittata was tiny also and a bit bland too ... not enough feta. <br/><br/>My friends were disappointed there was no house wine, with a glass of red being $12.<br/><br/>Overall I think if I’m looking for a quick eat before the cinemas, I might choose elsewhere as the food was hit and miss. <br/><br/><br/>

Consistently good food with a good variety, but not so wide that anything is bland. The daily risotto is generally an excellent choice as it is always interesting and well done. Drinks menu is also varied and reasonably priced.

Lunchtime service was prompt and efficient.<br/>Husband liked the rigatoni with lamb ragu and I liked my bean salad, with pickled radish.<br/>I like to eat healthy but I had to question the ‘herb hommus’ it was swimming in as it didn’t taste like ‘hommus’<br/>Not much on offer for gluten free and vegetarian but I enjoyed the flavour of my dish

Came here for a quick meal before watching a movie at the Rivoli ,  the service was prompt and the food also came out quick. The seafood spaghetti was average, well cooked seafood but extremely bland , it need a lot extra chilli and salt and pepper , I was also tempted to add some Parmesan on there to add flavor but decided not to commit that cardinal sin

Staff are polite and the food is very good. I was glad to see a vegan gnocchi option, it would have been nicer with chunky pumpkin rather than blended up, but flavour was still good. A great place for a drink too!!

Was drawn in by a nice lively atmosphere after seeing a movie at the Rivoli across the road. The service was attentive and friendly, but the pizza I had was mediocre at best. Little flavour and a soggy base.  Prepared to give another chance, but will be looking to avoid the pizza next time and try one of the other mains.

Best Eggplant chips I've ever had !! Had a get together with friends, they'd been here before but I was yet to try it, for the spaghetti Pescatore, decent flavour but the serving size could be a bit larger for the price of $28.50

Atmosphere is friendly and welcoming with many seating options.<br/>The outside beer garden is very well appointed and ideal on a 20 cel plus day of the week. <br/>Meals well designed however extremely measured portions. <br/>My burger was a little too small for what I call a meal. The frittata was on the less than generous size. <br/>Maybe ideal for a mid week lunch spot however for a Sunday when you are not in a rush to get back to the office you need a bit more chewing enjoyment.<br/>Drinks and coffees well designed, created. Variety of appeal at this central Camberwell location. <br/>Directly opposite the Rivoli picture theatres. Staff attentive, caring, willing to engage with their clients.

Lovely place convenient for before and after the Rivoli. Great customer service, friendly and efficient, thoughtful that they said they'd speak to the kitchen when we said we were in a bit of a hurry. Coffee was lovely and shares recommended were hot, tasty an absolutely delicious.

I came here with a couple of friends for dinner on Friday evening, the ambiance inside was nice and the temperature was lovely considering how cold it was outside.<br/>The service offered by the staff was great. <br/>For the main I ordered the risotto special which was beef cheeks and mushrooms, and for dessert I had sticky date pudding. Both were delicious.

Came here with a friend and ordered chorizo pizza <br/>Staff was very very lovely and helpful. <br/>Despite that, I found that the pizza was home made however slightly burnt and taste just so so. Nothing special. Very big portion though. <br/>I might try something else but 2nd visit here, didn't feel that this place stands out.

Been here a few times.<br/>I've always found the service and food pretty good. <br/>It doesn't look that big from the street but it's actually got a fair few tables inside and a good beer garden out the back.<br/>My only complaint would be that on my most recent visit I ordered the calamari with salad (pictured) and there wasn't actually that much calamari and the tomato was cut into large chunks, which I didn't dig.<br/>Would recommend if you're in the area and want somewhere with a bit of atmosphere - it's always dimly lit with a good soundtrack.

Dimly lit and directly opposite the cinema this is a great little option for a pre film dinner. It's quite classy inside with a lovely bar area but still very friendly with a wide variety of patrons present. Still embracing the diet life (day 7) I opt for the fish of the day which is a pan seared salmon with basil, pinenuts and caponata. Quite tasty but overcooked in my opinion and didn't dim my desire for the authentic Italian pizza which looked ABSOLUTELY SENSATIONAL at the table opposite me. Not sure life's worth living when you can't eat pizza but we will persevere. Cute little outdoor area

Well, what a venue ! Great friendly service, really fresh and tasty food, funky vibe. They have  an incredible beer garden out the back too.<br/>We had the haloumi salad and hot salami pizza to share, we drank a great Italian Chianti by the glass.<br/>The staff and the vibe really make this place amazing. We will be back !

Had a lovely dinner with friends at Paradiso last week, sat in the beer garden and the food was exceptional. <br/>Warming staff and great atmosphere. <br/>Will be coming here again soon 👍🏼

The best thing that can be said about this place is that it is open late，and that the wait staff are friendly. The food though was pretty terrible. Their legendary eggplant chips were particularly ordinary.

Service is excellent. Food okay not polished but okay. Pitty they don't have gluten free pizza.... it's all we wanted! Aperol spritz was good though :)

I think we got the last order of the evening on a Sunday, as whoever made the pizza seemed very keen to leave... when you pay $21 for a pizza you expect that it will at least be cooked enough so that it isn't totally soggy and the ingredients slide off, leaving you with thin, tomatoey mush... we got 3 pizzas and they were all awful. Put some more effort in next time! Wouldn't eat anything from here again

This is the second time I have eaten here over the last couple of weeks and both experiences were not great.  Could not fault the waitstaff as they were very attentive and courteous but I ordered the same thing on both occasions and both times the chicken was very overcooked and tough.

I eat here regularly and the food is really good .. We enjoy the pizzas with mains and special board is always a good option ..<br/><br/>It's good food in good place .. With staff that give you "attitude less" service .. <br/><br/>Keep up the good work ..

Had dinner here for first time tonight expecting great food based on others reviews. However ended up with mainly bland food, almost like someone did not add salt. Each dish had some element not right and at $30 a head I'd expect more in Camberwell. I past on my comments to the waitress and hope they take heed. The kitchen need to taste the dishes. Food is not just about looks but also taste.

One of my favourite spots in Hawthorn. I came across Cafe Paradiso when I stumbled upon their Instagram, and decided to wander in after a movie at Rivoli. The menu is absolutely wonderful, a large selection of urban Italian with traditional touches left in. The vibe is gorgeous, it's the first thing you notice. The decor is beautiful, the beer garden being my favourite aspect. The wine list is extensive and mid range in price. All the food is appropriately and fairly priced, and portion sizes are quite large. The staff are all really friendly and eager to help you out with whatever they can. Split bills are allowed, which is always convenient for the customer. The coffee was not great, my only criticism unfortunately!

My husband and I enjoyed a quick meal and drinks here before heading across the road to see a movie at the beautiful Rivoli Cinema. I was really impressed by CP, it has a hip relaxed vibe and modern decor, perfect for a casual meal or just drinks, there's a great little courtyard area out the back. My husband & I shared a very delicious Calamari dish, lightly fried, very tender and very tasty, accompanied by a really nice sauce, yum. We also shared a wood-fired pizza, it was really good, no complaints at all. Service was excellent, friendly and very professional. We mentioned that we only had an hour to eat and our dishes came out super quick, so if you're after a quick meal and good food, this is the place! I'll happily return to Cafe Paradiso.

Excellent salads - loved the Beetroot and feta and Halumi cheese salad - Margherita pizza was also terrific - very authentic. Great menu variety and enough good options for vegetarians. Prompt friendly service - will be back.

We were having a very pleasant dinner and wine until we were left waiting waiting waiting for our desserts. After 40 mins, we enquired about the delay. We were told that there was an issue with the printer and they didn't have a record. We said don't worry about it as we were over it by this stage. It is not so much that this error happened, it was more that there was no genuine effort to apologise or make up for the inconvenience. We just paid the bill and left. Two regular customers now lost...

Not bad overall,<br/><br/>There was nothing that particularly stood out about my experience. The pizza was ok and the prices are standard for the cuisine and the area. If it's local for you try it, but I wouldn't travel for it.

Had dinner there tonight . My hubby ordered gnocchi and I order a chicken burger with coleslaw and hand cup chips . Neither of us enjoyed our meals . My burger bun was fresh but the burger was literally one piece of s deep fat fried chicken tender that was over cooked . The chips were flavour less I ordered ketchup and seven sauces to try add some flavour but they were just horrible . I felt that perhaps they were reheated or oil needs changing . My partner thought the gnocchi was tasteless . Lucky enough we hadn't ordered starters !! We first visited this place last year and we had no complaints . Definitely won't be going back !! Very disappointing !! I wouldn't recommend eating gets . It's a nice place for a catch up for a drink but the chef needs to up his game as it was very poor . The food was also served ten minutes after we ordered so he must be pre cooking big batches and this could be affecting taste.

Dined here on Sunday night and the starters we had were delicious. The eggplant chips and rice balls were perfectly cooked. Mains arrived and the lemon ricotta cheese was an outstanding addition. The down fall was the risotto being under cooked but the flavours were great anyway <br/><br/>Staff were attentive and friendly

I have a number of food intolerance's and the staff were so very helpful and accommodating. They went out of their way to ensure I had something to eat and whipped up a risotto to suit  my needs. The food was delicious. We will be back to this lovely friendly place.

Best pizza I've had in ages, creat crust and toppings. The eggplant chips were delicious and the service was also good! Will certainly be back!

This is our favorite girly lunch place where we love to sit near the back garden on a Friday. We can't resist from ordering the burger with skinny fries with wine of course. We come out happy and wishing we could stay longer and eat more.

Fresh food, full of flavour, well priced, and friendly service...the team here ticked every box for me.<br/><br/>I discovered this place when I popped in for early coffee, and thought it was worth a visit for a meal - it immediately had the look of somewhere you could enjoy the night, and turned out to be a great choice.<br/><br/>Loads of options to suit a range of fussy eaters, including little ones.  We enjoyed a sample of sharing plates, a fresh salad, and some of the tastiest smashed potatoes going around.  Rounded off with coffee and some deserts to share, we left happy with everything we samples.<br/><br/>Service was just right - happy to let us take our time, and no rushing us out the door.

We had wonderful time , nice sauce with salmon won't harm , nice presentation lovely beetroot , my friend had veal with coleslaw he enjoyed so over all very nice

Paradiso!!! You are fantastic! Thank you again for a wonderful night. Wait staff are on point with service, so friendly and fun. Food was amazing, pizzas are delicious and the eggplant chips are a MUST! The wine recommended was beautiful and we had a wonderful night! Thank you Paradiso!<br/>

The two of us ordered the steaks from the menu. As she is a diabetic she wanted veggies and as the menu stated the steak was served with seasonal vegetables that's what we both ordered. The only vegetables that arrived on the plate was silver beet. When asked where the vegetables were the staff mumbled an apology and 5 minutes later returned with a plate of silver beet and a few chopped florins of broccoli. <br/>Very disappointing. <br/>Careful guys, there are a lot of options in Camberwell.

Paradise In The Junction!!. The title really speaks for itself!! <br/><br/>Perfect beer garden!! Great Service, and quality food!<br/><br/>I'm here quite often and drive out of my way here to come and get a delicious coffee! <br/>I enjoy my time spent here, eveytime I come I leave happy.

Great atmosphere, friendly staff and great food. Will definitely be back!!

Regulars know best!. Love this place!!!! I come here every night with my girlfriends. Great coffee, great food and friendly staff. It's a must!

Paradise NOT. We had a table of seven. Food was good and service average. Would have been a great night but for the music . Conversation was impossible and if the young staff were trained correctly they would have been aware that the majority clientele could not possibly appreciate their loud techno type music.

I ordered a wagyu burger, which was strangely gritty with each bite.  Try as I may, I could not identify the source of the grit.  I hoped to God it was sand on the lettuce but deep down, part of me was afraid that the grit is from the burger meat itself.  I was operating in denial and ate the burger on auto-pilot. The fries themselves were extremely salty and for once in my life, I did not finish my beloved pomme frites.  A few quick pics of what the others had ordered: ...Haloumi salad ...Chorizo risotto ...Soup of the day. Verdict:  we wouldn't return. Overall Cafe Pardiso, whilst in a convenient locale did not meet expectation on service and food quality.

Seafood chowder. Very little seafood, mostly carrots. The mussels were overcooked and inedible, still with grit in them. An expensive night for an ordinary meal

Great vibe. This restaurant is a great new find. Good entrées, great pizzas for main and nice coffees too. Perfect place for a date night. Also great atmosphere and customer service.

Paradiso has quickly become one of my favourite haunts in Camberwell. I love a risotto and whether by coincidence, there always seems to be one on the specials board - never disappointed. My daughter loves the gnocchi which isn't your garden variety with Napoli sauce, pine nuts, feta etc - really interesting. The beet root salad with chicken and walnuts is delicious if you want something light. It can be noisy when the restaurant is full so probably not the place for an indepth conversation but I feel this adds to the ambiance. The staff are attentive, sometimes slightly intrusive, however I prefer this than the alternative when you can't get the waiter's attention. It's by no means a budget restaurant, however it's in line with other casual restaurants in Camberwell, ie Deco and George's.

Nice wine. Loved the pizza and calamari :)

Great Food, ambiance and friendly staff. Been there first time and greed well by the staff. Had to wait for my meeting to arrive. Staff made sure I was fine and at the end served us some nice food. Surely going back soon with family. Well done guys and keep up the good work :)

Nigel. I been alot of place try food and wine but one of experience I won't forget is food and service the food is great experienced so to all the other review that dislike I can't see what tha fuss . so I suggest try out your self.

One of the best pepperoni pizzas I've ever had!!!!

Cafe Paradiso. Had an enjoyable meal today with a couple of friends of mine after the movies at Rivoli. Great service, friendly and warm. The food was beautiful, we sat outside in the beer garden which was lovely, a really nice setting for weather like today. For entre we enjoyed the eggplant chips along with the saganaki and dips served with beautiful bread made by the chefs of Paradiso. Mains were delicious! Amazing pizza and generous servings. Highly recommend the Turkish Apple Iced tea if you're looking for something refreshing and sweet, definitely visiting again.

Wonderful cafe, my new favourite place to eat at. It's a really chill cafe and has such a great vibe to it. Definitely recommend for everyone whether it be for breakfast, lunch, dinner or even just a drink.

Seriously just had the best pizza here. Gotgonzola and prosciutto. I joined urbanspoon just so I could coment on the food here. My wife had the calamari - SENSATIONAL. We'll be back

This was once a decent place to have a meal before the movies, however since the refurb and change of name the customer service seems to have taken a back seat. Sorry but will be taking advantage of the other options available nearby.

No paradise.. My gnocchi was stodgy and was meant to have a tomato dressing but it only had 4 small pieces of tomato. My dining companion had the barramundi which had an unpleasant aftertaste served with cold mash. The eggplant chips were nice. Might give it a miss next time.

Good atmosphere for either dinner or drinks with friends, even in the cold winter! Buzzing staff, great sharing plates and pizzas are fantastic. Authentic italian style, not the heavy handed hawaiin take aways from the corner shop! <br/>Definitely a go to place in camberwell, also good selection of easily accessible drink menus, from Aussie craft lagers to imported ales, choice of tap beer, and a selection of wines that change regularly! <br/>Check this out!

Lovely Birthday Dinner. 12 of us came in last Sunday night for the first time for my best friends 30th. After picking our very friendly and knowledgeable waitresses brain on wine, we opted for the sharing set menu which offered a variety of dishes to share from house antipasto platters to traditional style pizzas. It was well priced and very tasty. The Churros donuts were the perfect end to a lovely meal, with luscious wine in a groovy atmosphere. My friends and i look forward to our next visit soon.

Lots to offer. Had a lovely meal here Friday evening, food was good, service excellent and ambience great, will return again for a relaxing quality meal.

Very friendly staff very helpful with every request we had food is amazing one of THE places to be in camberwell very happening place god job guys keep it up will be back for more!!!!!!

I went into the new and improved Cafe Paradiso last night and I just have to say that I had the BEST pizza I think I've ever eaten. I ate the whole thing to myself and was stuffed full, but it was just so good I couldn't stop. Luckily I have a second stomach reserved solely for dessert, because I tried their chocolate soufflé and went to heaven a little bit. I really enjoyed myself, and they had a really good looking barista to top it off ;)

A Change of Pace. Camberwell is a hodgepodge of blase, same-same cafes and restaurants, characterised by little but safe menus and listless staff who seem to have little desire or enthusiasm for their work. In other words, the food is bland and the service tediously detached. However, Cafe Paradiso is one of the very few exceptions in the area. A friend and I ate there after a movie a week or so ago and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. The waiters are clearly well-trained, friendly and attentive. They really made it a bit of an experience. The wine list, although smaller than some tomes you see around the place, actually dares to venture out of the predictable NZ sav blanc and WA shiraz range, with some top Italian wines and (apparently) regularly changing pouring wines which really opens up the usual options. They also have plenty of beers, including a couple on tap - the Estaminet pilsner is a winner. The mostly Italian/European menu is nicely contained, with share plates, salads, sides, mains and pastas all covered. We really enjoyed the house made bread and the antipasto platter, calamari and soft shell crab as starters. But the pizza is where it is at. I have long loathed how generic pizza has become in Melbourne: doughy, garlicky and over topped with cheap ingredients. At Paradiso the traditional style bases are on the thinner side, but hold together in the hand, and are clearly carefully tended by the chefs, with excellent quality ingredients finishing them. The prawn and pancetta pizza was amazing and my friend was rapt with his mushroom pizza finished with a bit of balsamic to give it a nice bite. It's nice to know that in an area as usually disappointing as Camberwell that there is a place actually worth venturing to to eat out, or, with their quality beer garden, perhaps just have a drink or three with a couple of share plates. Excellent. Can't wait to return.

Had dinner here on a Saturday night, it was packed and the service was fantastic! Staff were professional, fast and fun. Food was perfect. Eggplant chips exceeded all expectations and the wine list had options a many. If you have any love for pizza - try all of them! Best pizza I have had in a very long time. Such a wonderful night!

Love this place! Excellent beer and wine selection... Sharing dishes are really tasty, favourite after works drinks hangout on a Friday night!!!!

10 out of 10!. Came here with my family last week. Got a mixutre of things to try. Pizza was by far the most outstanding thing we ate. The service was outstanding. Your welcomed by frienldy staff and the amazing food just topped off a great night for us all.

Definitely a Melbourne favourite. Top service, friendly staff and awesome food. The eggplant chips are to die for

Worst steak ever. Ate here last Sunday night. The steak I ordered was medium rare and came with no sauce. The steak was burnt on the outside with inconsistencies on the inside, some parts burnt , other parts undercooked. It was so easy to see how poor these steaks were , the cook must be blind. other members of our party also mentioned that their food was really average also.

Terrible. My friend and I had been to a movie the other day and walked across the road to this restaurant.<br/>It was past lunchtime so we decided to just have a bowl of soup. It was the special soup of the day,<br/>ham hock and we thought it would be a nice hearty winter soup.<br/>Wrong...... it had a very thin broth with a few tiny vegetables cut up and some pieces of fat floating in the bowl.<br/>Hardly a piece of real ham in the thin soup which really did resemble dishwater.<br/>Bread was fine but couldn't finish mine and later in the day I had a really terrible taste of fat for hours.<br/>We eat out frequently and this was appalling, not just a below average soup. <br/>Used to go there in the old days when it was Nataraj but never again.

A tad disappointing on a third visit. Food was good but service was very uneven. Warm tap water on a warm day isn’t acceptable especially when it’s delivered 20 minutes after arrival. You also shouldn’t have to chase people to order. Dishes were reasonable though particularly the salmon and the coleslaw. Oddest service I’ve has for a while though. Jury’s out here for me.

FANTASTIC! What an absolute pleasure to eat here. The food is just incredible! It's tasty, fresh and it brings the very best ingredients right to your table. The service is excellent, and the price is fair. The very best camberwell has to offer!

Go there regularly with friends and family. The tasty menu, attentive service and welcoming atmosphere keep us going back!

The legendary eggplant chips are indeed legendary!

The inflated prices for the sharing menu imply a quality that is far beyond the reality. The service was amateurish and intrusive

A great experience. We had a great time. The wine tasted like it had time to breathe before being served. The prices were awesome and the hot peach crumble was great to share. The outside seating was dimly lit and the heat lamps kept us cozy. A great, comfortable place to relax. I'm excited to bring my friends.

A big group of us came in for lunch one day, firstly one of the burgers was raw and had to be sent back, another person had being given the wrong order three times, and then we were charged for the wrong orders and the raw burgers, we will not be returning again, not a good way to keep honest paying customers

We really enjoy Cafe Paradiso and come here a few times a month. Staff are very friendly and food is fresh and tasty. Pizza base is sensational with good quality toppings, highly recommended. I also often have the steak which is great too.

Cafe Paradiso - Hellish Prices!. Easy to see why this would be popular as it attracts filmgoers from across the road. It used to go by another name but as they say, a leopard doesn't change its spots. The same food and wine are there on a menu that would be difficult to read if you didn't have good eyesight, they don't need thick plastic covering the menu. Wines are expensive by the glass with some interesting examples however. Pizza costs are outrageous with minimal toppings adding insult and injury to the hip pocket. Un-Australian. People next to us were rightly unhappy with their meagre rations as we were with ours. The prices are an unmitigated rip-off, which in reality should be $6-$7 cheaper for what you get. Other items were also expensive on the menu, so suggest going to one of the other places nearby for your post-cinematic repast.

Cafe Paradiso has a great vibe and great food. I love going there with a few friends to chill out and the menu is great if your into sharing. The staff are so friendly and willing to suggest what they think are the best options. They really make your experience there worthwhile. If you go, my suggestion is chose some sharing plates especially the egg plant chips they are my all time favourite!

Waste of money. Went to Cafe Paradiso after seeing a movie today at the Rivoli. Ordered a mushroom pizza which whilst being a far to large serving for one (6 pieces,) was very sparing on the mushrooms. I think they used one mushroom sliced randomly over the pizza, which also had cheese and balsamic glaze drizzled over it. I complained to the waitress and owner, and was told that the pizzas were authentic ("hadn't I read the menu?") and that they make them this way in Naples. I was shown the expensive Italian pizza ovens imported to make the pizzas and asked if I liked the dough ( the dough was fine, I just didn't think I needed to pay for his pizza oven as I didn't buy it). Oddly I also didn't buy the pizza for the base or I would have just ordered the base, I guess. All this for $19! One mushroom only. This is Australia, if you order a pizza you expect topping. Will never eat there again!

Best Veal dish I have ever eaten!! Herb crumbed Milk Fed veal with a gorgeous Italian slaw! Thank you Cafe Paradiso

Fantastic. Great food, excellent service and overall just a great atmosphere. would definitely recommend

Excellent food, The staff are nice and wonderful and the restaurant has an atmosphere that is nice at any time of day. Was recommended by a friend to try this restaurant and i recommend to everyone.

Waste Of Time & Money. I went here for dinner with my boyfriend on New Years Eve and it was one of the most dissapointing restaurants i've ever been to. First of all the food was below average. My boyfriend ordered the fish of the day which was the swordfish with a side of sweet potato mash. They charged $30 for a piece of fish that had been quickly grilled with flavourless mash potato slopped next to it on the plate. It was a very bland meal and definitely not worth $30. I had the wagyu burger with the side of fries and it was nothing special. It was your basic burger with lettuce and tomato and they charged around $25. All together the menu was boring with not much to choose from. Our waiter was awesome but the manager was dressed in a disgusting wrinkled t-shirt, old shorts and dirty boat shoes. He looked like he had just arrived from being at the beach. Very unprofessional. Not to mention he was extremely rude to me over the phone when I was booking a table. I won't be going back to Cafe Paradiso and I wouldn't recommend it to my worst enemy.

I found the owner to be extremely rude. When I asked why my house wine was so expensive his explanation was "we serve quality wine if you want cask wine go home and drink it". It did not end there I paid my bill and said no more. He then came out side and in front of every one he said you did not pay for you ice coffee I was taken back because I had a bill which he gave me. With a smile on my face I said paid what was on bill maybe you took it off cause I complained. His response "I work hard for my money". I'm glad we have choices because I will not be returning

Went there on Saturday night in a large group. I ordered the Swordfish which was delicious. Kids had pizza and others had chicken and steak. All said positive things. It is the same decor as Nataraj but with a pizza oven added!! I was expecting more significant changes but its the well known Nataraj but now with an Italian flavour. Still too noisy when full as it was before. But we enjoyed it as a casual eating place with all the favs there!!

My girlfriend and I went here for the first time last Saturday. The food was lovely, menu fairly broad and I was immediately blown away by the service we were given by the staff! They were sensational! Highly recommend and will be going back.

Found myself eating here twice in three days. Once for dinner. Had this amazing duck Risotto of the day. Then a pizza which tasted delightful with fresh tasting flavours which makes your mouth water at every bite. Two days pass and thought I would go back for lunch. Had the entrée calamari. Then a pee, feta, pumpkin and chorizo risotto. Then finished with a another pizza off the menu. Everything was 10 out of 10! Can't fault the food one bit. Top it all off they had friendly staff with big smiles. A great funky trendy young hip restaurant. Can't wait till I'm next in Melbourne to eat at Cafe Paradiso.

Great food and magnifient service. Had a lovely bottle of wine suggested to us from the owner and the new banquet open was perfect for us!

Great revamp, great menu. Definitely worth a visit.

Had a magnificent pizza , crispy base , fresh produce with prawns, tomato and basil, real winner , good wine great service from knowledgeable staff

Wow had a fabulous time great food great service and fantastic pizza will definitely be back and bring my friends

I am a regular customer and introduced my friends to breakfast last Sunday. I had a Delicious veggie breakfast, mushrooms with baked ricotta an asparagus! Excellent service! Great ambience and look forward to the summer months so we can enjoy our breakfast in the stunning courtyard.

We went there for breakfast and were disappointed with the food. My meal came out with over poached eggs, so I swapped them with my partners. One of the eggs had eggshell on it making both of our egg dishes inedible. The other people we were dining with said that their toast and bacon were burnt and that their food was very salty. We informed the waiter who said he'd let the kitchen know. I would have thought that they would have taken my meal with the eggshell off the bill but they charged us full price. We will not be revisiting.

Formerly Nataraj, now reinvented as cafe Paradiso, it's main focus seems to be gourmet pizzas and judging by reviews they seem to be doing a good job. <br/>Being a non pizza eater I was interested to see how they dealt with other dishes. I had a porterhouse steak with garlic and rosemary roast potatoes. Steak was tender and pink in the middle and the potatoes were yum. <br/>Finished off with a dessert of lemon tart with ice cream. I'm asucker for a good lemon tart and this was pretty damned good!<br/>It was a busy Saturday night but the service was prompt and efficient and the waitress was delightful.

Wow!. Loved the pizzas! So full flavoured, both the toppings and the dough. You can tell they use really good quality, fresh ingredients. Enjoyed in the totally chilled beer garden with a cider and I was in heaven. Loads of other items I'll definitely be coming back to try. Get down here people!

Pizza crust my fav. The pizza crust is sensational, I actually liked it more than the pizza! I must admit I do like tomato paste on my pizza and this had none, but it was still nice. Great setting.

Pizzaiolo's signature is phenomenal!!!! This is a must try!! Well done Mr pizzaiolo!!! Appsolutley loved the rosemary garlic potatoes with san daniele prosciutto.

Loved the pizza. Well priced. Open kitchen is a good idea. Enjoyed watching the pizza chef spin the bases around. Recommend this one.

I had a Tagliatelle Primavera, my daughter had a Margarita pizza and both meals absolutely to die for. We definitely will go back.

First time there excellent food will go again

Tried the Salami pizza tonight and absolutely loved it! My friend had the burger and said it was to die for.<br/>Will defiantly be coming again!

Very impressed with this place! Absolutely love the renovations and the new menu! Had the wagu burger and beet root salad. Phenomenal!

Cool place! Really tasty authentic pizzas.

I was a bit disappointed with the service.  Being a week night, it wasn't all that busy but we waited an eternity for the drinks to be poured.  One of the parents ended up walking to the counter and asking what the specials were before coming back to the table to recite it back to us as our waitress had gone AWOL. My disappointment with the service was eclipsed by my disappointment with the food.  I ordered a wagyu burger.  Sounded good in theory.  However it was strangely gritty with each bite.  Try as I may, I could not identify the source of the grit.  I hoped to God it was sand on the lettuce but deep down, part of me was afraid that the grit is from the burger meat itself.  I was operating in denial and ate the burger on auto-pilot.