Review Il Solito Posto - Melbourne

The best Italian restaurant in Melbourne! Haven’t tried a better one yet. Simple food done extremely well. Super fresh, vegetarian options, and rotating list of interesting specials. Good wine selection and very helpful staff. Will keep coming back here!

What an amazing experiences of Italian restaurant. Quiet and a bit dark environment give you more relaxing and enjoying time with your delicious meal. Perfect red wines with great foods make you full in a good night out. Staff have been so friendly and welcoming. Thanks 😊

Really enjoyed our dinner here with the family. Nice cozy atmosphere with a good hubbub of noise. Great meals with the pumpkin/pancetta risotto and the chicken liver parfait to start. Great to see the Rockford wines in the list as well, though sadly out of my price range. Though the Atlas shiraz we had instead was excellent. We’re looking forward to returning when we are next in Melbourne.

Amazing meat balls on polenta. School prawns are out of this world - pure poetry in the plate. Child friendly in style. Staff is amazing, friendly and helpful. Matt was amazing and helpful, his food suggestions were on the spot. If you want the place with great food, great environment and outstanding service, come to this Melbournes gem.

A fabulous authentic Italian restaurant with traditional dishes to satisfy all tastes. The specials are always a great choice and add to the usual choices of an Italian restaurant. The service is efficient and friendly when the serving calms down. I love the location and the decor and is typical Melbourne. Missed the food photos as we were all too quick to start. Definitely worth a visit.

This is our first time here. Alana was so friendly and extended a warm welcome. She guided us through each course beautifully. We started with School Prawns and chicken salad. We finished it up with Gnocchi filled with Ricotta cheese accompanied with Clare Valley Shiraz. Everything was so gooood. For me, Gnocchi took the prize. The Dolce menu too looked delicious, I’d have liked the Vanilla bean Pannacotta with fresh berries but we were so full. Finished dinner off with a nice flat white and a short black. The best coffee I’ve tasted. Strongly recommend the Gnocchi 👍 We are certainly coming here again to taste the desserts before we leave 🥳

Food was very good, although portion size might be slightly small for the price, but it is Melbourne! What is fantastic, or should I say who is fantastic are the staff. Service was quick, but most importantly friendly and made you feel welcomed. They are a credit to this establishment and would make you want to come back for a repeat visit.

Great friendly service and certainly reasonable prices. Bookings and vax proof a must.

Wonderful spot can’t wait to go back .

Buzzy Italian in the heart of the city. Very accommodating finding a last minute table for us during the dining chaos that is the Australian Open. Fabulous atmosphere and focused produce driven menu served by knowledgeable staff with cheeky grins. Enjoyable evening.

My favourite Italian in Melbourne. Food and service are consistently great for more than 8+ years. Their linguine marinara is the best in Melbourne!!

Came here for a friend’s birthday dinner.. we previously heard good things about this restaurant and had their risotto once and was quite happy with the quality of food.. however this time it was a bit different... we had some antipasto and oysters to start, pasta and fish for mains...and some chocolate cake for dessert.. overall the portions were pretty small for the price... the pastas wasn’t as good as I remembered as the sauce wasn’t as thick and flavoursome... the mains were also a little bit disappointing as portions were really quite small... <br/>atmosphere was nice.. it had a bit of a dim light feel to the place like having food in a cellar... <br/>staff were pretty friendly up to the point where we decided not to tip them... their couldn’t really care less after that...

I used to love Il solito posto but I haven’t been for a long time and sadly it was a letdown this time. A group of us went to have lunch there and for some reason I am very put off with the waiter who served us. Because we “only” ordered pasta and not entree main dessert and drinks, I felt like we are being treated like second class citizens. <br/><br/>I ordered a truffle mushroom pasta but all I could taste was cream, no truffle flavours at all. For something that’s closed to $30 a plate that’s pretty poor form.

My first dining experience at this restaurant which has been a CBD stalwart for years. I had rather high expectations for this Italian eatery having so much positive feedback about it. Unfortunately, the week before I had dined at my favourite Italian restaurant in Carlton which has never failed to please. So this place really needed to impress me.<br/>It’s quite a large space with two levels. My group & I were seated in the basement level towards the back which suited me being away from the restaurant ‘traffic’. Unfortunately the place was packed so noise levels were high, especially from a table next to us with four young women who believed it was appropriate behaviour to squeal & giggle very loudly. Our waiter was pleasant enough but was a bit detached, not quite engaging with us.<br/>We started off with Prosecco a ‘seasonal’ antipasti platter which consisted of some cured meat, grilled vegetables, baby bocconcini, delectable white anchovy, olives, pickles, crisp-bread & a hummus which can be best described as “meh”. For entree I chose the special of Sicilian style ‘Bruschetta’ - char-grilled bread smothered in butter/ olive oil & rubbed with garlic. It was served with chicken livers in a light creamy mushroom sauce & topped with crisped pancetta. Despite the livers being slightly overcooked I thoroughly enjoyed the flavours and managed to mop up every drop of the delicious sauce with the bread. For main I chose the squid ink linguine with calamari, fresh tomatoes, garlic, basil & chilli.<br/>A dark mound of handmade pasta arrived flecked with small chunks of pallid calamari. The aroma was divine - it was redolent of the sea & the wafts of garlic & basil were intoxicating. I picked at a couple of bits of the calamari. Not a major flavour hit and a bit on the rubbery side. Not sure whether it was pan seared or blanched. I dug into the pasta which had a nice texture & bite while absorbing the flavour of the garlic. The squid ink was barely discernible. After two mouthfuls my tongue, lips and back of the mouth experienced the sharp sting of saltiness. I called the waiter over and asked if this dish was meant to be salty. Was it the squid ink? He said no but the dish was seasoned as it was put together. I said I couldn’t finish it, that it was too salty for my palate. He offered to return it to the kitchen & get me something else. I accepted & I perused the menu while he returned the dish to the kitchen. He returned to the table to tell me the chefs were happy with the level of seasoning in the pasta. Had they tasted my dish? Did they actually take some pasta off my plate & try it? It was highly salted. The the waiter said “chefs” which meant plural. Did two chefs both season my dish with out the other one knowing?<br/>The waiter then offered me the same dish without added salt. I actually enjoyed the pasta itself so agreed to try the dish again. It soon arrived and was very pleasant in the end without the heavy handed seasoning.<br/>My fellow diners all enjoyed their meals with out complaint.<br/>Overall the food was of a good quality, great flavour combinations. The menu was simple & tight, not too overwhelming.<br/>Service attentive and accomodating. Our waiter warmed up once were into the meal and he became involved in my salty incident.<br/>Prices a little hefty though.<br/>I will return at some point for another meal.

This restaurant has a great atmosphere and is very quaint and well appointed. The staff are professional and attentive. The food was well cooked and presented. The real disappointment was the ordinariness of the menu. There was nothing about it that was different to the standard ‘Australian Italian’.

Il Solito was great, I can see why it’s been an old favourite in the city for a long time! The pasta was really well cooked and tasty. My only gripe would be that the bread was a little stale, but overall, I really enjoyed my meal here.

Best place for ragu ever! Staff are super nice and welcoming. Food is always amazing. Sit in the bistro for a large bowl of heavenly amazing ragu

An institution in its own right! Il Solito Posto is fantastic for walk-in dinners in the very charismatic bistro area or a pre-booked fine dining experience downstairs. The service is always warm and friendly. Do order from the specials board as the menu constantly changes, everything is seasonal and delicious. I love this place, would highly recommend.

Really nice and cosy ambience, as well as very attentive staff. Ordered the oysters and antipasto for starters with two pastas and risotto for mains, all of which were delicious.

I love this place. The setting is gorgeous and the staff are wonderful and attentive. My partner had slow cooked lamb and I tried the spaghetti alla vongole. The clams were fresh but there were only about 5 of them :( Still a delicious meal though.

Amazing little authentic Italian restaurant- so much flavour and really well priced! Also the staff were so friendly! We will definitely be back.

Outstanding food with excellent, friendly, efficient and unobtrusive wait staff.  We also loved the cosy ambience.<br/>Only negative is too few Australian wines on the list

5/5 rating for their amazing fresh pasta, we had the special truffle with egg, mushroom papadelle and seafood marinara. All so delicious and waitress were so helpful, service was fantastic but most of all the food was definitely on point.

I've been wanting to come here for a while and last night, we had our chance. We were off to the theatre so were eating early, by 5:45 there were only one or two tables left and the kitchen wasn't even open! It's clear this is a very popular spot, with many regulars. The wine menu is extensive, the food menu not so much. But that's what makes it great. It's the way an Italian restaurant should be! I ordered the Rigatoni Ragu special, was soooo delicious and so many great flavours. My husband ordered a seafood pasta dish and finished my plate too! Service was quick and friendly, we'll definitely return!

This is my favourite Italian restaurant for so many reasons. <br/><br/>The setting - either in the cafe or in restaurant feels nostalgic and comfortable. The staff are always attentive and friendly. The wines - amazing list. And the food - wow! I can recommend the pasta ragout or the steak. But it’s all good. You will not be disappointed.

Walked into this little restaurant with a mate before a show on Friday night. It looked so authentically Italian with its warm cosy feel. We were seated immediately near the book case. They brought the specials board to us which was a nice touch. We ordered two types of pasta- the ox tail ragu and the seafood linguine. Starters were 6 oyesters and the pate. The pate was delightful. Really smooth and very flavoursome. The oyesters were fresh but I've seen bigger and they came with no accompanying sauces which was strange. The pastas are large serving sizes but I didn't love the texture. Very rubbery and too doughy. Bill was $120 with no alcohol. Service was probably average.

Was here last Friday after 8pm with my partner’s family. Very interesting location, nice ambience and feels very cosy. We ordered 2 entrees- Prosciutto and Terrina. Both were simply excellent. As for the mains, we ordered Squid ink linguine and Parpadelle funghi (look at menu for exact names pls). Both were great and satisfying. However it took about 35 min for our mains to come after the entrees. I was very surprised with the Squid ink linguine as I thought it will be pasta in black ink sauce like the norms but this was squid ink linguine itself with a white cream sauce. Delicious! We ordered the mains portion for the 2. Doesn’t look that much (might not be enough for bigger eaters) but was alright given that we ordered entrees too. Dessert was Panna Cotta which was light, smooth and creamy. It laid on a bed of cooked apples and biscuit crumbs. The texture of the trio blended well with each other. Will definitely be back again.

So disappointed by this quaint little Italian joint that held so much promise. Visited with friends on a chilly winter evening. Service was very good, but the menu was limited and the dishes I ventured to try were underwhelming. Calamari starter was bland and under seasoned and the pasta dish wasn’t outstanding either. Companions reported the risotto special was lovely though. Had the price point been a little lower, it might have made a difference. But for me, this place didn’t represent value for money.

Such a cute venue! Feels so rustic and authentic. Pasta is perfectly cooked al dente and the sauces are flavoursome. The oxtail ragu was amazing. The oysters were fresh and delicious, and pate had a smooth delicate flavour. Definitely worth a visit!

Food was very good with the highlight being the squid ink pasta. Absolutely delicious though slightly on the small<br/>size. <br/>Cosy and characterful albeit noisy ambience. This is due to the amount of tables in a relatively small space. Service was attentive. Recommended.

Wonderful little restaurant. Food was very flavoursome and delicious. <br/>Only downside was the waiter that was serving us seemed very grumpy and unwelcoming. <br/>We waited over 30 minutes for our food; we had only ordered one bruschetta and two pastas. But I suppose it’s because we visited during lunch time. Perhaps, if you don’t want to wait for too long visit the restaurant after 1:30pm or before 11:30am.<br/><br/>Food: 4/5<br/>Service: 2.5/5<br/>Ambiance: 3/5<br/><br/>Would I recommend Il Solito Posto to family and friends ? Yes, I would but only for the food because service was not pleasing at all.

Never ever ever disappoints. I have been coming here for years and have introduced so many people to this place because it is simply brilliant. So Melbourne yet so Italian! The staff are awesone, the food authentic and the atmosphere is perfect. No need to say anymore really 😊

The location and vibe of this restaurant is so romantic and authentically Italian. I came here a few weekends’ ago with some friends before heading to the comedy festival, so we were looking for something convenient, quick and tasty.<br/><br/>Even though we didn’t have a booking the wait staff were great about organising us seats at the bar to have dinner, and service was pleasant throughout despite having a full house. Portion sizes here are big, so prepare to come with an appetite. We shared the seafood linguine and the meatballs with polenta, and my favourite had to be the meatballs- they melt in your mouth!<br/><br/>Can’t wait to come back and try out more of the menu, might have to get the hubby to take me here for a date night!

Love this place. Cozy set up, great atmosphere, friendly staff and delicious food! Always have a great meal, and a lovely experience here. One of our faves!

Fabulous Italian in the city. Quite a few Italians recommended this place so it must be good! We came here on a Saturday evening with no booking. The friendly waiter told us it was going to be a 90 minute wait but we weren’t hungry so we said we would wait. Immediately got handed glasses of prosecco to settle in. We got seated within 20 mins by the bar! <br/>With a bottle of red and some very delicious pasta. Unfortunately didn’t get the chance to try the signature linguini due to the long waiting time and all the smells was making me hungry! The veal Ragu was great though. Perfectly cooked and so delicious! 5/5 for service and food!

I went for my birthday with my family last night and this place is amazing !! Absolutely loved every dish that was on our table, and the wine was lovely 🍷😍 Service was also GREAT !! Would definitely recommend !! 💯💯

Accidentally found this Italian restaurant while walking around. We were amazed by its high standard. Delicious pâte and seafood linguini. Great atmosphere, good table service. Clean environment. Such a local gem.

Have visited Il Solito Posto a couple of times and have always enjoyed it. Last time I went was late last year. I love the vibe in there - very romantic with the dark lighting! And I love how it's below street level. I find the food really traditional and tasty - reminds me of actually being in Italy (I have only ever been for dinner though). On our last trip we had Zucchini Flowers which were absolutely gorgeous - nice and light batter with a beautiful filling. Also ordered and shared the Casarecce Ragu with Pork and Fennel Sausage, and the Gnocchi with Guanciale. The gnocchi was like light little puffy cushions. I love Casarecce, and the pork and fennel sausage addition was delicious. Would recommend a night here for a nice date.

Stepping down into Il Solito Posto, we were immediately transported to Italy. The leathered furnishing against rows of wines set the tone for the evening. What followed after was not simply plates of food, but rather a culinary adventure, facilitated by incredibly attentive and humorous staff. From appetiser to main, the dishes were varied in texture, taste and each with their own character, yet they all did not fail to impress. The dessert was in another league of its own, for the Panna Cotta was a melting-in the mouth perfection.

I rarely ever order a risotto...however I went for the goat ragú risotto on the recommendation of the waiter and I was not at all disappointed. Serving size was perfect, heaps of flavour and the goat was the perfect meat choice complimenting the other elements of the dish. <br/><br/>Definitely a “legit” Italian place, not one of the fakes you’ll find on Lygon street these days. <br/><br/>Very good service as well, waiters were there whenever you needed them and always were friendly and helpful. <br/><br/>Somewhere I’d take a non-Melbourne friend to let them experience classic Italian that Melbourne is often known for.

This place is always packed whenever I wander past. So we started with the mussels which were in a delicious tomato sugo with char grilled bread and was top notch. The terrine was ok but the chicken liver pate was the definite pick of the bunch. For mains, the steak (sorry about the picture!) on spinach was surprisingly big and a great cut of meat. Pudding to finish which was shared between four and was just enough sweetness to end the meal.

Absolutly loved this restaurant in the past and would give it a 4.5 for previous times visited. However this time the service was lacking. Food wasn't as good as previously but giving the low rating is mainly for the service. I would first like to commend the male waiter staff who served us on the night of 29/01, he was very professional and attentive as he always was when we went previously. However female waitress with long brown hair was very pressuring and commented inappropriately. I remember from previous times she was pressuring but this night it was a bit over. First off with certain dishes such as dessert, we decided to not get one and she said "well there is ALWAYS room for dessert..." in a judging tone and upon saying we were ok and did not want extra dessert she pressured us further to get it. I want to point out that a customer gets to decide whether they want something or not, without needing to be pressured for it. Furthermore when we paid the bill, we asked to split it into two payments as I had gotten a new card that day and had not remembered the pin. She decided to make another snide remark which was "well you should remember you pin so it's not this inconvenient next time". Um sorry? Didn't think it was inconvenient for us this one time but maybe it was too inconvenient for you to do. Once she processed the payment she decided to ask for a tip, because obviously she did us a massive favour by splitting it. The service from her was unpleasant and pressuring, will not go again.<br/>Again, great restaurant previously but just not worth it for us to spend a nice evening out and getting this service😔😔

Very rarely I find myself feeling speechless at a restaurant...and for a moment, I was...in a good way. I wanted to make sure that what I write does justice to how much I love this place.<br/><br/>Il Solito completely changed the way I view Italian food...and I've been to fair number of places including several fine dine with eye watering price tag.il Solito is a game changer for me. It is as close to perfection as I can imagine. <br/><br/>Service was impeccably fine dine but retains the personal touch and warmth. The place itself have an air of simplicity but full of character. The half basement setup, simple wine display, space...it's cozy but not claustrophobic ... <br/><br/>We started with some house marinate olives, fresh oyster Al naturel and gnocchi to share. Gnocchi will melt in your mouth follow by and explosion of wholesome natural tomato taste. It is at this juncture that I'm beginning to struggle with words to describe this new gastronomical sensation.<br/><br/>All 4 of us have chosen the eye fillet steak. Not the most adventurous choice but what a great one. The best steak I've had in a restaurant in Melbourne. Sounds like I'm just overselling but no. This is the good. I've been to meat maiden, la luna, Squires loft...and several other lesser known places...this is the best. All 4 steak with juicy, succelent, tender and the combination of rosemary & mustard crust and the veal jus.... perfect.<br/><br/>I was already completely full at this point but how can I pass up the dessert when everything was so good...the curiosity was just too much for me. So I ordered the tiramisu...😍... <br/><br/>I was also lucky enough to have come with a group of well travelled and knowledgeable foodies who made all the right choices of champagne, white, red and fortified wine to pair with the food. <br/><br/>My apology for being over the top with my praise but I simply could not hold back my admiration to the owner of this restaurant. The perfection in every aspect...this can only come from someone who is truly passionate about their restaurant, their food and their customer. <br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/>

Tasty food and a great aperol spritz. Extra points for the great service and atmosphere which make it a top experience. Dined as couple but great spot for groups also.

This has every right to be touted a melbourne iconic restaurant. The food, service, ambience and wine is out of this world. I can bring interstate and international guests here and it never fails to impress. The veal and Chardonnay were the best combinations on a cold melbourne night.

Warm and cosy. Felt like I was back in Italy. Service was very friendly. The oysters and octopus were delicious starters. We also had the sardines and prawns which were not bad either. The squid ink pasta tasted nice, but it probably needed more calamari as I only had about 4 tiny slivers of calamari. The pork ragu pasta was much more generous. Pinot noir and nebiolo were fantastic choices

Came here for lunch was very busy and the food took 30 minutes to come out! Pasta was ok (don’t think it deserves the rating) but took way to long to get to us...

This is a restaurant with food and service beyond aussie expectations and high levels. Welcoming... Informal... Yet highly professional like fine dining... Must visit

Got in early on saturday around 6pm and luckily beat the rush that ensued over the next hour. We were taken to a table early enough and the hostess brought put a high chair attachment for the baby. We ordered some oysters and bruschetta to start, followed by some pastas on the specials board.<br/>Food was good and the pasta was excellent - with just enough bite. Wine selection looks great, but very limited options by the glass. Finished up with some vanilla rice pudding; the crushed pistachios were an excellent addition. <br/>Overall, a good dinner but not quite exceptional. <br/>

We were walking down Flinders Lane in a hunt for a new dinner place when we came across Il Solito. We ordered the Linguine frutti de mare. The seafood was fresh and the combination of herbs and chili made this pasta dish surprisingly refreshing. The Veal Ragu had a more homey feel to it, with its rich tomato-based sauce that's probably been brewing for hours! We ended with the Tiramisu which I definitely enjoyed because a) I couldn't taste liquer and b) the coffee was super intense.

A true Melbourne institution. Been coming here since my grad days and many moons later on, it's still one of my favourite places for Italian food. The food is always consistently good and delicious. With all the fancy new age restaurants in Melbourne, Il Solito Posto still stands up as the place to go for good hearty Italian food.

One of my favourite places for pasta places in Melbourne! Located off Collin Street, this authentic Italian restaurant makes fresh pasta daily. The tortellini we had was divine, cooked al dente with ricotta centre, burnt butter sauce and fresh peas. We've tried other menu items (that weren't pasta) they were only ok; not amazing and desserts were mediocre too. For wine and pasta - it is definitely a winner!

Came here with a few gfs for dinner. Great atmosphere and really busy. Waited around 10-15mins at the bar for a table and made sure we were good for drinks while we waited. We ordered 3 pastas to share and a salad. The salad tasted really good with the roasted capsicum and zucchini. The fusilli amatriciana and seafood linguine were delicious, however the ragu was on the bland side. The waitress was attentive and made sure our wine glasses were topped up the whole night. We also ordered the chocolate lava cake and tiramisu and both didn't disappoint. It's on the pricier end for pasta but worth a try if you haven't been before

Simple but amazing Italian food. Restaurant is intimate and cosy. The service is excellent. We ordered the squid ink pasta, rocket salad and a cheese platter to share. Delicious.

Love this little cute restaurant down collins. Such a romantic atmosphere and the staff are lovely! One of the best vegetarian pasta I've had in my life! My girlfriend had the beef pasta and she loved it. Definitely worth it and will come back

Having my work at 101 Collins st and this lovely restaurant at the side is a blessing. Whether it be a quick or long dinner with my husband after work or a nice lunch with clients or a quick pasta lunch with colleagues - flavour authentic and a good wine by the glass selection. It is also wonderful to see the same servers/wait staff here after so many years, they are always friendly and authentic to me and my party ❤️🥂🍾

Hidden in a laneway off Collins street, this little gem looks to be a popular haunt for locals. It was buzzing on a Wednesday night. I was happy with my linguine frutti di mare which was filled with a good amount of seafood. 🍝

Great food and service! Love the vibe in there. You feel like you're in a hidden restaurant somewhere in Italy. Definitely be back for more. Bravo 👏🏼🌟

Ate in the bistro, Got the special rigatoni with pork and beef mince was Average, people with me liked the seafood pasta a lot though. Would like to come and try the other section.

Hello. My name is Debra. Last month (April) my partner and I dined at Il Solito Posto in Melbourne to celebrate our anniversary. We were recommended this establishment as being something rather special by our hotel team. We were excited to be going and made the reservation one month prior as we reside currently in Perth, WA. Honestly, this is the first review I have ever written for a restaurant and it's so unfortunate that it's about to be negative, however sincere. I'm not completely convinced this establishment ought to be in business today due to the fact that there is no room for neither arrogance or outright rudeness considering the culinary choice which exists in Melbourne. To be honest we were warned by our hotel team that we may encounter some pretentiousness at Il Solito Posto, however the food promised to compensate. Allow me to further state that I have lived in both London and Sydney and have had the pleasure of experiencing a broad array of restaurants. However in my life I have not once left an establishment feeling so upset or wanting to warn others not to go there. My partner and I encountered immense hostility from the moment we entered the front door by a large man who we ascertained was the maitre'd. Then left standing in a small entry way for at least two minutes as he dealt with another staff member. Not to quickly put off by such a gruff and impolite 'welcome', we still obediently went to our table. From the moment we were handed the menus and a wine list we were treated nothing short of contemptuously. I can put up with a lot, I promise. But that night was dreadful at this awful restaurant. We have complained to our hotel team and they no longer recommend Il Solito Posto. Naturally. If we were offered free dinners at this horrid place for a year we would decline naturally. I'd like the staff at this Italian restaurant to know that people have feelings. Regardless of the standard you assume your food to be, people don't enjoy being offended and accosted as you did to us, a well dressed, well spoken couple in their forties. As for the food-we weren't exactly compelled to hang around for pudding. Nor will we be back in late June for my birthday. Pity because we were looking at that time for a restaurant we could call "ours" to frequent. Thanks, Debra.

An oldie but a goodie. I've visited this fine little Italian bistro a few times over the last 10 years and haven't been disappointed once! It has a Parisian feel to it, and very Italian-sque feel inside with different antiques displayed around it. Brought a friend from London here on Saturday for lunch at the weekend and we both had the meatballs with a creamy polenta and tomato ragu - ohhh ragu! Words cannot how wonderfully juicy and flavourism it was! The service was a bit sparse but I think they were understaffed and fully booked! I was glad to see that the seafood pasta was still on the menu - definitely coming back for it again!

This is one of our regular haunts. The food is consistently good and the staff are attentive. It doesn't matter if you come for lunch or dinner, you always leave full and happy!

Definitely book ahead of time if you plan to come here as it is always pretty busy. There is a casual dining area upstairs (ideal for larger groups) and a more formal menu downstairs. Upstairs has a buzzing atmosphere and it has a warm, homely feel to it. Good variety on the menu which is always coupled with an interesting specials board. The stand-outs for me were the pasta with pancetta (a special) and chocolate lava cake. If you're in the mood for high-quality Italian food in the CBD this is the place to be.

Enjoyed a Wednesday night dinner here recently - place was pretty full so bookings are definitely recommended. The Russell Crowe doppelgänger head waiter (?) was super helpful and friendly. Food and wine is definitely on the pricier side but was enjoyable. Shared antipasto plate and zucchini fritters - pretty good. Had the popular squid ink pasta but was let down a bit - overhyped - it could've had more flavour and seasoning. The only real complaint is that the waiter presented the eftpos machine with tip request as he stood beside our table. We spent close to $600 and had intentions to tip but was turned off by the direct pressure to do so.

Late night shopping with a friend Friday night and we decided to pop in for a bite to eat.  I have had been here once before for a coffee so was keen to try the food.  The setting and ambience is lovely and the restaurant packed to the rafters.  We initially had to sit at the bar and later moved to a table, the staff were very accomodating.  The food took a very long time to come out, I understand it was busy but all that was ordered was a lentil soup and a pasta dish.  Nevertheless the food was delightful and wine excellent.  I would like to come back and try other things on the menu.

It must be the week for exceptional service and food. Walked up unannounced, no booking, place full of suits, dishes buzzing through high in the air by the speedy waiters. Standing up on the staircase looking down onto the floor, I thought oh no we have no booking. The head guy asks if we have e a booking, No sir, ok no problem, would you like to eat at the bar, sure we are hungry that's fine. Now within 5 mins a table if free and he sits us down. We order the spaghetti calamari with chili in the special board, just sensational, and the house salad, Bellissimo. A glass if pinot noir.My friend suggests we have a glass of Averna and a slice of orange. It's a digestive....Quite nice indeed.!Great place for lunch, super good staff and the food exceptional.

We had a great night here. They were very busy and we had not booked. Waitress was amazingly helpful and knew the menu and matching wines. Can't wait to go back and experience the great pasta and atmosphere

Have heard of this place from friends for a long time, tried it for the first time last night.<br/><br/>Exceptional waiting staff. Very much felt at ease throughout the entire experience.<br/><br/>Food was well cooked. We had the quail special as one of the entrees and it was delicious!<br/><br/>Extensive wine range and great vibe. Full house on a Monday night. Bookings recommended.

One of my favourite Italian restaurants in Melbourne.  Great ambience, friendly service and delicious food.   Love their squid ink linguini although every other dish I have tried here was excellent.  Highly recommend their chocolate pudding and panna cotta (my personal favourite) for dessert.

Worst dining experience I have had in my past 4 years in Melbourne. Extremely rude waitstaff. Luke warm mains that took over an hour to come out. No compensation. Will never go back.

Il Solito Posto came highly recommended and was a delightful meal.<br/><br/>I enjoyed the Risotto special of the day - N'daju (spicy Italian sausage - similar to pepperoni but softer) and peas. The N'daju was flavourful, the peas were fresh and firm, and the arborio rice was cooked perfectly.<br/><br/>My colleague enjoyed the Fusilli Amatriciana, pasta topped with a Napoli sauce with pancetta, chilli and onion.<br/><br/>One of the better Italian restaurants I've tried in Melbourne.

An Italian restaurant buried beneath a laneway. The restaurant is in a basement with wines stacked shelves. Quite dim but warm and cozy with a touch of class haha. <br/><br/>We only had the pasta for our main dish because that's what most people recommended. We tried the 'Farfalle Salmone' and the famous 'Linguine Frutti'. Both of the pasta taste so good but the sea food is not very fresh. <br/><br/>For dessert, I had the tiramisu. It tastes quite bitter and rough compare to most of the tiramisu I had before, it was okay only, should have order the chocolate pudding. <br/><br/>Great staff and food! I would rate 4 for it's great service, pasta and ambience. 😊

Went to this place quite a few weeks back during a friday date night. Would recommend to make a booking as it can get quite packed. The place is quite dim and cozy but with a touch of class. Staff were friendly and service was brilliant. Although the food is quite pricy, it was overall cooked and seasoned to perfection. The pasta and chocolate pudding in particular were absolute wonderful. Definitely one of my favourite picks for a romantic dinner. Will be back for sure

Absolutely amazing. The staff are really friendly, and I can't describe how amazing the food is. Despite the restaurant being full, we didn't have to wait long at all for our food. Will definitely be back

2nd time here and the food and service have always been consistently good ... coffee was above average and staff are friendly and professional

Great little Italian restaurant in the city. As you walk through the doors you are instantly transported into Europe. The food is very good, the staff are friendly and the ambience is great. <br/><br/>We had the beef ragu, spinach and ricotta tortellini and squid ink linguini. They were very delicious and the plating was good. It felt like home cooked meals. <br/><br/>One fault I have is that they never mentioned that there was a booking after us. Our night was cut short as we had to leave after dessert. It's completely fine if we were informed beforehand.

Very intimate and very Italian! Started with the antipasto which was nice. I had the King George whiting special for main which was good but needed a squeeze of lemon. Couldn't fault the service and the wine was excellent.

Bruschetta不是记忆中的味道了，面包是冷的，油已经浸入面包许久变得湿乎乎的。<br/>Pasta还是很棒，面软硬刚好，海鲜也很新鲜，好的pasta就是让人一直忍不住想要继续吃。沙拉的蔬菜香甜，虽然本身dressing很传统就是醋和油，吃起来却酥脆有余。中午只有3成满，我们吃吃聊聊坐得比较久，后来服务生态度很不耐。<br/>Great pasta and salad, bruschetta was not as good as I remembered (it was my favorite bruschetta for quite a long time before I revisited last week). Service to be improved.

My boyfriend and I came here for our anniversary and had a great time. Neither of us are big drinkers but the staff wine recommendations and beer selection got the better of us! The school prawns were absolutely delight - although I should not have indulged, it was definitely worth it! The pasta and risotto were both great and it was reasonably priced considering the service and atmosphere. The service was great and I will definitely return - I'll remember to ask what the gluten free options are this time around!

Happy that we made the visit here on a Friday night. Located in a basement off Collins Street, there's plenty to admire about this venue. The atmosphere, ambience and general vibe are what make this restaurant such a worthwhile experience. The food was fantastic; the Tasmanian eye fillet in particular was superb. Whilst I would have preferred to see more options on their cocktail menu, I understand an Italian restaurant will obviously focus more on their wine service. The staff were friendly, thorough and attentive. If you're considering treating yourself at a quality Italian venue, Il Solito Posto is an option which I would definitely recommend.

Celebrated an anniversary with my partner here a few weeks ago. Beautiful decor like a cantina in Italy with great ambiance. The menu was impressive with great seasonal items available. I had a duck leg cooked to perfection whilst my partner had linguine with saffron and prawns. We also shared entrees and dessert. Great wine selection and the waiter ensured the glasses I ordered matched my food perfectly. Bravo team!

My favourite Italian restaurant period. Authentic Italian food with the service to match. When I lived in Melbourne I ate here regularly and was never dissatisfied. Pasta is always perfect, a tip, ask for the cheesy garlic bread with chilli for a entree. Wine list is staggering and the venue as a whole is cosy and well thought out.

I recommend you to only get their pasta here! Started off with some calamari which was terrible... But the tortellini and pork ragu was delicious.

Good hearty Italian food in a sub-street level diner off the top end of Collins St. Very Melbourne. Nice service. Moody enough to have atmosphere, maybe a little noisy.<br/>$150 for 2 including : 4 wines, chicken liver pate & crostini to share, casarecce with peas truffle mushrooms sage, chunky veal Ragu with...

Do: the pork belly ragu, the duck, the potatoes, squid ink, the chocolate fondant and the tiramisu. <br/><br/>Don't: leave without a coffee. Served with biscotti in that old school charm way. <br/><br/>Tip: they take bookings for their two nightly seatings at 6:30pm and 8:30pm. If you arrive early, no problem, sit at the bar and just people watch.

Great moody atmosphere, with dim lights, half underground, and plenty of chatter amongst the tables (not too loud) that gives a good experience. Always offer specials and the food is always very good. Table service is always accommodating and the wine list is also solid without being extensive.

Service and atmosphere were both impeccable. I walked in without a reservation on a Thursday night for two. The restaurant was packed but luckily ready to accommodate us immediately. <br/><br/>We ordered the soup of the day, half a dozen fresh oysters, the seafood linguini, and the eggplant & zucchini mozzarella salad - everything was great! Portions were generous and easily shareable (they will even split it for you). <br/><br/>I will definitely return! (We even left a tip - even though that's uncustomary in Australia).

Favourite Italian restaurant. The bistro is wonderful but for a really special evening, the restaurant downstairs is amazing. The food is as good as the service. Each visit has bettered the last so we will keep going. Book early!

A sensational little spot in town for a great Italian meal and a lovely glass of wine. Just down off the chaos of Collins Street you step down into a little piece of Italian heaven with pasta, ragu, tiramisu and Montepulciano. We haven’t been for a while but it was just as great as I remember and one of the nicest meals we have had in ages. The staff are wonderful, the service impeccable and the food is out of this world.

Situated in a basement this place has great atmosphere friendly staff and great food and coffee. Their bircher muesli is the best we've had.

I give it a high review on the basis of customer service. Despite being located in the posh end of town, staff are very down to earth and great place to spend a weekend lunch with loved ones or friends as it is not too crowded. Consistency in the attitude of staff and the quality of the food - can't go wrong.

<br/>Another solo meal in Melbourne CBD, and again, it was AMAZING! <br/><br/>I chose the Pork Belly along with a Pinot Noir. The meal was a definite spoil for myself, but worth every penny. <br/><br/>The meal started with a multi grain bread with olive oil and my glass of wine. Both were clean, superb, fresh yet full of flavor. <br/><br/>When the twice cooked pork belly served with Caponata arrived, I was gob smacked with the size of the pork belly. I wasn't expecting much from the size of my fish, I was more so looking for a flavoursome and fresh meal. On the contrary, the meal was filling up to the rim and exquisite with its simple clean presentations and gorgeous flavors!<br/>(I was looking to order dessert but couldn't bare to pack it all in)<br/><br/>The staff at Il Solito Posoto are well mannered, attentive and full of character. My meal came efficiently and my table was very well serviced. <br/><br/>Il Solito Posto is somewhat pricey but is definitely of good value. Always try and make a reservation before hand.

This place is amazing! Felt like we were back in italy the atmosphere is gorgeous! Food and service superb! Not easy to find yet very popular! Hidden gem!

Breakfast better. Il Solito Posto ("the usual place") has had its ups and downs. Long ago it was fab. Last time before this one it had deteriorated. My visit this week for a breakfast meeting suggests it's returned to its former heights.<br/><br/>My avocado toast ($13) was, on menu alone, a bit on the expensive side but on arrival a generous serve of simple things done well - loved the chilli and lemon served with it. A $4 side of smoked salmon was massive, which together meant a full tummy right up to lunch. My tea was perfectly brewed and served in a similarly large teapot with a dainty cup.<br/><br/>Service was pretty prompt and friendly. All the time I've been going, which is over decades, service has been good, and the decor and warm atmosphere hasn't changed. The dining room next to the main room is a bit more glam and private, and I'd consider going back for dinner soon.

This place has two sections - the bistro and the restaurant. I have eaten at both.<br/>The bistro section is pretty average. This food is not up to usual Italian standards of good ingredients, simplicity and flavour.<br/>The retaurant is better. Good service and seemingly better food, although of course from the same kitchen.<br/>I would not rave about it. There are significantly better Italian restaurants in the CBD, including some recently opened ones.<br/>Il Solito Posto is best for a work lunch, rather than with friends.

Great city hangout, to dine in and enjoy an amazing meal or just chill out at the front of along the bar and graze on some delicious Italian spuntini.

Never a dull moment here , I prefer the Bistro and the farfalle salmone is my favorite .<br/>Casual late night dining at its best with a real New York feel in our lovely Melbourne .

-Environment: 4/5<br/>Good lighting, not too dark/bright <br/>Music volumn was just right<br/>-Service: 4/5<br/>Fast and prompt<br/>-Pricing: Abt $100 for two<br/>-Food & drink:<br/>Chardonnay from local area as suggested by the waitress-buttery texture and the sweetness just perfectly fit my taste buds.<br/>For appetizer we ordered some oysters. pretty fresh but not the creamy texture that i like.<br/>For 1st course, a bruschetta with cherry tomatoes and cheese. The balsamic vinegar at the bottom brought up taste for the grilled sourdough! <br/>For 2nd course, we had 2 pasta.<br/>Farfelle with smoked salmon chunks and Spirals with tomato and fried bacons.<br/>Love the rich pasta sauce for spirals. U would have the sauce on every single spiral pasta. Farfelle was cooked to al dente but not in a very rich cream sauce. The side veggies made the dish gave a good balance for tonight's meal.<br/>It's a good choice for fine dining experience in CBD!

Mamamia!!! I must admit they serve the best Italian Antipasto in town! So tasty and generous portion.. Fresh and value for money. Always love the loud and friendly service of Italian restaurant, no wonder it is so popular and always full house! Their pasta is authentic, hearty and impeccable! I had the recommended seafood linguini and choc dessert, it was YUM!! I will be back to try other pastas and bring more friends here for sure.

Came here for breakfast a few years ago and was quite happy. Went here for dinner last night and was less impressed. The veal ragu was chewy in parts. It was a penne but it came with a single ribbon pasta - looked a bit unprofessional. The milk in my macchiato was burnt (and took too long to arrive). The server calling us "lovelies" was a bit much too. That said the serving size was great and apart from the chewy bits the veal ragu pasta was quite nice.

I've been coming to Il Solito Posto for over a decade now. Its time for a review. <br/><br/>Let me say straight out: I've never had a bad meal here. Not even an average meal. <br/><br/>Every time, I wonder why I don't come more often. Then I realized - its so special that I like to keep Il Solito for special occasions or for when something really matters. <br/><br/>Michael Tenace is an artist. From the premises and its wonderful atmosphere to how his staff treat you, his creation really is something to rave about. <br/><br/>If you want some authentic yet fresh flavours, you really need to make the effort to come in to the city and eat here. <br/><br/>It fails to fail.

Came here for my sister's 21st & it was the best Italian restaurant that we've ever tried! Squid ink pasta & pork shoulder pasta are the must-try!!

Enter in a laneway to get to this gem. Waiters were really attentive and friendly. The food was divine and I could not find any faults in the dishes I had: seafood squid ink linguine, twisted pasta with slow cooked pork ragu and special of the night grilled prawns. Simple flavours done well. Dine in the restaurant for the full menu otherwise there's a cafe menu with selected options.

Went to the restaurant not the bistro for the extended menu selection. The pasta with the pork shoulder was the best dish of the night. The squid ink pasta was nice as well. The risotto was average. For dessert, the tiramisu was better than the chocolate pudding. The service was a tad slow and was hard to get their attention. Didn't had a problem walking in around 7.30 weekday to get a table.

A group of four of us had an enjoyable evening here. The service was very good. The wine list is extensive but a little overpriced. As with most, you can usually find something reasonable. The food was good but not great. I'm not sure it was enough to entice me back though. However, it was worth a try.

Il Solito Posto is one of my favourite spots in the cbd. The bistro is always cosy and bustling, the restaurant the perfect place for a date, the service is the perfect combination of warm, welcoming and efficient. And the menu and wine list certainly keep me coming back. It has stood the test of time as a true Melbourne staple. Love it!

Met here for a coffee meeting and decided to stay for the always great calamari salad. I have been coming here for years and will continue to - always great!

Just wonderful and great Italian food... This is the 2nd time I have been to this place and have always enjoyed the food and excellent wine paring.<br/><br/>

Quaint and tasty.<br/><br/>There's very little to say about Il Solito Posto other than they deliver as promised, the food tastes as great as it sounds in the menu and looks fantastic.<br/><br/>It's quite rare to see a place that is open for such extended trading hours to be this exceptionally good.<br/><br/>I will most definitely return.

The chocolate pudding is the must try dessert if you are not in a rush. It was served warm with fluffy outer layer and soft centred. It was just perfect! The beetroot entree was very flavoursome to start off the course. Both squid ink risotto and the seafood linguine was cooked al Dante. The only criticism I would make would be the squid ink risotto did not have much calamari in it and the place was a bit squashy.

Very popular, have been waiting to eat here for so long as I had missed out on booking many times! I wasn't disappointed either. Ate in the main restaurant, although I would've loved to try the bistro menu as well, which has your more traditional, mainstream fare. The tagliatelle special was lovely and flavoursome, the only fault would be that it was quite buttery. The casarecce ragu was really good and and had a great balance of flavour. If I had to nitpick, the pork pieces were very dry. The arancini was not bad, as was the salmone stagionato. I thought the gamberini was a great touch and a tasty appetiser. The highlight I think was the panna cotta. The best I have had. Exactly the right amount of bounciness and texture, while brilliantly accompanied by rosewater Apple, poached rhubarb, rolled oat and burnt butter crumble. Sounds so simple, and I don't typically like rosewater, but wow, so good! Can't wait to go back again and devour more from the rest of the menu.

A secrete hide away off Collin at which was spacious upon entering. The ink squid pasta with calamari was so yummy. Also a expansive selection of wine

Great little Italian restaurant that feels like you have transported to Italy. Love the pasta dishes here, always something different on offer. Mains are looking belly always have the lamb. Wine list has great choices and the staff are very informative about the wine.

Best Italian I've had in Melbourne!! Love this place. I've been recommending this joint to all my friends. This gem located on Collins street has a great vibe, excellent customer service and they take reservations! <br/><br/>But what really tops it is the food! For entrees we ordered the arancini balls. First I thought they were way too small however they are filled with yummy rich flavour! The beef cheeks is the best I've ever had - it was full of flavour and so tender, just melts in your mouth! The twisted pasta with lamb shoulder pieces was such a delightful dish!! I'm usually very picky with my pasta but I had nothing to complain about with this one. The handmade pasta was so soft and nice, the lamb was also very tender and the sauce was yumm!! My mum ordered the barramundi main dish and she enjoyed it. <br/><br/>They have a wide range wine list and lots to choose from, however I'm a moscato person so I ordered the Moscato d'Asti and it was lovely! 👌🏽

Service was lovely. Little class Italian restaurant, beautiful handmade pasta! The squid ink pasta was delicious. I had entree size and then had the barramundi main. Wish I just got the main size pasta though it was so good! Finished it all off with the panna cotta! YUM!

We try to book the day before but it was all full so we just walked in that day after shopping around 8:30, waited about 20mins that was alright and staff is very friendly and let us seat at the bar area while we are waiting.  We had a Steak and Seafood pasta, the steak is probably one of the best steak that i have never had.  very tender, juicy and full of flavors, the seafood is very fresh and cook to the perfection.  It is a very pleasant dinner and good experience.  We will go back and try some other dishes later on.

Well after hearing all that hype and and praise I finally decided to go check this place out for its breakfast and coffee. Firstly I have to say I am a fan of such warm looking places especially in brutal Melbourne winter. So the fit out won all my praise. But as the food arrived it was became a downfall to my expectation , mojo and experience. The food was below average I ordered the scannable eggs I believe they call it Italian scramble or something, they were extremely salty for me to even finish half of it. The skinny latte was about ok too. Our tea came in lukewarm and not hot enough as standard. Lastly the porridge we ordered with a hope to better our experience tasted nothing great and looked very mediocre in presentation to begin with only. Not going back !

What a warm and cosy place! Waitress was lovely and so confident in her recommendations. Great service too!<br/><br/>Had calamari as entree, light and yummy. Really enjoyed the seafood linguine. Generous portion with good serving of fish, prawns, calamari, mussels tossed in garlic, chilli and olive oil. Tasty and so good. To end, the chocolate pudding is divine and so perfect!

What a warm and welcoming environment to step into. Staff with smiles from ear to ear, remembering almost all customers names and serving delicious authentic Italian food. Nothing ground breaking about the menu, but I tried all of my friends dishes and all was as delicious as mine.<br/><br/>Finished off with the tiramisu which was honestly the best I've ever had.<br/><br/>Fantastic place to go for a casual atmosphere and great food.

Il Solito Posto is our favourite breakfast spot in Melbourne serving great coffee, with just terrific service & food. Have had a couple of great dinners there too<br/>Highly recommend.

Cruising on old glory. I said I wouldn't review you if I didn't like you. I lied.<br/>Paper napkins, wasn't offered the dining room area (weird as the wine list is the same and it was a dead Monday night), uninspiring food, glib staff, no food checking, meh.<br/>Rice pudding being the highlight says it all.<br/>$200 odd dollars for two that wasn't appreciated by the staff, no goodbyes on leaving.<br/>I HATE THAT!!<br/>Get your act together guys, you were so much better....

It's not easy to give this place a bad review, but.... Let me start by saying that this place has a wonderful atmosphere, an extensive wine list & you can't fault the food. That's why we've been here six times and I've even paid for one of my staff to go here with her fiance for her birthday. This has been one of my favourite restaurants in Melbourne.<br/><br/>You can imagine my disappointment then, when we took our friend who was visiting from Perth and we had a bad service experience. Rather than going into detail about all of the minor shortcomings throughout the night (of which there were many), I'll just share the incident that frustrated and embarrassed me the most:<br/><br/>At the end of our meal, the three of us decided to get another bottle of wine and a cheese board so that we could wait for another friend to join us for a quick drink after she finished work. When she arrived, one of the waiters (who was not serving our table) became a bit confrontational and told our friend that she could not sit down with us and sent her away to the bar to sit by herself- this was despite the restaurant being at about 70% capacity and having room at our table for her to join us. When my friend from Perth attempted to sit with our other friend at the bar to keep her company, he was told, "please go back and take a seat at your table". We weren't given any explanation as to why our friend wasn't allowed at our table and both friends were a bit shaken.<br/><br/>We spent about $350 on great food and drinks, but unfortunately the taste that remains is a bitter one. Bitter enough to not go back.

A Melbourne institution that can always be relied on.  Have been here for breakfast, lunch and dinner over the years and it is comforting, well executed Italian food.  Portions are generous and the coffee is great too.

La La Larve. Quaint, downstairs, city rustic Italian with a knuckle coin swispe of switched on ambience with ease. What can I say? The first steps down to this place, will set your midnight in San Remo and tastebuds on fire. The pasta here is absolutely glorious, as is the excellent delivery of it. As you nestle finely into it's cozy cobbled wings, you'll saturate in warmth and the perfume of satisfaction, reminding yourself that this would be the perfect cove next time for afterwork nectars or dining with a secret friend. Charming and romantic. I love this place.

Great food, Way over priced!. Went for a mid week meal last month, and although the food and service were great. one hundred and eighteen dollars for three main sized and one entree size pasta dishes they have got to be kidding. <br/>Seriously it's only pasta, take a good look at yourselves Il Solito Posto. <br/>We also had a bottle of wine and a couple of side dishes total bill just over two hundred. <br/>Yes they offer good food and service, but so do plenty of other places in Melbourne. Do yourself a favour and go elsewhere. This place doesn't do it that well that they can justify to charge as they do, we will never visit again, nor shall we recommend it to any visitors or friends.

I don't think I have had a bad meal at Il Solito Posto before, and the service is always affable, I was particularly impressed with our waiter for the evening recommending such a winner of a dish when it was off the menu. The only point of deterrence is that the prices have risen quite a bit since my first ever visit.. although that was in 2005, so not that unexpected.

The food was delicious and our service was great (the waiter thought they were "serving us too quickly", so they gave us complimentary glasses of dessert wine). I know Melbourne has an enormous number of Italian restaurants and I could probably try dine at them all and never achieve it in my life time. But I have no doubt that I will be back at Il Solito Posto... and not just because I walk passed it every day.

Too good! It’s now 2 hours later and I’m still feeling the love and class of this tasty and hearty breakfast!

There's a restaurant tucked in the back, but I'm fond of the cosy little bistro up front. Slightly worn, but familiar and a pretty good business lunch spot.

Service was friendly and capable. Wait staff were confident and knew what they were doing although it did take a little time to order drinks and get menus. I guess it's a leisurely pace they work to as opposed to turning the tables round.

il Solito Posto is one of those restaurants that you would never see unless you knew it was there. It's hidden off a side street and since the restaurant is situated below street level, you only catch a glimpse of the upper ceiling.

After almost a year of working across the road at 120 Collins and dinners at the office, Il Solito Posto is a favourite for our nightly team orders. Not a week goes by without a phone call to Il Solito and some weeks when everyone is too busy to care about variety, we might order from them thrice that week. They are always open and will answer their phone, they use fresh ingredients to make nutritious dishes and they don't mess up our orders very often. Surrounded by a team of demanding diners who are are all extremely health-conscious, and don't have a high tolerance for incompetence, it's easy to keep going back. whilst we're on this topic of  takeaways, I wish Il Solito Posto would restore its previous chicken salad, as the latest version is a pretty average in comparison. I still order it for health benefits, but I've been keeping a steady office supply of almond flakes and fresh avocados which I add to my orders to restore it to its former glory. However, it's a shame that we ofte

To find Il Solito Posto you'll be looking down one such alley, for a restaurant tucked below street level. Inside you'll find a dimly lit, rustic space, perfect for whiling away a few hours. Warm yourself from the inside with wine and steaming bowls of spaghetti, with a few Dunalley Bay Oysters ($3.50/each) or a simple but generous salad of porchetta and apple. The elasticity of the toothsome spaghetti enriched with seafood in a simple tomato sauce made for a satisfying start to our Melbourne adventure.

Feel like pasta? Try Il Solito Posto. Tucked down a laneway off Collins St, this little bistro may look unassuming from the outside, but inside it’s a hub of activity, buzzing with conversation and oozing with charm; its dimly lit, rustic atmosphere the p

Excellent on all levels - attentive staff and superlative cooking make an exceptionally enjoyable evening

Flawless. Both the upstairs cafeteria and downstairs restaurant have a classic Italian feel, cosy and inviting with a touch of class. My family and I were seated near the wine racks downstairs by a friendly and attentive waiter. We were told of the specials for the night, and then had a tough time deciding what to order from the menu because there were too many delicious sounding dishes on offer. We started with Zucchini flowers filled with buffalo mozzarella, the grilled cuttlefish/ zucchini/ lemon/ oregano and chicken terrine with blackberries (special for the night). By the time they arrived, we were already blown away. The zucchini flowers were presented beautifully on a bed of rocket and tangy salsa. They were crispy on the outside with melt in your mouth buttery mozzarella on the inside and their luxurious flavour combined very well with the lemony salsa beneath them. The terrine was absolutely divine. It was also artfully presented - sitting next to a quenelle of chicken liver pate, crostini and scattered with juicy blackberries. It is very difficult to express how scrumptious the combination of the terrine, pate and blackberries on crostini was - the rich and creamy pate combined perfectly with the crunchy crostini and delicate meaty terrine, while the blackberries added a sweet "zing" to the savoury flavours. For mains, I ordered the Herb and ricotta gnocchi, my partner and father both went for the Sardinian seafood stew and my mother ordered the Squid ink linguini. My gnocchi was also melt in your mouth, covered in a sumptuous butter lemon sauce and scattered with fresh peas. The squid ink linguini had a silky texture and distinct flavour, with just the right amount of spice - paired with succulent pieces of calamari and fresh tomatoes. The Sardinian seafood stew made us feel like we were on a boat moored in a seaside town in Italy - the well balanced and rich sweet and salty broth combined perfectly with the charcoal charred seafood. We mopped up every last bit of the broth with a piece of left over bread. We ended our night with the tiramisu and chocolate fondant. These did not disappoint - the tiramisu had layers of opulent sponge and mascarpone with a decent liquor kick whilst the fondant oozed with rich chocolate (as it should) and went exquisitely well with the quenelle of vanilla ice cream placed carefully next to it. It is fair to say that this restaurant is one of the best I've been to in Melbourne, and in terms of Italian food - you can't get any better than this. We cannot wait to return.

The Best High Class restaurant that isn't considered High Class. I made a reservation not really knowing anything other than what's here on Urbanspoon and their website.<br/><br/>However, when I first walked into the place I felt completely at peace about my choice.<br/><br/>This restaurant has the atmosphere you would find at a place that requires you to wear a dinner jacket, but doesn't require you at all. We had a reservation at 6pm, and the place was near empty, however at around 630, the place was near capacity. It was a very popular spot. It was a cool night in Melbourne so we brought our jackets. The waiter offered to hang them up! My jacket was a 10 year old jumper/hoodie; there was no way I was going to give him that rag in such a nice place!<br/><br/>The staff were excellent, always on par with refilling our drinks, the food was quick, hot and delicious. We had a wonderful Italian glass of wine that was the best wine I had ever tasted. <br/><br/>Every part of the night was absolutely exquisite, and wonderful.<br/><br/>There was nothing about this restaurant I could speak poorly of.

Heaven, again. It's become a bit of a ritual to come here with my Dad. =)<br/><br/>The hostess was lovely as always, the red-haired lady. Friendly, knowledgeable but not constantly in your face. Actually, all the staff are wonderful! <br/><br/>Dad had the strozzapreti, and it was really good. I had the entree size tagliatelle with beans, asparagus and marjoram butter. (There was something else as well but I forgot what it was) The dish was BEAUTIFUL. Looks so simple on paper and yet...the hardest things to do correctly are often the simplest dishes. It was clean-tasting and rich at the same time. It was just right. I was saving room for the chocolate pudding, so the entree size was a good choice. <br/>The dessert...OH. MY. GOD...... I'm smiling like an idiot right now thinking of it........ A 15 minute-wait is nothing when you get your pudding at the end! =)<br/>Cooked perfectly, the pudding oozed the gooey cacao goodness when you cut it. Proper cacao taste; not nasty "chocolate" when it's usually just hyped up crappy highly-refined white sugar with barely any actual cacao. The vanilla ice cream was spot on.<br/>The other bits were the hazelnuts crumb stuff AND the berry mini-meringue AND the little fresh green herbs: all blissful. On the menu it says that it has berries, and they were there, but in the mini-meringue form. I wish I knew what the little green herbs were, they went unexpectedly well with the chocolate, hazelnut, berry and vanilla flavours. <br/><br/>One thing they may want to think about: When cleaning the tables between courses, perhaps use paper towels or at least a towel that's had a chance to dry in between? The one used for our table, you can tell it's been damp for some time as it had that off, damp smell, which was quite strong and lingered on the table. For such a blissful dining experience, and at a place of that calibre, it was noticeable. <br/><br/>Will be back again!

Italian Delight. Excellent warm hearted food and service!<br/>Great atmosphere. My boyfriend and I had no complaints

Excellent food, quick and attentive service <br/>Wine expensive <br/>Noisy

Truly memorable. I have now had the pleasure of dining at Il Solito Posto on two occasions. Both times the food enjoyed by myself and my companion has been truly delicious and beautifully presented by knowledgeable staff, who also have a very good handle on the wine list and made some great recommendations on which wine to match with our food. The atmosphere is good, very busy and no wonder. I am looking forward to my next visit.

Tony. Cannot praise this restaurant highly enough. The food was excellent. The staff were fantastic. Will definitely return there. 10 out if 10

Very happy evening. The moment we walked in it was packed with people however with a very lively atmosphere which also gave a cosy feeling. The food was amazing and service was excellent, waitress didn't ask me for tips or I was happy to give a generous tip for such a nice dinner we had. Very happy end to the evening :D

Consistently Amazing. This is one of the most consistent and delicious restaurants in Melbourne. This is the place you will reccommend without even thinking. The main dining room and the more casual area have equally amazing food and the service is the best in town. You are made to feel like you are part of their family. The menu is constantly changing and they have specials that actually change. This makes it a place that is impossible to eat the entire menu so you are never bored. Love the value for money too.

Brilliant pasta . Worth every cent.

Worth the carbs. Worth being fat for. <br/><br/>Staff are fantastic, the food is classic italian - simple, with fresh ingredients.<br/><br/>Always a favourite any time of day.<br/><br/><br/>-----31 Oct, 2014-----<br/><br/>First time on Tuesday and let me just say that it is hands down the most amazing italian I have EVER had. <br/><br/>I was at the dinner table, not even halfway through my meal and I was texting people to join me for dinner later in the week.<br/><br/>Nothing can be faulted, service, wine, atmosphere, food - all amazing.<br/><br/>Fresh ingredients, great wine, amazing amazing food! Fabulous!

Amazing!!! Faultless service & food!!!. Get yourself to this place!!! The meal was faultless and I know I'll be raving about it for a long time. Very reasonably priced for how amazing the food was. 5 people with wine and 3 spectacular courses was $320. The bruschetta is possibly the best I've ever eaten.

Unfortunately our experience was not the best. We were so looking forward to it being our anniversary. My fillet steak was not good and full of fat and could not put a knife through. For $45 I expect it to be mouth watering. Not a huge selection either. But to be fair they did give us a free desert. Service was very good.

Satisfy your coffee craving and order some food while you're at it. This place is my go to place for coffee meetings as they make a great latte. The venue itself has great atmosphere and is always buzzing with people. Always reliable for a good breakfast, lunch or dinner. Today I enjoyed the Italian eggs, scrambled and seasoned to perfection. Toast a bit on the thick side for cutting but a great dish nonetheless. If you're looking for somewhere away from the hustle and bustle of the city that delivers great coffee, food and attentive service, then look no further.

Brilliant. Great service, delicious food, good atmosphere, as most of the reviews suggest - flawless. Would be back again!

This restaurant is completely flawless in style, character, staff character, service and food. I would recommend everyone to try a taste of Italy. I visited with a group of friends and we all ordered different things on the menu. All our pasta was cooked to perfection, the seafood was cooked perfectly and all the ragu were flavoursome and meat was tender and moist. My favourite dish has to be the pork belly risotto. I still dream of this dish. No obvious pork belly pieces on the plate but every mouthful of risotto, which was cooked beautifully by the way, was full of the flavours of pork belly. Must try dish! Love this place!!

A class act from start to finish. It's rare these days that you come away from a restaurant with absolutely nothing but positive things to say about the place. This is exactly how my family and I felt after dining at Il Solito Posto last Friday night.<br/>From the general ambiance of the dining room, to the extensive local and European wine selection, through to the hyper informative wait staff and exceptional food, Il Solito Posto is a mighty fine restaurant and certainly on par with the European and/or Il Bacaro and a cut above Grossi Florentino in my opinion.<br/>I would highly recommend the anti-pasto platter - an excellent spread of fresh crostini, olives, pork terrine, baby bocconcini, whitebait, smoked salmon arancini, amongst other things which came out quickly and was a perfect way to start the night.<br/>I enjoyed my squid ink linguini immensely, the fresh seafood and aldente pasta had that delicate marriage between texture and taste down to a tee, it was a genuinely delightful meal. Other family members had the barramundi and pork cutlets, both of which I tried and also would have been happy with had I ordered them as a main instead of my pasta.<br/>Due to time constraints (as we'd booked to see Les Miserables shortly after dinner), the wait staff happily accomodated our request to expedite service - which ran smoothly and without flaw.<br/>This is a restaurant well deserving of its 90+ rating on UrbanSpoon, and with so much going for it it's easy to see why.

Authentic Italian. Enjoyed dinner with 8 friends at Il Solito Posto. The food was amazing and the staff were friendly, attentive and fun. Could not fault the food or the service. The gnocchi just melts in your mouth. We will be dining here again when next in Melbourne. A wonderful dining experience...great food, great service with great friends.

TOO DAYUM GOOD. Was gonna go to Chin Chin for my friend's birthday but at 5.30pm, the queue was hella long. Friends and I decided to pop in here without prior knowledge on the reviews here. IT WAS THE BEST CHOICE EVER. Customer service was spot on. Being a bunch of Asian International students, many places don't give us a crap but the lady that was serving us throughout the night was amazing. The food WAS TO DIE FOR. Pasta was al dente, bursting with flavours, hitting all the right notes on my pallate. Generous portion. Risotto was perfect too. Separate grains, creamy, SO DELICIOUS. Favourite-d this place. Too damn good!

Authentic taste. It's a must to visit and return. Love the place. Never fails to disappoint.

They gave me the best pasta I've ever had.. This isn't a full review, but out of all the places I've been in Australia (Melbourne, Adelaide, and Sydney) this place wins my title for the best pasta. I had the "linguine frutti di mare" which is a simple al dente pasta with fresh fish, prawns, calamari, muscles (and by fresh I mean, did they just bring this back from the ocean fresh), sprinkled with chilli flakes. When you have your first mouthful, I bet you'll go wow because the flavours of this dish really come together. Whatever that garlic does, just wow. No ingredients feel overpowering, they give you just the right amount of parmesan (when you request it), and you'll just have fun eating here.<br/><br/>Also service here was amazing. To the guy that served me, you are a champion! (You'll know what I mean when you go there).<br/><br/>I WISH I had dinner here instead. Will definitely be back next time.<br/><br/>Food: See title<br/>Service: Tip-worthy/Champion<br/>Value: YES.<br/><br/>You don't have to go to Lygon St (if you went there or were planning on going there) to get your italian. GO HERE!<br/><br/>P.S<br/><br/>Don't listen to Jamie S's review, this guy/girl/it does not have a single clue of what good food is, and has so far only liked restaurants in Brisbane. Perhaps he/she is not used to the great standards of food in Melbourne, or has impossibly high expectations (which I doubt). Probably likes his/her meat well-done and takes My Kitchen Rules seriously. <br/><br/>Just remember 91% of people, and the title of "Best Italian in VICTORIA" can't be wrong.

Amazing ambience, yet four dishes and not a single good one. I don't understand the rating? Pasta could have been from a packet. I won't return.

Yummy Italian. Very busy last Friday. <br/>King prawns as entree- fresh and oh so tasty. Wished I had more. Had the squid in black ink- excellent. Very tasty... Not salty.. Fantastic taste. The black molten pudding was sensational... Good food.

Really good taste,it's better to book in advance

Just like Nonna's. My husband and I walked in on a Tuesday evening, without a booking and surprised at how busy it was. We were greeted by very friendly faces and seated. We shared a bruschetta and had the wagu lamb special. It was delicious, just like Nonna's. Our potatoes were pretty late and without hesitation they were offered free of charge. While service was excellent, it did become slow. We waited some time for our dessert and were told it would still be a while away so we decided to skip it and pay the bill. The food here is fantastic and doesn't come with an obnoxious price tag and the staff are first class, we will be back for lunch tomorrow.

Think you are in Italy. This restaurant is amazing, the bar area and upstairs eatery is equally as good as the downstairs fine dining. Faultless meals and wine list, but the atmosphere is what makes this place special.

Loved it. Highly recommend. So yummy! Herb bread was heavenly. We had the porcini mushroom risotto & lamb ragout (both specials) they were beautiful. Very impressed. Will come back when I return to Melbourne!

Do yourself a flavour... ...and order the eye fillet with parmesan crust and truffle fraiche...one of the best things I've ever tasted!

Above and beyond service. I was at Il Solito Posto on Friday (27.6.14) & as usual I was cheeky and didn't make a booking. The gentleman that greeted my partner and I asked for my name and said to come back in 30 minutes, which we did. The food, as every other time I've been here, was superb. And a fantastic wine selection to boot. Despite being very busy, we didn't have to wait an unreasonable amount of time for anything. But the amazing thing, after paying, I apparently left my wallet on the table and was down the street when the gentleman chased us to give it back! I would have noticed when I went to get in a cab, but they saved me the trouble and worry. It's very rare that service surprises me these days, but they have some winning staff here!

They must have changed chef as food didn't taste as good as I remember. Last night came for dinner, ordered fagella with salmon. Dish came out without smoked salmon, told the waitress so she took back the dish to the chef. What did he do, he just grab some smoked salmon and just added into the dish and add more cream into it. So the pasta got more cream, cold with uncooked pasta. Ate a quarter only with left over the waitress didn't even asked what was wrong. Couldn't believe I had to pay $27 for it. Came with 7 other friends, some had less pasta than others not consistency. Awe fully disappointed!!!!!

A real Italian restaurant,and not only for the food but for their warm "hospitality". Delicious, delicious, delicious. Cosy atmosphere, a little busy, but still charming. The staff absolutely fantastic.<br/>We'll be back more and more times.

Great Italian in the CBD. Had the penne Amatriciana . Loved it. Good service and good atmosphere

I was here last Friday night with a few friends to celebrate a birthday after having been last year. Upon arrival the manager was extremely helpful and got us a table straight away despite it being so busy. Service from the waitstaff however was absolutely terrible, I have never come across waitresses as rude as those who work here. One waitress tried to fill my wine as I was putting it back down on the table which resulted in about half the glass being dumped into my lap, the waitress wasn't apologetic and carried on pouring the wine. Later on in the meal there was an instance in which a glass was broken as a seat above us fell onto our table. Another waitress came over to clean up but was rather rude when instructing us on how to step away from the table. Despite these few mishaps the food was exceptional however the seafood linguine was a bit scabby as I could count on one hand the pieces of seafood on my plate considering I payed over $30 for the meal I expect a decent amount of seafood. When it came time for dessert we were all a bit full so we ordered three plates to share for the table. Dessert came out promptly however one of the dishes was missing so we waited a bit however it still did not come out and so we hailed one of the waitresses and asked where it was. She replied with "You only ordered two desserts, not three. I only heard two so that's what I brought out." We explained that one person on the table ordered for the whole group and asked for three desserts to which she replied "if you were all having dessert you should have said something. A new dessert will take more than 20 minutes to prepare so....". We didn't feel like arguing further so we simply let it be however when we asked for some extra spoons she said "no one told me you were sharing". The staff need a good hard look at themselves, they are there to serve and help diners enjoy their experience. My experience however was abysmal and I won't be coming back.

Absolute favourite place. I've been to Il Solito Posto three times now and I've never been disappointed. It's actually the restaurant my partner took me to for our first date. Apart from how crowded it can get during dinner times, the food is absolutely fantastic and I can see why it's so busy. There is an area for diners though where you are away from the bar crowd and the atmosphere feels very warm. <br/><br/>From memory, the first two times I ordered a smoked salmon farfalle and a ragu pasta. Both had fantastic flavours and I remember saying to my partner that it was the best salmon salmon pasta I've had. The sauce wasn't overly creamy and the salmon didn't leave an odd taste on my tongue like most smoked salmon-dishes do.<br/><br/>The last time we went, though, was the best out of the three. We ordered two pasta dishes from the specials board and I'm so glad that we did. They were a pesto one and a pancetta and peas penne dish. The pesto dish was beautiful and tasted like pesto should. However, it was the pancetta penne that completely made my day (I'm easily gratified with good food). The pancetta was crispy, the penne was cooked perfectly to my liking and the light sauce was so silky smooth. That's the only way i can describe it. The flavours were just brilliant and I hope that it comes up on the specials board again sometime soon. <br/><br/>Definitely a fantastic place to take a pasta lover to on a date.

10th anniversary dinner on a busy Saturday night during the comedy fest. Staff were brilliant and personable. Food was fantastic. Timing impeccable. Love this place ! Book for the dining room though it's popular.

Stunning pasta!. The first thing i loved about Il Solito Posto was they actually took a booking for a late Saturday night dinner! Tick! It has a really warm and inviting feel and and we found the service to be friendly and really knowledgeable, we felt so welcome we ended up being there till they closed! They also have a really interesting & varied selection of italian wines - so hard to choose just one. We had a really generous antipasto plate and I then had the Strozzapreti slow braised pork shoulder ragu for main. The meat was beatifully cooked and the ragu flavour was stunning. This is one of the only places ive seen serve Strozzapreti pasta and i've been to lots of italian places!! I think it was handmade? Eitherway, I was extremely happy and will definitely be back! Grazie for a really lovely and enjoyable dinner!

A bit disappointing as my main meal penne pasta was not cooked and the tomato based sauce was lacking taste. I realise that pasta should be 'al dente' but it tasted like it had been poached in warm water and result was very uncooked. BUT, the staff were lovely, inviting us to have a drink at the bar whilst waiting for a table. The service was very attentive considering it is a very busy restaurant. Has great atmosphere. I will definitely go back. The gentleman waiter with the long curls was a delight.

I was very disappointment of quality food tonight.The pasta from bistro was below par.The waitress was very rude too.

Great food. Focused menu. Authentic multi-regional Italian cuisine. Sincere , prompt service. Solid wine list with good Italian regional selection . My third visit and will be back.

Our favorite restaurant. Never fails to please ! Again last night happy service beautiful food and great ambience . Eat downstairs for a romantic meal . I love the pasta upstairs .The most important thing it is consistent ! We will go again .

Liked it. My wife and I had dinner on Monday evening in Feb 2014 and we both enjoyed it. Service was also good. Its not cheap but we would return.

Excellent

Had the butterfly pasta with salmon - really good. Friend had the pumpkin risotto and staff forgot the chilli, so they gave her the meal for free. Good atmosphere and decent pricing. Will return here.

Fantastic. Had dinner the other night. I traveled alone so was happy to seat on the bar. The place was completely packed. I felt like I'm in a movie, with people constantly coming in looking for a table and lots of buzz around. Great atmosphere.<br/><br/>Seating at the bar I was given plenty of attention and I was well looked after, which just added to the general feeling and the experience. I ordered a bruschetta, risotto, and green leaves salad. The risotto took some time to arrive but the food was simply great!

Amazing food, wine and customer service. Will definitely return when next in Melbourne.

Like eating at Mama's. Fun, charismatic staff, amazing food and atmosphere, Always packed. Recommend to anyone with a love of pasta.

Traditional , yet edgy with out loosing integrity ! This place is a holy grail of what Melbourne is . Cool , understated and bang on the money . Perfecto . !!

Top quality but don't feel the need to over-tip. This intimate space serves up top quality food - fresh, well prepared, and properly presented. The wine list is impressive, though expensive, and the service is generally attentive (bit variable amongst servers however). My only qualm is seeing "Service Not Included" printed on the bill. Really? Not paying your staff minimum wage? I don't think so! This is not a cheap restaurant (our bill for 6 came in at over $600) and trying to trick customers into paying for tips is unprofessional. A poor end to an otherwise excellent night.

I CAN'T SAY MORE .....XX. The other night , I had such a great experience in food , wine , service from the amazing staff, but again the food <br/>Simplicity that makes the dishes a standout, the creativity ,that brings heaps of flavour ... But the best part ...totally satisfied...<br/>Well done , third time here, many more to come

This place is still briliant: Excellent olives, bread is hearty and rustic, Our entrees: beetroot carpaccio was okay but a little dissapointing because the cheese lacked body and was a big plain, however the Prawns were gorgeous, with a charcoal flavour and a beaufiful aioli type sauce. My main was Linguine with Vongole (Clams) in a beautifily simple sauce of parsley, olive oil and herbs. Very well done! Also, our side of Rocket & cheese needed something to balance to bitterness of the rocket, however the Fried potato chips were amazing and crispy! :-) I would still say this place is 8.5 /10 - staff and manager were helpful and great.

Went for breakfast here on a quiet Sat morning. Just made service as kitchen closing at 11am. Ordered bacon & eggs with mushrooms & tomatoes. Coffee nice. Service friendly & efficient but the let down for me was the fact that the bacon was so overcooked it was inedible. Couldn't even cut through with knife let alone chew it. Not in a hurry to go back! It was as if it was precooked and sitting in a Bain marie.....

Failproof. These guys are amazing. Last minute bookings, brilliant service, food and wine list. This should be a staple of every italian culinary enthusiast. Grossly superior to other trademark Italian restaurants such as 'The Italian', Il Solito Posto dazzles your palate, and entertains you between courses. <br/><br/>Entertainment of course, is found in the big Russell Crowe lookalike guy, who is absolutely awesome and effortlessly comedic. The dude makes the restaurant experience. Yeah and everyone else is pretty good too.

Fantastic restaurant with great atmosphere, amazing service and stunning food. Will certainly be back when next in Melbourne.

Overpriced and does not deliver quality food! will not be back! served an antipasto platter which was embarassing.. cmon guys, you charge good money, put some quality food on the plate!

Hi, my wife and I came here for our <br/>10 year wedding anniversary the staff where great very good service too. <br/>The food was excellent it's what I expected a little too pricey tho not really inviting me to go back seeing in the CBD we are spoilt for choice for the same quality service and standard of food at a more reasonable price. <br/>The only other thing that let it down <br/>( other than price ) was the atmosphere it was like a loud cafe and very hot and humid I actually felt uncomfortable.

This place has a great vibe and really great service. Food is very good too. Outstanding tiramisu. We will be back.

Nothing in particular impressed me at this establishment for dinner. Ordered the farfelle (good if you like extra rich & creamy like me but I feel sick now. didn't even finish the meal.) seafood linguine & 2 glasses of sav blanc = $81. tasted fine but wouldn't suggest or return with friends due to all the other good options available in the city. waitress with short hair & arm tatts was not amazing.

Delicious food, quality fresh ingredients thoughtfully combined flavours perfectly cooked. Friendly, switched on service with attention to detail. One of the best meals I've had in a long time. Few wine choices under $50 makes it a special occasion only restaurant for me, but it is worth it for the stunning food and overall dining experience.

Disappointed. This has been one of my favourite restaurants in Melbourne for years now. I am shocked & disgusted at how rude the wait staff were at the last time I dined here. I will never return again and do not believe anyone should have that kind of dining experience especially for a nice night out in the CBD. ,

Good but too expensive.. It is a very nice restaurant with friendly waiters and a very cosy atmosphere. The food was really good - but we had 4 Beers, 1 entrée and two mains for over $100?!<br/><br/>So, yes it is good and nice but too expensive for what it is :(

Pleasure to eat here. Well done thoroughly enjoyed.

Very friendly and relaxed with excellent food.

Good authentic Italian food! Pity the wines were expensive! The waitress recommended a Victorian bottle of Pinot and when the bill came, she forgot to mention that her 'favourite' wine was $100 a bottle! Outrageous!

So disappointed by the restaurant menu. Make sure to only visit the bistro. The restaurant (where you're able to book) is overpriced and the cook had been far to enthusiastic with the salt, the only "flavour" I was able to taste. Meal for 2 (2 mains, an entree to share and two drink) for )150 and sorely dissatisfied

A beautiful restaurant with simple homemade Italian food. The service is quality. Definitely will be returning for another beautiful dinner out.

Great meal Lovely Syrah win.... Great meal<br/>Lovely Syrah wine<br/>Very cute waiter <br/>Simon B

The meatballs are ace. Two of us dropped in here for dinner last night prior to seeing a film. We arrived just before service was due to start, so the place was very quiet with only two other tables occupied, but within 45 minutes it was packed!<br/>Despite being tempted by one of the daily specials (a pork bolognese) we both opted for the polpette (meatballs) no doubt influenced by the fact that we walked past an establishment specialising in meatballs on the way. <br/><br/>Our meatballs were seriously yummy - three good-sized spheres of pork and beef on a bed of soft cheesy polenta with a tasty tomato sauce on top. The dish came with a side of rocket and parmesan salad, which was the perfect accompaniment. Despite the fact the place was busy, service was excellent and the whole experience was made even more entertaining by the dry sense of humour our waitress.<br/><br/>It's always good to find a place that serves good food at a reasonable price. Il Solito Posto is definitely going on my list of cheap and cheerful venues for a quick meal.

NIce and intimate. Great food and great service, the below area was a little to warm because of the heating, but bearable if you took of your jacket. <br/>Nice place to take a girl

Beautiful meal - beautiful atmosphere. Will definetly go back.

Il Solito Posto is a semi basement venue accessed off a cute laneway. The long and narrow venue has a romantic, intimate and European feel to it. We each had a main of a pasta ragu and fish of the day (between $25 & $35), a glass of wine and shared a desert. Food is of good quality and has real flavour. There's an extensive wine list. The house wines were excellent and staff were friendly and attentive. Overall, we enjoyed the atmosphere and food of the place and will return good!

Sensational Modern Italian Cuisine.. Have eaten here many times over the years and have always had a great experience, and have never been disappointed.<br/>The Linguine Frutta di Mare is the BEST seafood pasta I have ever eaten in Melbourne!!! I know that is a big call, but it is consistently perfectly prepared and served.... always sensational. <br/>The service here is fantastic and the staff always make you feel at home. <br/>Keep up the great work!

Charming host and owner , sat at the bar and had a beautiful red vino with some spicy spiral pasta with pancetta! Truly divine !!

Great service. ! Good food. ! Beautiful atmosphere ! Great night xxxxx

Came for a Birthday an had a great time. Great service and pasta & seafood was delicious. Thanks

Consistently good. I've been coming here for years, and its never disappointed. My most recent visit was a Tuesday night with a friend from interstate. I always eat in the front 'bistro', and even on a Tuesday night it was busy. The food is by no means cutting edge, buts its always good quality using excellent ingredients. The staff are efficient n the intimate surrounds, and the sub terranean element means you could be absolutely anywhere. Just off Collins St. on a cool autumn night, or in a back street in Firenze!

Great atmosphere and great service but the food was a bit disappointing. The sauces were good but the pasta tasted very ordinary. For somewhere that is touting itself as the best Italian in Melbourne it could be a lot tastier

Always fabulous service to match the amazing food. Has never disappointed.

Absolutely wonderful ambience, friendly staff, interesting menu but the food itself was disappointing. Such a pity, hoping it was just an off day given all the great reviews it's gotten.

My husband and I flew into Melb quite late and came here for dinner. The place has a great first impression and a rustic charm to it. The service was friendly and attentive. The food was delicious and we will be recommending this place to anyone wanting a good Italian meal.

I recently had lunch here, the veal ragu was delicious. I like the cafeteria section of the restaurant, it's less formal than the dining room but the menu is no less appealing and the atmosphere is relaxed with attentive service. I hadn't been here for a few years but it hasn't missed a beat. A great spot for lunch.

2nd review of this place... Still awesome. If you don't enjoy the pork and beef meatballs stuffed with smoked mozzarella, you're an idiot.

Classy establishment. High standards in food and service that keeps you coming back.

Don't eat here. My partners seafood spaghetti was nice but my veal ragout penne pasta was dry,old & inedible. Really disappointing .

Beautiful dining experience. I have loved the intimate and cosy atmosphere of this Italian restaurant for years and found it to be incredibly consistent over that time. The dishes are superb as is the wine, and the service is always attentive and genuine.

Great food. Went for a pre theatre dinner and enjoyed the food and the wonderful atmosphere, down a lane off Collins St. Service excellent, highly recommended.

Good food!. I come here for weekday lunches sometimes. i've always been happy with the restaurant. <br/>they make simple, proper food, with professional service. which might sound straight forward, but not many restaurants can deliver. <br/>the prices here are on the expensive side, but given what i'm getting in return, i think it's worth very cent they're charging and i consider it good value.

Simply amazing! As usual!!!!! Love u guys!!!!!!!

The dim lighting sets a nice mood for dining and wining. I will have to go back to try the food again and make up my mind, for there were a few things I did not like the first time..I had a special of spaghetti with crab pieces, but it was a bit light on condiments, garlic and was a bit bland. I wish I ordered the duck, it was most amazing according to my partner. My tiramisu..tasted like I was having some undiluted alcoholic drink, could hardly taste coffee or mascarpone. The deserts were also way too small for the price, no offence. The sharing antipasto platter had some nice sardines on it, but i thought the choice of plain ricotta cheese was odd and boring..the duck pate was outstanding. Yum yum. I wanted to spread it on everything..

If you're going to eat pasta then do it here - yum ! Intimate or group!

Great lunch today..  Veal Ragu with Penne (gluten free pasta!). <br/>Plenty of wines to choose from with lots of great Italian reds. What is better than most city eateries is the choice of good wines by the glass. I'm having a glass of LeDifese from Tuscany, very nice! <br/>A good mix of people during the day make for a great atmosphere, <br/>Service... Excellent!

Great ambiance. Great wine. Diss appointing food.

Good italian food. Great Food and Services. <br/><br/>It was abit pricy but worth the experience.

Great food. This is a great spot. The menu is small but very interesting and diverse. The wine list has a good selection of local and imported.i had the tortellini which was delicious. Knowledgeable and attentive service. 8 out of 10 . Highly recommended.

More arrangance sir?. Went there for a client lunch, venue is very nice and has a good feel to it, we were offered sparkling water before menu's, bread was huge and dense and not very nice. duck termine starter was very good - rabbit main was excellent but served on the fashionable cavello nero or black kale which was so bitter i had to check several times as it was almost vomitt inducing -- i just couldn't believe anyoe had tasted that or maybe i was being tortured for a previous crime - tiramisu was outstanding <br/><br/>Head waiter should check his manners and asking how the food was might have been a nice touch rather than asuming it was great (my guests also agreed with my sentiments)

Proper food and great service. Went there for the first time. We had beef cheeks and Rabbit. Both dishes were excellent. Chocolate souffle was fantastic also! <br/>Can get quite noisy but the best seats are down the back away from the toilet door entrance.

On a very busy wintry Friday night, we had great food and fabulous service in the restaurant area. Haven't been here for ages but was just as good as the last time!

Disappointed.. Great ambience and calamari entree was yum. BUT tomato based mains were too heavy. Expected much more given price and other reviews..

Never lets me down. Food is always tasty, good service, nice atmosphere and good wine list. Not cheap but hey, it is next to 101 Collins which is filled with suits who have big pockets! A trusty favourite that I will return to. Food is sometimes a little rich would be only "complaint" if had to have one.

Fantastic!. Had a wonderful dinner for 4 on Fri, 20 July. The service was friendly, efficient, and very professional. The food and wine were wonderful and the ambience was warm and interesting. A great night and will definitely be back!

Delicious food, great service. I had the beef cheeks and it melted in my mouth. What a great place to go for a meal on a cold winter night.

This is what Melbourne dining is all about. In what other city could you find a restaurant down a laneway, in a basement but with this kind of an atmosphere. Awesome place, we had a wait a while to get seated in the bistro, but worth the wait. Fairly limited menu, but clearly because every dish is a winner. We had a great time, there's a real buzz in the air there, and perfect cosy little place for those cold winter nights. Couldn't recommend enough.

Awesome! 10/10. Il Solito Posto is fabulous! We love going back there again and again.<br/>Warm atmosphere with friendly energetic and very knowledgeable staff, always happy and vibrant.<br/>We love to sit in the front bar area, even though they do not take bookings there. The back restaurant takes bookings, but it's atmosphere is a little boring in comparison to the energy at the front.<br/>Extensive wine list, the staff are great at picking out an awesome drop.<br/>The pasta is incredibly tasty and servings are generous. The entree tasting plate is a great starter.<br/>And there is always something special for desert to finish things off!<br/>It's our favourite Italian place!

Gosh this is a great place. It has all the elements. Warm homely space, great atmosphere, terrific food, great wines and excellent staff. It's the latter is like to comment on here. The people who served us here last - particularly the two guys with beards - are just so good at their jobs. They picked our mood so well with everything - wine choice and dishes even the occasional banter - that we just had the best night. Serious professionals. I've been coming here for years and will absolutely keep doing so. It's now a Melbourne classic.<br/><br/><br/><br/>(My thoughts from several years ago) Too expensive, l but I like it nonetheless. I got quite irritated when I was told my dinner with three collegues was here. I wasn't in the mood for Italian at all. But having chosen the very un-Italian (or so I thought) Ocean Tout I have to say I was beguiled by the result. There the trout sat sitting up proudly looking at me on a fluffy bed of lentils, with my side of broccoli sitting elegantly on the side. Mmm, I thought - this have to be good to justify the $40 I'm spending on it plus the hefty mark up on my Paradigm Hill riesling. Well, guess what, it was worth it. The fish was cooked superbly with the crispest, most tasty skin I've tasted for many many a long year. Positively lip smacking. I loved the side too even though I still get peeved that I have to order it in the first place. <br/><br/>I loved my meal and I'm definetly returning.

JUNK. I got takeaway when working late tonight. Overpriced greasy generic pasta that was under cooked and would have been better had a twelve year old dripped half a bottle of vegetable oil and a stir through sauce over a bowl of pasta. plenty of better places to go in Melbourne cbd.

You will not be disappointed.. A staple of ours for lunch and pre-show. Always busy, but they do their best for you if you just show up. <br/>I love the trattoria downstairs, but as we never book, it's only occasionally that we can get a table. It's a little quieter down there, a bit roomier and the service is slightly more attentive.<br/>If you sit upstairs (cafeteria), it can be hectic and you could be bumped and jostled.<br/>The food is always the hero. Consistently awesome. The antipasto is unique and well put together. The pasta perfect. The meats delish. And their wine selection is fantastic, with the staff always able to advise. I love that they have a good knowledge of what the are bringing out.. Their menu is well rounded and has enough on there to keep regulars entertained, and the daily special have been great.

Adore it.. I came here for Valentines day and had a wonderful experience. We had about a 10 minute wait for a table and were given a complimentary glass of champagne at the bar. We were seated downstairs at the more formal area, which was quite dim and very romantic. I asked if they did a pasta with seafood , which they didn't however said they could make one for me, it was the freshest pasta and seafood, with garlic and chilli through it, so delicious. The boyfriend had a lambshank and also extremely high reviews. We started with the antipasto platter to share, but couldn't finish it- should definitely only got the size for 1, not 2 people. there was too much to choose from. Will definitely be heading back.

Yummo!. My partner and I had a fantastic night at Il solito after a spur of the moment decision to eat out. We were lucky enough to get a table in the bistro and were made to feel very welcome by waitstaff. I had the meat balls which were delicious whilst my partner had a pasta ragu, both were so tasty, warming and comforting. This is real food, no artifice! To top it of we had apple strudel with vanilla ice-cream and a chocolate pudding with salted caramel. Both were so good that If iit weren't for the fact that we were so full, we would've ordered another of each! Well done chefs. We're looking forward to trying the restaurant. Highly recommended!

Lives up to the name!. I've been having meals at Il Solito posto for the past decade and I still love the place! Great cosy european atmosphere in an ideal location. The food never disappoints and the waiters are great fun. The extension last year was a fantastic move and has further improved the ambience! See you soon guys.

Gnocchi to die for!! Went on a Sunday night without booking, excellent classic relaxed service. This is an iconic place because it deserves to be - they just get everything more than right. It is fabulous, best in Melbourne for old school elegant Italian.

When one thinks Melbourne Icon, exceptional service and true definition of Italian cuisine the first restaurant that comes to mind is Il Solito Posto, roughly translated 'the meeting place'. The food is always fresh, flavoursome and cooked with passion. The penne ragu with it's slow cooked veal and napoli sauce is amazing, that and a glass of heathcote Shiraz from the deep wine list is a favorite. Don't forget to have the 'budino al cioccolato' or warm chocolate pudding for dessert. It will take 10mins to bake from scratch, but when that warm chocolate centre oozes out its all worth it. 10 out of 10.

It's like been in Italy, the hustle and bussell the great selection of old world and new world wines, the great service. Fantastic keep up the good work....

Food "Fantastic" .. Wine = great selection to choose from Service = 5 stars

There is a good reason as to why it's a Melbourne institution; pasta keeps me coming back again And again

Cozy venue. Delicious food.

As good and honest as it gets. I first was taken to Il Solito Posto 7 years ago on a "first date." I saw the guy only once after that, but have been returning to Il Solito Posto often ever since. The food is great and above all honest. None of this "foam" stuff. The calamari salad is so tender, unlike anywhere else in Melbourne and the spatchcock is to die for. The wine list is comprehensive and the staff are very knowledgable and happy to assist without sounding pretentious. Thank you for the great memories and looking forward to coming again this Friday.

Delicious Italian food, fantastic service, yummy pasta, gamberini and good wine. Gem of a place. Will be back

Good not great. The pasta dishes were tasty but the pasta is definitely not home made. You could tell it had come out of a packet. And at $24 a serve (big serve) it is a bit dissapointing.<br/><br/>The venue is traditional mobourne laneway. The service was ok. A bit intrusive and a bit rushed. They definitely wanted to turn over the tables.<br/><br/>Wine by the glass is pricey - about $14 a pop.<br/><br/>Good. But not great. I think Merchant is better and in a similar price bracket.

Great food, great choices, friendly and knowledgeable staff. Il Solito Posto has become our new local, for social and business entertaining. It's the place we return to, time and time again and we've never been disappointed.

George m. What a nice feeling to come back to a restaurant after being away for awhile and find it is better than ever. Renovated but still intimate, fantastic food and the staff still remembered me! Great pasta main, superb scallop entree and the zucchini flowers were sublime. Its like coming back home! You will be seeing a lot more of me that's for sure.

Violet Polosnki. My favorite place for all occasions. Newly renovated and great atmosphere. Amazing food, wine and service!!!!!

Appalling. After making a reservation some months earlier, and driving from country Victoria I find the venue closed on the night of booking. Certainly expected more, particularly when contacted the next day and the best response is, 'What do you want me to do about it?'

Staff rude and obnoxious. Not even a hello and be with you soon from any of the five that walked past. Nor eye contact . Do yourself a favour and go elsewhere

Too Difficult To Please The Customer. Waiters with much regard so as not to deviate from their own systems, at expense of regard for a customer's simple wishes. <br/>A curt, but not friendly dining experience, the waiters were certainly not bringing that wonderful italian ready-to-please exuberance to the floor ... wouldn't go there again ... the food lovely. my company lovely, but without whole shebang, this restaurant falls short in my view.

Not just Duck.... That's right not just Duck but double coocked to perfection and I dont use that freely I mean it. It was a great experiance where the waiter took particular notice and paid atention to service at the right level. <br/>So overall<br/>Food 9/10<br/>Service 9/10<br/>Surroundings 9/10<br/>I look forward to returning.

Mmmmm So good. Sensational service, loved the Risotto Gorgonzola and the bread is so tasty with the dipping oil and salt. Finished off with a lovely coffee (best coffee in Melbourne) you cannot go wrong at this place. It will have me going back time after time!

I went here for dinner on my own on a Friday night. Being from Sydney I wanted a typical Melbourne experience - a cool, underground laneway vibe. This place has that in spades. However the food was mixed. 'Freshly shucked' oysters arrived too quickly for me to be convinced they were and the bread was so dense as to be unpleasant. However, beetroot salad was great and pasta was good, but how hard is pasta?! I sat at the bar, not in the restaurant bit. Great atmosphere for sure but have had better food.

I imagine this is what dinner would be in an Italian home. I could just about imagine someone's nonna directing the kitchen. Lovely homely and warm atmosphere in the dipped section at the back of the restaurant. Hearty food yet sophisticated. Nice.

Devastated. Have been visiting this restauarnt for many years. Service last night deplorable waiters rude and pushy felt like they were trying to rotate tables, will never eat there again. Never had a worse dining experienc there EVER!

Fantastic food! Generous serves - we couldn't fit dessert in no less. Attentive service and I asked if they could turn the music down as my father struggles with background noise and they kindly accommodated my request. The beef cheek in red wine served with soft polenta was incredible and so tender you could part it with a spoon. All 4 of us enjoyed entrees and mains. We ordered a side salad and garlic rosemary potatoes but struggled to finish it all as so full. Really looking forward to returning. It was a perfect night!

Ticks all the boxes.. What can't Il Solito Posto do?<br/>Not much, it would seem.<br/>They follow the perfect recipe of what constitutes a fantastic eatery in Melbourne's hidden laneways.<br/>1: It's located underground, in a dark alley.<br/>2: They provide an atmosphere that is enchanting, welcoming, and appealing. Not pretentious, comfortable yet exquisitely exclusive.<br/>3: They serve amazing food, which the staff appear to be proud of. They source seasonal ingredients which seem fresh and topical to Melbourne's ever-changing weather.<br/>4: They have attentive staff who seem to make themselves part of your table as they describe daily specials, creating a mouth-watering experience without you tasting a single bite.<br/>5: They have a FANTASTIC wine selection.<br/>I went there last night and, giving the waitress free reign of what I should eat, I was treated to a fantastic montage of antipastos, cheeses, meats, pasta and sweets that exploded in my mouth with tasteful combination of delectable tastes.<br/><br/>I've been going to Il Solito Posto for the past 10 years. Granted, there was a period when the chefs changes that was certainly noticeable. As it is today, Il Solito is an institution in Melbourne that, if they keep doing what they're doing, will stand the tests of time.

Have fun paying. Great food, at a fairly high price. But for a lunch-time dash, snappy service that would bring me back.<br/><br/>Frustratingly (and embarrassingly) they don't accept EFTPOS.

Il mio amore. Il Solito Posto is by far my favorite Melbourne restaurant. It's so fabulously Melbourne. It's hidden just on the corner of George Parade in the 'right end of town' however the old bicycle and cobbled stones make you feel like you're in Italy for a single moment. <br/>The dining experience can be tailored to your specialty, sit at the front bar for a cocktail or two or enjoy a relaxed lunch or dinner, for something more special book in a dinner in the beautiful restaurant or 'Lounge' as I like to call it. My partner and I used to celebrate our anniversary at Il Solito and now we just find any excuse to go there because we love it so much. <br/><br/> Looking forward to seeing the final renovations.<br/><br/>K x

Love it!. Beautiful homely and delicious food with friendly service! Loved the lamb, marinated olives and crumble for dessert! Memorable evening out, will return!

Being with a foodie in Melbourne means there are certain places you have to go, this is certainly one of them! While I find the whole "not being able to book" process painful, the maitre de did made this process the most nonintrusive I've experienced! Sitting waiting at the "bar" was not a third level patron experience, being as dutifully looked after as the people seated at tables. The only minor complaint was the Gin & Soda was a bad combination due to the soda being flat. The food certainly made up for the drink. The beef cheek special was succulent and the side of cauliflower had this non cauliflower lover asking "please Sir, can I have some more"! Great food and you have to go if ever your in Melbourne.

I have been twice now. Once to the bistro and once to the restaurant. The restaurant is very cosy, the service is excellent. Friendly and attentive, but not obtrusive. Very tasty meals and desserts. The wine list is quite pricey, but splash out and enjoy!

Another Melbourne Treasure. My partner and I ate here in the fine dining section, and were blown away by the service, food, and wine. For the fine dining experience you receive I think the prices are quite reasonable. Have recommended Solito to all my friends, and am keen to try the bistro eatery as well!

Good food and atmosphere. Very good service too. They were out of figs for the quail dish and out of tiramisu which was disappointing. The food is good though and a nice place for a romantic meal or a quiet goup of friends in the dining room.

Can you find a better Tirra misu in Melbourne?. This place is good! Really good!! Went here on a mate's recommendation as they know I love my Italian desserts. I don't knows why this place isn't on the radar for top Italian in Melbourne. I was not in any way disappointed. The service was wonderful, and all the food was spot on Italian fare. As other reviewers say, fresh,really tasty and good value. Guy Grossi take note. The last meal I had at Florentino's was appalling on all fronts and the tirra especially woeful. But the Il Solito Posto tirra misu was sheer perfection. If you find a better one than here please let me know. Prices were reasonable too which was a pleasant surprise. Highly recommended! Will definitely be going again.

Is this what Melbourne's service culture has lowered itself to?. On Friday, a gal pal and I (also a gal) thought we'd head to Il Solito for dinner. We were "greeted" at the door by being told there would be a 90 minute wait for a table, but that we could eat at the bar if we wished. Glancing at the bar, I noticed only one bar stool, and with a smile on my face and a jovial voice I asked if we needed to take turns sitting on the stool. Doorman's response: "I can get you another stool smart arse". My reaction: "I beg your pardon?". Doorman's response: "You started it. Next time don't be such a smart arse". At which point, gal pal and I turned around and walked across the road to the lovely Italy I. When I called to complain the following day, I had the privilege of speaking to the doorman, who in fact turned out to be the restaurant manager, Steve. Great manager Steve. Il Solito owners, I wander how many other customers he is driving away??

Mine and my Wife's favorite Italian restaurant! Service rocks and we never feel compelled to spend any more than we have to. Food is always fresh and Delicious, very highly recommended!

Consistently wonderful. I've only ever eaten the more casual bistro over the years, and the food has never failed. It is super yummy Italian food, fresh and tasty. Its a wonderfully cosy unpretentious restaurant and the staff have always been attentive. The sorbets are great too. Enjoy, you won't be disappointed.

We dined at Il Solito Posto with friends. Firstly, it's a lovely, intimate restaurant/bar hidden down an alleyway - so typically Melbourne. Great atmosphere, with a hint of posh. Wine menu is extensive, with some great choices from some local Victorian vineyards. But, we all went for the Italian beer they had on offer - one which name escapes me was a whopping 8.5% alcohol content. And it was delicious! <br/>While reading the menu we were served some grainy bread to dip into a very fruity olive oil. For starters I shared the Antipasto platter with my husband. Anchovy, salami, roasted capsicum, pecorino, baby roma tomatoes, frittata, asparagus, zucchini and mini toasts. We were very disappointed not to see any warmed olives on the platter. The platter was ok, nothing amazing though. <br/>For main I had an entree size Calamari Spaghetti. Serving initially looked very small - but was filling enough. I struggled to see any calamari in my dish, but after some digging found a few minute pieces. Flavour was nice, but just lacked a certain something. <br/>Service was attentive and friendly. Overall I think the food was overpriced for what it was, nice but not that nice. 6/10

Consistentently wonderful!!!. I hadn't been to Il solito for a while but it had always been a winner in the past so I wasn't suprised when I had yet another lovely dining experience there. I had the meatballs and they would have to be the best I've ever eaten in my life!!! All in all, the food was superb, and the service just right. Not many other restaurants in Melbourne manage to get it so right IMO. Looking forward to eating there again!<br/><br/><br/>-----16 Feb, 2011-----<br/><br/>Super yummy Italian, and seasonal from what I can tell. Get the gnocchi, it's to die for. My boyfriend had the chicken and said it was really great. Service was charming. Like it alot!

Beautiful pasta, and charming service. My new favourite Italian place in Melbourne :)

Gnocchi to die for. Definitely great place for pasta lovers!<br/><br/>The gnocchi was the best ever, pan fried and so soft. Always hunt for really good gnocchi but so often its gluggy and nothing special - this one is worth hunting down! Its on the regular menu too, not just a special.<br/><br/>Service was casual but VERY helpful and knew just the right time to check on us. Squeezed us into the bar seats as it was getting late for dinner but all tables were full. Helped us order a great Italian wine (helps if budget is big as their list is amazing), a good way to try some upper end Italian wines with good advice if you are keen. Desserts were great as was their choice of PX sherry from Spain, so much thicker and richer than most I have tried.<br/><br/>Would go back every time we're in Melbourne - Sydney has very few places with great prices, amazing food and friendly service.

Disappointing... I had high hopes for Il Solito. It's one of those places I've walked past for years and thought how warm and cosy it looked. It is. Warm and cosy that is. But the food was ordinary. Pork was dry. I swear it had sat in a bain marie all night. Pasta was nothing special. Nor was service.<br/><br/>For the money I would recommend Cafe Di Stasio who consistently get all the ducks in a row.

Moderate service and overpriced menu. This place has a lot of potential but lacks on execution. Disappointing but still relatively good.

Just thought this buzzy spot was the ant's pants. From the moment I walked in, the place got me. Whether it was the waiter who has an uncanny resemblance to Russell Crowe - albeit a tubby version - or the waitress who suggested I eat the Putanesca Pasta - another palate sensation with the right amount of chilli or the Parmasen Cheese and Pear Salad being the best I've had in yonks or the quince tart which was worth the wait of 20 mins plus the house red...... I could go on and on. What a great meal. The place must be raking it in! Not one spare seat and plenty of tables turning over! Well done. Will I return? Tomorrow please! Worth every cent!

Expensive and not very good pasta. A group of 5 of us ordered 4 different dishes last night at Il Solito Posto. All were very ordinary. The penne ragu (meat undercooked), the eggplant spaghetti (the Napoli watery) and the chicken fusilli (pasta water very under-salted, so that sauce needed to be over salted for taste) all cost between $25-$28 a plate and left us feeling like we'd been fleeced. One bad dish may be a mistake - 3 dishes bad dishes tells me there is something going wrong in the kitchen. The restaurant was full and the ambiance great - but the conclusion of 5 devoted foodies was that this should be left to those with lots of cash, who are no devotees of good pasta.

Disappointing food and service. Ive been to this restaurant many times for lunch and always been impressed but on this occasion I visited for an evening meal with a guest visiting from overseas. The broccoli soup was gritty and the pasta was ordinary (with a miserly proportion of ingredients to orecchiette). The service was overattentive and the waiter so frequently interrupted our conversation we basically gave up and resorted to small talk. Embarrassing.

Justlike sitting in Italy-the best authentic pasta in the city

Charming and romantic. Quite rustic Italian with switched on ambience. The pasta is absolutely perfectos, as is the service. Excellent delivery of warmth and coziness, perfect for afterwork nectars or dining. I love this place.

Il Solito Posto has lost none of it's charm nor ability to delight with food & wine. I've been a customer on & off for the better part of 10 years now. the atmosphere is great when you walk through the door and down the steps to a gastronomic basement. The front of house staff are knowledgable and service is excellent. The only down side is the price - quite expensive in comparison - especially at lunch, given the competition available in the Melbourne CBD.

A reasonable, workman-like execution. Pasta cooked just right, extensive wine, cheese and desert list. Perhaps over priced for what it is.

A great place for a long lunch but a tad pricey, get a table at the cafe section if you want to be faster. All the menu is fab. Great service they really know the food and are only too happy to help, and don't rush you out the door. One of the best around. Good wine selection. Great coffee.