Review Bottega - Melbourne

Had a great dinner experience. We went here for our anniversary and loved everything in this place - the soft lighting, the friendly and helpful staff, the wines and amazing food. Dishes were cooked to perfection and full of flavours. Thanks Bottega for a perfect night out.

Lovely NYE dinner at Bottega Restaurant. Meals were delicious and well presented. Friendly and helpful staff. Nice relaxing dinning atmosphere and ambience. Enjoyed our dinner here.

I regularly visit this restaurant in June every year since 2016, as I have a story with this place. I didn’t come the last two years due to lockdown, but this time I was not as satisfied as before. Without a reservation, they tried their best to accommodate me and I actually didn’t mind to be a bit rush. I tried their pre-theater menu with the beef carpaccio and spaghetti alla chitara which is spaghetti with mushroom and beef short rib. The beef carpaccio was good and the flavor balanced well with the cheese and salad leaves. However, the flavor of spaghetti was way too strong and I couldn’t eat half of it. The texture of the homemade pasta was good, I like it a bit chewy, but the sauce and the short rib were wasted. I needed to drink the whole glass of wine to flush the salts down. As I gave the feedback on the pasta, the restaurant offered me a dessert as complimentary, which was very nice of them. The tiramisu was traditional but nothing really surprised.

attended my best friend's surprise birthday... we had the private dining room and it was nice and intimate for 7 of us... staff allowed us to decorate the room with balloons... they were friendly, courteous and accomodating as we hadn't realised the time and stayed until closing time... food was delicious and our tums were full! i shall definitely return...

Beautiful setting, lighting is as it should be & staff are so knowledgeable,& extremely friendly in these hard Covid times. Small staff, BIG SERVICE 🥰 FOOD = AMAZING. ❤ ..Chefs are superb 💗 WINE LIST = OMG🥰 ...just go..xo

Had dinner here last night. My partner and I have dined here a few times. Service staff were very friendly, food came out perfectly timed and our meals were fantastic. Staff were also accommodating and mindful about allergies. 5 star service. Always a pleasure dining here. Thanks for a wonderful night. I highly recommend the cocktails and the risotto and Iron steak were simply amazing.

Saw this place a few weeks ago after going to another restaurant and really wanted to check it out and I’ve never been so happy that I did! The service, the food, the ambience, the interior design, everything was absolute perfection! I got the limoncello martini which was a great cleanser of the palette, the beef carpaccio was almost too good that I couldn’t put my cutlery down. Then the risotto, just wow. They really thought out each dish and it was all perfect temp and look. It hasn’t even been a few hours since leaving and I’m already excited to go back!

The food prepared by head chef Dusty, was exquisite and delicious! The potatoes were crispy and beautifully cooked in eat appeared to be duck sauce, the duck for entrees with scallops were amazing and succulent! The main course of steak was made beautifully medium to well done as requested and served with a side of rocket Lettuce. The dessert of tiramisu was devine and the coffee Mocha was amazing! Combined with Shiraz and Cabernet Savignon wine, it's Kahlua and Champagne, I highly recommend this restaurant, its chef and amazing waitresses as well!

What a fantastic little place. Excellent food, excellent staff and excellent atmosphere. I highly recommend it.

We found this little place while trying to find a restaurant before seeing Aladdin. Due to our plane being late we had 1 hour before the show started, with everywhere full or already booked we were starting to panic! Then we found this place! They squeezed us in helped us with what to order so we wouldn't miss it then rushed that order so we ate and left in 40mins so we didn't miss the show! The food was outstanding I have never enjoyed a rabbit pasta dish so much in my life!! But above all was their customer service! It was impeccable! I can not compliment them enough! And thank you for not letting us miss our show!

Always a pleasure to visit this gem at the top end of Bourke St. Shared a selection of entrees with friends and then I enjoyed the short rib main recommended by the waiter. Lovely wine and ambiance. Highly recommend!

A small intimate place and the food was spot on. Service was good too. Really enjoyed it.

The staff at Bottega could not have been more understanding of our situation. Travelling to Melbourne for the weekend, we had booked a table for 3 for our first night. Unfortunately our flight was delayed so significantly we couldn't make the booking. Bottega changed our reservation each time we were delayed and even offered to keep the kitchen running if we thought we could make it late. We were able to make it for lunch on the Saturday instead and enjoyed the food and service. Staff were exceptionally accommodating to fit us in without a reservation and our meals were delicious.

I had dismissed this place as a bit bland, but the food was actually perfect and sitting in the folded back bay windows on a sunny day for lunch was just lovely. We ordered baccala, grilled octopus, gnocchi with gorgonzola and radicchio, roast barramundi with broad beans and radish. Service was efficient, pleasant and unpretentious. We'll be back!

Wonderful venue. Staff were very friendly, great atmosphere and lovely food! Definitely one to recommend.

The service it was good � and my pork belly it was nice but a bit disappointed with my scotch fillet it was average:-( and my Tiramisu desert is absolutely so yummy �

Chipped glass, no cutlery, menu items not available and the crappiest table every, oh yes we booked and watched walk ins get better service and better tables. Food was over salted, steak was incorrectly cooked, blue V's medium rare to mention a few things. Waste of money don't bother and take it off your list!

Our third time Bottega and we thoroughly enjoyed our meals. Great service. Love that the menu is regularly updated so we can always enjoy something new.

Food was great, however we just felt as though we were a little rushed. I could understand if we had a 6pm booking and they wanted us out for the next person, but we had a booking 8pm and we were basically finished by 9pm. Didn't even get to order a bottle of wine as we were practically finished our mains. Also, one side was taken away before we were even half way through it, juts because we'd finished our meals, doesn't stop us from eating the potatoes, but they were whisked away without us being asked if we still wanted them.

Friendly service, great atmosphere the lighting was great for my complexion, the booth seating and carpeted floors make for an excellent and affordable fine dining experience. I will definitely be back.

Food was lovely service friendly but unpolished side came when we had nearly finished our meal drinks arrived at different times.

Thanks for looking after us , dinner was fantastic and service was great also

Truly amazing food. Service was brilliant and wines were a great fit. I can’t wait to go again.

Highly recommended ~

Very disappointed with service and quality of food. Only two other couple in restaurant and we were in hurry to get to a show and the women waiters talking amongst themselves with no interest in serving customers. Had to constantly ask if we could order our food and drinks<br/><br/>Pasta dish were edible but not great. This joint has gone downhill and not what it use to be.

We tried their Valentine's Day menu. Decent food quality but small portions, so not worth the price we paid and service was quite underwhelming.

Beautifully presented food and very well done, to go with a great selection of wine. Unfortunately my squid ink spaghetti was reeeeally salty the first time, but the wait staff was nice about it and they prepared a new one for me - which was delicious!

Bottega has got to be one of my new favorites in Melbourne. With friendly, attentive staff and absolutely delicious food; what more could you ask for? We shared the octopus terrine, duck liver parfait, croquettes, melanzane pizza, margarita pizza and oysters. Everything was beautifully presented and the taste was incredible. Stand outs would have to be the parfait & oysters. For dessert we had the chocolate mousse, panacotta and salted caramel profiteroles (pictured). It was a quiet Monday night but the atmosphere was fantastic. Can’t wait to visit again!

I had an okay entree of eggplant parmigiana, however was very disappointed by the main. For main I had a pasta dish with red beans and mussels. The mussels were rubbery and sparse, and the majority of the dish was beans and a thick sauce that was overpoweringly salty.. the cost of this was $32, which is ridiculously overpriced for what was presented. No one at our table was overly impressed.. and half left hungry as the ($40!!!) portions they had were tiny and inconsistent? One seemed to have half of the meal missing.. We opted out of having dessert as a result. Unfortunately Melbourne has too many great places at half the price tag and far better quality and service for such a disappointing experience. Him happy to see other people have had great experiences though! Just not for us.

I booked this restaurant after seeing it on a Broadsheet list of quiet restaurants. Unfortunately it didn't live up to its reputation. Instrumental jazz music with an intrusive snare drum was playing so loudly I couldn't hear my companion or the wait staff. The music wasn't turned down (or, if it was, not noticeably) when requested. <br/><br/>The food was of mixed quality. I ordered the cappelletti with goats cheese, which was amazing. The pasta was cooked perfectly and the sauce was delicious. The chocolate pudding I ordered for dessert was odd - it had a strong flavour of almond extract and was especially disappointing for $18. <br/><br/>The service was also disappointing. The waitstaff were unfriendly and unwelcoming, and we were left alone for about 30 minutes after the plates from our mains were collected, with no bill ever brought out.

Mixed review closer to 3.5 stars<br/><br/>Classic Italian menu. Elegant atmosphere, well designed and spacious. Friendly service.<br/><br/>I ordered the gnocchi, while my friend ordered the cannelloni, with a side salad to share. My gnocchi was delightful, full of flavor. A bit small serving size. I enjoyed it so much, I could have easily devoured twice the portion as a main. Definitely the highlight of the evening. <br/><br/>Unfortunately my poor friend wasn’t as happy with her dish. If my gnocchi portion size was small, hers was minimal (In retrospect realized I never took a photo!). To be fair, she said it was tasty, But even with the side salad (that she ended up eating entirely as the mains clearly weren’t equal in portion size!) - we both agreed we were still hungry and ordered the Bonet - Peidmontese - Peidmontese chocolate pudding with coffee-orange gelato (combination intrigued us!) to share for dessert. <br/><br/>We had mixed feelings about the dessert. As a chocolate pudding it was definitely chocolatey but small for the price considering the size and number of elements on the dish (the theme of the evening- $18!). However the gelato was disappointing, no trace of orange flavor that may have helped bring the refreshing element to the intense chocolate. We wondered if they had replaced the orange with some dried orange peel instead-which gave the dish some texture. <br/><br/>Overall an average evening (on my side- less so my friend) but overpriced for the offerings, especially considering the wealth of excellent Italian cuisine that can be found in Melbourne. <br/><br/><br/>

Overlooking leafy Bourke Street Hill, Bottega serves some of Melbourne’s best modern Italian cuisine. The menu takes inspiration from regional Italian cooking, with several Sicilian influences. Dusty Treweek, formerly of Comme and Stokehouse, leads the kitchen team, using the highest quality produce across the entire menu. This includes lemons, oranges and nettles sourced from owner Denis’ farm in Rutherglen. Ditalini is made by hand and served with braised duck leg, smoked pancetta, lentils and broccolini. Twice cooked lamb shoulder is slow cooked, served with eggplant, almond and black garlic, while Tasmanian salmon very slowly poached and accompanied by shallot puree, squid ink crackers,

Lovely work lunch in one of the dining rooms. Gorgeous natural light, sound of trams below, and very cute plates on the walls. It was a set menu with 3 choices for entree and main but Bottega catered for me as a vegan exceptionally well. Roasted zucchini for entree - so full of flavour with a kick. Delicious! For main pea risotto. Not as delicious as the entree but still very enjoyable. I asked Kate, our wonderful waiter, if the thrice cooked potatoes were vegan. They weren’t but Kate asked the kitchen to prepare some vegan potatoes. Perfection! First time at Bottega and can’t wait to return. Big thanks to Kate for being so lovely and diligent.

We had a pre-theatre meal sitting and it was a great selection of food. I had a the most amazing entree of quail, duck and potatoes. The main was good as well.

Had lunch here two weeks ago and ordered the eggplant parmigiana. It was really like two little pieces of eggplant lasagna from a tray. Clearly had been cooked days before and reheated. It was burnt and disgusting. The service was frighteningly poor too. Avoid this one.

We went for a birthday celebration dinner and did not have a good experience. The lighting was poor, so dim that we were offered torches so we can read the menu! When we asked to have the lights turned up the waitress said they couldn’t because “the manager is very fussy”. The meals were very expensive. I ordered an orange juice which was $8 in a small, short glass filled with ice! What a rip-off. Meals were expensive with tiny, tiny servings. $40 for three tiny canneloli and that is for a main size! I wouldn’t recommend coming here and I would not come again. I regret going the one time we did.

Located on the Bourke Hill precinct of Melbourne's Bourke Street, Bottega is a small restaurant with a fine dining interior that serves an interpretation on modern Italian cuisine as well as a range of local and imported wines.

Had a lovely night here. Food was absolutely delicious. Rich flavours and and the wine was also very nice. Great relaxed atmosphere and the service was to notch too. Would highly recommend

An upper scale restaurant with a more relaxed atmosphere.<br/><br/>Food I ordered was fairly good. I don’t recommend the croquettes however as they are nothing special, and were served unceremoniously in a plain bowl without decoration or garnish. For this kind of restaurant, for the prices they charge, the presentation should’ve been a bit nicer. As an additional nitpick, why only one dainty slice of bread per person? <br/><br/>The restaurant is decorated tastefully but a bit minimally. It’s a nice ambience for a dinner date, especially if seated by the window overlooking Bourke, but it isn’t as suited to a restaurant with $40 main courses as I’d hope. <br/><br/>Service was okay. They were certainly fast and attentive. I was attended to by every waitstaff, all of them sounded and acted polite, but with no warmth or smile.

My partner took me here tonight after I had bookmarked this restaurant some time ago, he suggested a dinner here to celebrate my birthday.. another year older!<br/><br/>The restaurant is very nice, service quite slow initially and it seemed the waitresses were frazzled during service (I did pick up that there were only female wait staff too - reminds me of a Seinfeld episode haha) <br/><br/>We ordered some wine which was lovely, our entrees were the tuna crudo and beef carpaccio.  The carpaccio was delicate and flavoursome, the seasoning spot on.  The parmesan was sharp and it balanced well with the bitterness of the radicchio, it really worked well.  The tuna crudo, unfortunately was missing the punch and flavour I wanted, it didn't hit the mark.<br/><br/>For mains my partner ordered the gnocchi with lamb, wow what a beautiful dish.  I ordered the Strozzapreti, mussels and cuttlefish, bisque and sea urchin - guys where was the sea urchin, I literally only got 1!! This was an underwhelming dish for me and I was expecting a lot more. Portion sizes were also small.  There was a hair on my plate, I just took it off as it was on the edge, if it was in the food then I would of made a complaint. For dessert we shared the tiramisu, this was really nice and the coffee taste was very prominent which I loved. <br/><br/>Sadly I wouldn't come back, not with so many other Italian restaurants in the area I want to tick off my list.

Pleasant atmosphere as soon as you walk in. Attentive and friendly staff, and fabulous food. We shared 7 meals and each exceeded expectation. Will definitely recommend and return!

OK. Just. I guess. Undercooked pasta, lack of seasoning, poor service, really poor - disinterested. Go next door to Grossi. A few dollars more but worth it.

Had dinner at Bottega last night with a gf, we were both so impressed with our mains we’ll definitely return for more 🍴😘 <br/><br/>I had the orange glazed duck it was amazing 😍😍 dont eat the duck on its own!! Get everything in one bite n u’ll taste the sensation 🍴😘 Personally I can do with few more cherries n leaves 🍴😋 <br/><br/>My gf got the daily special risotto with truffle, the risotto was creamy and rich (not too heavy) it taste really nice but it’s doesn’t make me crave for more🤔 <br/><br/>Cheesecake mousse - It’s not the sweet type of dessert, would be perfect for those whom aint into sweets. The tartness of poached rhubarb and tiny hint of peppermint makes it a light finish for the night. <br/><br/>Chocolate cremoso - Great coffee substitute dessert on on hot summer day to satisfy you coffee craving 😁😁

Loved this place! It was my third of four Christmas parties (I know, I know), and probably my favourite (stiff competition with Maha and Siglo). The private dining room was beautiful, and overlooked Bourke Street. Service was friendly and efficient, and very unobtrusive. The olives and cured meats for entree were exceptional. The olives were probably the best I've ever had! The meat was sliced well, and melted in the mouth. Leek croquettes were slightly overseasoned, but I still loved them. The chorizo was amazing. The pork pasta was good (not great), but the chicken was fantastic. Loved that course, and the beetroot salad was the perfect accompaniment. Dessert was tiramisu, and was really good. A little too watery for me, but still tasty. Overall, this was a great place to dine. I loved it. Thank you for a beautiful experience!

Lovely atmosphere and deliciously refined Italian food. A great ‘date night’ restaurant that is a little fancy as well as intimate. I have been for both lunch and dinner and on both occasions I was very pleased.

Came here on a Friday night before before a show and it was great. Service was efficient, prices were good, nice cosy restaurant.<br/>Was offered a pre-show Special and opted for 2 entrees, a main and a dessert. <br/>We had the charcoal grilled squid and the beef carpaccio, Lamb shoulder and for dessert the chocolate creosote with peanut butter gelato. <br/>The highlight the dessert, the low light the way too spicy chorizo in the grilled squid plate.<br/>

Lovely modern Italian restaurant in the heart of the CBD; delicious food/pasta/dessert, quiet/peaceful/elegant ambience, superb service by very friendly staff. Highly recommend.

One of many nice place to dine in the city for good dine fine italian food. We had a few starters to share, olives, grilled cheeses, artichokes, taleggio and leek croquettes. Main were amazing- the pumpkin ravioli and gnoochi (order main size as portion small). Ending the experience with orange chocolate fondant which is warm inside and fluffy out.

Stopped in for a pre theatre meal on a Tuesday evening. Service was attentive but not intrusive. Entree was a quail special, which was a tad bland. Beef cheek main was cooked well and tasted lovely, but needed a slightly more flavor some mash under it. Dessert tiramisu was good. Wine list satisfied a range of tastes. Coffee was a tad average but the biscotti were a lovely touch. Overall good value for money, but not outstanding.

Very average for a very high price. Ordered pork belly for main which was fine. Pork was not crispy and other elements were bland. Dessert was also quite plain and unexciting. Decor was nice though. I liked the plates on the wall. The food wasn't bad, but for the price i was expecting alot more.<br/>

Nice modern Italian/European cuisine. A good variety of interesting choices on the menu.<br/>Good service (a minor thing, they forgot to place a napkin for one of the settings).<br/>Has upstairs dining that can host a large group or party. Otherwise fairly tight busy seating downstairs.

Service was great in our a private room. The noise travels a bit between rooms so not ideal for confidential discussions. The appetisers were mixed and many of our group were perplexed by baccala- why not just say cod? the grilled octopus and chirozo with chickpeas was delicious and so was the seafood "soup" which was more like seafood on a tomato suace- fish was superb but mussels just OK. Desserts were all below expectations. The tiramisu was about 80% cream and sorely lacking in coffee and booze.

The service here at Bottega is outstanding and the food is fresh, seasonal and delcious. The pre theater dining is exceptional and great value! Highly recommended for a classy meal in the CBD.

Impressive Italian cuisine. If you're looking for something a little special then this is a good place to start. Again the pasta dishes are to die for but really I've never been disappointed with anything I've had here. I've also been for a corporate lunch with a biggish group and we all enjoyed. Service is great too 👍🏻

Delicious, excellent well presented food, generous portions, good value ($55 per person for 2 courses).<br/><br/>Pleasant service, food deivered promptly but did not feel rushed and finished well in time to get to the theatre.<br/><br/>Pre-show and a la carte menu options available, daily specials offered, which could be selected as part of the pre-show menu.<br/><br/>Excellent dining experience, will definitely return.

Not the best experience. Food was average. Service was pretty good. Dessert could definitely be improved. More cheese more flavour and more vegetarian options please !

Good service nice atmosphere and very good food. The goat caneloni was great, tender and full of flavour. The Duck was excellent. Sadly the "thrice cooked potatoes" were a let down as they were a bit soggy and not at all crispy.

You know it's special from the moment you walk in, all class and style.in fact that whole precinct is all class with restaurants of the highest quality.<br/>We all started with the mussels, fregola (like a lentil) basil and tomato. Mine was ever so slightly dry, however every one​ else had plenty of juice.<br/>I then went for the ricotta gnocchi all firno with leek and gorgonzola, what a wonderful punch it gave the meal. It also had the tinyest roasted tomatoes that burst with flavour when I bit into them.<br/>The other guests had the chicken rotoli filled with chestnut and pitching, butternut pumpkin and watercress which to me looked like spinach. Wonderful dish, see pics.<br/>Wine was superb two bottles, perhaps too much for.lunch but when the food is this good and the service what can you do?<br/>One of the things I love to do is a ask for a strong English breakfast tea, see my pic delightful and just perfect.<br/>Try this place it's very good and so took the service.<br/>

First time here with my wife for a nice romantic date. for entree we had burrata mozzarella with mix tomatoes salad really nice, fettuccine porcini mushroom was good as well.<br/>for main we had fish special and the salmon both fish was good the salmon was little under in the middle but flavour wise just perfect. great selections of drinks and really good customer service. For the price you pay for it should be something special, good food but not special.

For the price point of Bottega, I was expecting something quite special from its pasta dishes. My experience certainly didn't disappoint, but my seafood risotto lacked the wow factor despite the generosity of fresh seafood in the dish. I preferred the porcini fettuccine where flavours were slightly more complex. Good complimentary bread and butter which was fantastic. I'm willing to give this place another shot because my overall experience was quite decent and this place had a good selection of drinks in its beverage menu.

Go there once in a while ......<br/><br/>One of the quaintest, nicest "fine-dining" modern Italian establishment in the CBD. <br/><br/>Located in the old little Italian CBD precinct, top of Bourke St near the Parliament, stone-throw away from Pellegrini's, Grossi Florentino and the custom tailor :-) <br/><br/>Modern Menu, not quite your traditional Italian trattoria, but surely has the culinary heritage covered.

The most outstanding dish for me was the toasted bread with Buffalo Mozzarella and crushed green peas. The mozarella cheese was so freshly made, it melted when we started cutting it. I had the Tasmanian scotch fillet as a main which was cooked perfectly but the sauce and the chopped cos-lettuce placed on top of it did not compliment it at all. In fact, it felt strange eating lettuce on top of a steak.

Lovely place! Atmosphere was lovely, service was great, food was amazing!!! Between the 4 of us, we had the salmon with cucumber salad, the 'seafood' risotto (can't remember the fancy name for it), cannelloni and the gnocchi. All 4 of us couldn't fault the dishes. The gnocchi was amazing! So light and fluffy. We then ordered the tiramisu and affogato again just devine! Lovely cosy restaurant.

We are spoilt for choice in Melbourne - and Bottega is one of the great Italian jewels in our crown. The food is AMAZING and of the highest quality.

I attended a birthday function upstairs. Atmosphere pleasant and the service average. I had a pasta meal. Main meal in fact. I was given a massive plate and less than ten pasta pieces. The presentation was below average and the taste reminiscent of canned food. I was disappointed with the flavour and the quantity. The price exorbitant . To celebrate the event we brought a cake along. We were changed an additional 10 bucks for cakeage. Also 10 bucks for bottled water with gas. Total rip off. The experience was dismal.

We came here for lunch and really enjoyed the food here, especially the desserts! 😍😍 we ordered the Calzonecelli and the Valrhona milk chocolate cremoso. Yummmmmmmmmm! Would come back here for those two desserts. For entree we had the crochet, the quails, baby beetroot. For main, we had the Salmon and the scotch fillet. The star of the show was the quail, beetroot salad and the fillet. Recommended!

Went here this evening for pre theatre dinner. Arrived at 6.00 pm received our meal at 6.45. My daughters meal was excellent. She had the fish I chose the risotto which was unfortunately under cooked. The waiter who was very nice explained to me that was how they cooked it. As I could not eat it he removed it and did ask me if I wanted something else. There was not enough time. He then to his credit came back and apologised to me saying that I was correct as the chef had tasted it and agreed with me. A suggestion to your restaurant. Perhaps the chef should have apologised in person. Perhaps you could have taken the discount from the Entertainment book without redeeming it with the suggestion that I come back another time. So very disappointed although the thrice cooked potatoes which our friend ordered were nice

We were here for a work function and first time to Bottega, I've read the reviews and had high expectations. The food was good and presented beautifully. We had a set function menu which meant selected mains and desserts. Service was very good and attentive. Atmosphere and location great and one that I will return for the full menu. <br/><br/>Highlight for the night and must have : buttermilk pannacotta, rhubarb, pistachio and mandarin.

Fantastic place to enjoy a meal before the going to the theatre. Have been many times and always order the lamb which is divine! Beautiful decor, quiet dining and first class service.

Walked in off the street - was attracted by the lighting and the menu. Seriously good kitchen. One of the best entrees I've ever had - scallops 'cooked' in lemon with asparagus. Main of chicken cooked two ways. I seem to end up being a fan of entrees these days... Would be great to try other dishes in the menu - was hard to settle on one dish.... But hard to understand why thus one has a 3 rating....

Very rude older man who looked like the head waiter. Food was ok, small serves and very expensive. But when paying, the rude man seem annoyed that I had an entertainment card, then had a gift card to use, he snatched that off me and was very rude. When paying on the credit card, he snatched the machine off the table before I had finished my pin. I asked him to slow down and stop snatching. His response was 'I don't know how they do it in other places, but that's how I do it here..' A simple 'I'm sorry ' would have been nice. Reading other reviews, this man obviously Is doing a disservice to this restaurant. He is a disgrace to customer service. I will not be returning... <br/>

What a beautiful food treat after a hospital treatment. The slow cooked lamb shoulder with wheat and spinach was a combination of melting in your mouth with a crisp outside, heavenly. Not drinking alcohol they made me a beautiful citrus mocktail on the bitter side, perfect I'm no sweet tooth. Too hungry to photograph unfortunately and being by myself that night read a book and felt decadent.

WOW!! what an amazing experience, coming into this place was a bit of a worry because we haven't booked earlier but the friendly staff was kind enough to make us a table for 2. right off the bat soon as you walk in the atmosphere changes your mood changes and all of the sudden you are calm and ready to enjoy what Bottega has to offer. the staff was very friendly from opening the door to handing in the bill they knew their menu when question asked they answered properly they were very attentive and quick. and overall just GREAT! the food was on a different level i mean i was delicious it was extravagant we had a 2 course meal started with the pork belly and it was 10/10 cooked perfectly with the crispy skin on top it was amazing and finished it off with Panna cotta which was also made perfectly the perfect balance of flavors and just the right texture (it was jiggly) it wasn't to stiff nor it was to soft. amazing dinner at Bottega defiantly good enough for me!!!!

Really did not enjoy the food at Bottega. The service was fine, not the greatest, no water top ups or checking in of how our meal was going. The food left a lot to be desired. I had the saffron spaghetti with scallops and caper berries. The spaghetti was hard and undercooked and stuck to the back of my mouth. The scallops equaled maybe 3 all together and were diced up tiny and the caper "berries" were a singular caper berry as a garnish. Had a side of green beans which was served with a creamy mousse which was quite random. I guess it was more the price for what was served that was disappointing. The atmosphere was nice and cosy and the place has potential to be great.

We tried the 'theatre' menu which was a condensed version of the a la carte.. $55 for two courses. I had the duck pasta and it was quite good. My partner had the pork belly which he enjoyed too. We ordered a side of potatoes which was pretty tasty. The service was attentive.

The food was pretty decent , portions are pretty small especially the entrees. Service however on food was a little slow but that could be because they were having a function. Waiters were friendly 😊

Authentic and elegant presentation of Italian dishes, though my main portion was quite small. Professional service and beautiful romantic setting situated next to Grossi at Bourke street. Definitely a great restaurant for romantic date or business lunch. Value for money Mon-Sat two or three courses menu, and cleverly crafted Melbourne Food and Wine Festival express lunch.

Started with the Chargrilled Tasmanian salmon, goat curd, curry oil, capers, it was very nice and not heavy at all. Then for main I had the House-made riocotta gnocchi, Kidden Park goat ragu, pecorino, it was so soft and melted in my mouth. We were in the private dining room, it was a nice room and the waiters were great too. <br/>

What a great night we had at Bottega last week-end.  It had not been our number one choice, but I feel we got very lucky.  The staff were incredibly courteous from the time we arrived until our reluctant departure some hours later.  The ambience was near-perfect, the décor very smart if a tad tired, the space was buzzing but not too loud, and conversation was eminently possible.  A sprinkle of black salt on the butter was a nice introductory touch.  To start, the deep-fried stuffed green olives and sardines were excellent.  So where the pumpkin flowers, which followed up.  Our enthusiastic waitress kept our glasses topped up regularly despite a full house.  My wife's gnocchi had a wonderful consistency and taste, and my scotch fillet reminded me of times in Tuscany, being cooked to perfection on the grill a la bistecca .  More than reasonable wine list, and I'm now sourcing the Sicilian red we enjoyed immensely.  Forget Grossi Fiorentini next door:  Go to Bottega!

When there's friends there's always good food. Unfortunately, I forgot to bring my DSLR camera and so, had to resolve to using my iphone to capture the moment. Italian, anybody?:). Crusty bread served with butter ~. Green and gold taglioni, prawns and octopus, chilli and bisque ~. Pan roasted kingfish, aqua pazza, fennel, tomato, mussels and tarragon ~

Recently i went for dinner for my bday to this place after it was named the best italian fine dining restaurant. I ordered the risotto and it was bland.. tasteless.. and the rice was not cooked well enough to my liking.. it was still very seedy and watery. For the amount of money we spent, I was really disappointed. Should have gone elsewhere. Customer service was good given that they were quite busy

Rudest old man ever running front of house! I have read other reviews and see others have encountered him two. I booked to take my partner via Dimmi for her last night before flying overseas for the loss of a family member, so was hoping to have a nice relaxed romantic dinner. When we arrived at the restaurant the man said kitchens closed. I said but I have a booking via Dimmi. He said I don't care who you booked with, you don't because we are closing soon, goodnight! Quite condescendingly he raising his eyebrows and pointing to the door. I said do you have my booking? He said I haven't opened my laptop for a few hours and I don't care if you booked with Dimmi, you won't be eating here tonight. I was so embarrassed and said why are you being so rude? I have simply brought my partner for dinner and find it disappointing you are telling me you don't care. He rolled his eyes and looked at my partner and said for God sakes how don't you understand you won't be eating here? I told him I was disgusted and would write this review. He said go ahead.. So I have. Bottega have any chance of us rebooking. We would of been happy with a polite apologetic response or even a call to say the restaurant was closing early. <br/><br/>We then walked down to Gazi who told us they were closing soon but they were happy to recommended to us other places near by that were still serving such as The Meat Ball & Wine Co, Cummulus, and Chin Chin. These 4 place we have eaten at several times and the staff are lovely. And our local restaurants in Toorak are always full of great service. Give this Bottega rude snob a miss!

Terrible service, staff okay but manager was rude. Waited forever for our food and were served after two couples who came in 40 mins after us. Also charged for things that were supposed to be a part of the 6 course dinner. Food was hit and miss. Never going here again.

Nice restaurant with really good services!! Love the scotch fillet and pouched salmon also very delicious. Reasonable price, would defiantly come back again!!

Amazing. Everything was perfect, lovely staff, lovely atmosphere and most of all, the food was perfect and fast. Definitely coming back. Happy customer! The duck was amazing!

I'm not sure if we were just really unlucky and ordered the two worst dishes on the menu (snapper and steak) or if the food really is just bland and a misfit. The poach salmon entree was delicious but the beef carpaccio was also disappointing. <br/><br/>For the amount of money we spent, I was left bitterly disappointed.

A lovely place for a recent birthday dinner. The food was outstanding, and the service was efficient, yet unobtrusive.<br/>The fried calamari salad with white radicchio, fennel, olive and parsley was delicious, as was the poached salmon, and the lamb shoulder.<br/>I really enjoyed the dessert- mascarpone cream with chocolate sorbet and hazelnuts. A most memorable meal.

Impeccable service, divine food. I had the beef cheek thats was off the charts good. Was part of a big group and every meal looked superb. Oh yes, and the cocktails are Jean Claude Van Damme good.

Executive lunch event: organised a work function there for 25 people. Coordination was easy, food and service were excellent. Great feedback from all who attended, and that's exactly what you want out of an event. Kudos to the team behind Bottega

I've been to Bottega few times over number of years and they have never failed me. Their food is always satisfying and the wine selection was great. They also have pre theater menu that is very good value.

An intimate restaurant with ambience and neutral decor. I would advise if you are on the plus size to make sure NOT to book the booth tables. They are quite tight but still somewhat comfortable.<br/>We had the pork and ham croquets and a small serve of antipasti platter. Both very nice, thoroughly enjoyed it. For mains the beef cheek with cauli purée was to die for. What can I say - couldn't fault it. The other dish we tried was the pappardelle with goat ragu. The ragu was delicious but found the pasta a little too al dente. Could've done in the pot another minute or so. Finally dessert was tiramisu - very smooth, creamy, not overly boozy and mild coffee flavour. I'd have to say I'm a bit of a tiramisu snob but this was delicious. Definitely in my top 5. Finished the night with a shirt macchiato and complimentary biscotti. Very enjoyable evening.

Booked online and got a booth near the bar - very nice - my first G&T took a while to arrive - we had the antipasto to start and the beef cheek and pappardelle pasta and goat ragu with a glass of Paringa Pinot - pasta was a little underdone but ragu beautiful as was the beef cheek followed by a "to die for" tiramisu - best I've had in a while - worth another visit but not top of my list

A really enjoyable meal. We ordered from the pre theatre menu which consisted of 2 courses (entree and main or main and dessert). The ambience was delightful, perfect for a romantic occasion. Would question their choice of tunes. Service was top notch! Would revisit to try their pasta.

Got in for a pre-theatre meal at a relatively early hour of 6pm. Got the three course option for a meagre 55. Not quite as illustrious as its neighbour, but the food was excellent and the ambience is great - gets you in the mood for wine and pasta.

The European Night Market is on every Friday night and here it is all good. It was busy on this damp winter's night. It is in the city on Madame Brussels lane where the law offfices were. It was here that a new Goz City opened and they were having a launch inside and I wasn't invited. Oh well. We did however have to wait twenty minutes for food to come in the cold.

Very good food with average portions.<br/>The price is quite expensive.<br/>Service is good but a bit slow at times.<br/>Decor and ambience is very nice.<br/><br/>Will come back when able.

Excellent service, mains were really delish, we had the beef cheeks and snapper, but the portions were a bit small! Would skip the tiramisu, didn't quite hit the mark.

Lunch at Bottega is like a few hours respite of fine Italy.  The white table cloths and requests for coats at the door, suggest a hauteur.  Still the lunch menu is reasonable value at $45 for two courses, or $55 for three. Seated at the front, we could admire the clean, modern interior whilst people watching the busy office workers of Bourke Street on their lunch breaks. Aubergine gnocchi was served in an unexpected way.  Its aroma was of truffles.  The potato dumplings were soft (but not as soft as Maria’s) and the eggplant was in a puree as a subtle sauce.  The tomato and eggplant were both soft in texture and flavour.

Not overly impressed. Had heard good reviews about Bottega so I thought I'd take a corporate client for dinner. I'd ordered the lamb which was undercooked and not even a steak knife could cut through the meat. I spent most of the time chasing the food round the plate. I gave up in the end. However the waitress was lovely and very apologetic shame the same approach wasn't there when the bill came from the manager! Over priced undercooked food not a place to impress guests.

Don't go if you are vegetarian. Had lunch at Bottega yesterday as part of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival. When booking they said yes, we have vegetarian options. Well I'm afraid gnocchi with tomato sauce doesn't cut it. Won't be going back and would suggest if you are vegetarian avoid the place. Great service from the waiting staff.

After much debate on where to spend our Friday night with a group of six, we all decided on Bottega as the place of choice. We started the night with a variety of shared Stuzzichini dishes (for the table to enjoy as well as some beautiful wines from their well put together wine list. Once entrees were ordered, a loaf of warm bread was brought to the table with some homemade crunchy bread sticks. The loaf was beautifully crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. The only downfall was the butter that was brought to the table straight from the fridge, which couldn’t be cut. First out was the  ‘Chicken Liver pate with gruyere bignoli’ which was creamy, drizzled a golden syrup dressing and lightly warmed by the gruyere bignoli.

First out was the chicken liver pate: gruyere bignoli and it was amazing. The parfait was luscious and creamy while slightly warmed by the freshness of the baked gruyere bignoli, drizzled with golden syrup dressing

Thankfully, service was efficient and food was quickly dished out on warm heavy plates. Fakeboo’s entrée was slightly on the odd side. Our Asian tongues weren’t accustomed to the fish and cheese pairing, but The Angmoh thought it was pretty good. The ribs however, had a lovely smoky flavour, and the meat was tender and fell off the bone easily.

The restaurant itself is quite dimly lit (hence the dodgy photos) but has a simple elegant decor in brown hues. Our waitress was really lovely, helped with the menu and made us feel quite comfortable which was great.<br/>

Bottega is a top notch Italian restaurant in Melbourne in a precinct that has dominated the Melbourne culinary landscape for over 50 years. Enter off Bourke into a modern vibey establishment with a touch of retro, and which is a place you can enjoy and let loose. Not starch and stuffy. Bottega is one of the giants of the culinary scene but is always adjusting and adding to the excellence that abounds.

I'm no stranger to the good food they plate up at Bottega ... In addition to its lunch menu, Bottega offers an express lunch which comprises of either two courses & wine ($35) or three courses & wine ($45).

the scallops were beautifully supple yet silky on the inside. Accompanied with crisp pancetta and a surprisingly light soubise.

Perfectly seared, the flavours danced between the aromatic grilled surface and natural sweetness of the fresh scallops. The puree was silky smooth and the truffle presence was sensationally fragrant. 

Celebrating Modern Italian cuisine, the dishes are contemporary without losing the appeal synonymous with classical Italian robust flavours.

..although Bottega has been around for the last decade, they are by no means resting on their laurels and are constantly open for new ideas, suggestions and trials, whilst keeping true to their Modern Italian cuisine.

Restaurant Express Review - We generally found the entrees and mains to be of high quality. But dessert was a bit of a let down.

Bottega has been a long-standing icon in Melbourne, located right next to Grossi Florentino and like its neighbour, has a reputation for delivering great Italian fare. It has always been on my list of restaurants "to try, eventually" and due to its convenient location to Mr A's workplace, we decided that it was finally time to turn that "eventually" into now. Looking down to Bottega We were seated in a nice and cosy spot at the front windows with a view of Bourke Street. A lovely glass of Merricks Creek Pinot Noir & chewy soft bread to start with. After a stressful day at the office, I had only eaten lunch at 4pm and wasn't extremely hungry yet so we had 1 entrée to share. The swordfish was briny and fishy and alone, too much for me, but when eaten with the salad it was much better. I found that the crisp fennel, orange slices & pomegranate really lifted up an otherwise palatable dish. Semi-cured pink peppercorn swordfish, fresh fennel, orange & pomegranate, burnt orange dressing Mr A'

We had a not too small group one Thursday night and we'd forgotten to book a restaurant in advance. Luckily, Bottega had a table available and we arrived for a quick dinner before resuming the festivities. The service was quite pleasant and we had an enjoyable meal. I didn't feel like a heavy meal and thus ordered an entree of sardines. The fish was fresh and was delicately perched atop a bed of tangy salsa which complemented it very well. It was nice enough that I would like to come back and try something more substantial.

For our last night in Melbourne, Monsieur Poisson and I decided to take Anna 's suggestion and have Italian at Bottega which is situated a couple of doors down from two-hatted Grossi Florentino. We have a confirmed table reservation and are seated in the

Our meal was very good – on par, if not better than the meal that I enjoyed in 2008. The food was excellent and service on a similar level. I guess the only thing I have to whinge about was when I

I haven't been to Italian restaurant Bottega since their refurbishment in 2007. A glass panel now slices the room in ha

2ofus. Lunch today, perfect octopus entrée then 12 hour braised goat, beautiful,my wife had pork belly that was so tender and full of flavour. Fantastic meal, our waiter chose the wine to suit the food, he knows his trade. Great value for your hard earned $. Will definitely be back.

Wow... brilliant!. Had a long leisurely lunch ... lovely QUIET room with crisp table linen and a roomy comfortable table for 4... The wait staff seemed to sense that we were in no particular hurry and timed our lunch beautifully.. We were offered the excellent wine list promptly and our order was brought with no delay along with some perfect olives and breads. Then in nice time our food order was taken... So a really nice starting sequence to a lunch we had been looking forward too.. <br/>Food was excellent.. perfect size entrees followed by mains all of which looked great.. Mine was the beef cheek.. and I haven't tasted better for ages.. the meat was cooked perfectly.. melt in the mouth .. presented well without looking loose of sloppy as this dish can sometimes appear.. our waiter left us well alone checking subtly every now an then.. We all went for the 2 course option at $45 per head.. great value . Wines to suit what ever budget your looking for.. good coffee with simple biscotti.. Then we sat and chatted for an hour without being made to feel that we should be moving on.. This is a really nice place . Smart without any pretention . Good staff and really, really good food.. I'll be back and ill be recommending to my friends and associates ..

Beautiful food. Spent our Saturday evening dining out at Bottega. Having been then years ago and having heard that it had changed hands and morphed a little since we'd last been, we were curious as to how well it would fare. It were relieved.... it was a delightful evening. Beautifully cooked food, served by friendly, but efficient waiting staff. The pasta, duck and goat dishes were well cooked, well proportioned and delicious. Desserts were equally as elegant, excellent flavours and not too fussy. An excellent choice for a special night out or just an evening of dining out at a lovely, restaurant.

Nice setting. Delicious food although servings are a little small. Either way we still really enjoyed our dining experience

Lovely Evening. Dinner last night with my wife. Restaurant has a welcoming feel to it and the front of house staff are very friendly and professional. Like many restaurants today, the tables are on the small side so there can be some manouvering for space but it can work with one or two sides but no more. Both seafood entrees were very good although I thought the octopus was best. My 12 hr goat was served differently from the picture I created in my minds eye but it was brilliant ...... great flavours, textures, colours etc and my wife's snapper fillet was also excellent. We shared a bottle of red from Sciliy and it was a lovely contrast to the flavours we are used to locally. Wine selection is very good with lots from Italy and the pricing is a little more reasonable than many. This is not an inexpensive restuarant but stands up very well to the competition.

Great meal before a show.. Great tasty food and the staff were friendly and attenttive. Will be back.