Review Scugnizzo - Melbourne

Wow! Loved every single dish we ordered along with the delicious crusty bread. Diavola pizza was fabulous, scotch fillet with roast potatoes and beans were absolutely amazing. Service was excellent.

Couldn't have asked for more friendly and caring staff for both patrons and the love of the dishes served. The gnocchi were delicious pillows of happiness! Very keen to return on my next trip back to Melbourne! Compliments to the Chef Bellissimo!

Excellent food, very traditional Italian taste, good vibe and nice service

This place is an absolute gem. Despite the restaurant and hospitality industry in Melbourne being absolutely devastated in the wake of COVID, this place appears to have handled it all in stride. The ambiance is warm and inviting, the food is excellent and full of flavour and the whole restaurant was serviced by only two front of house people. They were friendly and helpful with their recommendations and absolute professionals. I will definitely be back on my next return visit to Melbourne.

We had the specials this time which may change soon. Great service, excellent food. We will be back!

Loved the food. I normally don’t eat beef. But I was in love with the way it was cooked. And the pasta it was 😚 definitely coming back ❤️ And got complimentary bread and something that I forgot the name but it was made with crab meat, it was delicious 🤤

A hidden gem in one of Melbourne's little alleys. I sat outside so didn't really get a good look of the inside. The food will speak for itself. I had a special- prawn ravioli and it was truly a great flavoursome meal. The staff were very friendly and attentive. I will definitely go back next time I'm in Melbourne.

Had a rather average experience here. Firstly when we walked in we were put on a table right near the kitchen which was bright and noisy and we had to be asked to have another one of the tables cleared which was much nicer. The food was too expensive and quite average. I didn't enjoy my gnocchi at all. :(

Delicious pizza and the homemade spinach and ricotta ravioli is just gorgeous .. highly recommend for a first class Italian Restaurant .. see you again when we visit from Perth

Wonderful service, good atmosphere, but food disappointing for the price. Risotto with pork belly was a bit bland and overly salty.

Food tasted like it was from a packet and my calamari was like rubber... do not recommend at all.

I fell in love with your Seafood Pasta which was your Special that night we came for dinner. I am not a huge fan of Pizza Margherita but that one was mindblowing <3

Great little restaurant in a great location. Loved the feel of the old building it is situated in. Service was very friendly. ..maybe a tad on the slow side although there was only one waiter on a quiet night. We all enjoyed our meals. Very reasonably priced. Would go back. Ps....the waiter was kind enough to turn on the air conditioner the moment he saw me fanning myself with the serviette. Thumbs up. ..thank you.

Thank you for an amazing dinner, the food was AA+ and the service was AAA+. You all went beyond all expectations with our little ones even lettung us park out front. You have a loyal family for life after tonight, see you again soon :)

The best and most authentic Italian restaurant in Melbourne city undoubtedly！

The food was delicious. The service was friendly and welcoming, thanks for a great evening and dining experience. Next time we come to Melbourne we will be back!

A very pleasant find this evening. Charming staff and a lovely ambience.

Great food, exceptional service. Will definitely come back again

Quality food, fully licensed. Good service and great atmosphere......

Best butterfish on earth! Compliments to the chef:)

Amazing authentic italian food. Awesome hospitality and great Chef. will be back soon!

Best dining experience in a long time! Amazing food, friendly, attentive service and great drinks selection! Very highly recommended!

A nice Italian restaurant with the most friendly staff. We came here for Valentine's day which was a 3 course menu. We started off with a glass of prosecco. <br/><br/>The entree we opted for the lobster and spring onion croquettes. Crisp batter and a strong aroma and fragrance of lobster. The other entree was the burrata cheese was fantastic. Soft stringy and milky. <br/><br/>Mains were average. Housemade fettucine was well made with a generous amount of tender duck ragu. The risotto was average as it was still powdery in the centre. The assorted mushroom were quite tasty. <br/><br/>Dessert was the highlight. The torta margherita was quite impressive with a soft lemon sponge and thinly sliced strawberries. The marscapone was quite impressive. <br/><br/>The chocolate mousse was dense and very rich.

Came to celebrate end of year with the office, with 30-40 people attending. We chose our food and drinks on the spot. I find the food came out too slow, for all three courses. We ended up spending 3 hrs in there.<br/><br/>I also chose a vegetarian ravioli, but got beef one instead. They did offer to replace my dish, but I refused because I didn't want to wait another half an hour for it.<br/><br/>The best part of my meal was probably the dessert - though it's really big and heavy and I couldn't even finish half of it. Also, be careful with the chocolate powder on top!<br/><br/>Friendly waitresses, constantly offering us to refill the drinks. But I won't be back.

A random Italian lunch with my friend. We ordered two Entree dishes and two pastas. <br/>The croquettes were impressive with crispy outside and soft inside. <br/>Grilled calamari was weaker than my expectations; while the it comes with too much 'fishy'. <br/>I'm obsessed with pumpkin, this tortellaci is satisfied my appetite. <br/>Generally, it is good to come here to get some drink and one or two things to eat.

Really attentive and lovely staff. LOVED THE duck it was amazing. We also had the lasagne and salmon croquette. I’d recommend this place xx

Work hosted a dinner here and it was nice of them. As an italian food fanatic I wasn't going to refuse the offer. The place was very cosy as you walked in. Service was really nice and all the staff lovely and accommodating. Loved the ravioli I had the pasta sheets were great with a simple sauce. Great flavours. If you like a more home style cooked meal this is the place to try.

Scugnizzo is a pretty little hidden restaurant in Little Bourke street. <br/><br/>We went here for a our Christmas office lunch recently and were fairly satisfied with the experience. <br/><br/>The menu is well suited to most people and the staff are lovely. <br/><br/>I ordered the following <br/>> Mediterranea pizza - a well priced pizza that tasted well. Loved the vegetable choices on there and the delicious pizza sauce. <br/><br/>> Caprese Salad - can never go wrong with tomato, mozzarella and basil on a plate. Great salad. <br/><br/>> Unsure what the third item was but please refer to the photos. It was really tasty too. The sauce was well made and made this dish so rich. <br/><br/>Overall, a nice restaurant to visit if you feel like some well priced Italian food.

The staff were absolutely lovely and ensured my friends and I had a great night eating here. Our waiter was hilarious and we were very well attended to and looked after. The food is pricy, but very delicious and worth it. The atmosphere was lovely and had a very intimate feel to it. I hope to come back here soon and take other friends to this restaurant because it has been my favourite Italian experience in Melbourne so far!

I’ve come here a number of times for lunch, but this was my first time for dinner. We had the lobster bisque, clam and muscle spaghetti, with a couple of side salads. The spaghetti was really tasty! We also ordered dessert to share, chocolate fondant, sooo good! Warm ooozzy chocolate sauce! Yum! This is also a good find in the entertainment book! 25% off!

Overpriced and ordinary. $375 for 4 people last Saturday night, including drinks. Sides must be ordered on top of expensive mains. We had the rabbit special - nicely de-boned but just ok, watery, needed polenta, pasta, or something. Tables are covered with brown paper - really!? The loud Techno music was irritating and inappropriate. Staff seemed to forget about us later in the evening. We were welcomed with an oily fried dough ball, to be avoided. Disappointing.

Excellent food and wine. Service was also fantastic, especially given how busy they were with limited staff. Would rate even higher if the menu was slightly expanded with respect to main courses.

The waiter were rude and creepy, they rolled their eyes several times and they were demeaning towards us. The food was overall at best average but so not worth the price!! Would not recommend coming here

I'm normally quite fair on reviews but this time round I don't know how else to see the positive side of what I ordered.. a Margherita pizza with literally a few strips of basil leave, about one dollop of mozzarella across the whole pizza, and for whatever reason the tomato sauce was pink and dripping. Pizza box didn't even last 10 mins after I picked it up before it got soaked through.

For my personal dinning experience the food was really good. I had the salmon fillet served on a bed of oyster risotto and burrata cheese, my wife had the creamy asparagus risotto with king prawns and black caviar guys both dishes was absolutely delicious well done to the chef. we had bruschetta and dessert as well and that was average. Wine list is good service was good as well.I also  liked to see the head chef going around bring the plates out himself like i used to do in Italy but doing this you waste a lot of time. I don't want to teach how to run a restaurant but a table next to us waited a least 30 min to share a bruschetta, other people waited the same time to get 5 pizzas. You cant do everything,need the help to get a faster service. Like I said before food was good waiting time need to improve.

Single handedly the worst dining experience I've had in Melbourne. If there was an option to review this place a 0, I would have done so.<br/>My partner and I eat out regularly and are 99 times out of 100 satisfied with our meal, but leaving this place, our mutual feelings were that they're actually trying to run it into the ground.<br/>Eat here at your peril

Very pleasant first visit. "Fried Calamari' with Lime & Chilli Mayonnaise" was cooked perfectly, however it lacked seasoning and the Mayonnaise was very bland, with little hint of lime nor chilli. <br/><br/> I had the "House made pappardelle with pork and fennel sausage, assorted mushrooms and a seeded mustard and cream". Great dish, perfect al-dente pappardelle however too dry and needed more of that signature creamy mustard sauce. Still 8/10 though.<br/><br/>Wife had the "Spaghetti con Gamberi e Pancetta" which is Spaghetti with prawn, pancetta and zucchini served with trapanese pesto. This was outstanding. No seasoning required and well balanced. Would have loved to have seen some lovely fresh scallops in there as well. One of the best pasta dishes we've tasted. 9.5/10<br/><br/>Service was efficient and friendly. Can't wait to come back.

Terribly disappointing food and ridiculously over priced for its standard. <br/>Both pastas were broth based which is a rare. I appreciate the attempt to be unique but they were overly watery and bland. The pasta fagioli was some distant imitation of the one I grew up with and lacked any flavour. The sausage in the papadelle was chewy. I just struggled to find many positives with this meal.<br/>the place itself is also drab and I couldn't help thinking it needs a Gordon Ramsey style makeover.<br/>Christine S <br/>

I ate there with some friends. Can't really complain, the wait staff were nice but don't have a clue. The pappardelle pasta was as good as a supermarket bought brand and the hyped pork sausage, mushroom sauce was like average homemade. <br/>After the mains, the female wait person rushed around clearing glasses and plates, then belatedly asked if we wanted the dessert menu. <br/><br/>For the price, it's not value. A pity, the place could be fantastic.

Lovely ambience with south Italian deco. The food was amazing especially the home made pappardelle with mushroom , pork & fennel sausage and mustard cream sauce - a must order!

Went here to check it out because they are featured in the Citibank Dining Rewards program. They had an offer in which if we pay with a Citibank Card, they promised free wine.<br/><br/>We booked 2 tables for a party of 7 people total, and when I asked about the offer, the staff rejected it. I showed the staff that the offer is still valid in Citi's website, and he still refused.<br/><br/>Confused, I asked to speak with the manager. The staff told me the owner is here instead. So I asked to speak with the owner.<br/><br/>The owner popped up looking very annoyed and, word for word, this is what he said: "No. If we honor that offer, I can't make money. Now if you dont like it, you can leave." I tried to explain that the offer is still up in Citi's website to which he replied: "No, I'll get you free water. Go, I'm busy."<br/><br/>It wasnt even that busy. it was daytime and there were only 10-15 customers in the whole restaurant.<br/><br/>7 people in 2 tables would have given them well over $200-300, yet he chose to fret over a $10-20 bottle of wine that he promised as part of their program with Citi. If you dont like honoring your offers, why make it in the first place. Too stingy, totally unprofessional with the rude remarks and mood-killing. Will never come back again.<br/><br/>

Nice little joint to enjoy dinner with a group of friends where you can have a conversation without getting too loud. Delicious pork belly and calamari entrees, desserts are ok. Superb pappardelle. Duck and quail are pretty good too! Service is excellent!

I've visited Scugnizzo several times for lunch. It's close to work and the food is always delicious, and the service is prompt and attentive. If you get there just after 12 it's empty but by 1pm the barristers and lawyers are filing in. I think the majority of their clientele are from the legal profession and no wonder given Scugnizzo's location (enter via a laneway off Little Bourke St).

Went with a group of friends and all of us were disappointed with the food. The crumbed bocconcini came out cold..made it chewy and unpleasant. The gnocchi was floury and barely warm, the tagliatelle and pappardelle were undercooked. The sauces on the pastas were ok but not good enough that any of us would return. The waitress was pleasant and efficient but at one stage the head chef came out to help with service and was abrupt and very impersonal.

Terrible. Went for Dinner with a few friends. Waiter was fantastic but the food was terrible. I ordered a main pasta which came out cold and with maybe 7 pieces of pasta, was not even what I would an entrée size (more a childs serving) the ragu sauce did not even coat the pasta. For the price I paid I would have expected more. My partner had a pizza which had more rocket on it than the grilled vegetables which was only eggplant. I would not go back to this restaurant.

Scugnizzo. I would not recommend this restaurant to anyone. The service was terrible. I waited over an hour for a drink. I asked about it 3 times and on the 3rd time was told they don't even have that particular drink. Had calamari which you could not even chew. Worst experience ever!!

I wasn't actually expecting it especially after walking through those alleys but the restaurant definitely has the decent Italian 'feel' inside. The food I ordered, Ms ordered and my friends ordered was actually really good. The portion for the pastas are a little small but according to those who ordered them, they seems pretty satisfied with it. In fact, the whole dinner was a satisfactory. Yummmsss!

The aroma of woodfired pizza fills the restaurant and is complimented by the smiling faces of wonderful and attentive staff.

Good food & great service. Went there for dinner with wife. simple setting and comfortable ambience. food tastes great, i was amazed by the entree, chef's selection, antipasto for 2. main was creative as well, never had seafood liguine served in a oven wrapped paper. service was great, waiter and chef/owner are both warm welcoming. highly recommand

Beautiful evening. The risotto and ravioli were perfectly cooked and tasted amazing. Before our beautiful garlic pizza entrè arrived we were given small garlic and lentil appetizers compliments of the chef which was a very nice touch. For desert, the apple tart was amazing and melted in the mouth. Service was outstanding and I could not fault the night.

Nice ambiance & good food!. I went here recently and found the food to be really good. The service was very pleasant and the food tasty. I tried the Housemade pumpkin and sage tortellacci served with prawns and roasted almond flakes, and this was delicious. I would definitely go back and try some more dishes!

Very nice italian food!. I tried pasta and pizza here few weeks ago. Pumpkin filled homemade pasta with prawn sauce was unique but beautiful and delicious! it was much more special and nicer than I expected. also I love their chewy and full flavour italian pizza. price was reasonable but I had high qaulity of delicious foods. surely I will be back soon!!

Surprise Birthday Party.. My husband organised a surprise 60th birthday party for me at Scugnizzo in July this year. Apart from the wonderful surprise and the happy reunion of special family and friends, it was Scugnizzo's menu and service that turned this great night into a truly memorable one for everyone who came. We had a limited menu choice of entrees and mains which included Antipasto, Bruschetta and Calamari, Gnocchi, Scotch Fillet, Salmon and Risotto and desert was chocolate birthday cake. Great food and the wines were superb! Thank you Andreana and Carmine for a truly great dining experience! We'll be back.

Function for my daughter's communion. We booked the restaurant for our daughters First Holy Communion celebration. As we had over 60 guests, the restaurant was made available exclusively for us which was great! With help from Carmine and Nonie, we organised a set menu with antipasto, and a choice of 3 entrees and mains. Dessert was the cake.<br/>I have to say that the food was SPECTACULAR!!!!!!! It was tasty and plentiful! We had an idea of what was going to be part of the antipasto but pretty much left it to Carmine to decide exactly what would be included. Let me just say that we could've just eaten the antipasto all night as it was so amazing and delicious! All the pasta was home made and the taste was to die for!!! The pasta was also very unique from the carbonara-filled ravioli (OMG!!) to the basil infused papardelle with ragu to the seafood pasta e fagioli. Seconds were also amazing! Quail cooked perfectly, steak also cooked perfectly and so tender and salmon was delicious!!! The service was second to none. Food was delivered in a timely manner and the wait staff were friendly and always around tending to our every request. Even Carmine would come out and talk with the guests every now and again to make sure everything was alright. It was brilliant! We were so happy and received so many compliments from our guests. They couldn't speak highly enough of the restaurant! We could not have been happier with everything and we could not have asked for more!!! Not to mention that my daughter was happy too! It'll be a night she will remember forever! Thank you! Bellissimo!

Really enjoyed this restaurant the staff were very warm welcoming, friendly and funny. <br/>We first had the antipasto which was by far the best I've had in melbourne, we then had the homemade pasta with a beautiful wagu sauce and my favorite part, desert which was choclate creme burlee which was absolutely Devine! <br/>Highly recommended

Great night here at Scugnizzo! Quality meals and service at a reasonable price. Looking forward to my next visit. I highly recommend this restaurant.

I have lived in Melbourne all my life and this is by far the worst Italian restaurant I have been too. See my photo for the Issa which is lacking in topping and taste and was quite pricey. La porchetta taste so much better and cheaper. Don't come here it is a rip off.

It was OK. Don't understand all the negatives. Service was good [except the waiter referred to us a 'mate']. Food was of high standard [my risotto was excellent, dining partner's gnocchi looked equally good]. Ambience was comfortable. And being early in the week not too many people.

Quality disappointing, also on Valentines day :(. My standards aren't particularly high when it comes to food. I like to make the best of situations and am easily satisfied. Everything is relative of course, so when I pay good money, I expect a certain standard of food, relative to the money I'm paying. Unfortunately, Scugnizzo did not deliver quite so well on that front, despite all the great reviews I'd seen. Sure, not every restaurant can make everything on their menu of good quality, and usually you have to pick the "right dishes". After eating at more and more places around Melbourne, I am now starting to develop the point of view that if you can't make something well as a restaurant, and replicate it the way it reads on the menu, just don't put it on there. The same can be said of my partner's "tuna carpaccio", which was not carpaccio at all, but some thin, cured type of tuna, bereft of it's promised natural flavour and texture. The involtini of mozarella was generous in portion, but generally lacking flavour. The Maltagliati was tough pasta, seemed undercooked, although I'm unsure whether those thick pastas are meant to be served that way. Overall, it was a pleasant dish, suitable to the palate of lovers of western style duck flavours. The Risotto di Salatiello was also pleasant, although VERY small. The leeks and capers added a nice herby aroma and flavour to the seafood. Having said that, these mains were certainly not mind-blowing, just pleasant enough. And last of the meals; dessert--what an incredible let-down. The wild cherry creme brulee was normal creme brulee (averagely done) with a terrible-tasting candied black cherry on top. how remarkable. So incredibly below-par. Second dessert - also a fail. the Chocolate and strawberry mousse with passionfruit coulis, was in fact a frozen mousse, as though it had been prepared 3 hours earlier and put in the freezer. When put in front of me, It just looked like it was chocolate flavour, completely dark brown. being frozen, the texture had become unpleasant and as I was eating it, i noticed that the strawberry flavour was virtually undetectable. That was until I arrived at the middle of the frozen lump and came to a small, half-frozen, half-candied strawberry. very disappointing, although the coulis made it worth eating half of it. Moving away from the food aspect, the wine list is extensive and impressive, the location is great, and some of the wait staff are good. We were stuck with a nice enough guy, after he took over from the first guy who we really liked, and would have loved to keep. This second fellow was too hectic and his demeanour was quite rushed, which doesn't feel good, when you just want to make the right decision on your meal. Explaining concisely but not rushedly will only be more helpful to all. Unfortunately, Scugnizzo didn't provide any stand-out features to bring me back.

Disappointing. After reading all the positive comments, i was looking forward to try the food. However, the food was less than average and the serve size was tiny! This restaurant is way over rated! The only positive side of this restaurant is the service and the environment! The waiter was so friendly and the restaurant looked very relax.

Not a very good experience on Valentine's Day.... Like what the other two Urbanspoon reviewers have said, Valentine's Day at Scugnizzo really was disappointing. <br/><br/>The menu was uninspiring. By saying that, I did not pick to eat here so I didn't know what was on the menu until I got there. I just wished there had been more interesting dishes on the menu - the pasta really wasn't that great. I loved the sauce but I felt that the wrong pasta was used. I would have preferred a ravioli or a tortellini to soak up that sauce. <br/><br/>The main issue though was how long we had to wait for our main. It took them over one hour and 30 minutes to serve it up. Now I understand that they lost our docket. I can say though that they did try their best to make it up to us by giving us free glasses of wine and I appreciated that but it still didn't make up for the menu. <br/><br/>My boyfriend also found a piece of plastic in his dessert. He chose not to tell the waiters about it since there already had been so much hassle and complaining about the wait for the mains. Luckily there was no plastic in my dessert and I thoroughly enjoyed the chocolate mousse. <br/><br/>I wouldn't come back though. I do not know why this restaurant is so highly rated on Urbanspoon. I guess they were just having a bad night which shows since I am the third to review that I didn't enjoy the Valentine's Day experience.

Really disappointing experience..... I decided to have dinner with my partner at Scugnizzo on Valentine's day. I was looking forward to it as the reviews were good and the atmosphere seemed to be nice and romantic.<br/><br/>First of all the menu was not too attractive, it was possible to notice a lack of italian specialities....the a la carte menu look more attractive so perhaps i'll go back one day. Food was ok, just for the price ($75 per menu) you can expect better than some arancini, pasta and chocolate mousse...anyway at least the good tasted ok and service was good.<br/><br/>The worst is that we had a table for two at the back, close to the kitchen. We could hear the noise from the kitchen and the chef screaming the whole night. We could not even hear the music from the other side of the restaurant. It was just not romantic at all! We asked to changed seats but they were all pre-allocated so even if some were empty, our request couldn't be granted.<br/><br/>Perhaps I had too high expectations but at the end of the day it was just not good enough.

I don't understand how this restaurant has a high rating. We stayed for the valentines la carte menu, so perhaps it was only for that night as they obviously pre pareded and reheated the entire menu... Either way, our food was horrible.<br/>Our arancini tasted like frozen food reheated.<br/>Our pasta & scollops was well over cooked and very small serving for a main.<br/>And you can't call creme brulee 'wild cherry' by placing a single cherry on top of a cold brulee. <br/>Sadly very disappointing meal. I cant possibly recommend a visit.

Delicious generous food The three times I've been for dinner. Passionate chef and appropriately suave Italian waiters who give a big pour of vino because of course, we are all here to have a good time! Intimate warm brick room. Will be coming back again and again.

We had so delicious Italian food with very romantic and warm atmosphere. I really loved chef's hand made pasta! Dolce (strawberry chocolate mousse) was amazing whit hight quality ingredient! Waiters and staff were very friendly and willing to accommodate our request! <br/>Must try it!

Best Italian in Melbourne. I've lunched here occasionally and have never been disappointed. The service is personal and impeccable, particularly from young Stefano who despite his small stature, stands tall over most wait staff across town. And he'll tell you about his cool haircut if you're lucky enough. Tis a shame he only works on school holidays.<br/><br/>Then comes the food - simply magnificent. Fresh, tasty, perfectly seasoned and cooked and so reasonably priced. I had the seafood risotto today which was sublime. Easily the best I've had.<br/><br/>I can't speak highly enough of this place. Whilst there should be more like it, I'm glad there aren't for the sake of my waistline. Having said that, looking forward to next time.<br/><br/>Put simply, this place has found the formula that so many if not most restaurants keep struggling with.

Average. The service was very good, drinks, desserts and appetizers were lovely.<br/>But overall, I was disappointed with the quality of the mains and sides, and I am surprised they rate so highly on here. Also I don't know if I just don't understand how pasta is supposed to be served, but it was beyond al dente, so chewy and stiff.

Had my expectations a lil bit too high. I was expecting a lot since it had a really good reviews on Urbanspoon (91%) but was kind of disappointed. Perhaps I did not ordered the right dishes but the pizzas were nothing compared to DOC's. The pumpkin pasta was unique but I was expecting a lot more since it was rated 91% on Urbanspoon. On the other hand, the dining atmosphere was beautiful.

Thinking about trying? Do!. Dined at Scugnizzo for the first time on Saturday night (31/08/13) as i) I could get a discount via the Entertainment Book, ii) I love Italian food but rarely seem to go Italian nowadays and iii) it rated well on Urbanspoon. Having now been, I can see why it rates so highly! The service and food were both wonderful. Tiny complimentary starters were served, followed by lovely crusty yet light, very fresh bread - with more provided to mop up the sauces of our pasta dishes. My friend absolutely raved about the house made sundried tomato gnocchi with mushrooms and gorgonzola, whilst I had the pasta special for the night which was lovely - although I'd be keen to try something actually on the menu next time. And the desserts! I don't order tiramisu usually as I only like coffee hot, but their Lemon Tiramisu was amazing! So light - not too tangy, but definitely lemon. The waiter was terrific; I was just sorry to see how few diners there were. Deserves to be busy every night.

Best Italian in Melbourne. My introduction to Scugnizzo came about as the result of a now well-worn routine, namely, attempting to find the best coffee within walking distance on the first day in a new job. As I strolled down the now familiar lane way, little did I know that I would strike gold at the first attempt. Two years on from that day and I'm glad to say that the $3.50 coffee & muffin breakfast deal was just the beginning of a wonderful culinary experience. Chef Carmine and his wife Nonie have created a warm, unpretentious dining environment - the staff, are attentive and always have time for a quick chat, the aforementioned muffins, baked fresh every day, provide the ideal morning snack on the go and the food...well, unless you buy yourself a ticket over to Italy, this is about as good as it gets. The ever lively Carmine and his support cast in the kitchen, lovingly create authentic, home-style Italian dishes using only the freshest ingredients. The specials are inspired and the desserts fittingly top off the perfect lunch or dinner. Alas, a new job, not quite within walking distance, will soon require me to begin the coffee routine once again. I will miss this little gem, the friendly staff with whom I've shared many a conversation, and the amazing food. I suspect however, that it won't be too long before I'm drawn back.

It's because of restaurants like Scugnizzo that we love Melbourne! Food fantastic, service impeccable...we didn't just feel welcome, we felt LOVED! it's fab to see the chef active in front of house - the staff glide like a ballet. Now I've had Scugnizzo's chocolate mousse, I can die happy.

Authentic and great location. A great find for us the restaurant has a great ambience, good location off a laneway and a very clean and welcoming interior with friendly, attentive and non intrusive staff. The menu has more than enough variety to please most people and when it arrives presentation and quality is simply terrific and gives more expensive restaurants a run for their money! Try it... if you're in a hurry they can help you out as they did with us on one occassion. Will go back again and again..

Perfect & Romantic. Possibly the best hospitality out of any Melbourne restaurant i've experienced, delicious interesting italian food and beautiful interior.

Fantastic!. Great food, to die for tiramisu, a hidden lounge section to indulge in a post-meal coffee - We loved it, great value and great chef! We'll be back!

Amazing Food & Hospitality. If you get to Melbourne then make sure you give this little gem of a place a visit - you will not be disappointed.<br/><br/>My Husband and I tried it our on our recent visit from London. Chef Carmine and his Wife Noni have created a warm and welcoming atmosphere.<br/><br/>Morning coffee, freshly baked muffins and fruit salad were simply delicious - and a real welcome break from the morning hustle and bustle outside.<br/><br/>We went back again for Dinner and it was delicious. An assortment of Antipasto Della Casa for starters was delightful - then the most truly amazing, well cooked succulent Ribeye steaks for mains. And the Rabbit Melanzane looked so amazing I thought I would regret my choice of steak! (Worth another visit to Melbourne just to try this alone!) Then came the Amarena Wild Cherry Creme Brulee - I didn't want the taste to end! It was divine!<br/><br/>HIghly recommend you give it a try. Gets 10 out of 10.

The food was perfect and the service was even better! I wouldn't hesitate to dine here again.

The best bresaola I’ve ever had!. I had never heard of this place until friends suggested dinner here. We shared a charcuterie to start which was delicious – especially the bresaola which is the best I’ve ever had! Another highlight was the chef coming out to say hi – he is so personable and it adds a nice touch. All other dishes were good – I had a pasta for main. Would I eat here again? If someone really wants to dine here, I’d happily go again.

This is possibly the worst Italian restaurant in Melbourne, food is overpriced drowned in oil, I will never return

Among the best Italian in Melbourne. Good vibe and great food all kinds of great fish, meat, and veg. Big thumbs up<br/> and good wine list too.

Tucked away. You would have to be directed to this restaurant to find it. In an out of the way location, it is set in a long narrow room and I think this adversely affects that atmosphere. It is a darkish and quiet sort of restaurant.<br/><br/>The food is quite good. I had a monk fish special with squid ink linguine which I really enjoyed. But I am not sure I would go so far out of my way to go back. A good option if you are in the area and looking for some well cooked italian food.

Really wanted to like it.... After reading all the great reviews we had high hopes for Scugnizzo. The restaurant decor, the staff and the service was great, couldn't fault that. But, normally at the end of the day, the food has gotta be good! And the food was sad to say just OK, nothing special. The rib eye was definately medium when asked for medium rare, the barramundi was quite oily, everything else was OK, nothing special. For $36+ mains I've had better italian in Melbourne. Maybe it was an off night, but it wasn't busy, and either way in Melbourne you normally only get one chance, so sorry Scugnizzo, we won't be back and that makes me a little sad.....

Brilliant! Food was amazing and the best part was that the chef brought it out to us himself! Staff were extremely friendly and made us feel welcome. They even brought us a surprise dessert for our anniversary which was an unexpected bonus! <br/>Food is authentic and traditional - highly recommended. Still thinking about the chocolate mousse and tiramisu dessert! Will definitely be back.

Best italian resturanat in town!. Maybe, and maybe not, but its definitely from the best!! Great food (You will feel you are in that small restaurant in Napoli) home made pasta, different sauces, and you really can smell the freshness in their food!! Highly recommended, and yes its where I go now when I want Italian food, or when I dont know where to go! Great and friendly chef ( will surprise you wit some free shots or other stuff), service and atmosphere <br/><br/>Mo

Loved it. Scugnizzo and was the perfect place for our first visit to a "good" restaurant with our almost three-year-old son. Excellent food, great service, staff were really knowledgeable about the food and wine and made great recommendations. Best of all, they were really welcoming of our son. I can't speak highly enough of this restaurant and the prices were reasonable for the quality provided. I'd definitely go there again next time we visit Melbourne.

Best ever. From the moment we walked in, we where treated like family. <br/>The food was mind blowing, I kept saying that I haven't had italian this good since I was last in Italy. wow.... we will be coming back once a month if I have anything to do with it. 10/10

Delicious. Had dinner here witha group of friends- everyone thought their meal was fantastic. The service was excellent and the meal were reasonably priced. Will deifnitely go back again

Disappointed. Small portions (6 pieces of ravioli for $26). Expensive prices. Average food quality at best.

Italian food lover. Had a dinner here with my family, it was superb. Service very good, food amazing.<br/>The waiter knew his wines, recommended a bottle of 29, it was perfect for all the food.<br/>The Chef made an antipasto platter for 4 that was amazing, I had the veal ossobucco, brilliant. My husband had the slow roasted pork & hasn't stopped talking about it, even my mother was happy with her meal (a rare event).

Great Place and Food. Great food, excellent chef and great atmosphere. <br/>The quality of the ingredients and presentation are excellent.<br/>The Lemon Tiramissu is to die for!<br/>Good price point too. <br/>Lovely setting in a hidden laneway of Melbourne. <br/>Enjoy. xxxx

Poor service. As part of a breakfast meeting, we pre-ordered our meals the day before as there are quite a few of us. My order came with an asterisk saying NO AVOCADO - ALLERGY. This morning, the waiter brought out my order with avocado. So I tell him I ordered without avocado, I'm allergic. He later brings me a plate without avocado so I happily eat it.<br/><br/>However, someone had obviously decided to simply pick off the avocado slices, not thinking/realizing that everything the slices were touching is contaminated. Result - I start to get swelling and rashes within 10 minutes of finishing my meal and leaving the place. NOT HAPPY!<br/><br/>Otherwise, the food tasted ok. Acoustics are also bad so don't go there if you don't want to shout at the person sitting next to you.

Just beautiful.... The ambience was beautiful, the staff was lovely, the food absolutely divine... i just love Scugnizzo! Authentic, fresh Italian food in a gorgeous environment with attentive but not overbearing staff. Just do yourself a favour and go here, it was wonderful.

Excellent food and service. My steak was cooked to perfection and the price was very reasonable. Authentic Italian food.

Super delicious risotto and the homemade pasta is amazing!

Scugnizzo. Really Really Really liked this place. The staff are great and the food was better. If you're wanting to take someone out on a date this place would surely impress.

Great Food!. What a great night! Food was amazing, staff really knew there food and wine and made the night really enjoyable. I will be back for sure and will be recommending this place to all my friends.

Great place! Friendly atmosphere and awesome food

Waste of time. Caters poorly for vegetarians (waitress helpful though). Our group waited one hour for the mains to arrive - some had to leave as the dishes turned up. Staff didn't seem to care. Have eaten good food, with good service in the past, so tread warily.

Not worth the try. Friendly service and good antipasto on the up side. <br/>Everything else was wrong: 1h30m wait for our mains, which were very poor. The "lasagna" was a watery soup of insipid lamb pieces and beans with some poor looking pasta flats floating around. The steaks were not cooked to order, and were not impressive despite the high price. And what is the deal with the rocket salad everywhere? Every antipasto plate, baked bocconcini, etc... came with the same generous garnish of rocket (fair enough), yet when as per waiter advice we ordered 2 different sides of greens with the mains, we got more rocket! Forget about desserts or coffees, we could not run away fast enough.

My favourite. Out of all the restaurants I have tried in the past 6 months in Melbourne on a temporary stay (I am from Switzerland), Scugnizzo is THE gem. Perfect ingredients for perfect dishes. The commitment of Carmine in the kitchen and Nonie and her team in the dining room is above what anyone could ask for.<br/>Prices are low for that amazing quality and absolutely fantastic taste.<br/>I recommend their customized degustation menu if it is still on (6 dishes with matching wines).<br/>If there was only one to choose from, it would be this one!<br/>You have all my respect.

One word...AMAZING!. This is the place to eat!! <br/><br/>Scugnizzo have the three main ingredients that make for a great dining experience,<br/><br/>1) the service is second to none! the waiters are attentive, friendly and make excellent wine selections. They are very accommodating to individual needs. Owner/Chef is fantastic and very approachable. He has a real love and passion for food that you can taste in every bite!<br/><br/>2) Great vale for money...the food is fresh, prepared on site and is a real authentic Italian menu!<br/><br/>3) the atmosphere is fantastic! my partner and I enjoyed the degustation menu and felt like we had just been on a trip around the different regions of Italy!!<br/><br/>I recommend everyone to try this culinary delight and let Scugnizzo take your taste buds to Italy!!

Almost hate to recommend it.... Because then it'll become popular and we won't get a table...but this place deserves the business, so, here we are.<br/><br/>My wife and I tried Scugnizzo for dinner tonight after she visited for a wine tasting event hosted by them a week ago. Even though Urbanspoon thinks they are only open on Thursday and Friday for dinner, turns out, it's five days per week (closed weekends) -- I've already tried to correct the hours in Urbanspoon.<br/><br/>We started with the Antipasto dello Chef for two - a fantastic mix of Italian hams, a breaded pumpkin and mozzarella that was tough to share (mine mine mine), home made pickled eggplant and chilli, rocket salad with a light vinaigrette...all fantastic. <br/><br/>For our mains I went with the ribeye special, complete with a salsa verde and it was superb. Perfectly cooked and delicious. My wife had the conchiglioni ripieni di funghi con verdure miste (conchiglioni stuffed with assorted mushrooms and goats cheese served with ratatouille) which had her say "WOW" with nearly every bite.<br/><br/>For dolci we shared the soufflé di cioccolato con gelato al pistacchio and it too was amazing. Since we shared, the chef took the normal portion of the soufflé and divided it in half and cooked each individually...a great touch!<br/><br/>Next time, we're going to go for the degustation menu, which is only on offer for the next few weeks, but based on this experience, I know it will be worth it.

What a find! Great food; fine wine list combined with attentive and knowledgable service all at a reasonable price. Highly recommended.

Disappointing mains. Overly salted N small portions

Lovely food and great room, perfect for long lunch or dinner with friends. Great list of Italian wines and sensational coffee. Service is excellent. You must go

I have eaten here and it was fantastic it is now opening for dinner Thursday and Friday nights a must try!

... it was the perfect scene for a Melbourne culinary gem.

We felt very satisfied and certainly felt we'd had a good Italian feed.