There is always a que here and it is popular amongst the uni students! Cheap and reasonable portion meals is what youll get here
Had dinner here last night my wife had lasagna I had gnocchi gorgonzola, both meals came quickly and tasted great, service was excellent and very friendly. Great Italian food and not expensive. Will be back again.
The Wandering Reviewer
+4
Took a lovely friend here as he had fond memories about the place years before as a student - he’s now a professor.
It’s always interesting to see how restaurants stand the test of time and this one certainly has. It’s been two years between visits but it feels like yesterday.
I ordered corn fritters and he ordered a big serve of smashed avocado with bacon. The meal took around 15 minutes and in the meantime, we watched the amazing Lygon Street experience unfold in front of us. Food tasted fabulous. Fresh, good portion size and presentation was as you’d expect - practical and perfect. Oh I so love dining in Melbourne.
Service was fast and staff were friendly. Wheelchair and kid friendly. Good coffee (of course - its Lygon Street). Will return!
Its a restaurant with a classic look to it.
Good value for price.
Portions are the right size.
Friendly staff.
*ABBA is playing in the background!*
Staff were quick to take my order and bring out the food . I had a vegetarian pizza which was very tasty . They were happy for me to make changes to my order . Worth a visit . I will go back .
I really enjoyed my dinner here and the customer service was great and attentive despite it being so busy on the night I came. Food was delicious too!
Came here for lunch before seeing a movie. We ordered the spaghetti bolognese and penne amatriciana. The serves were huge and delicious. My only complaint is they don’t allow individual Parmesan bowls to be left on the tables - I love to add cheese and although the waitress sprinkled my pasta twice, I would’ve loved more.
Very delicious decent servings too and nice and fast. All the staff were so lovely and friendly and all seemed amazingly authentic and great Italian vibe
Excellent Customer Service and the food is amazing. My recommendation is to try the Carbonara Pasta, it was perfectly creamy and the bacon was great. A close location to everything else in Carlton this place is a great spot for breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
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I’ve been to this place a couple of times, the food has generally been excellent, and the staff are wonderful. 👨🏻🍳👩🏻🍳👍
🍝👍 Their pasta dishes are all very satisfying, and I especially recommend the wonderfully balanced veal and mushroom tortellini. The carbonara is also a great choice.
🍕👎 However, the pizzas leave a fair bit to be desired. I found the four cheese pizza severely lacking in all toppings and a bit burned too. The general restraint towards toppings on Italian pizzas is in full force here, with only a minute portion of the pizza actually being covered with anything more than what appeared to be a fine coat of parmesan. The flavour of the tomato sauce is great, and for the one mouthful I could actually detect it it was delicious. Sadly, the rest of the pizza scored lower for me than the moreish crusty bread we received as entree - the bases of their pizzas are good, but I didn’t order just a base... overall I left still hungry and unsatisfied. Stick to their pasta, or perhaps try a calzone instead.
☕️👎I don’t drink coffee, but the consensus from my coffee snob friends is that they use a very average mass produced bean blend, and they didn’t rate it positively.
This is a nice modern Australian eating place. The food and service are good. All stable stuff with some good lunch options as well. Its often busy, but generally plenty of room, so booking really isn't a necessity. An above average mid-range place.
Enjoyed our lunch here today. We ordered a minestrone, meatball pasta (daily special), and the tortellini. The tortellini was so lovely that I forgot to take a photo of the entire dish! Make sure to ask your server to sprinkle some Parmesan on your pasta.
I have visited University Cafetwice now with my family and both times we have left happy and talking about the next time we will come back. The food here is very tasty and of high quality. Prices are fairly reasonable for the area. The place is clean and the staff here are excellent, always happy and very friendly. I would strongly recommend a visit here.
POSITIVE:
+ Great fresh tasty food.
+ Staff are super friendly
+ Clean and bright sitting area.
NEGATE: -
I got the gnocchi which was definitely made in-store, as it says - very soft and flavourful. The pizza and focaccia were also good with great bases. We were waiting awhile for our food and though they did apologise for the wait, they also forgot to bring us water as well. When I asked for it again, they just filled up the glass and took the jug so I had to ask a third time for more water because I was really thirsty. I can understand it was a very busy night and the restaurant was packed, so I will probably come back sometime as the food was nice.
Lovely service and great food. It’s easy to walk to since it’s not far from the city or the uni. Smiles of the staff delighted our day. Will definitely revisit.
Surprisingly good.
We went to Lygon today but find most of all fav places closed so we decided to try our luck here and it did not disappointed.
Pizza crust was well done.
Sausage on the pizza tasted great. Maybe a tad lack on the topping but no biggie.
Pasta - carbonara tasted good. Lack a bit more sauce to my liking. Another one bacon and spring onion tasted good with some chilli flakes.
Overall very enjoyable. Better atmosphere if sitting outside since inside doesn't makes you feel like you are in Italian restaurant at all.
I don't particularly know if it deserves a 4 but it's around 3.8 for me so it's only fair to give 4.
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Lygon Street is always a favourite when dining in Melbourne, and The University Cafe is a great example why. We dined here on a late Saturday evening (around 9 pm) after a fabulous show at the Theatre.
Parking was easy with a choice of on-street parking, or tower parking was just a short stroll for a $10 flat rate.
They had a great selection of delicious Italian fare (including vegetarian) at very reasonable prices. Entree: $8.50-$22; Sides: $7-$9.50; Pasta: $19 - $28.50 (GF pasta is available for an additional $3.50); Pizza & Calzones: $18-$23.50; For those wanting something a little lighter - Salads: $16-$19.50; Dessert: $9.50-$16. The old favourites of Spaghetti Bolognese & Tagliatelle Carbonara that our table ordered were all faultless.
The service was friendly, fast and attentive.
The al fresco dining area was very enjoyable, soaking in the hustle and bustle of all the passers-by, while the glass petitions roadside helped to prevent the traffic noise invading conversation. They also had over-head heating which took the chill off the night air.
All in all, this lovely restaurant had a casual home-style feel with great food and matching service. Other than them not taking online bookings or splitting bills, it was a lovely experience, & I'd highly recommend.
Came here for Coffee. Stayed for the Gnocchi. Simply amazing.
Second best I've had in Australia.
I will be back for sure! With friends and family.
A relaxed Italian cafe experience with great "home style" cooked Italian food.
Authentic and affordable. We enjoyed our Sunday afternoon. #sundayfunday #weprefereatingout
We were in the mood for pizza when we came and were not disappointed. Considering they use an electric oven the pizza came out just as good as a stone oven. Definitely worth checking out. Staff were very friendly and the atmosphere was nice also. Great heaters for outside dining too.
Chicken salad delicious and light, freshly squeezed juice perfect and chicken dish very tasty. Great service, fast and easy. Relaxing atmosphere inside and outside.
The gno-key to my heart - velvety pillows of potato enveloped in a divine sugo, finished with a basil drizzle. At no point did it feel heavy, I am in love. Please save some for me next time. It's a matter of life or life-without-gnocchi, which is worse than death.
Came on a Saturday night and was surprised how quickly we were able to get a seat outside due to it being a consistently busy place! Sadly the gnocchi had all been sold for the day so I ordered the veal ribbon dish which was one of the specials. The veal nuggets were beautiful - melt in the mouth! But it was absolute pasta overload and lacked a certain amount of flavour. The pizza was crisp and extremely tasty. We also ordered olives for a starter and was slightly disappointed at how small the portion was.
However service was polite and prompt and the food was certainly good quality - would return.
Delicious gnocchi, lasagna and pizza here. Home made and fresh with efficient and friendly service. Unfortunately we were all too full to fit in dessert. Open since 1952 and my parents used to come here in the 60's.
Italian food and generous serves make this a must visit in Carlton. Sit inside or out. Water brought to the table and menus and specials and drinks menu.
We were presented with warm crusty bread and butter to enjoy while waiting for the mains. We ordered spaghetti frutte de mare, chicken with beans and baked potatoes, seafood risotto. Just soft drinks for us as we'd been drinking at the races. Very enjoyable late lunch and delicious food.
We started off with a foccacia with garlic and cheese which was as delicious as you would expect. The bread tasted like it was freshly made. For mains, I had the gnocchi al pomodoro which was divine. The gnocchi was pillowy, light and paired well with the sauce. My friend had the penne telefono which was also yummy but even he agreed that the gnocchi was better. The waitress was attentive and friendly. All in all a good experience.
Came for brunch & ordered customised egg bene; toast with poached eggs, salmon/bacon. Pretty average. Only bad with the choice of toast, slightly tough. And no sauce with option. Service was good, staff was friendly & proactive/attentive in our orders.
I've been coming here for years and this place still never fails to disappoint. I got the tortellini Bolognese, and without question it is the best pasta in Melbourne.
I'm definitely coming back
The environment is great, but didn't really like the service. Staff doesn't look approachable and it is hard to speak to a staff when I am seated on the second floor.
I have Spaghetti Marinara, Pizza Capricciosa and grilled chicken thighs. Spaghetti Marinara is spot on. The calamari, prawn and scallop are tender and juicy. The pizza has different layer of flavours. Chicken is tender and cooked just right, but the sauce is very salty.
Solid and reliable every time. I've visited this establishment over 15 times and always order the same main- marinara spaghetti. It is the best dish on Lygon St! As entrée I would encourage everyone to try the quail salad or the calamari. Genuinely Italian, fresh ingredients and good staff. The only drawback would be that they sometimes rush you out to make way for the next lot of customers. Ask ro be seated downstairs, the vibe is much better. Total bill for two entrées, two mains and two wines is about $80.
I found myself in a Garfield mood – in that I was craving a meaty, cheesy lasagne. It is very rare that I will eat pasta at a restaurant and I generally try to avoid ordering something I could very easily conjure up at home. On our search for a place that serves lasagne, we stumbled upon University Café. University Cafe on Lygon st is one of the better establishments on the strip and the lack of haranguing by spruikers is always a nice touch. Note Lygon St Restaurants: harassing prospective patrons to dine at your restaurant, unsurprisingly, has the opposite effect.
EXQUISITE!!! our first time has been very pleasant! Entrees, drinks and coffee amazing. The mains - Tortellini Fungi and Broccoli and Prawn pasta was amazing!!!!!
This mushroom risotto was very well-cooked and had the perfect amount of flavour. There were plenty of sizeable pieces of mushrooms and the caramelised onion added a nice contrasting texture. It didn't taste too creamy or too bland.
The best pasta I've ever had at a restaraunt. I normally steer away from pasta when eating out because I find it to never be as good as when you make it yourself. I ordered the tortelini and my partner ordered the bolognese. Both delicious! Will definitely be back
Pleasant ok. I had their risotto with sausage and rugola and it was massive in size and quite tasty. My friend had the universita pasta and liked it. The food is nothing to rave about but not bad either. The place inside is very cosy and welcoming and perfect to have a catch up. The staff were lovely, very attentive and promt, although there was a confusion with our order. The stove was "on fire" ad being an open one it was a sort of spectacle.
Nice pasta dishes. Came in for dinner, had the Spaghetti with chili and mushrooms and the cannelloni. Good pasta, tasted fresh.
Enjoyable lunch. I caught up with a friend that I hadn't seen for years at this casual cafe. Friendly service, the food was tasty and the pastas were a good size for lunch. Great for an informal lunch.
Wonderful atmosphere. Great restaurant, food, service and price excellent. Would recommend.
Excellent. Hadn't been for awhile, but as always it was excellent. Had a special - the fetuccini veal ragu. Yummy. :-)
Great Authentic Italian!. I was on Lygon Street with a group of friends deliberating where to eat, and the University cafe caught our attention. One of the people that i was with mentioned that they had seen it in the movie 'Si Parla Italiano', and suggested that we try the Lygon st classic. Although the interior was a tad dated, the food and service certainly lived up to its notoriety!
The menu is extensive, meaning lots of choice ensuring there is something for everyone. Each one of us loved our meals; and I can confidently say that the saltimbocca was one of the best I have had! Would defiantly dine again!
THE LAST ORIGINAL. This place is the last of the original Italians. The guys have been here over 30 years, Giancarlo, Paul and Brett know how to look after their clientele. That's why when you go there you see familiar faces. Food is great, service amazing and at a nice price. For a great night out look no further. Thanks guys
Good food great service. Worth going back again.
Came here for lunch with a group of 5 on Monday. Lunch menu is basically pizza and pasta. Very quick service as we ordered pizza, pasta, ceasar salad and I had a chicken wrap. One of our group ordered pasta napolitana which came with cream in the sauce. As she was lactose intolerant she asked the waiter if it could possibly be changed. He took it away and brought another serve without a problem. Even though I'm not lactose intolerant, it was nice to see the waiter deal with the situation without a glitch.
Real Lygon Street experience! Served rigatoni from the specials menu by an extraordinarily charming Italian-sounding waiter. And the food was good, too.
Lovely food and prompt service
This place rocks but midispiace in wrong places...old giancarlo is after 30 odd years still the main reason to be there...
You get what you pay for. Ordered the chicken parma here and the dish is served in a boat-like plate because the serving size is MASSIVE. Definitely not the best parma I've had as it tastes only a bit better than supermarket frozen parma (chicken quality is substandard and so is the cheese and napoli sauce) but it certainly satisfies cravings. However, I thoroughly enjoyed the chips and coleslaw it comes with - chips were nicely battered and still crispy after the 50 minutes it took me to go through the parma and the coleslaw tasted fresh and had a nice strong vinegar taste to it albeit it was drizzled with some sweet runny mayo on the top.
Would come back again when I have a huge parma craving that can only be satisfied by quantity and don't feel like spending too much.
The seafood risotto was quite nice, but I was jealous of my husband's Parma! It tasted like it was made by a nonna. Coffee was okay, not outstanding but fine. Would definitely return for the Parma.
Great service… fresh cook pasta and food.. I prefer this restaurant over Papa Gino.. in terms of both the food and service 👍👍👍 although the taste of food sometimes are inconsistent.. but 5 stars for their service.. I wouldn’t order the tiramisu again because of the extremely small portion and the taste is not really that good, maybe other dessert or cakes next time..
Nice and Soft gnocchi.
Decent carbonara.
Nice coffee.
Chai latte, milk with coarse spices....recommend to skip this.
Recommend to eat the bread before it turns cold.
Friendly staff :)
They serve gluten free pasta feel free to choose. Pizza is nice.
Very delicious and reasonably priced. Zuppa di Pesce, pizza and calamari were all very yummy. The young waiter with small moustache is a legend! Will be back again soon! ☺️
A tasty a cafe, a place, the people never changed , for many years ...same owners for 20 plus years ...a true establishment and classic. The food and coffee Tastes comparable to that U can find in Italy
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