Excellent food, atmosphere and friendly staff. Would recommend and will definitely return.
Thanks to a Good Food voucher we got we used it at Massi. Noah was our waiter for the night and he helped us to have a great evening. From the Arancini balls and Calamari to the Dry Aged Eye Fillet, Roasted Pumpkin and Talleggio filled Ravioli as well as Lemon Custard Donuts and Gelati the quality of food was just fantastic. Thank you Massi for taking us back to Italy ���!
Just had the most delicious meal at Massi. If you're in Melbourne and are looking for a lovely lunch or dinner spot, drop in. These guys have only been open a few days so get in while you can, before they become so popular that they need a waiting list. Great staff and service, and you will roll home with very happy taste buds a full belly. This meal totally took me back to my Sicilian roots. All of my favourite things and way too much food happiness all on one plate !!!! We have already planned our next visit and order. Buon Appetito!
Great meal from stuzzichini, through salmon special (rillettes) the gnocchi with caponata, pollo, piselli, polenta & carciofi to the light prosecco jelly with lemon sorbet.
Service was seamless and always like going home to la famiglia !
Grace Garofalo Polimeni
+5
First time at Massi restaurant and have to to say very tasty food love the decor and the service great staff we will definitely come back for more ciao �
Thoroughly enjoyed our meal at this great little place, so glad we found it while walking up Little Collins, certainly will be back. Delicious food with very friendly, non invasive service.
I highly recommend the black spaghettini with blue swimmer crab, vongole, garlic and chilli. Top notch service too! I'll definitely be back.
Good food and great service. This was my first visit but certainly will go again when I go back to Melbourne.
Thank you Massi staff for a delicious dinner last night. Busy buzz about the place too. It was a dreary night in Melbourne but lovely, warm and welcoming inside Massi.
Hubby said the oysters were so fresh and the whole family enjoyed my beef cheeks....we'll definitely be back
Wonderful atmosphere - you feel like youre in Rome or Florence at a classic bistro. Food and service is amazing! We also love their sister restaurant in Kew - Mister Bianco.
If you appreciate good food, then this is the place to go!
The staff are very welcoming and very professional !
100% positive
Fernando is the best! What a way to serve people!! Thank you for all the laughters and kindness!!
Fantastic place for dinner .... make sure you have a Martinez cocktail �Cheers Ax
Fabulous food and service. We will definitely be repeat customers. Excellent value for money!
Absolutely fantastic!! Beautiful Italian food, great service and really lovely atmosphere. Went to Massi with a group of 10 for a Christmas lunch.. rolled out the door. Great tunes, vibe, campari and orange, steak, pasta.. love!
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A beautifully Italian restaurant hidden on Little Collins Street - finally got a chance to make a reservation at Massi using theFork 50% deal. We visited on a weeknight but the restaurant still managed to be completely full by 7PM. Space isn't too big but they kept it classy and sophisticated. Not to mention, service was friendly and prompt. Our waitress recommended "Pappradelle" and Chef's Special which was "Braised Goat + Salad"; so we decided to get both with some entrees - oysters, arancini, and croquettes.
Oysters tasted fresh with lemony garlicy dressing on top - a great way to start your evening. Arancini was crispy, filled with mushroom, potatoes, and rice - just classic & delicious. Cod croquette was also tasty but I was somewhat disappointed by the presentation - arancini came in an egg carton-looking plate. (Looking at others' reviews, they were often served on a plate so that's something they should consider doing again). Pappradelle (forgot to take a photo!) and Chef's Special, on the other hand, were great. Veal and tomato ragu tasted amazing together! It was a little bit salty but with Pappradelle pasta, it just balanced out beautifully. Braised goat definitely tasted different - not exactly a familiar taste (slightly bland). My guess is that they braised it using red wine to retain the taste of goat while giving it a grapey kick. Slightly disappointing since I expected something more flavourful but it wasn't that bad. I was excited to visit Massi but they definitely could've done better that night. However, I still think it's one of the better Italian restaurants in Melbourne! Will come back to try their other dishes next time
A quality feast from a quality chef. A very authentic meal enjoyed by myself and my husband. We really enjoyed our anniversary dinner at Massi and recommend you visit for your next special occasion.
Delicious food, great service, lovely ambience! Highly recommend Massi!
Very impressed with our first visit to Massi. The food was great quality and super tasty with next-level flavours. Lots of GF and vegetarian options. Excellent service, lovely cosy atmosphere. Looking forward to going back again. Highly recommended!
We had the most wonderful experience here. Staff were so welcoming and attentive, and the food was just delicious. We ordered the arancini and meatballs, which were just incredible. Both pasta dishes we had were also very nice. And cannoli for dessert just topped off a truly fantastic meal. We will absolutely be returning, not just for the food but for the lovely setting and staff.
I went there for lunch today. We ordered the entree calamari and squid ink spagettini.
Both were very delicious. In fact, 1 of the best squid ink dishes I've tasted.
Can't fault the service.
Overall 5 star!
There are no words for how much I love Italian food for dinner - especially when it’s pasta and this tasty 😍!
From the moment we walked into the restaurant the service was fantastic, attentive and quick, but not overly intrusive, perfect balance. The atmosphere was lovely, quiet, cosy and warm with lovely and comfortable furnishings, making the time fly by! Most importantly, the food, top notch and delicious, everyone in our group enjoyed their meal and had a fantastic time!! It’s also available in the entertainment book for a discount! Amazing!
I had the:
1. Pappardelle (braised osso buco, tomato ragu, pangrattato)
2. Affogato
Pretty epic tiramisu, entrees and main! Highly recommended but I think they were a bit understaffed so we had to wait a while before we got served/to pay the bill. I’d definitely go back.
Recently went here for lunch with a colleague. We started with calamari which was quite good but the stars were the pasta and the beautifully cooked fish.
Service was good but once it got busy they seemed a little understaffed.
Would recommend and go back
Foodie Voucher Queen 👸🏻
+4
Went to Massi last Friday and were served by friendly waitresses upon arrival. They were attentive ie politely sat us on our table and offered to hang out coats.
We were served bread on the house to start with. All of us ordered pasta. Overall the pasta rating is 4/5 from us. There’s quite abit of fusion, the sausage pasta had edamame beans and squid ink pasta had fried shallots. Portion is small though so don’t expect to be stuffed after the meal.
Overall Massi is a quaint Italian restaurant offering comfort and good ambience. Their pasta is good but do expect a little fusion, not 100% Italian style.
💰Tip💰
Use entertainment book to get 25% off
We loved 😍
The croquettes were fresh and very filling.
They were a good starter. If you were to order starters, just one of these would be enough.
We really enjoyed the squid ink pasta. It had a nice kick of chilli and crispy onion pieces. Although it was a delicious dish, it did not taste very authentic Italian.
The pana cotta dessert was amazing! The wine selection was also a delight! ☺️
We disliked 😖
The meatballs were a little plain and pricey for what it was.
The pumpkin and ricotta ravioli was delicious but I would not be able to finish one alone as it was very heavy.
We would recommend sharing the pastas as they were very flavourful and too much of a good thing is not always good !
Joanne | Melbournecitay
+4
Overall score: 18/25 or ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
in 5 words: simple but good Italian cuisine ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Taste ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - Massi is proof that you don’t need to have an extensive menu to attract diners. They specialise in selected classic Italian dishes and the two I would recommend are the squid ink spaghettini and brussel sprouts. The brussel sprouts dish has chorizo (yum!) and is topped with ricotta cheese (major yum!). The squid ink dish was delicious but we wished there was more spaghettini for us to enjoy the clam marinara with. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Ambience ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - this was a cosy restaurant but I remember having a good conversation despite the limited space. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Price ⭐️⭐️⭐️- we scored a Fork deal which meant that our meal was about 40% cheaper than usual. Otherwise, you would be looking at $30-$40 per person. Portions are not huge. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Presentation ⭐️⭐️⭐️- some dishes, especially the starter and brussel sprouts, stood out visually. *
Service ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - Service was good!
Really great ambience, was super cosy sitting in the booths. Our waitress was super nice and patient with us.
Definitely need to try the zuchinni flowers and arancini 😋😋 The pastas were also very flavourful, cannot go wrong!
superb Italian restaurant. professional. Runs like clock work. The food is traditional but with modern twists and delicious. you can see they care. Service is spot on and lost of wines I would order and reasonable prices. Well done
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Fun night, great Ambience, amazing service and delicious food! We were warmly greeted at the door by Jade and the rest of the night just got better and better. The espresso Martini was on point, the zucchini flowers was not insta friendly but yummy. Kingfish was cured to perfection and the two pasta mains that we got, the pappardelle and the agnolotti del plin went down a treat. We finished the night on the Tiramisu and that was yummy too. We did also order the doughnut which wasn’t worth getting but that was the only hiccup food wise. Jade was a lot of fun and she provided great service throughout the night. We would highly recommend Massi and rate it over some of the higher end Italian places in the city. Delicious food without the 3 month wait list. Strong 4/5
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Intimate setting in the heart of Melbourne, although lacking a bit of character and a buzzy vibe the food was delicious! We had the zucchini flowers and meatballs to start which were the perfect precursor to the main course which was the paperdelle and the gnocchi. Gnocchi was some of the best my partner had eaten and the paperdelle filled the spot.
The service was notable here, it was prompt and super friendly. A must for an Italian meal here in Melbourne.
I called in here for a pre dinner drink. The service was absolutely charming. The waitresses were really attentive and this is the first time that I’ve been offered a water with my beer lol but I gotta as parched so I was grateful. Now thats attentive!
I tried a Birra Menabrea beer which is an Italian imported beer and it was really nice. Fresh, and light and easy drinking.
I was so impressed I’m going back for dinner.
Small and cosy venue located on little Collins st. We had the cod roe dip and arancini to start which we both delicious and for mains we had the gnocchi and the papperdelle pasta. The papperdelle was quite nice however I felt the gnocchi was a disappointed and the sauce seemed to watery and all I could taste was the lamb shoulder.
Service was friendly and the food came out at a decent rate.
We were lucky to get a booth as most of the tables are extremely close to another which for us would have made it a awkward dining experience.
I love this place. The food was just perfect. The staff were hardworking and know their stuff. It’s pretty good value for money. We had a few snacks and drinks then two mains and the bill came to 100. It’s great for couples or a bunch of friends. They also play some pretty fresh tunes to top it off.
We ordered the burrata, cauliflower cheese croquette, squid ink pasta, ricotta gnocchi and chorizo brussel sprouts . For dessert, we ordered the affogato and banana popcorn.
LIT! ⭐️: firstly I cannot daily the dishes that were brought out. The cheese croquette was hot and cheesy which I look forward to from a croquette. I’m not the biggest fan of gnocchi but their ricotta gnocchi is so creamy and the sauce gives the gnocchi a lot of flavour to balance the carbs. I love squid ink pasta and Massi did it well. What made it extra special was the crumbs sprinkled on top giving the pasta more texture.
The customer service here was great too.
HACK: currently there’s a 50% off using Dimmis
Thanks for having us Massi! X
Long Black With Cinnamon
+5
Wonderful customer service, excellent value for money, romantic ambience and relaxed vibe, delicious Italian gins and house wines. Can’t wait to come back!
A hidden gem in one of Melbourne’s many laneways, this place is cosy and warm. Their menu has a good selection that caters to many palettes, and I particularly love their pasta dishes.
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This little Italian restaurant tucked in the busy melbourne CBD area with very homey and warm atmosphere. Service is good with large selection of Italian wines.
Menu consisted with some choices of stuzzichini, primo, pasta dishes and mains. They also have “feed me” options for $65/pp
#zucchini flowers#-stuffed with lemon ricotta and romesco, lightly battered and deep fried. The ricotta stuffing was light and I loved the slight zesty flavours in it. The green sauce added more herbal flavours and lightened up the dish.
#wagyu carpaccio#-raw wagyu beef served with malt shallots,gherkin(pickled cucumber) and mustard crisp. Overall the dish was too salty for me, but the flavours were nice. The dressing was good but make the dish very salty...
#ricotta gnocchi#-it was a really good gnocchi dish with nice, fluffy and airy gnocchi. You could see the air pockets inside the gnocchi when you cut in half. The sauce was creamy and flavourful. Highly recommend!
#special dish#-black rice risotto with squid ink and baby squid. It was not on the menu, but truly a delicious risotto dish! They used black rice instead of normal risotto rice and made the dish very special and the nice fragrant you only can smell from black rice. It had perfect texture as well, with all the goodness from squid ink and fresh, tender baby squid. Even though it will leave you with black teeth and black lips, all worth it. Lol...
We were very satisfied with Massi’s pasta dishes. They were the highlights of the whole dining experience. The place was small but very cozy. Perfect for small function and events and they are available for booking.
I had dinner at Massi with a 50% off food Dimmi deal. There was also happy hour which meant $7 wines and $10 cocktails.
I ordered the squid ink pasta. What a beautiful dish, and I loved the sauce that was served which enhanced the taste of the squid ink pasta. Mussels and prawns were cooked perfectly.
Service was great - waitress could remember all our orders without writing it down. What a good memory!
The restaurant is small but classy.
I am pleased they acknowledged the Dimmi deal and I didn’t need to ask them to add the 50% on the bill later like some other restaurants I’ve been to.
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Class and sophistication. Massi delivers on both fronts. It’s not a huge venue but it is appointed in such a way that still provides a bit of an escapist feel to it. Beautiful leather seating – that really stood out.
Service was caring and considerate. Careful not to interrupt conversations, but also attentive enough to get the job done. Minimal gesturing required, which is always nice.
The crumbed olives to nibble on while waiting for others guests were excellent. The Dear Luncher has never experienced these before, excellent innovation. Putting crumbs on things almost always makes things better and this was very much the case here.
The Dear Luncher (aka The Secretary of Steak) opted for the Black Angus eye fillet. A supreme cut this was, prepared exactly as The Dear Luncher prefers. A real melt in the mouth, buttery steak. Not much on the plate with it, but this wasn’t necessary. The charred baby onion with port + shallot puree was all the help this steak needed. Washed down with an excellent Nebbiolo, this was a meal that really delivered.
There were sides on the table and they were great as well. Rosemary salt is always a winner on fries. More places should do this.
The wait staff here had made our night. Charming, friendly. He was an absolute pleasure to talk to.
I had booked this using my zomato account. This was the first time I did it. When we walked in and I said my real name, he was a little confused but seated us anyway.
Then hubby goes to the bathroom and our wait staff quickly whispers to me “Are you the secret taster?”. I didn’t realize my Zomato name is what the restaurant would see.
He didn’t want to ask the question upon my first walk in - in case those questions wasn’t meant for hubby’s ear. I immediately liked the way our wait staff worked. Thorough person. He was a very bubbly person. Very happy. Very nice to be around. He recommended the wine to hubby and they got along talking about wine.
I honestly couldn’t remember what food we had. The overall feeling was that I enjoyed the food and really enjoyed having being served by such a lovely man.
Food was incredible and the service was even better. Staff we friendly and happy to help with whatever we needed. Will be back for sure, thanks for a great dining experience.
Warm, generous and gracious service and delicious food. Hats off to a professionally run establishment. Well done. Thank you Jade and the team of chefs who say hi when passing the kitchen.
We ordered the duck breast and the lamb shoulder. The duck was cooked perfectly. It was tender and the skin was crisp. The orange sauce had a pleasant consistency and the right level of bitterness. The lamb had great flavour. The venue is small and intimate and the service was very good.
Authentic italian food served with passion and love. Massi’s buzzing, busy and boisterous ambience is a testament to incredible food and service. The “money bag” burrata and kingfish crudo entrees were perfect. Their cocktails are authentic and delicious. Our mains- the truffle risotto and ragu parpadelle were full of flavour and melted in our mouths. The deconstructed cheesecake was a perfect finish to an incredible meal and we will definitely be back for some more italian perfection!
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4.5
A beautiful Italian Establishment that has food and service to match . We were welcomed upon arrival and started off our night with 2 mocktails, one mandarin and mint and the other cranberry. The dimly lit room provided a nice ambience through the night and I think would be suitable for most occasions.
We started off our dinner with bread and olive oil and few starters:
The Duck liver parfait and quince jelly was absolutely divine, the liver was as smooth as silk, creamy and mousse like, it paired very well with the quince and the crispy bread which accompanied it
The Kingfish Crudo was a nice sashimi style dish and the grapefruit provided a nice citrus element which lifted up the dish and gave it freshness
The Burrata dish was one of my favourite dishes as cheese is my number one food , the cheese was creamy on the inside and the pepper and olive accompaniment with the crispy flatbread complimented and cut through the cheese very nicely
We then shared a osso buco pappardelle which was divine, the meat had been braised for so long the ragu was melting in the mouth . The pasta was cooked well ( al dente) and the only criticism I could make was the sauce needed a pinch more salt
Last but not least we ordered the roasted duck breast which was pink in the middle and nice and succulent, this had a crunchy element which I think was a confit duck in a spring roll, the sauce was very unique it was an orange puree ( standard) but also had white chocolate and hazelnut crumble which I did not mind. My friend however who does not like to mix sweet with savoury found the combination too odd. We shared this dish with a basket of fries 😉
For dessert we shared a panna cotta, which has been my go to sweet dish lately. The white chocolate panna cotta was a perfect consistency and creamy, we loved the crispy element at the top ( I think it was a milk chocolate crisp) . A perfect way to end off our night
Thankyou Massi for having us !
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Myself and a friend dined here and we were not disappointed.
We asked them to provide us with a range of recommendations so we started with the duck liver parfait and zucchini flowers. Whilst I would not reorder the flowers the parfait was by far one of the best I have eaten, I could easily return for that alone.
We moved onto a pappardelle pasta dish (cannot remember the name) which was cooked to perfection, I believe it was with the lamb.
We finished up with the duck main with a white chocolate and orange sauce, whilst the sauce was not to my particular tasting it complimented the succulent duck and spring rolls well. The side dish of greens was a great addition.
Wait staff were attentive and the wine/cocktails were plenty.
The only reason I have not rated this 5* is I feel I need to return to try more of the menu. The lamb gave me food envy when I caught eye of it on neighbouring tables. I’ll be sure to return.
I don’t really do pictures and the below really does not do the duck dish justice but thought I would share non the less.
Solid little Italian restaurant. The food was good, Excellent service and the coffee was great.
Favourite Italian in Melbourne so far, thanks.
We were shown our table and our coats were kindly taken and hung up for us on the coat rack located in the entrance. After sitting down, we were asked what we would like to drink but was unsure what to choose so Jade our waitress suggested that she can bring out whatever wines matched to the dishes that we were going to have during the night. We thought that was a fantastic idea so we told her that would be lovely.
Finding it difficult to fault Massi - probably the best Italian food I’ve had in Melbourne. A really good selection of Italian wines, beautiful food and great customer service. The Gnocchi were perfect fluffy soft pillows that completely melted in your mouth. Really enjoyed the Oysters with Limoncello dressing and the Panna Cotta dessert. I went with a group of friends but think it would be a beautiful place to go on a date. Will definitely be going again.
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Massi had lovely intimate ambiance & is great for business & romance. We came on a deal which I didn't realize was completely set, although after asking, the waiter explained we could swap some items out if we really didn't like x. I was relieved,as I'd come for the rabbit ragu gnocchi, which was the best gnocchi I've had in my life Ragu had obviously been slow cooking for a LONG time, is it was insanely tender. The riccota gnocchi melted in our mouths like soft pillows - a must try. Tuna was also amazing. Steak was ok, could have done with a bit more in terms of flavour (salt/pepper & interesting side). As much as I loved all the food & italian wines, I felt like they could given us the courtesy of asking us which gelato flavours & types of cannoli we would like & facilitated a little more in regard for autonomy & choice within the set dessert menu. I was really craving chocolate gelato as I'd seen in pics & was disappointed in the set dessert - it came as strawberry (which I dont like) & vanilla. I've had better cannoli elsewhere & was not a fan of the raspberry cream (had we again, been offered an option, we would have chosen ricotta or chocolate or custard, like we'd seen in pictures). The tirimisu was the dessert highlight. Service honestly could have been a little more friendly & warm. I would come back, but probably not on a set menu deal, as I like to know what I'm getting (although I feel that should have been better communicated at least for dessert).
We was looking through zomato and found this place , so decided to have our dinner here instead . We order the squid ink spaghetti, ravioli , meatballs , chicken breast , and eye fillet to share . The food and presentation was pretty good and decent , however , we all agreed that it's quite salty for every dishes . After that, we had chocolate mousses and tiramisu to finish off our dinner . Can't go wrong with the dessert :) overall, food -4/5 , ambience ,5/5 , price 4/5 & friendly staff .
Love the food and deserts. The ricotta gnocchi was so soft, fluffy and so gooddd... def will be back to try other things. Service was good and attentive too.
Good quality and consistently on the mark Italian favourite in the CBD. Can get a little noisy depending on the crowd but the food and service more than make up for it.
**Note - Online menu varies to actual menu offered at restaurant!! Extremely busy!! It was packed by 6pm 😵😵
The way my bread was served looked as if i was dealing illegal business 😂😂 love the olive oil 👍
Highly recommend the meatballs 😍😍 nicely seasoned and favoured my favourite dish/ highlight of my meal 🍴❤️
House made spaghetti and i can see whole crab leg in my pasta😍😍
Panna cotta - they used aniseed for the poached pear on top... i hate aniseed so i cant comment
*** I would give it 4/5 if the online menu was up to date and it was stated on the menu aniseed was used in panna cotta
Food and service great authentic Italian and wines that match. Cosy setting and cramped but in a good way. Got 50% off food through the Dimmi app special and they didn’t scrimp on anything. Happy to return.
Great deco to the place and lovely service. The cured kingfish with white anchovies and the smoked burata were the highlights for us. However the pasta dishes did not impress. Service staff was super friendly and efficient, although mistakes were made with our orders initially and corrected promptly.
Went for lunch today, it’s a wonderful little joint in the city, tried the chicken main, it was perfectly seasoned and char grilled, the accompaniment of fresh pesto was really good. A nice little gem in the city
Went to Massi last night for my birthday, so glad we did, we had a lovely time. We opted for the 3 course menu, the lovely waiter told us to go easy on the bread and he was right, we were full to the brim! Food was great, service was even better, all the staff we fabulous and made us so welcome.
My partner has a crush on Massi. We went for pre-dinner drinks and nibbles. There is extensive drinks list, and the bartender was more than happy to provide suggestions. Drinks came out with complimentary bread and olive oil.
We were tempted to try the specials for the night - fresh oysters from South Australia - small, but they were juicy and packed a punch of flavour!
Lovely ambience. The service at Massi is impeccable and they always have something to offer. Will keep coming back.
Loved this place! Visited on a date night and was pleasantly surprised by the bistro feel of the restaurant. The staff were lovely and so attentive -definitely the highlight of my experience at Massi.The food was also excellent. Oysters were very fresh and a delicious appetiser. Duck Liver Parfait had a very mild taste to it so its easy to stomach even for those who hate parfait. Mains were ok - a little on the smaller side for the average eater but was fine for me. I would highly recommend trying the tiramisu as it is a creamier version of it than other places. I found that it balanced out the bitter coffee flavour better than most tiramisu desserts that I've tried.
Overall very well run restaurant. Food is superb and the room is like stepping into Italy. Thank you for a fantastic night out and will recommend.perfect place
Just an all round great Italian Restaurant. A quick drink or a great pasta. I ordered the spaghettini with clams and was 5 out of 5. It will be my new local.
Absolutely fantastic. Pasta just like Italy, impeccable service, relaxed environment, able to book (always a huge plus). The only negative I've found is desserts. Tried twice (and trying my companions orders at the same time) and underwhelmed both times. A very special dessert would really just round out this otherwise lovely experience.
Dined here for a date with the boyfriend... impeccable service and food knowledge. Appetisers were incredibly flavourful, however the gnocchi I had for main was TOO flavourful... way too salty. But yet a still great experience and ambience.
An excellent variety in the menu - good selection of pasta but I find they tend to lack flavour and seasoning. However, the mains are good. The tiramisu is a must, but the cannolis were a bit too rich for my liking. Table service was okay, but could be better (e.g. introducing the dishes as they’re served).
Great establishment. The service was perfect. Staff were very knowledgeable of the menu and were very attentive. The food is excellent and I left feeling full and happy!
Impeccable service. Great food and ambience is very relaxing. Ordered the oysters (not the best to be honest, had that fishy smell that I don't really like). However, the wagyu and squid ink pasta is really good and worth the shot! Overall, will recommend.
Great atmostphere, romantic lightings and surprisingly quiet even though is fully seated. The food is not bad. The aracini with black truffle is the highlight dish for me. The lamb neck is amazingly soft and tender as first time having it! But the sauce is really salty for the plate I have, had to ask for exchange and they are nice to provide a brand new dish with reduced sauce. Really enjoyed it after. The wagyu bresaola is ok, which I had tried on a pizza hot, this time cold, is not too bad. Took 1 point off for originally being too salty for the sauce to an otherwise a full mark restaurant!
Exceptional service and food.
If you're looking for a romantic table, ask to be seated on table 1. They will look after you well.
Highly recommend
Absolutely decadent food and impeccable service. We enjoyed every single dish of the set menu and ended the evening so full that we could not even finish the dessert. My favourite starters were the arancini and gnocchi, and the entire set of main course was amazing. All the flavours hit the spot, and all dishes were served with perfect timing in between. The ambience was nice and intimate, perfect for a date or celebrating a special occasion. I would not hesitate to come back and recommend this place to my friends.
Yohanes Satria Julianto
+4
It was nice food and good service ! Well done ! A small place by joseph vargetto after mister bianco. Never been to mister bianco but went to massi i think its good enough ! Well done !
Dined here on a Sat night. The ambience was warm and inviting. Wine collection is predominantly from Italy. We settled on a red after a couple of tastings. Ordered fiore di burrata & wagyu carpaccio as entrees, squid ink spaghettini which was the standout dish and the slow cooked lamb neck which was quite flavourful with a generous serving size. Overall a pleasant dining experience except that the waiter came across as a bit invasive. Bit on the expensive side. Not a bad place to start your night with some drinks n tapas.
One of the nicer Italian restaurants I've been to in Melbourne. Dark & intimate setting. Service was attentive and were knowledgeable of the menu when giving recommendations. We ordered the pâté, burrata, and gnocchi with (happy hour) house red wine. One pasta was definitely enough for two people. Definitely would come back here again.
Wow who would have thought that Mister Bianco's Little Sister would be better than the original!
Food is superb: authentic, flavoursome, plentiful. Particular highlights: arancini, gnocchi, pappardelle, eye fillet, tiramisu.
The $75 course tasting menu is brilliant. The current Dimmi offer of 50% off that is too good to be true. Except it isn't.
Lovely, intimate space, cosy, relaxed atmosphere & friendly service.
A gem- stands up very well to the other CBD Italian fare.
Great little spot for Italian fare. Good flavours and perfectly cooked pasta. Friendly staff and attentive service. Loved the polenta chips. Super crunchy with a delicious pesto dipping sauce! Yum!
Highly recommend you try Massi. A intimate restaurant with stylish decor. Great for a romantic dinner or quiet catch up with your friends. Upon arrival we were happily attended to straight away. We arrived during cocktail hour, the cocktail I am calling the best cocktail I've had.
The food was absolutely delicious to the eye and mouth. I had a clam risotto and my partner the scotch fillet steak then of course we treated ourselves to tiramisu.
I couldn't fault the place, the service, the food, the drinks and decor was just perfect. I cannot wait to go back.
Yes I love Italian food. And there's nothing better than finding a good, authentic, Italian restaurant that serves fresh, beautiful, flavourful Italian dishes. Massi is one of those restaurants. A little space on little Collins street, it has all the things you'd expect: good service, good food, some yummy desserts and delicious coffee. We went recently for a work lunch and everyone raved about their meals. I had the swordfish with pepperonata which was probably one of the best fish dishes I had ever had.
I've walked past Massi on many a lunch break, and it's usually bustling with a besuited business crowd. Inside the charming heritage building, we're met with warm service and a sophisticated, European vibe. The menu--which we're told was printed just 20 minutes before we got there--changes seasonally, and puts a modern spin on southern Italian favourites.
We start with some calamari fritti and arancini before moving on to the pastas. They're inventive but comforting, and (we all agree) utterly delicious. The highlight was the buffalo ricotta gnocchi with pork neck cooked in milk, sage, lemon and egg yolk. 👌
Pictured: Buffalo ricotta gnocchi, pork neck cooked in milk, sage + lemon, egg yolk / Squid ink spaghettini, crab, clams + acqua pazza / Hand-rolled cavatelli, cime di rapa + cacio e pepe (yes, that's a piece of saganaki-style fried cheese on top!)
Ashleighlaurenfranklin
+5
Outstanding service, delicious food and great atmosphere. We had a table of 10 and everything was fantastic. Cannot recommend highly enough. The staff went above and beyond to make us feel welcome (including 2 kids under 4). We'll be coming back (hopefully soon!)
I thoroughly enjoyed the attentiveness of the staff and their flair for persuasion when it came to describing the night's specials. The food came out promptly and tasted really unique. The squid ink pasta was excellent, but the 'Romeo and Juliet' cake special was a tad too sweet.
Love the food and the place. The staffs are very attentive. I ordered the gnocchi and i have to say it is one of the best i have eaten in Melbourne. My partner ordered the steak as he is not a big fan of pasta. The steak is perfectly cooked and the meat is good quality too. Will definitely come back.
Monday work lunch. Service was exceptional but in a non-fussy way. The food was excellent. Folks had gnocchi and others a light pasta with clams, prawns and scallops. This is a great spot and reasonably priced.
A lovely Italian dinner with live music on a Friday night! The pasta was cooked perfectly and my fav was the seafood pasta. Dessert was just ok. Service was really good as well.
My workplace is just round the corner from Massi so I walk by during the day very often as I travel between our different CBD locations. I've always dismissed it as a businessmen luncheon kind of place and I think it's because of the lettering on the window, the coat rack in the doorway and the dark wood seating. But in spite of that I've also been intrigued so when a Monday night catch up with a girlfriend needed a venue I put Massi forward.
The little brother to iconic Kew eatery Mister Bianco, Massi is inspired by chef and owner, Joseph Vargetto's travels through northern Italy and named after his youngest child, Massimo. The intimate restaurant seats 50 guests and specialises in the simple and graceful dishes of Piedmont. It also offers a crudo antipasto corner where diners can be entertained with the chefs at work, slicing salami, pistachio mortadella and more.
A Chronicle Of Gastronomy
+4
I’m a big fan of Mister Bianco, so Joseph Vargetto’s Massi became a must-visit when it opened in the CBD in May last year. Seating around 50 people in a single room, it’s a cosy and welcoming place. Comfy leather booths line one side of the room, and stools at the marble-clad bar are found along the other. It has a wine bar feel, and touches like leather table inlays and dark woods make it feel special.
Massi is one of my favourite restaurants, the atmosphere is wonderful. The staff are always welcoming and attentive. I have been there 3 times now and the food never fails to impress. It is simple great Italian food at its best. I would always recommend the pasta, it is homemade and delicious. The gnocchi is the best I've ever had and I would definitely recommend the tiramisu. A must go!
A sister restaurant of Mister Bianco, Massi is indeed another up and rising premium Italian restaurant in the CBD. Authentic flavoursome dishes (loved their home made pasta), friendly service and cozy ambiance. The restaurant is packed w working professional during lunch hour.. and I highly recommend the generous tasting chef menu - 3 course $58, or 4 course $68. Currently on Entertainment Card 25% promotion too.
Due to the lunch hour crowd, I would suggest the owner to hire one extra waitress to keep the service level up.
Service standard has improved a lots since first opening and it wasnt even bad before. Always good food, never disappoint but I like the way they did the bread before. Herb bread served warm. Can't wait to try their new menu!
Charlie Daniels (Curious Charlie)
+4
Lunch at Massi, located on Little Collins, in section we have never explored before, the legal precinct. It seems almost like a place you have to know about to get there, which we discovered through the Liven app. With high ceilings set in a century old heritage building, it's bright and airy, though still a small/intimate dining space, compared to other places in the area. I do like that lighting in the shape of something sciency, a compound perhaps? Oh gosh its been years since I took a science class, probably back in middle school!
Great food, good service and amazing environment . Good place for catch up with friend (3-4 ppl) or dating . Pasta is the best! Oyster so fresh! And the taste of the duck ham still surround inside my mouth. Sure will be back!!
Loved this place - my only regret is it's taken me so long to get here since it's been open! I don't understand the Zomato rating of 3.1 as all the reviews are much higher and I would totally agree - a lovely intimate venue with highly attentive staff. There were so many things on the menu I wanted to try - I had the black spaghettini with crab and vongole which was amazing - I will be going back just for this dish! We also shared some cod fritters which were very flavoursome and for desert I had the mulberry tart. I had never seen mulberries on a restaurant menu before and so had to try and it was awesome and great to try something different.
I went on a weeknight. The restaurant is very cosy. We had a few small starters and then with 2 mains. Food was ok. The braised octopus & squid ink pasta were quite salty even for us who don't mind salty food. Service was good.
A colleague came to Melbourne from Sydney and I also wanted to take this opportunity to catchup with 2 of my ex-bosses, so it's time to search for nice restaurant where we can eat and chat peacefully without having to shot at each other. 😅
I found this restaurant online and wasn't sure what to expect. None of us had eaten here before. It's not a big restaurant but it's very cosy. Staffs are very friendly.
We ordered The Half Shell Scallop for entre and for main we ordered Squid Ink Spaghetti, Lamb Cutler and BBQ Swordfish. For #dessert, we ordered tiramisu, massi donuts and affogato.
OMG, I'm glad I found this place. All the dishes are delicious. The stand out dishes for me have to be tiramisu and the donuts. 😍
This restaurant is really a 10/10 for me. Love love it.
Loved it, delicious Italian meals and the staff were very friendly and helpful. We had calamari, gnocchi, and squid ink spaghetti and cos parmesan salad - all delicious!
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A beautifully Italian restaurant hidden on Little Collins Street - finally got a chance to make a reservation at Massi using theFork 50% deal. We visited on a weeknight but the restaurant still managed to be completely full by 7PM. Space isn't too big but they kept it classy and sophisticated. Not to mention, service was friendly and prompt. Our waitress recommended "Pappradelle" and Chef's Special which was "Braised Goat + Salad"; so we decided to get both with some entrees - oysters, arancini, and croquettes.
Oysters tasted fresh with lemony garlicy dressing on top - a great way to start your evening. Arancini was crispy, filled with mushroom, potatoes, and rice - just classic & delicious. Cod croquette was also tasty but I was somewhat disappointed by the presentation - arancini came in an egg carton-looking plate. (Looking at others' reviews, they were often served on a plate so that's something they should consider doing again). Pappradelle (forgot to take a photo!) and Chef's Special, on the other hand, were great. Veal and tomato ragu tasted amazing together! It was a little bit salty but with Pappradelle pasta, it just balanced out beautifully. Braised goat definitely tasted different - not exactly a familiar taste (slightly bland). My guess is that they braised it using red wine to retain the taste of goat while giving it a grapey kick. Slightly disappointing since I expected something more flavourful but it wasn't that bad. I was excited to visit Massi but they definitely could've done better that night. However, I still think it's one of the better Italian restaurants in Melbourne! Will come back to try their other dishes next time
Ordered arancini, the zucchini flower and the duck breast. The arancini was my favourite. The duck breast was pink with crispy skin. Service was attentive. Overall a good experience.
Loved the swordfish! Very cool little restaurant. Will return again.
Totally amazing experience. One of the best Italian restaurants with wide variety of vegetarian options. Made my first anniversary totally memorable. We ordered everything from beginning tills end and in dish was amazing and different. Last but not the least super excellent service. Must go restaurant.
Starters were amazing and slightly overshadowed the mains. The brisket could have been cooked longer as it wasn't falling apart. Butter was served cold.
Highlight was the staff who were great... And funny! The croquettes and the octopus were also fantastic.
Really enjoyed it! Food was fantastic with the Nonna's menu varied and filling with each dish on point. Waitresses are cute and friendly. Food is served quickly. Highly recommended. Ravioli and lamb cutlets were the highlight: the lamb cutlets were unique and tasty.
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