Review Gemma Simply Italian - Melbourne

Wow wow wow! This place from the moment I walk in customer service was so lovely and very kind they were quick and efficient too! The food was so affordable great portion sizes and it tastes authentic as you can get it! It was so delicious and it had good amount of vegan options as well! Will definitely be coming back soon.

Hands down, best homemade gnocchi I’ve ever had. Simple yet authentic flavour, service was exceptional and our waiter Ben had a very good knowledge about the wines and his customer service was exceptionally good. What can I say, had a very pleasant experience and definitely going back for that gnocchi.

Ingredients and toppings on pizza are very tasty. But slightly disappointed with the pizza dough. The middle part was too soggy and thin. Gnocchi were good but nothing amazing. Service also pretty average, had to call the waitress a few times to order. Tiramisu was alright.

Hands down, one of the best pizzas in Melbourne. Its incredible how they stood out in a very competitive and overcrowded market. We had the pizza calabrese and porcini among others that were bursting with flavours.The staff was super friendly, warm and welcoming. The ambience is perfect for friends and family. Overall, I rate this place 10/10

Absolutely amazing food and service! Not a big fan of pizzas but undoubtedly the best pizza I had till date in Melbourne. Their chilli oil is sooo good and also loved the bruschetta, full of flavours. One of the best Italian restaurants I ever tried 🤤😃

The pizza is very good, although the restaurant is small, it has a nice atmosphere both in the lights and in the background music. The staff were very kind and attentive.

The wood-fired pizzas and garlic foccacia are delicious but their table service even though friendly could be better. We had a dinner booking on a very hot day and was hoping to be seated indoors. Unfortunately, when we arrived, we were informed that we will be seating outdoors without any fans because the floors were being mopped. At the end of the meal, we also had to wait almost 10 minutes just to pay the bill because there were no staff at the counter. We did still enjoy our meals and would love to return for takeaways but perhaps not dining in at this stage.

Visited this little Italian restaurant on weekend while visiting Melbourne. Would highly recommend a visit the staff and owner Margarite very friendly and service was quick and attentive. The food was amazing and to my taste and value for money guaranteed

Very quaint, not overcrowded, you can have a conversation without shouting, the food is delicious, I had the Queen Margherita pizza and I loved it. Got up without feeling full but satisfied....lovely place. I highly recommend it!!

Overheard an italian dude talking about this real authentic pizza place in Carlton. My missus was always complaining as we couldn't find a restaurant that reminded us of our italy trips. So we decided to try. Been there about 4-5 times & it brings us back to Italy with every bite. The staff are friendly and have awesome Italian accents. A must try if you really want to be reminded of Italy. I did say thankyou to the Italian dude for the recommendation.

The most liveable city in the world shuts down at 9 pm on Sunday night, but the staff at Gemma waited for us to arrive at 9.15 pm for dinner. Eight of us, kitchen stayed on and made feel so welcomed. Started with the most amazing pizza. Every main dish was absolutely fantastic. Then the Tiramisu was amazing. Brilliant will come again & again. Try the Marinara & Carbonara.

Really enjoyed this place. I had the Gnocchi Sorintina, pizza and rocket & pear salad. A very enjoyable meal. 3rd time back.

Stumbled upon this restaurant away from the crowded Lygon street at Carlton and boy we were lucky we took that turn.. pizza was the best I have ever had.. there is a magic in authentic Italian and this place just does justice to Italian cuisine especially pizza they serve..

Fantastic service from the owner and the waitresses. Very impressed by the quality and authenticity of food and cosy ambience - plus being serenaded on a Friday evening by the singer Alessandro. Will definitely recommend this place if you have to host big groups cos they are super organised

Went in for dinner after seeing great reviews. Didn't disappoint. I'm reserving my 5 stars until I go back and try something else!

Had dinner last night. Beautiful fresh pasta, yummy thin crust pizza & great friendly service. Will definitely be back

My favourite Italian restaurant in Melbourne! We travel to Gemma's all the way from Berwick once a month because the food is superb! My favourite is the San Danielle pizza and the gnocchi bolognese ��

This is Carlton's best secret. Walk past all the others and try Gemma's for the full authentic Italiano experience!

yeah this place is really good. woah yeah definitely come here it is really good

We loved it! Great food, great service, definitely be back!

Deliciously simple and very tasty. Lovely friendly staff and a great vibe. Well patronised for a Sunday. Nothing flash or fancy. Just delicious food at very reasonable prices. Give it a whirl.

One of the REAL Italian restaurant and pizzeria you can find in Carlton.... I really suggest seafood here so delicious as in Italy, amazing Staff and affordable price ... Combination of quality!!!!! Bravi ragazzi

Great Italian cuisine, fantastic woodfire pizza's and the staff and owner Alessandro are very welcoming and friendly.

Had a great meal, good service and in a great location for us who live locally!

From Naples to Melbourne. Alex is the real Neapolitan Pizza men. The Best Pizza ever in Melbourne!!!! All the best.

ordered takeaway during covid lockdown seeing good rating but very little topping compare to the photos on the website. very disappointing...won't come back again

The pastas were divine! Most authentic Italian I’ve had in Melbourne!

Recently visited this italian restaurant in Carlton and i loved the pizza. The 58 seat diner serves simple and authentic italian food. Their main focus is gnocchi and pizza and they do it really well. We opted for the olive oil based pizza with that extra hand torn buffalo mozzarella and it was so good. The crust was light and chewy that extra mozzarella made it even better. Not to mention the friendly staff at Gemma that made it a complete experience

This place is always a pleasure to dine with. Handmade pizza and pasta without the rush and a friendly dining experience with gemma team. The owner is the chef, and the food is amazing.

Pizza was burnt and the complaint was addressed with unprofessional and aggressive customer service resulting in my girlfriend crying. <br/><br/>Pasta was flavourless and tasted like canned tomatoes with a bit of Parmesan cheese for $21.<br/><br/>Requested water 4 times to two different waitresses and didn’t receive any for the entire time we were at the restaurant. <br/><br/>Spoiled our anniversary date, would recommend others dine elsewhere as there are a plethora of professional and authentic Italian restaurants on Lygon street. <br/>

4.5<br/>I love this humble Italian restaurant, we always get the focaccia to go with the salumi and formaggi cheese board , the quality of the ingredients are always top notch but my favorite thing they do here are the pastas ! <br/><br/>Parpadelle is my favourite pasta and I am so happy they have so many sauces to accompany it , my favourite is the 4 cheese, seafood spaghetti and also the ragu .. to hell with it I love them all

Went to Gemma’s for dinner on a Sunday night. We had booked online for two and were seated promptly. The restaurant was not very large in size but had a warm and cosy rustic feel. After ordering our drinks and meals came out so quickly we had barely warmed to our seats. The pasta was cooked perfectly and the sauce tasted simple, pure and had a home cooked feel about it. The pizza was delicious, dough was fluffy and light and the size was generous. Alcoholic drinks were reasonably priced.<br/>Recommended for a quick, simple and tasty Italian meal.

GLUTEN FREE GNOCCHI!I was so excited to see this on the menu when a friend picked this restaurant. I had the gnocchi with Sorrentina sauce - it was so delicious, but serving size was quite small. Perfect amount of cheese as well. The wait staff were attentive, but there was a language barrier. I asked for lemonade and they did not know what that was, so i asked for Sprite and pointed it out on their menu. I was brought Lemonatta San Perrigrino and it was too hard to explain that this was wrong. One of our meals was wrong as the waitress couldn't understand English, even when we pointed to the menu and what we wanted we were still brought the wrong items. I wasn't going to bother with dessert as i knew it would be hard to ask what was gluten free, but as everyone else was ordering it i thought i would ask about the gelato and whether it was GF. The waitress was unsure and abandoned our table in the middle of ordering to go check and it turns out it was. It wasn't fantastic gelato though and there was no lemon flavour!All in all it was a good meal as it was delicious, but a larger serving option would have been amazing, and more GF dessert options

All set for a family birthday dinner and 2 hours before we get a call 'sorry we have overbooked' ... not bloody good enough!  Trying to find another place with Gluten Free options at short notice very difficult indeed. We will not be back.

Best authentic pizza I have had in ages. With the many, many Italian pizza places around. This one by far is one of the best !!!! The flavour is to die for and the buffalo mozzarella gives it that just bit more of a kick 😍

Always love coming to this place.<br/>Food: Delicious and great prices. I love the Wednesday special prices for pizza as well!<br/>Service: Very quick for the meals to come out. Staff are always helpful and friendly. <br/>Atmosphere: Small and cosy but plenty of seating.<br/><br/>Overall: Perfect!

Wow a fantastic lunch everyone enjoyed the food. From the bruschetta to the pizza, pasta and steak. I’m still thinking about the bruschetta with nduja. Can’t wait to go back.

Food was quite good but the problem of bill payment arose. Why in 2018, with mobile eftpos machines, is it too difficult for a group of 10 to use 3 cards to pay the bill. <br/><br/>Left a nasty taste in our collective mouths. <br/><br/>We won’t be back or recommending to anyone else. <br/><br/>

This is traditional Italian pizza and pasta done right, from Napoli. The pizza is thin with a crispy woodfired crust, sweet san marzano tomatoes on the base, and every ingredient on top works. Try the calabrese with the 'nduja salami, it's delightful when combined with the cream of the fiordillate. The pappardelle are soft and perfect al dente texture from the recommended pasta dishes on the menu- try the zucca e gambetto and allo scoglio. Staff are very friendly, flexible with the menu, which is moderately priced and always available to help/recommend dishes and wine.

A delicious traditional Italian style pizza. I had the pizza with sausage, ham and salami drizzled in truffle oil and torn buffalo mozzarella that melted in my mouth.

Best pizzas in melbourne! I particularly love Crudo San Daniel with prosciutto, fior di latte and rocket. I've been four or five times this year and have always ordered it. They do pretty good gnocchi too.

Simple, delicious italian food that tastes like it does in Italy. We had 2 gnocchi dishes, a spaghetti vongole and a pizza. Our table all loved their meals. Will be back for sure.

Ordered carbonara and amatriciana on ubereats. Absolutely appalled. For twenty bucks a piece, I’ve never had crappier pasta. The carbonara was one fat lump of stuck together pasta that tasted like it was cooked days ago and reheated. Scrambled eggs on crap. Amatriciana was a pomodore sauce with little flavour, there was one or two slivers of actual pancetta/bacon in it, no chilli, no anything. Absolutely appalled. Never again.

Located away from the Lygon St spruikers. Simply cooked food, delivered in a flash. Gnocchi is wonderfully soft. Wine by the glass is reasonably priced.

Simple restaurant serving food quality pizza and pasta. We went on a Wednesday night when pizzas all cost $14.90. The 4cheese gnocchi is 😵 a-mazing. Possibly the best I've tasted- soft, melt-in-your-mouth pillows smothered in such a great cheese sauce, I got told off for multi-scraping the plate. Not an enormous serve but perfect to share as an entree between 2. The pizza was great too. We had the Peppino. Great size, thin base plate of yum. Drinks hiked up the price but hey, who cares. Rustic dining room-no frills and inoffensive. Staff were prompt and pleasant. Overall good job!

Great ambience. Excellent food - we shared dishes and loved all meals. Pizzas simple but authentic taste. Wine was matched for us and very reasonable value. Highly recommend.

Amazing pappardelle pasta ragu, and very authentic pizza! so delicious. will definitely be going back.  friendly staff, but will remember to make a booking next time as it was so busy!

Came here with some friends, really enjoyed the vibe of the restaurant, which is lively and friendly. There are two seating areas, which gives you some space, but the place can get quite loud during the evening (but not enough to impede too much on conversation).<br/><br/>For entree, we shared garlic bread, which was a light and fluffy pizza dough with a generous amount of garlic butter on top. Each pizza/foccacia was cut into around 9 small pieces. I really enjoyed the base, and the flavour was not too strong.<br/><br/>For the main, I had the gnocchi sorrentina, which was a vegetarian tomato-based dish. Unfortunately I wasn't blown away by the quality of the dish. Though the menu listed basil as an ingredient, there is only one leaf on top of the dish, which I felt did not add to the flavour anyway (so was disappointed). Apart from the two vine tomatoes, there was nothing except the gnocchi and a lot of cheese. The cheese was quite nice once you had mixed it into the hot sauce, however the gnocchi themselves just tasted very potato-y and doughy and I basically got sick of just eating squishy tomato lumps after a while. (Though I am certainly not a gnocchi aficionado and will probably not try it again!).<br/><br/>For dessert, I shared gelato with a friend, as each dish came with 3 scoops (which I felt was quite reasonable for the price). The mango gelato was so refreshing and sweet, the chocolate was smooth and I really enjoyed the hazelnut texture of the third scoop. After a very filling and heavy meal, this was the perfect finish and definitely more than enough.<br/><br/>Overall I found the food was reasonable for the price, even though I personally did not enjoy the gnocchi too much. It is probably better for people who appreciate the simplicity of the gnocchi themselves.<br/><br/>The staff were all very friendly and efficient and we all enjoyed a good night.

The food in general was good! We ordered the special pizza that wasn't on the menu but on the specials board, which had Italian sausage, salame cacciatore and ham. The base was unlike any other pizza, as it was crisp yet fluffy and doughy on the inside. They specialize in gnocchi, so we went with the ragu alla norcina, a creamy rich sauce that anyone who loves carbonara will enjoy. Personally I don't enjoy gnocchi very much because it is usually very starchy but the ones here were delicious! Light, yet with the comforting consistency of potato. We also got the spaghetti vongole which in my opinion was the best dish we ordered. The spaghetti was perfectly al dente and was tossed in a flavorful seafood-reduced stock, with bold garlic and parsley notes. It is worth noting that I really enjoyed the squid ink gnocchi the last time I visited but they may have taken it off the menu. Also, if gnocchi is not your cup of tea, try their pappardelle as it tastes amazing as well! Will definitely come back on a cold wintry night for some Italian comfort food.

Great Italian food. Greeted at the door by waiting staff who were attentive and friendly. The gnocchi were fluffy and very well made. Pasta was aldente, perfectly cooked. Pizza crust was slightly charred which worked well with the sweet sauce. Will be back at this cosy Italian eatery. <br/>Setting - 7.5/10<br/>Food - 8.5/10<br/>Service - 8/10<br/>Price - 7.5/10<br/>

We ate her last night, and thought it was a decent Italian meal, but we've had better. Overall the service was good, Queen margherita was tasty, but the ragu napoletano needed more flavour. Nice setting, and we will be back after we try other local Italian eateries. 7/10.

The food was delicious and quickly arrived. Only downside was how closely all the tables were crammed in. We were a table of two which was awkwardly a party of six because of how close we were to each other - ended up requesting a seat outside.

Outside was freezing and rainy, perfect weather for some übereats 😂 Gemma stood out and ticked the boxes for what I was looking for: authentic, reasonably priced and tasty pizza 🍕. Luckily, Gemma didn't let me down, actually quite the opposite, she converted me😀. Also, I would like to mention how fast it was to hit my door. Only small negative, the pizza was on the coldish side, perhaps the uber driver didn't have one of those keep warm bags 🤔

This is a busy place, be prepared to book a table - but it's worth the wait! We ordered the carbonara spaghetti and zingara pizza. Carbonara was pretty good, well seasoned, but may have been a bit small of a portion for our hungry stomachs! Zingara pizza (pesto, tomatoes, Gorgonzola, potato) was good. Thin and crunchy crust, dripping with cheesiness and the pesto added a good zing. It was slightly toward the too salty end though! Staff were attentive and kitchen was speedy. Need to try more food from this place for a better review.

Went back here after a few months. REALLY DISAPPOINTED! Three of us had a pasta and shared a pizza. All 3 pastas were terrible. The pizza was good. Unfortunately the biggest disappointment was the way the manager addressed my complaint. Looks like they've changed chefs as it was evident that the food was less than authentic. What a shame

Over from NZ walking past and we noticed it offered gluten free gnoochi which suited my wife. The meal was superb, a couple at the next table said they lived across the city but had been recommended to come there. Best of all there were no waiters touting for business at the front door as is common place in Lygon Street, rather they were providing excellent front of house service.

My partner wanted Italian food for dinner tonight so I picked Gemma based on the good reviews on Zomato. The restaurant has an intimate but casual setting and we were seated right away the minute we walked in. We ordered the Ragu Napoletano Pappardelle (3 different pork and beef cuts slow cooked in San Marzano tomato sauce with parmigiano) and Special Pizza on the board (white mozzarella, gorgonzo, radicchio,flat pancetta and plum jam).Service was exceptionally fast and we were really impressed with how quickly our food was delivered to the table even though the restaurant is almost packed on a Saturday night! The homemade pappardella was cooked so perfectly and flavourful. The pizza was delicious  - baked in 400'C stone oven! We finished with panna cotta and mixed berry for dessert. I find the panna cotta is a little too sweet for me but my partner liked it.  Some of the waiters have strong Italian accent, so it adds to the authenticity of Italian dining atmosphere. We will definitely return in the near future to try the gnocchi and seafood spaghetti!

Really enjoyed Gemma's for lunch today. Gnocchi was melt in your mouth beautiful! I had it with the ragu sauce thatwas made up of three different meat cuts all slowcooked through. Portions were good. Slightly pricey for daytime - would be good if they had some more lunch specials. Will definitely be a regular now, as i don't know where else you can get gnocchi this good on lygon st. Pizza was the bomb!!

Excellent food, location and atmosphere. Been here a few times and really enjoy it. The service yesterday when i went was unusual but i think it was because of new staff. In the past it has been excellent. Highly recommended!

Dined at Gemma's based on such positive reviews and it did not disappoint! Ordered the vegetarian fungi pizza (and yes, I paid $6.90 for buffalo mozarella) and it was perfect. Authentic Italian style pizza, plenty of flavour and so tasty. Topped it off with a espresso martini for only $11.50. The one critique I would have is that there seems to be mostly vegetarian (great for me) or ham/pork pizzas. My partner doesn't eat pork and was hoping for the seafood pizza however it seems it's no longer on the menu. We'll definitely be back nevertheless.

Gem of a place. If you like gnocchi, Gemma is the place for you. It even has gluten-free ones! <br/><br/>I was here recently for a group dinner and it was astoundingly good value. For $35 plus drinks, l was expecting two courses. So after a yummy antipasto of cheeses, mortadella, olives and vegies and some shared pizzas, l was pretty happy. And then came the gnocchi - both baked with cheese and also tossed in sauce. Both were really good. And then came the rest of the pasta - pappardelle with walnuts or with bolognaise. Lots of both plus a fresh tasty salad.<br/><br/>I can eat a lot and so can some of the friends with me that night. But the serves at Gemma defeated even us. <br/><br/>Service was good for the fact that there were two large parties to manage. Yes we waited a bit for more plates and glasses during the night, but to be fair our group moved around between seats. <br/><br/>I really enjoyed it and can't wait to go back to try more of the delicious menu.

Booked a table for my daughters 17th birthday through Zomato. The staff were all extremely friendly and accommodating. The food was outstanding. Possibly the best pizzas this side of Italy!<br/>Had visited months earlier with family visiting from overseas. It did not disappoint. <br/>Would highly recommend Gemma's. <br/>We will be back for sure!

The Ragu Napoletano Pasta was the most perfect pasta I’ve tasted in Melbourne and rivals that of Italy. The Pappardelle was fresh, and cooked to just the right level of softness and chewiness. The texture of this perfectly cooked, freshly made pasta was simply phenomenal and just begged for a second mouthful. <br/>Overall a brilliant and authentic Italian restaurant that’s just hidden off the main fare on Lygon. The pasta was undoubtedly the best I’ve had in Melbourne and rivals the likes of Grossi and A25. <br/><br/>However bear in mind that you go here to satisfy not your hunger, but your taste buds.

BEST. PASTA. EVER. I don't say that often, and I generally think pasta in melbourne/ sydney is just okay but this one is gold! Try their crab pasta. Or the truffle oil one. Gemma deserves to be THE go-to place for italian food, even when I compare it with D.O.C. pizza.

Gemma Simply Italian is one of the most amazing, authentic Italian restaurants in Melbourne. Gemma's pizza is extremely similar to DOC and equally as delicious. The pizza's are always perfect. We love the atmosphere at Gemma it is just like a little Italian restaurant in Italy with waiters buzzing around all speaking Italian. The staff are always friendly and very accommodating. Booking is essential as it is such a small restaurant and gets quite busy! <br/><br/>TIP: Do order a Gemma Board and Buffalo Caprese- you will seriously regret it if you don't! Do not forget to try Peppino pizza it is our favourite and is it absolutely heavenly!

Perhaps don't order takeaway. Don't know if there's any difference, but there was certainly no care or love in any of our food. Pasta had no flavour whatsoever. Tasted like packet pasta wth no sauce. Our 'sweet pizza' with Nutella and strawberries actually had no Nutella on it. All of it tasted like it might have been cooked a while ago. Maybe a la carte and in house there might be a bit more effort put in but we won't be eating from this place again.

Wine was great, pizza was soooo good, and I could really feel the fresh taste of pasta. We had the peppino pizza, I could finish 2 of those. Highly recommended.

Best gnocchi ever!!!<br/>Simple, nice, really affordable and nice Italian music.<br/>Owner was really charming and friendly. He also offered a shot of Italian liquor to me and my boyfriend!<br/>We will be back for sure and I will tell of my girlfriends about this hidden gem....

Went with friends for dinner tonight. It was a nice place with good Italian atmosphere. Food was good especially like pizza, authentic and well flavoured. Pizza skin was crispy with lots of ingredients with a hint of blue cheese. My squid ink risotto was just alright but love my mate's homemade milky. Soft and smooth with good flavours. The pannacotta was nice, the nutella crepe was awesome. Personally think is a good place for coming back. Yum.

Lovely venue in a nice area, but we had the worst service! 11 person reservation - only one third got asked to order drinks first and their drinks came before the others got to order theirs... & also one of the food orders came back wrong. This was a surprise birthday dinner for a friend, when I walked in with her, I explained to the waiter that I had a cake and that it was a surprise, he took the cake and said no problems, he'll bring it out when we're ready. When asking for the cake, he forgot to bring it back twice (whilst five of the group were waiting to leave). He then ruined the surprise by asking the birthday girl if she is ready for the cake. After all of that, they then charged us for eating the cake there - which the charge is totally fine and understandable, yet he did not explain this to me when I gave him the cake in the first place. Communication would have been appreciated. Overall, we all had a very very average night. Next time won't be booking here.

Italian pizza needs to be thin and have a great crust! Done and done! Amazing pizza at a Carlton institution! Definitely a nice pizza with the house red, which is surprisingly good.

Amazing pizza and calzone @gemmasimplyitalian after watching a play at the @lamamatheatre so fresh and delicious. Would definitely venture back when in the area. Service was on point, water constantly topped up. Great work.

Authentic Italian food in a cosy setting (and unsurprisingly, not on Lygon St itself). This little place is also amazing value/surprisingly cheap with an antipasto, mains and full bottle of wine for two coming in around $70. Pizza dough is lovely, cooked in a real wood fired oven, and pasta is homemade. This place and DOC are the only places I go near on or around Lygon St. <br/><br/>We had the papardelle ragu, which was rich with tender pieces of beef and pork over al debate pasta - served with a side of ricotta to cut through the richness of the sauce. The San Daniele pizza was generously covered in prosciutto crudo, importantly the pizza dough itself cooked beautifully with lovely burnt bubbles of dough on the very edges of the crust. Among the best pizzas in Melbourne.

Funghi pizza was awesome, gnocchi was delicious and the pasta across all dishes was perfect. Didn't love the seafood with pasta and the garlic bread definitely lacked flavour.

The food here is delicious. Lucky because the service is horrible. Waitress was rude. Arrived at 7.30 and no one took our order for over an hour.. Ended up having to wave someone down at 8.45pm.. Weren't eating until 9.30 by this time the restaurant was almost empty. Lucky their food makes up for it.

YUM YUM YUM. Great pizza and excellent service. Relatively undiscovered compared to the other pizzerie on Lygon St (which is awesome!). If you want AUTHENTIC Italian pizza, skip right over Lygon and head to Gemma's.

Crab pasta, excellent. Hard to crack the crab legs open with sauce on crab - it did get messy... (one small criticism). However flavour and freshness - excellent!! <br/>Pasta carbonara very good. Enjoyed meal. Will return for quality and authentic Italian food. <br/>Total bill $55.00 (1 wine & soda included). <br/>Decent value for a night out. <br/>Cheers!

AMAZING!!! First time visit over the weekend and one of the best meals I've had! Waitresses had great service, always smiling and very pleasant.

Paella, pasta and pizza were yummy. Everything was reasonably priced, and the service is nice and friendly. I will definitely go back for that paella.

We settle for a lot of bad Italian food, and that no truer than on Lygon st. But Gemma provides some of the best pasta we've had in Melbourne. Simple but full flavours; this is excellent quality for what you spend. The pizzas are also really good.

We dined in at Gemmas on Valentine's Day and the food was incredible. The pizza was well cooked, and had a very simple tomato sauce base which was superb . For mains we had the gnocchi with Napoli sauce, and a spaghetti dish wish olives, parsley, chili, and oil. Both pasta dishes illustrated how excellent simple Italian cooking can be. Overall, the food was fantastic, and well priced. I highly recommend it to others, and cannot wait to go there again.

Gemma's is a small, unassuming restaurant just off Lygon Street. I actually was put off this place by the signage/facade which looks like a Gelato place. Saw decent reviews and thought we would give it a go.<br/><br/>It was surprisingly good, given the poor quality Italian food you often get on Lygon St. We had the San Daniele pizza which was really delicious- amazing base and tasty toppings. It was easily as good as D.O.C's, which I think is one of Melbourne's best. We followed that with the Swimmer Crab pasta- very fresh and tasty. I had the Pappadelle with Italian sausage and truffle oil. This was rich but again, really tasty.<br/><br/>The service was friendly and attentive and they had live music- a really nice touch! Overall I'd recommend this place for reasonably priced Italian in a homely and relaxed atmosphere. The pizza is definitely a must try!

I have been here twice now and both times the staff have presented terrible service. From the moment we walked into the almost empty restaurant last night, staff were rude and surprised that we had turned up without a booking. Instead of welcoming us, they demanded to know if our group had a booking and left us awkwardly standing in the middle of the restaurant while they discussed amongst themselves what to do with us and where to sit "the people without a booking," despite almost all tables being empty! After we finally got a seat (and not at our preferred table), they were not warm and welcoming at all. On a rather hot Melbourne evening, we were presented with WARM tap water and when we kindly requested that the air-con be turned on they argued that the alfresco sliding doors would need to be closed and other customers also consulted, despite all diners looking hot and sweaty! Terrible service from the onset, which dampened the food experience and will definitely not be going back as this place doesn't seem to think the customer is always right. Disappointing.

Lovely young girls gave us a warm welcome. Loved the interior of the restaurant. Simple well done Italian trattoria style food with great pizzas. My daughter gave it the thumbs up so you got a winner. Like my friend from Italia says 'cosi Si mangia a Napoli ' Bravi regazzi. Highly recommend

Beautifully simple food. This is my go to for Italian in Carlton. Their blue swimmer crab spaghetti is to die for served with a beautiful tomato sugo laced with crab flavours , fresh cracked crab and al dente spaghetti. Their pizzas are just as Moreish with crispy thin bases and topped with fresh prosciutto. Very reasonably priced with lovely Italian accented wait staff. Be sure to make a reservation on weekends .

I've now been here multiple times and there is a reason why.  Alessandro Bollino is a warm and welcoming host.  He's never far away from the front of house where he likes to personally welcome diners with a smile.  His team are courteous and offer fantastic service and they offer thanks to the intimate surrounds and an restaurant environment that is like a small traditional Italian Trattoria. This means table service is quick.    <br/>Three reasons why you MUST eat here: <br/><br/>1. Traditional and authentic Italian Pizza and Pasta using fresh ingredients.  Pizza cooked in a 400 degree stone wood fire oven, an array of pasta dishes cooked al'dente every time,  sweets to die for great wine list and BYO option available<br/>2.Great customer service upon arrival and throughout service.  Staff who are very happy to tend to your needs to make your experience an enjoyable one, specials menu where there's something a little bit different every time.<br/>3.Price - Although this place is in "Carlton" it's not hard falling into a mindset that when eating in there, Lygon Street is one of the first streets that you'd traditionally head for.  Here you get food which makes some so called "Lygon Street "Pizzerias" look like old school takeaways that feature tasteless Pizza's made for quantity not quality.  <br/>Once you've eaten a traditional Pizza at Gemma's you'll never eat a cardboard tasting greasy big chain Pizza again. Here you pay peanuts and get mind blowing food that you'll always remember and talk about.

What a brilliant place, service was excellent (especially the lovely Cynthia). I had a seafood spaghetti, it was simple and delicious. My partner had a gnocchi, which was beautiful and soft, with a great sauce. <br/>Cynthia also makes a great Negroni (much better than most places!).

I can honestly say this place has worst service and worst waitresses ive come across. Went last night and ordered a few dishes - waiting 40 minutes before same waitress who took order came to take our order again. Another waitress said there was a problem with computer system. There were only 3 tables occupied in the place. No apology offered. On previous visit was waiting for over 45 minutes for a pizza. Absolutely brutal service. braindead!

This place is a great little genuine Italian eatery just around the corner from the busy lygon throng of salesmen at the footstep of every restaurant you pass trying to pull you in.<br/><br/>Service is great, the staff are mostly first generation Italians who offer advice on the food with a smile.<br/><br/>Had the salami board with a side of buffalo mozzarella, spaghetti vongole and finished off with mandarine liquore pannacotta. Loved all three and have had great pizza here in the past too. Highly recommend.

Outstanding italian food. Gnocchi are just like my Nonna's and the pizza is superb. Don't bother with the overpriced rubbish on Lygon street and get yourself into this gem! Recommend the gnocchi napoletana, absolutely delicious!

THE best pizza in Melbourne. And that's coming from someone that's eaten at them all: Baby, DOCs etc. <br/><br/>Authentic Neapolitan pizza at its finest. You could be in Italia!! No frills. Just pure classic pizzas and homemade pasta & gnocchi.

Gemmas Simply Italian is a warm local restaurant offering Italian cuisine. We love Gemma's for its yummy Napoli Style Pizzas. The stand out is the prosciutto pizza that comes with fresh Buffala mozzarella!!! A bonus that unlike many other restaurants that attempt Napoli style pizzas is that it doesn't have a soggy base!!! 👌

A favourite when we are in the neighbourhood. The sauces are packed with flavour and the gnocchi simply melts in your mouth. Prawns in the seafood dishes are fresh, and we also love the pizza with funghi and truffle oil. The waiters were very warm and had a great sense of humour last time we were there, which just rounded up the lovely experience.

Food tasty and well priced but food took a very long time to arrive. Some of us were finished our meals before others got their order. <br/>Given that i ordered fettuccine with slow cooked sauce I would have expected faster service.

Good, simple (almost rustic) Italian at a reasonable price. Definitely recommended for a good, quick lunch or meal before the cinema. Quite noisy and busy but we sat in the window where we could watch the passers-by as well as the hustle and bustle of the restuarant and loved the atmosphere. My prawn gnocchi was wholesome, flavoursome  and generous - check out the photo! We didn't come away hungry.

This place is really great. My best friend and I started going here every week when it first opened. Recently we went back and it is far more busy and lively! Such a good find tucked away behind Lygon St :)

Amazing staff, always so bright and cheerful (and gorgeous, let's be honest). Classic Italian dishes are right on the money. If you want homely, hassle-free Italian in cozy atmosphere then this is the place!

A Chaotic dinner. We made a reservation for dinner last week. We arrived and we got told that our table was given out to other people by mistake. The staff offered us a rather uncomfortable area to sit and promised that we would get a larger table after 15 minutes. I looked around the whole restaurant which was full, not spacey and almost had nowhere to move or breath. It is unfortunate to notice that we, the group of Asians, were the only group that had our table given out by accident. We felt very discriminated and had a very uncomfortable dinner. The food was served in old and dirty plates - the gnocchi were done with a brown-orange sauce that was unappetizing and unfresh seafood ....seriously! what could be worse than this!<br/><br/>By the end of this chaotic dinner, the staff wanted to offer us free drinks which made the whole situation worse. Could we not afford alcohol or would free drinks would fix it all!?

Unacceptable Service. Booked a table for mother's day. They made a mistake and the shoved us to the side of the wall and set us up like we are having a talk show.<br/><br/>Not only was it very disrespectful to my mother, but it was embarassing for us to move with our food on the table.<br/><br/>Pizza was tastless, probably lost the appetite.<br/><br/>Thanks for ruining mother's day Gemma.

Wowsa!. Booked a table for 5 and went there on white night evening - the food is simply sensational authentic and genuine italian - not your american italian, real italian italian!<br/><br/>The herbs were tasting lovely and the basil and other leaves came through as fresh! The wine was great and the ambience was sensational too. It was very busy, but the manager (?owner) was very personal and enquired about each of our courses. He spoke in Italian! We managed to speak back in broken italian that we picked up on our italian food holiday last year - I think the food is sensationally authentic - must try.

Napoletano. Best pizza outside of Naples. No frills, just authentic ingredients without all the fuss.

Excellent!. My husband and i went to Gemma as we both love pizza and, as i'm from Rome, i was desperately looking for authentic pizza.<br/>Well, I found it. It's just like they do it in Naples with incredibly great ingredients and fresh as fresh can be.<br/>Well done! BRAVISSIMI!

Great atmosphere and staff. Staff are very professional. I have ordered take-away and dined inside many times and never have they stuffed up an order. <br/><br/>I would recommend the pizzas and calzones over the pastas. The pizzas are some of the most authentic italian ones you can find in Melbourne (no complaints!!). The pastas (mainly the gnocchi) I find are maybe a little bit bland and smaller portion relative to those served at say, Kaprica. If you choose a pasta to eat, i'd recommend the fettucine (servings are a bit larger than the gnocchi in my opinion). Gemma's prices are a bit more expensive than what you would find on lygon street, however I understand this is due to them buying the freshest ingredients.

Best pizza and gnocchi ever!. I came to Gemma for a birthday and wow! The food was amazing, the staff were great, and because we organised a set menu it was soooo cheap! Ate so much food most of us had to head home for a nap! Delicious, would absolutely recommend to anyone looking for great Italian!

Didn't even get a chance to eat as I used their own endorsed online booking system and when arrived they told us I made the booking too late and it wasn't available. What's the point in telling me my time was confirmed if the restaurant couldn't fulfil the reservation? Plain and simple a terrible experience. The wait staff didn't seem to care or acknowledge the error. Doubt I would ever come back here or use Dimmi, the reservation system again.

Gemma Simply Italian. Dropped by on a whim before seeing Whiplash at Nova. Slightly nervous because it was quieter than other nearby places, but it turned out to be excellent. Perfect pizza for my son and beautifully cooked spaghetti puttanesca for me. Add a couple of drinks and all for less than $50. Perfect night apart from the movie!

Terribly unfresh prawns. We ordered risotto with seafood which was the special of the day. The two tiger prawns in the risotto were off (with black spots on the shells) and made the whole plate taste of unfresh seafood. Even though the serve was big, the dinner was not a positive experience. We are not going back.

Bad service. I absolutely love the food here! Simple and tasty. However the service needs attention. Was served by a lifeless, inattentive male waiter. After the food was put on the table, the waiter ran away. I had to yell to get his attention and request seasoning. The seasoning never came! When paying, the waiter admitted he had forgotten about providing seasoning. How difficult is it to remember a salt and pepper shaker? Please wake up! Total spoiler to a great meal.

What a great restaurant! The pizza was authentic and delicious. The fettuccine bolognese was just like how Nonna makes it. The service was incredibly friendly and the ambience was cosy and welcoming. Will be back for sure!

Simply delicious. Loved the food, the service and the atmosphere

Best pizza in Melbourne. Very good food and very good service<br/>friendly e bravi ragazzi.

Birthday. I celebrated my birthday last night at Gemma, we were a large group and the owner and staff kindly and patiently waited for everyone to come, they smiled and greeted one by one all the guests and tolerated the continuous chatting and laughing coming from our table! It was a lot of fun especially when, at the time of the cake, the staff made its appearance singing "Buon compleanno" playing with pots and pans! They got everyone involved, it was just great! We sang in English and Italian. <br/>What else to say, the atmosphere was familiar, the company fantastic and the food...like nonna's!<br/>Grazie Gemma :-)<br/>We'll be back soon!

Can't give enough praise.. The food was wonderful, the service was spectacular and the ambiance was delightful.<br/>Not a bad thing can be said about this restaurant, every aspect of it is run perfectly.<br/>I would highly recommend it to anyone.

The home made fettuccine are delicious! Porcini pizza amazing and the D.O.C proseco was great!

Great "Authentic Italian" feel!. We found this little gem on Urbanspoon last night, entered the place and was greeted by a friendly man speaking Italian. We ordered fettucini with the four cheese sauce as well as a Peppino Calzone - both were fantastic. Service was great - not too pushy but just enough. Even though the pasta serving size was a bit small, it was enough to have us feeling quite full. I would definitely come back; the restaurant had a nice environment and the food was delicious :)

Love this place!. I've been here twice in the past fortnight for pizza. The pizzas are really nice. Yesterday we ordered three for the table and all of them were good. I particularly liked the Gambero and the Tartufo special. I would put the pizza at the same level as D.O.C. but even nicer, and the vibe is so much more relaxed. No crazy waiting for a table and being squished in, and not so loud, plus they had the windows open to Elgin st and the sun was out, so nice for a summer day. Reasonable price too and staff are chilled. This is now my choice for pizza in Carlton.

Authentic Italian - Highly recommended. Fantastic, authentic Italian food. Mains are between $15 - $20. The staff are all very friendly and very attentive.

One of the Best.. Service...... Great<br/>Food...........Great<br/>Ambiance ....Great.<br/><br/>Just Great<br/><br/>And did I mention it was great.

Great food. Love the Pizza and Pasta here, a must visit

Beautiful Place!!!!!!!!. Busy as a fantastic restaurant should be (very busy!)! Yesterday I had the most amazing pizza just like I used to eat back in my hometown Naples.<br/>Great people, surely not an usual Italian restaurant abroad: felt like home!!<br/>Bravo!!!

The food was delicious, although the pizzas were quite burnt, service was very slow for a Thursday night.

A great place and fantastic pizza. I have been here few times and have never been disappointed with this place. The pizzas here are amazingly delicious and the gnocci are so flavorsome. <br/>Service can be slow sometimes when they get busy but the food is enough for you to return. <br/>A must try if you are a pizza lover.

Take it or leave it....... Not sure what all the fuss is about... food was okay, no better than lots of other places. The noise level is almost unbearable and the service was average. Parking is a problem, not keen to revisit.

Fantastic little place.. Had a mixture of pizza and pasta between a group of us. All were excellent, and we'll be back to sample the rest of the menu. Make sure you try the home made liqueurs!