The bases are exactly what you’d want in a wood fired pizza: crispy and light springy doughiness with the right amount of bite, topped off with a gorgeous char. The tomato base is perhaps on the sweeter side but the freshness of the accompanying toppings definitely help to balance this out. Creamy and fresh bufala mozzarella, yes please!
Came here specifically for the chocolate pizza which we had seen in a blog article. We had the chicken pizza for mains which was the greatest probably fault on our end for ordering something different and not sticking to something traditional. The chocolate pizza was so yummy, definitely hits the sweet spot.
Had the lovely opportunity for a 3 course dinner here! Really convenient location just across the station. The fried calamari appetiser was perfectly crisp and golden brown. We ordered the Carne pizza - the tomato base and the crust were perfect - I probably should've gotten a less meatier option because the cured meats got really salty after eating a while! Ended the night with a well-balanced tiramisu.
Having eaten pasta the night before we settled on meat main courses - chicken Marsala with roasted klipfer potatoes and broccolini and porterhouse steak with pepper sauce , roasted klipfers, roasted cherry tomatoes and asparagus.
Both were excellent - the chicken Marasala was probably the best we have had. The steak was well cooked to the medium requested.
Service was friendly and efficient. Only (very) slight negative comment was that it took about 45 mins for our food to arrive despite the restaurant not being that busy. But, the food was definitely worth the wait.
Highly recommended. Fair prices and they are BYO if you want that, at $10 bottle corkage
Really great pasta, pizza, and wine selection. Staff were really friendly and accommodating to us and our 19month old daughter. I had the Bolognese Pasta which was really good. Will come back if we get a chance real soon to try the other delicious food on the menu.
On Wednesday 8th October 2014 I went there with Ashley and I ordered a Penne Carbonara but they put herbs right through it so I honestly couldn't eat it as I am allergic to herbs. The manager was kind enough to give me a $12 discount off my meal. Also Ashley ordered a Chicken Risotto and she really enjoyed it.
Richard Ricardo Sosa
+4.5
They have a cool pizza oven, however the traditional Italian pasta is the real star of this place. Great food and the place has a great vibe to it. Mid range pricing and is perfect for a date or catch up with friends because it’s not too loud and not too big, almost a hidden gem.
Pinocchio is an Italian place in South Yarra. Here they do good quality food but the service can be slow. They are right near the train station. They have been featured a few times in the Italian Good Food week. And since it is good food week I decided to visit. The entree of aranchini ball was lovely and addictive. It was crunchy on the outside and piping hot on the inside.
The best pizza and pasta around. Can’t ask for friendlier staff or better service. A regular customer for years, we love taking our friends here for a casual dinner in a relaxed atmosphere. Don’t miss the steak or parma nights too!
Love here :)
Great location. Easy to get here.
Manager was nice and friendly.
Pizza was awesomely great.
I really enjoyed and will be there again
I liked my experience here. To me it was really enjoyable pizza, but didn't have an overly generous amount of toppings. Had one salami and one seafood pizza. They were both pretty satisfying and the sauce had a great flavour to it. The staff were friendly, but made me feel sorta awkward and young. It was really uncomfortable atmosphere, probably because they weren't very busy at the time.
Great atmosphere and very friendly staff. Our staff member hovered over our table more often than needed which was slightly frustrating but we loved the restaurant. Duck pasta was amazing, our pizzas were nice however quite salty.. the base was amazing.. and we also had the fish special which was raved about!
Pizza is the best around the area.
Dessert is simple and well priced.
Staff is welcoming and with good personality. I think there is a new manager that is changing a few things around. Music is nice and atmosphere is relaxed.
Fresh and tasty pizzas for the win. This was our first meal in Melbourne. We were over tired, jet lagged and in need of a quick, hot bite to eat. They have great specials and really friendly Italian staff. Have a feeling this is going to become our local pizza joint!
I didn't expect too much and it was pretty good. I saw lots of people coming and grab their take away so I assume it's welcomed by the local residents. To say overpriced...i wouldn't. ingredients(toppings) were obviously not low cost. So it's not going to be an affordable tasty pizza but rather a moderate price delicious one.
Cheeseburger Anyone? "Where's The Sauce"?
+4
Came here with a big group on a Saturday night.
We ordered a meter long pizza and a half meter.
It was delicious!! I must say the base was cooked perfect, there was a substantial amount of ingredients on it and was cooked consistently well throughout the whole pizza. I would of liked a little more salt in the base or maybe in the sauce. I love trying the base and i found it just needed a bit of seasoning. I added some chili flakes and that was pretty good with it. Yes it was a little over priced i must say as were the cocktails.
The staff were very friendly and attentive.
Happy we came here and tried it.
Would i come back? If im in the area and feel like pizza then Yes!
Went in @ ordered 3 take away pizzas.
Inside the restaurant looked like a very nice place to dine.
Pizzas were terrific.
I recommend going in and trying their Pizza's.
I don't really know why there are such low scores on this site sometimes. (are we reviewing the same place??) First of all the food is so nice. I can be pretty picky with ingredients, so flexibility is great for me when choosing my pizzas. Pinocchio's just the place. The crust is to die for. Lots of options for “poor vegetarian me”, it's always a relief not to feel limited when dining out. And the pizza and beer combo is awesome!
Don't you just love a boutique pizza parlour that lets you customize it's pizzas? That's Pinocchio for you. Remove this add that - no worries. Prawn pizza with goats cheese (Mari E Manti) without any of the annoying olives (they are healthy so I don't mind them otherwise but just on a pizza as I find the taste too overbearing!). Their base is unique - you almost feel you are eating sourdough - it's chewy and elastic but in a nice kinda way.
I love the pizza here! Was in South Yarra for a couple of nights and had take away pizza from here, and it was so good!! So good we came back the next night and ordered take away pizza again! Also mentioning this place in the office had a couple of work colleagues also say the same thing, great pizza!
One of my favorite pizza places in South Yarra. I've only tried take away at this place but they are prompt and all the pizzas that I've tried are really good.
A delightful Italian restaurant with very high quality pizza that trumps Domino’s every single time. I came here with my brothers and ordered a few dishes to share. First up was meatballs. If there’s one thing I’ve learnt since my first amazing Italian experience at Wolfgang Puck in Vegas it’s that they can make killer meatballs. This was no exception.
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I visited this location twice and have mixed feelings about it. Our first visit we came for the Monday pizza special that includes their draft beer for $20. We ordered the Rustica tomato base pizza and the Bari no tomato base pizza. The pizzas were very good. There was a nice cornmeal coating to the bottom of the dough and it was so crisp and thin. While we enjoyed the chili fennel sausage and creamy cheese on the Rustica, we absolutely loved the garlic cream sauce used in the Bari. Our meal came to $40 and we had a $100 gift certificate to use. We were given a hard time trying to use the gift certificate because they were insisting it needed to be used all in one shot, despite no fine print or conditions written on it. Eventually the owner let us use the gift certificate and gave us three $20 gift certificates in exchange, but kept repeating how they would normally not do this. I suppose it was nice of them to allow us to use the gift certificate in the end, but I didn't enjoy the experience that they were doing me a favor for something they weren't explicit about.
We visited again to try their Tuesday steak night. We had a 250 gram porterhouse steak, which came with chips, salad, and a glass of wine. The rocket salad was one of my favorite parts and was nicely dressed. Their chips are big and meaty, with the perfect amount of seasoning and crispness. The steak was just okay. The service was good, but I still felt a little degraded.
Overall, I highly recommend the pizza, but I can't say the experience was worth it. Maybe opt for take out.
Came here for dinner on Friday night relatively early and the service was great, menu explained and help provided with the wine list. Chose antipasto share plate and a great wine which was decanted in front of us. Antipasto wasn't a lot of food for two people, we then had pizza just sharing a regular which was very good! My wine glass was topped up over the course of dinner without me noticing which I really appreciate and what I expect at high end restaurants ( I didn't expect that level of service here). Pity we had to leave right after pizza due to work commitments as I wanted to start for desert and more wine. I will be back. Thanks for a good experience.
This place is pretty good. You'll always feel comfortable here. Service and food are consistent. The boss seems to be a lovely guy. It's the kind of place you can go anytime be it a date or with the family. The only thing I don't like is the wine with the steak deal. Undrinkable. But I sing the praises of the antipasto, slow cooked meat, bolognaise, duck risotto is amazing, and the desserts are good too. A regular reliable place to visit.
Melbourne Foodie Memoirs
+4
Great local pizza spot. Varied menu.
We are always surprised Pinocchio isn't rated higher. We always thoroughly enjoy the food and the service is great too. They always manage to fit us in, even at the last minute! We always go for the Tutto Carne Pizza and it is delicious, although quite spicy! The Caprese Salad is a very generous. They often have some great specials too.
Now every time we go here there's a different experience to be had. I have been here heaps but I have not been there without a problem unfortunately. My relatives ordered a glass of wine which the waiters said they did not have and was sorry, but guess what?
THEY PUT IT ON THE BILLS STILL!!!
They took about half an hour to serve the drinks and meals, however the hawaiian pizza i ordered was delicious! I scoffed down the whole lot! Expensive pizzas.
I like dance music but not at that place! I do still enjoy the food and atmosphere at this restraunt though.
Caitlin Ashleigh Wilson
+4
Had a very nice dinner at Pinocchio's, the pasta was great! Big menu with lots of Classic Italian dishes and some more interesting modern choices.
Can't speak highly enough of this place. Food is amazing, and the staff are fantastic. Great place to end our first night in Melbourne!
Italian cuisine with reasonable prices and a varied menu but the service was disappointing......especially when they weren't overly busy! It would be good for a family meal during the week.
Personally, the best pizza restaurant in Melbourne. They have a variety of pizzas to choose from and bases are thin, so you don't walk out feeling like you've eaten an elephant. Very authentic.
This is one of my favourite Friday night restaurants for after work. Stand out items are the arancini and the Nanna's Meat Balls which I get every time. I'm not a big meat eater and I loved the beef ragu! The staff are always friendly and the selection of wine is superb.
Great food, great staff. Professional and friendly staff . Delicious food and yummy sweets . I ate one of the best steak that I could ever had. Thanks guys we had great night.
Delicious. We used our red balloon voucher which included a 4 course meal and 2 glasses of wine each. We had an antipasto to share, an entree to share, a main meal each and desert to share. The food was amazing and delicious and we left so full and satisfied. The service was very professional. We will definetly go again.
The World Loves Melbourne
+4.5
Pinocchio's Pizza Restaurant is a fabulous Italian restaurant in trendy South Yarra that has recently undergone a transformation of note. After 40 years of successful trading the restaurant has lost its 70s mission brown and straw roofing for a modern fit out with stunning Pinocchio themed art work on the walls, modern lighting and panelling, and one of the coolest vibes in the precinct.
Only Italian restaurants can feed diners like we were fed on that fateful night. It all started with uncertainty: unsure of what to order, we asked the chef to bring us some dishes that best reflected the whole menu. The result? We were served enough food for six people.
Great tasting board, especially the calamari. Was getting a bit restless from waiting between the courses but when the mains came out they were absolutely delicious. Pork belly was oozing with juice and steak was cooked so tender. Service was good too and I really like this place!
Great pizza went couple weeks ago on Monday nite very good value $18 all you can eat pizzas but a little disappointed that before I paid the bill the waiter toll me that the special was not on any more i liked the fact the for $18 it was a pretty good deal and the beer 5 to 7 only $5 hope the are going to keep the deal after all great pizza one off the best around this area good friendly staff and extent customer service will be back grazie
Really nice pizza. Consistently good everytime . Highly recommended
Consistently good. Customer service is friendly and honest, food great. Keep up the good work!
Love Pinocchio. Have been to Pinocchio a number of times, since I live locally. Really like it! We've never had a bad experience. The service is great and the food really nice. I recommend it.
I love this place! From the moment we walked in we had service! And that's what it was all about! Service was exceptional. The food was authentic tasty and ticked all the boxes! Will definitely recommend and come back!
Pinocchio @ SY. Had dinner there the other night and LOVED the pizza! Ended up talking to a chef named Sunny in the takeaway area and he was nice enough to chat despite an obviously busy Friday night. Was warmly welcomed by the barman, Nick or Mick or something which was nice considering other staff members were attending their tables. My son enjoyed the bufala even though afterwards we were told they do have a margherita pizza just it wasn't on the menu. My Wife had the 'Panino' burgers and they were pricey for the size but 10/10 for taste. Staff were responsive enjoyable to talk to. I definitely be going back soon.
Staff make it. Me likey.. great staff
Best Italian in Melbourne. We adore this place. The service is great and the food so very tasty. We live nearby and have been many times; we're moving to other side of the city soon and are completely devastated that we'll be so far away from our beloved Pinocchio!! If you don't feel like eating in the take away pizza are the best!
-----14 Jun, 2014-----
Favourite place on the south side!. We LOVE this restaurant. The services is just exceptional and the food delish. Every time we've been there there has been a great atmosphere with diners ranging from couples to large families. They make a great espresso martini as well! Just cannot speak highly enough of this place :)
Amazing pizzas, and the chips are sooo good. Bit pricey but definitely will be back
Love it!. Love this place! Been here several times recently and each time the pasta and pizza has been consistently delicious and well presented. Waitstaff always friendly! Free nutella pizza just for taking a selfie and checking in - how can you say no?!
Dined a couple weeks ago and felt so sorry for the lovely manager (I presume) who was being loudly berated by a woman and her friends in the back private section because their "orders were wrong" and god knows what else they was complaining about. So so rude. I just wanted to go give the poor lady a hug!
Friendly service and good food :). I really loved this place, it was the one of the first places my family and I went to while we were in melbourne and it was also one of the best as well. the starters we had were really tasty, and we all enjoyed our main meals. I had pizza and i tried some of the gnocci they were both yum. the staff were so friendly and actually talked to us which was so nice and is part of the reason we would want to go back the next time we are in melbourne
One of the nicest pizzas in town, not oily or heavy. High quality produce used.
I came here on my own while on a work trip and it was fantastic. The menus is great, not overwhelming but contains everything one could want from an Italian pasta / pizza point of view. The quality of food was fantastic and the staff were so friendly and happy to help. I really enjoyed my visit and I shall be back soon.
What a great night we had at this restaurant! We had been to the old Pinocchio many years ago before the renovations and it was always ok, but they've really upped the bar now. A girl with short dark hair looked after us and she was superb. I think she was also the duty manager for the evening but was able to juggle us and a few other tables as well as looking after the whole of the restaurant tasks. We had a great Italian red that I had never tried before and the food was just outstanding. We will be back. The new Pinocchio is great!
Excellent. We ( family of 5 ) went to Pinocchio's Sth Yarra on Saturday night. We live on the other side of town but find ourselves going back often. The staff are excellent which is hard to find these days. The food has never been a let down, pizza outstanding, and I keep ordering the lamb shoulder on artichoke puree ! Great restaurant which we keep going back to. It is so enjoyable I took my staff there for a break up. The manager assembled a special menu for us, nothing was too much trouble for them. I will keep going back.
Great Staff. The friendliest and most accommodating staff and I found overall the food was good. We shared a number of entrees and though servings were small for the price they were tasty and interesting. The winner was the seafood pizza it was awesome! Wines are a little pricey, get there during happy hour if you want more than one drink! I've been there twice now and I'll be going back, largely because there are lots of places you can get good food but it tastes even better when the staff are great!
Pizza Pasta, loving it. Well Done great food, pizza pasta cakes was magic loved it. More than just a pizza pasta place. Very good wine selection. Check it out be back soon.
Wonderful service, menu &food. I had lunch there as well as dinner. Both experiences were great. For lunch I had salad - excellent & for dinner beef cheeks ( also excellent).
Not just pizza. Shared the cicchetti board and contorni with the redwine braised baby octopus the favourite. Finished with the best espresso martini ever!! Friendly staff thank you for an enjoyable evening
Solomon Cappola-Wang
+4.5
Used to be a fantastic place but then they changed the menu to make it more upscale and it all went down
The pizzas are fresh but fall apart the moment you eat them
Too much topping and the base is thin as. And the toppings are not even after you pay extra to add it to the pizza
Used to be great gone downhill now
Totes amaze balls. Loved this place for over 12 months. Never a bad pizza and they've amped up their game with the renos. Love the gamberi and pizza bread. Dudes are really nice. Should be rated higher fellas. Moving next week so cheers for feeding me well.
Love this place! We walked in off the street, no booking. The staff were welcoming, accommodating and knew their menu. Pizza was REALLY tasty. Best pizza I have had in years. I'm an advocate!
Food great, wait staff good, wine service very slow both our table and the table next to us. Very generous veal. Impressed by the massive long pizza delivered to the next table.
The restaurant must have updated their decor and service since the reviews below. Very neat atmosphere, friendly staff and quick service. Very happy with the pizza we ordered. Perfectly cooked base and fresh tasting toppings and a decent price. Will come again.
My wife, not being Italian, won’t generally eat pizza. Well, this place won her over. She lived the pastry and the toppings. The antipasto platter was fresh and abundant. Cosy, comfortable and an extensive menu that is not daunting. Good selection of drinks and attentive service by knowledgeable staff.
Pinocchio's is a great place to grab some excellent tasting pizza. The menu is simple and offers great choice, prices are mainly around $20-25 for a main course but there are offers and specials on. I took advantage of the $25 beer and pizza deal which was great. By far my favourite item are the breadsticks, they are a must. A relatively low key environment that is family friendly and with the take out next door you can choose whether to sit in or take out. Ample seating inside with a small seating area out the front. It had a good selection of drinks and the staff were friendly and courteous. I would and have been back!
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