I first visited Cosi a few months ago and didn’t like it (not a single thing!). When a friend recommended it for lunch, I declined. And then she mentioned it had new owners so I was prepared to give it another go. What. A. Difference. It’s on the higher end of the expense scale but the food, wine and service were top notch, and it had a nice and welcoming atmosphere, which all made for a fantastic Sunday lunch. Can highly recommend the ragu and the lemon tart (my friends shared the tiramisu and it looked delicious).
☀️☀️☀️ATTENTION ☀️☀️☀️ 16/09/2019
The Cucinetta Melbourne Team is the OFFICIAL new Owner of Cosi Bar Ristorante since 1996.
We are super excited to share this amazing news with you!
We have been working behind the scenes for the past few weeks to make this happen.
The Team is proudly announcing its addition to the family of an Italian Institution , a little older than Cucinetta but still beautiful.
P.S.Please disregard the previous reviews because they are misleading and do not reflect the high standards and professionalism of the new Italian owners.
Unfortunately Zomato will not cancel them!
Wow, I don't know what to rate higher, the service or the food. Whilst the food was amazing, especially the desert, the service was outstanding. Rowena specifically is the reason why this place will always do well. Amazing outdoor space with just excellent service 😁
Had lunch and wine with a girlfriend today and was very impressed!
Service, food and atmosphere all excelled.
Has an outdoor garden setting at rear as well as a few tables and chairs outside the front.
Will definitely return to try out the evening setting.
4.5 On arrival in Cosi you’ll think you’ve walked into a trendy South Yarra bar. It’s dimly lit interior is in stark contrast to outside and the curved bar that greets you will easily trick you into thinking this is a drinking establishment. But, venture a little further and you’ll see finely laid tables, hear the upbeat Italian music and...
George David Michaelides
+4
The blue swimmer crab is to die for here and well priced at $29 another favourite of mine here is the sirloin steak with the parsnip purée, good honest food that doesn’t try too hard
Not too long ago we were in the mood for some Italian and decided to check out Cosi in South Yarra. Ratings for the restaurant were quite high and positive so off we went. Cosi is a fine dining restaurant with a lovely intimate feel. Upon entering you’ll notice the dim lights and white table cloths. Staff were also very friendly and efficiently seated us.
I decided to take my work department to Cosi Bar Ristorante for a Christmas work lunch. We got a lovely table in the courtyard.
The food was amazing. The fish of the day, the gnocchi and the marinara pasta were enjoyed by all my co-workers. I ordered the eggplant ravioli and I thought, yes finally, I have found a restaurant with good ravioli again!
Service is really good. They give good wine recommendations, and when you buy a bottle of wine they let you try it first to see if you like it or not.
I will definitely be back!
3rd time I've been here in a year. My top italian restaurant judging by food alone. Wine is another matter.
No.2 is cafe e cuccina which is overpriced and waiters are pushy to sell sparkling water and tip hungry. No.3 is cicciolina (where it's hard to get a table and they can't wait to turn the table over).
The food here is consistently amazing, creative and well executed..my food has never been cold and I like their gastronomic streak...Parmesan cream with our asparagus today for example.
You can always get a park within a 1 min walk and you never have to wait for a table.
I always get a seafood pasta. Their homemade pasta is, well, I'm pretty sure they are telling the truth.
The best place to go for a night out with friends or a date night. I've been a few times now and have not been disappointed. The food is high quality and changes seasonally, love when they have the spanner crab pasta!, the desserts are also delicious (choc pudding must have) and great to share. the ambience is wonderful and the waiter staff know their stuff, are professional but friendly at the same time. Would highly recommend, definitely a Toorak road treasure.
With this caliber of chef at the helm overseeing every dish that is severed, there’s no doubt that every single item we sampled today was consistently well-executed and tantalised the tastebuds.
Co-owner and head chef Peter places particular emphasis on quality ingredients and homely, hearty cooking that doesn’t aim to over complicate things, and as a result, there exists no other South Yarra eatery that does simple Italian cuisine so exceptionally.
Excellent restaurant, & aesthetically - beautiful, warm and cosy are the adjectives that spring to mind. The service was delightful from the outset. The beef cappacio & scallop dishes for entrees were the highlights. The mains of rabbit ragu pasta and the blue spanner crab pasta were also rich and flavorsome. The oozing self saucing pudding for dessert started out well, but as it's pot was so hot, it kept cooking on our table, and it seemed to dry up a little. Despite this small issue, I would recommend Cosi to all!
Dined at Cosi as part of a scoopon. I was super impressed with the value, quality of food and the service. The deal we purchased included 2 courses each but a bottle of wine between two. We both went for the scallops with corn and chorizo for entree and the fish of the day for main. All of the food was exceptional. I will definitely be back in the future.
Nice. Very lovely place to be. Our wait staff was friendly. We were there in early Feb. weeknight. Not too busy. The night was full of chatting away. I can't even remember what we had! But I do remember telling each other it was great. I remember I had the spaghetti for main (could be marinara cos had seafood). Very nice. My favorite was the dessert - chocolate pudding. It was gooey in the middle, the outside was just right. Absolutely spot on. Not hard. Not dry. Not crumbled. Not burnt. Had that little little bounce texture. Absolutely Perfect. Since then, I've gone to a few restaurants and have tried their pudding. But they couldn't get it spot on. Gonna have to go back to Cosi's to satisfy the craving.
A Chronicle Of Gastronomy
+4
Cosi has plenty of regulars, who even chat the whole day away from early afternoon till dinnertime. We weren’t planning on staying quite that long, but we did drop by for a long lunch. We start with the Quail Ravioli. I loved the fine texture of the quail filling and its buttery sauce, the parmesan adding just the right amount of sharpness to the bites of pasta. The Seared Scallops come with the succulent and glistening pork belly. The corn puree is smooth and not too sweet, and the pork has delectable crackling.
Great food, very cosy.Every dish was great, there is nothing you would not eat. A touch of Italy in Melbourne. Would I come here again.....maybe as I'm not sure if it's a one hit wonder. Note to owner expand your toilets with bigger washing bowls.
We came with a scoopon deal so weren't expecting anything amazing but ended up blown away by the quality of the food. Every course tasted amazing and so full of flavour and was so well presented. The wagyu with mushrooms was so tender and juicy and the scallops with pork belly was an amazing starter. Will definitley go back again and pay full price! The service was awesome too.
We had high hopes after looking at pictures of the food but this surpassed all expectations! Food was absolutely amazing, one of the nicest meals I've had in Melbourne. The waiters were so lovely too, a great place for a special (or just delicious) dinner. Salmon starter was phenomenal, as was the steak! we'll be back!
A Saturday walk up. Lucky to get a table, offered samples of red wine 🍷 ... Between us we ordered wagyu beef and barramundi with selection of vegetables - meal was great and service sensational and personable. Thoroughly recommended
Been here several times for coffee. Barista serves excellent coffee and hot chocolate to the individual needs.
We had early dinner on Sunday evening. Ordered excellent diced pork belly & 2 scallops, garnish with sweet sauce for entree. I ordered again because It was very small but so delicious tender pork and fresh scallops.
Main steak says 7/10 grade but came a bit charcoal and mashroom resotto was too watery, dark and flat.
Dessert chicolate souffle and panna cotta were top class! I wish I can give points to individuals. Without mains, I would say 5 stars.
Thanks to barista and chef for prompt service today. It was Sat lunch time, requested quick dish for my hungry boy prior to his appointment near by without give way my favourite coffee at Cosi Bar. Ordered excellent lunch Tagliatelle with beef ragu, Parmesan and truffle for him. It was really beautiful and completely enjoyed all.
Cosi is a fine dining place in South Yarra which is intimate. Its an Italian place known for its finesse. Here the service was impeccable and the food was lovely... Almost.It is about a five minute walk from the train station on Toorak road on the St Kilda side, towards the city. The place is very clean and I loved the courtyard area. It was lovely in the evening and during the summer it would look much nicerAt South Yarra station I saw the ticket inspectors roughly harassing commuters. In here the service is quite the opposite. It was very friendly and relaxed and they let everyone take their time. They explained to first timers which dishes were good and which were their favourites. The wait staff said bye to me when I left. The male waiter opened the door which I thought that was really kind of him.
We came here for our anniversary and absolutely LOVED it!
Everything from the warm & prompt reception to the fabulous server with a beautiful French accent, who was perfectly attentive but not intrusive and she built such excellent rapport which added to our already fantastic dining experience that we had to tip her!
The food was scrumptious.
A definite gem and excellent establishment to go on a date.
Be prepared to spend closer to $100pp, it is well worth it!
We had a lovely evening at Cosi! The staff were welcoming, diligent (never had to ask for more water/ wine etc) and they were so friendly. We had a lovely glass of prosecco to start. Then the two of us shared the lamb shoulder- it was divine! It melted in your mouth, came with polenta chips and a fresh salad. It was a perfect, all-round meal. We paired the meal with two glasses of Italian red wine. We walked out feeling full and content. Definitely will be back.
As a local I have been meaning to visit Cosi since I moved to the area 2 years ago.
Should have done it earlier. Nice place.
Excellent ambience and lots of affluent locals who seem to treat it as their local eatery.
It's not fair to judge on one visit but the rocket sorbet served with oysters was sublime. The half duck was excellent albeit a little dry as it cooled, however , duck means duck with sauce, no way you can't order a side. Which can be hard for single small eaters.
Drink service prompt, knowledgeable and pleasant, food ordering similar but unlike the drinks, delivery was painfully slow and side followed 5 mins later after a follow up.
Pricing is up there - So it's competing with FranSoir, Haggers and Ghitane.
But I liked it and will go back. It's a laid back, up-market pleasant experience. Try it.
Geoff
Cosi was the perfect restaurant for our occasion last night. It is one of our preferred restaurants for its quality food, service and pleasant atmosphere - all aspects which seem to have improved even further in recent months after renovations. Highly recommended for consistently good Italian food with clean, fresh flavours and exceptional presentation at reasonable prices. Wait staff are attentive, helpful and knowledgeable. I would have rated it a perfect score except the cigarette smoke coming into the restaurant from smokers on outside tables was at times distracting.
OK where to start with this place. Well, the sommelier will definitely help you if you are stuck! We have been here 4 times in the last month or two. The food is excellent, beautifully presented and reasonably priced. The staff have mastered that balance of being attentive without being over bearing. And the best part of each and every visit to Cosi has been the amazing wine journey. Food pairing, adventurous, relaxing. He knows which glass will be perfect for whatever mood you are in. Definitely a local spot to make our regular!
Had lunch at this restaurant with a group of girlfriends, it was great! We sat out in the newly renovated courtyard, so beautiful on a sunny Melbourne afternoon. Our group was looked after by Liam, excellent service- he knew exactly which wine to match with our meals and we weren't disappointed! I enjoyed the linguini with clams and calamari, the pasta was cooked to perfection and so was the seafood. Great service and a reasonable price, will definitely be back!
Lovely spot for what has always been excellent food. Have been here 3-4 times and always enjoyed it. The chateau briand we had last time was the best I've ever had. Unpretentious, quick service and reasonably priced. Will be a regular spot for me! Well done guys!
Good wine bar / restaurant. Great place to drop in for a few drinks or relax and enjoy a meal. Good range of daily specials and friendly and attentive staff.
good food -risotto and mezze plate is recommended. However really bad service. Waiters are rude and obnoxious! Mains were not served until people who only ordered entrees left the table else there were going to have a table of 6 eat outside just because 3 of ud did not want mains. The restaurant had plenty of tables empty hence did not understand the need to push customers to the bar side. This happened twice to us-once when I came with a group of 6 and once with 8 people. Both times the restaurant was not full and the waiters created a fuss.
Would not recommend if you are coming in groups especially with clients.
Fancy looking restaurant with nice ambience and food is on the pricier side. Enjoyed the eye fillet with blue cheese, but not quite liked the suckling pig. On the other hand we absolutely loved the dessert - panna cotta with roasted figs, beetroot and red wine, one of the best panna cotta we have had!
I have been going here for years. I heard there is new owner. Last Friday night was packed and buzzing. The food was really awesome. Suckling pig, rabbit ragu with homemade pasta delicious. The service was fantastic. Feels like a new restaurant. Big thumbs up.
Brillant. The service was outstanding. The meals 9 out 10. I would highly recommend this restaurant and will definitely go back again. *****
Excellent service!!! The steak was pretty good too
Melbourne Lifestyle Blog
+4.5
I had not been to Cosi for a couple of years, always thinking it over priced and not that good, but it was actually very pleasant this visit. The pesto tagliatelle was enjoyabl
New Cosi?. We hadn't been to Cosi for a couple of years and what a difference we noticed! Not sure if or when new owners came in but everything was amazing. We happened to go on a Thursday and they had a spit roast in the rear courtyard. The smells were backed up with a beautiful dinner. The first recommendation was to have a starter cocktail 'chocolate negroni', then the standout entree was with artichokes and ricotta and tomatoes (home made I was told by the waiter). The spit roast was tasty, melt in your mouth and plentiful. We will definitely make Cosi part of our regular nights out - to try and sample the entire menu.
Outstanding food and atmosphere. I go to Cosi regularly and I'm always so impressed! The vibe is relaxed but sophisticated, the service is always perfect and then there's the food! The menu changes often and it's always fun to try the new things as they serve some very unique dishes, with beautiful little details. Last night I had ricotta and almond filled tortellini with caulifower and pear, in a creamy sauce. The presentation was amazing, it looked like a mountain range covered in snow with trees (thinly sliced dehydrated cauliflower) and the taste was like nothing else I've ever had. The deserts at Cosi are where they excel the most though. I've had so many memorable, exquisitely presented deserts here, they really are in a league of their own.
Great Dining Experience. Excellent, for someone who has limited taste of Italiano - the flavours and good quality produce stirred my taste buds - will be back for more. Great ambience, warm and welcoming staff.
Recommend beetroot salad, eggplant and polenta
Don't often trek over to south yarra for dinner, remembered why when our table was double booked (easy mistake to make) but the woman from the other party was quite condescending and fake and ended up abruptly leaving like a spoiled child. Very strange. Service was amazing, haven't had a waiter that good in a long time. And the food was amazing. Can't remember exactly what my main was, a pasta with either ox tail or cheek? But it was very tasty and filling. Chocolate. Soufflé. The best thing I've ever had.
Love this place. Hadn't been to Cosi for a while. My party of four needed "coffee and cake" and Cosi were warm, friendly and happy to accommodate. You know it's easy to find good coffee during the day but evenings prove quite different. Surprisingly, the coffee was brilliant!!! And the desserts were AMAAAzing. The meals coming out around us looked fabulous too so we all decided to return for dinner soon.
Good food, great service. Had a lovely meal at cosi Saturday night. The service was great, very attentive and friendly. Nice atmosphere and good food too. The mi qui dessert was devine. Went with an entertainment voucher and would go again.
Came in for pre Xmas drinks and nibbles. Busy night, so I think a little short- staffed, but the service was still polite, attentive and the wines and food were excellent
Beautiful food. Beautiful courtyard. Had one of the best pork belly and roast lamb rump. Will be back!
A cold evening, sitting by the fire with wines, oysters, antipasto platter, pappardelle, linguine marinara.. all up was $132 less Entertainment Book discount. Cute little restaurant.
Cosi serves up consistently wonderful coffee every time - nice touch with the coconut merengue on the side . wonderful service lovely friendly staff who make you welcome. Great food from changing menu. I keep going back
Tucked away in the heart of one of Melbourne's most celebrated thoroughfares lies Cosi. All the key ingredients for a great night out can be found here. Great staff, great service and most importantly, great food. A cosy dining experience which mixes old world charm with a modern, vibrant décor. Well worth a visit, if only for the delicious chocolate soufflé which, if you're like us, will leave you wanting more.
Delicious. Fantastic service and beautiful pasta. Reasonably priced wine by the glass. No faults in the food or service. Will definitely return.
Pretty good. Went for a work function.
Service: 8/10
Food: 8/10; most delicious chocolate souffle, definitely recommend
Had the linguine marinara but it lacked flavours such as the chilli and garlic
Quite expensive but worth it.
Entree of Calamari was also delicious.
Atmosphere: 8/10
I enjoyed the nice winter evening in a warm and "Cosi" restaurant. I loved the Nice warm fire and traditional white tablecloths. They adapted their meals to meet our dietary requirements. (2 vegetarians and 1 gluten free). Nice fresh barramundi and beet root salad! The salad had a touch too much vinager but stool tasted lovely. Best was the coffee martini, some places make them too sweet, but this one was perfect!
Amazing chocolate souffle and the mains are good but overpriced fr what is on offer considering you can get similar food across the road for $10 less a main.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
Still a great dining experience. In this day of hard table tops and bustling Asian and Mexican being all the rage it is great t be able to step of the fast paced day and return to a time when the table cloths were white, there was a fire keeping the place warm and the staff said hello in a friendly fashion on arrival and there were tables available without a three hour wait.
Cosi Bar Restaurant has been around for a long time and I have sat at the bar and had a coffee of a wine in the past but it has been a long time since I had a full three course meal there. We sat close to the fire which added great ambiance and was cosy on a cold night. We ordered the Calamari which was snap fried crispy on the outside and soft on the inside with just enough mayo dressed rocket. My partner ordered the special soup of vegetable and bacon. It was a traditional minetrone flavour, warming and comforting. Entrees came out very quickly.
Mains I have the chicken that was perfectly cooked with carrots and a terrine. The gravy paste was thick and tasty and the size perfect again arriving very quickly. The steak looked amazing and according to my partner was great. Not as good as Iceberg in Bondi Sydney, but up there. We had a side of green beans perfectly crisp and tasty and a roast beet root salad with deep fried goats cheese balls and walnuts. This salad was mind blowing. The flavours were a circus in my mouth.
We finished up with a chocolate platter. Even though we were really full we went for it. The platter was so rich and generous but had enough smooth flavours in there with gelato and cakes and mousse and more that we kept on eating.
I ordered wines by the glass leaving it up to the waiter to choose, I think some were on the more expensive side pushing the bill up somewhat, but it was worth it as the wines matched beautifully.
Traditional Italian, with a comfortable room, great service and the food is still as good as ever. Great for a dinner in winter near the fire, I am sure the courtyard is the place to be in Summer.
Toorak Road has had its hey day many years ago all you need to see is that Peroni's is now an IGA Supermarket, but there are still some great eateries on the the strip and Cosi has to be one of them.
Very attentive waiting staff, unique menu and delicious food. Highlights we're the duck pate for entree and the pork and fennel sausages for main. 4/5
Flawless service. Well, nearly flawless service as the main was served without cutlery. Oops. The service was otherwise attentive without being overbearing. The waiter was well-informed about the dishes and ingredients. The food was excellent, well balanced with uncluttered but not over-fancy presentation. The portions were a good size, but on this occasion I couldn't manage a third course. They have a good mid-range wine list with most available by the glass. I've visited infrequently over several years and the food and service have remained consistently good. I suspect I'll be going more frequently.
Crispy crispy duck. We were in South Yarra and decided to pop in for a quick meal. We ended up there for 3 courses, 4 if you include the port and had to delay our plans. Great food in a relaxed atmosphere. I text the menu to my friends and we will be be going again soon.
Good neighbourhood restuaurant. Nothing special. Not as buzzy as it used to be which is a shame. The area needs a good wine bar type resturant where grown ups can go for a drink.
Ultimate !!. We recently had a weekend done in Melbourne and stummbled across Cosi. i must say, its the best dining experience we have had in a long time! The food was absolutely delish! 100% recommend this place. Pork Belly was to die for :)
Went to Cosi a while ago on busy Friday night. Food was fantastic! Friendly staff and great atmosphere. I have recommended it to a few friends. I particularly loved their duck! Beautiful!
Chrisso. We come down to Melbourne from Queensland to dine in Melbournes finest restaurants. We return to Cosi every time we visit. The menu is well balanced and the food is exsquisite. We have almost tried the wole menu and find it hard to pick a favourite. Service is friendly too.
Consistent+quality=good experience! We like this as a nice lunch destination. Great cooks in the kitchen-really know what there doing. Match this with good service, lovely wines,deserts and cheeses too. Can't go wrong!!
Food is not too bad... price is too high...
2 chefs not so impressed, food was fresh and delicious accept for one dish, the tomato & beef Ragu was far to rich, tasted like a jar of tomato paste & pasta, leggos could do better, after only taking 2 bites and telling them what we thought the clueless waitress said they would try harder next time, in my resturant if a costumer has a valid complaint and didn't eat the food we don't charge, disappointing considering the entrees were fabulous, won't be back, way over priced to
Best Dessert in town. This is one of my favourite little places to go for a quick pasta of indulgent dessert! Definitely try the Mi Qui for a chocolate bliss.
Lovely!. We go quite often and the food and service is really great! also a very good Rioja if you are into vino! full marks Cosi
Nice Place. Not too bad a place for lunch or dinner. Describes itself as Modern Italian, but, apart from the antipasti, choice of pastas and one or two dishes, its really "modern" Australian bistro.
Still, the service was excellent, the atmosphere welcoming, albeit, with the hard concrete surfaces, somewhat on the noisy side. The food was pretty good and well presented, better than many, although not something to rave about. Altogether maybe a 6 to 7 out of ten.
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