Came here for desserts and drinks. So good. My favourite one was the chocolate mousse. Service was amazing. Would love to come back for a proper dinner one day
This place just oooooozes amazingness!
From the moment I stepped foot in this place, through to the professionalism of the waiters and most importantly the AMAZING food is something I’ll always hold a special memories for!
We ordered so much on this night however this was the only memory I took from it; Spanner Crab Angel Head Pasta 🍝🍝 🦀🦀 🙈 Amaze !!
This homemade pasta was next level incredible! I can’t wait to go back and indulge in this beautiful dish again!
Eat Play Live Melbourne
+4
We went for a special occasion and had no trouble making a booking using the online system.
The restaurant is quite intimate, very dark inside with only small windows and no view of the street at all. Really we could have been anywhere.
The menu is authentic Italian and everything we ordered was fabulous! The angel hair pasta on the specials menu had a mushroom ragout sauce and was to die for.
We ordered baked oysters, plus the slow cooked lamb and the beef - which was served rare, sliced and truly melted in my mouth. The roasted veggies were also delicious.
We shared two desserts and can recommend the tiramisu.
It was quite cosy seating wise and with so many hard surfaces (concrete walls and floring) it's a very noisy space. I could barely hear our conversation when the restaurant was full. Nevertheless I would still say it was a romantic environment.
Our lunch for two without excessive drinks came to $350 however they do offer a set menu with two courses and a glass of wine for around $39pp.
Great place for a special occasion or a truly authentic Italian fine dining experience.
Lovely dining experience at this restaurant. The waiters were quick and attentive and light hearted to deal with. We had a group of six people and had sharing entree’s, mains each and some sharing sides and desserts. The food was lovely. Only downside here was the noise level. A bit hard to hear the person next to you on top of all the noise. Great experience nonetheless.
4.4. It’s been quite some time since I’ve visited this part Fitzroy Street. The environment I remember has declined somewhat. More cheapy looking businesses, fast food shops, nail salons, grog shops and the like, meaning less stylish ones around. More colorful characters wandering the street occasionally shouting abuse sometimes at others, sometimes shouting it at themselves. It’s interesting. I’m anything but a snob however Cafe di Stasio stood out like a beacon of opportunity in this slightly challenging environment. And, so it proved. On entry a smiling waiter directed me to the bar. My long black was made by a barista/server in a white coat with a black bow tie. This man is a coffee maker of the highest order. The coffee was superb. Faultless in fact. This was $4.50 well spent. The bar is a very fetching place to sit and while away a little time. This was a most enjoyable stop. I found it hard to tear myself away from this olde world charm. I must return soon for a meal here.
Rich and satisfying genuine Italian fare - the crayfish omelette and suckling pig are awesome as is the Tira Misu. Wine parings (mostly di Stasio's vineyard) are enjoyable. Tira Misu is fantastic. I've been here a few times and they mix the best Negroni in town.
Very impressive Italian restaurant
Finally a good place to eat real traditional Italian food in st. Kilda lovely staff.
I really recommend to everyone
I tried 4 kinds of pasta and it was one better the other one. Even the consistency of past hand made was perfect. I will back soon
Thanks Simone
DO: Any of the pastas.
DON'T: Leave without also trying their main dishes. The chicken Parma was great with a side of chips.
TIP: For entree, must order their crab omlette. OMG
Great attentive service but for the prices I would expect a bit more on the plate. I started with a sauteed spinach with fresh parm. Tasty, but $19 for spinach fried in oil is a bit rich. The fried turbot special was nice with about a 75 to 100 g portion at about $30 without vegetables. Vegetable were and extra $20 by time we ordered two. $70 for lunch without wine is really pushing it.
Nice ambiance, great service, but the prices are too high for what you get.
Classic should never be interpreted as boring, though in our fast-paced world, it sometimes has a double meaning. Done well, the classics, and classic places, reveal some of our favourite experiences.
It is certainly not that I forgot about Cafe Di Stasio. It appears year after year on the list of restaurants I want to go back to. Unfortunately it is a very long list, such is the quality we enjoy in Melbourne.
The cliches come thick and fast for touristy St Kilda. It’s one of those places that I’ve always enjoyed, but rarely get to. There isn’t the edginess that Fitzroy has, or the dynamic nature of the city. Perhaps it feels too much like the places I grew up in – beachy, safe and friendly like Perth.
Somehow, in the busiest part of Fitzroy Street, as you walk through the doors of Di Stasio you are transported thousands of miles to an Italian oasis.
Chronicles Of A Foodie
+4.5
@Cafe Di Stasio
This restaurant never disappoints, coming here for over 15 years and it’s still just as amazing! From the service which is fantastic to the food and on a beautiful summers day it was a great Du day afternoon lunch!
A must for everyone who enjoys fine dining italian...pricey but worth it once in a while or special occassion. Gnocchi lovely pillows.....eye fillet sliced was melt in ur mouth...choc mousse and tiramisu...yum....will def be back and highly recommend.They have a bar menu as well which i am going to investigate..would be lovely there as well with a main and glass of wine.
Review from October 2016
The drama at Cafe di Stasio starts on entry, with hand-shaped bronze door handles offering the universal sign for rock 'n' roll. Continue past moody, mottled grey walls adorned with Bill Henson works to lamp-lit tables covered in white linen. Add some attentive waitstaff, and dining here feels like an event. At over 30 years old, Cafe di Stasio's a St Kilda stalwart for a reason!
Pictured: crab tagliatelle
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
Without a booking three friends & I showed up on a Saturday night hoping to find a table. We were pleasantly surprised that we could be accommodated on a busy night. We were seated at a table right next to the door, which was rather draughty but hey, we got a table! The menus & wine list quickly arrived and the table water dispensed. I was a bit taken aback at the pricing at $29-31 for entrees, $39-45 for mains. I chose stuffed zucchini flowers which were beautifully cooked with a light cheesy stuffing and for main house-made linguini with prawns. The pasta was firm, perhaps a little on the wrong side of 'al dente', the sauce a light tomato base infused with garlic & a hint of chilli and the prawns plump & tasty. I normally don't add salt but in this case the dish needed a smattering of salt. It was not a huge portion but satisfying. One of my fellow diners ordered the porcini risotto which was apparently delicious but shall we say less than generous - more entree size than main meal...We went the whole hog so to speak & ordered desserts as well. My choice was a rhubarb Mille Feuille with Cointreau sauce. The moment it was placed in the table my fellow diners burst into laughter. Was it the look of utter dismay on my face or the mere sight of this minuscule dessert on a giant plate. It was delectable! Beautiful flaky pastry, a light cream filling and tiny morsels of luscious dark red rhubarb. I think it was over in about two spoonfuls. Had the kitchen just run out of it and this was all they could plate up or were they stretching it out as far as they could? One of my more outspoken companions let the waiter know of my dismay at such a miserly serve, much to my embarrassment. The waiter disappeared without a word but promptly returned with another 'spoonful' of this heavenly dessert on a small plate. The gesture was much appreciated! Over all our meals were of a high standard and the service attentive. On the negative; portion size for one and the other for each of the three courses, one of our group was left waiting for a little while, while the others were served their courses. Really enjoyed the meal and will return again.
I have dined at Di Stasio a few times and it never disappoints. The mushroom risotto I had last time was one of the best I have ever had. A personal favourite of mine is the saltimbocca and the semonlina pan fried gnocchi is a nice touch. Great wine list maybe a little bit too pricey as I recognised a particular bottle of pinot noir I had at another restaurant with a substantial mark up. The service is excellent and the staff are clearly very knowledgable. Definitely one of the better Italian restaurants in Melbourne.
The guy behind the bar here really blew me away, we had after work drinks and everything he recommended I loved. I have him a list of ingredients I liked and he made a few cocktails, one became my favourite which I still ask for today at bars and it's never the same! Loved it.
Another brilliant dinner at Di Stasio this week. Being a pasta fanatic, I find it so difficult to go past their pasta dishes, and so missed-out on the Porchetta with Apple and roasted Pork Chops, which both looked mouth-wateringly good. Instead I opted for an entree of Pappardelle with braised boar ragu, and a main course of angel hair pasta with blue swimmer crab cooked in white wine with a dash of chilli. When it's this good - double the pasta is never enough! Service was impeccable as ever. One of my top two traditional Italian restaurants in town.
Returned to this long time Melbourne institution on a Monday night. Good but not great. Traditional Italian menu. Whole fish was good. As were oysters. Extensive wine list - but pricey. Service fine. A bit over priced, professional. Good not great.
It is an iconic Melbourne dining experience that will stay in your memory for years to come and you will not be disappointed.
Ronnie is the master of authentic Italian dining and with good reason.
A wonderful restaurant for an intimate dinner for two or a small corporate dinner for those wanting to make a stunning impression that won’t be forgotten.
As always, divine.
Thank you and see you again soon.
Great service, great ambience and great food. Food service was a bit slow. You must be willing to spend $40 (approx) for a main that serves as a size of entrée.
The place to go for true Italian cuisine , outstanding service and attention to detail . Superior wine list and beautiful ambiance . Highly recommended
This is one of my favourite place in Melbourne. The food is absolutely amazing. Small portion but top quality. Old school but professional services. I never have any disappointment from there. Just Love it!
The staff were very welcoming.. the service was on point .. The food was amazing didn't take to long ... The pasta with spanner crab was beautiful ... Haven't been there in a long time was not disappointed ...
Lately I've been dining at Italian venues quite a lot. #carbloading love this venue. The fitout is so unique. Music is on point and the food is just fantastic. Service was very good too. My favourite were the bolognese Arancini balls and melenzane. Yum!
I was super impressed with this place! It came recommended from a friend, so i decided to take a punt and organise my parents 30th wedding anniversary here! We loved everything about this place. The waiters had exceptional knowledge on everything, and were helpful in recommending things to have! We had a wonderful time, and to our surprise, they brought out a dessert with sparklers in it, and congratulations written on it! My parents felt very special! it doesn't end there, they brought everyone to the table (7 guests), a complimentary glass of dessert wine! They went above and beyond, and i have not stopped raving to my friends and family about this place! It is pricey, but we didn't mind paying for great quality food, which is hard to find these days! Thank you to all the wonderful staff at Di Stasio for a rememberable anniversary for my parents! See you soon!
This is as close to Italy as I've experienced in Australia. This is not modern Italian. This is traditional. Yet it is beautiful. And elegant
classic italian food done exceptionally well, in an intimate space. classic decor with a gothic twist. the staff are amazingly friendly and helpful and dressed immaculately in white coats. a true melbourne institution.
Amazing. I tried the eggplant, arancini and the ragu. I highly recommend all of these dishes. I am so shocked to see these mixed reviews as we had an amazing dining experience. It is a touch expensive but the experience was worth it!
Went here on a Saturday night. Great ambience and great vibes. Some great wine list too. Definitely amazing choice to enjoy a few drinks. But we chose the restaurant over bar seating and decided to have dinner. Very busy and lively energies. The food is Classic Italian but for my personal choice I did not like the variety offered on the menu. I wasn't up for a pasta that night so my choices cut down to even less. We ordered the octopus from entree which were probably the best I have ever eaten. Everything else was average the salads are very below average in fact, my partner ordered a pasta which could pass for mediocre as well. Overall an average experience for us and lacked to find that one spectacular reason at the least to wana go back since there are so many places in Melbourne that offer great food with great ambience.
Enjoyed the express lunch yesterday with two of my very best girlfriends. Great value, delicious food!
The girls and I hadn't caught up in a while & the waitstaff were extremely conscious of giving us time to catch up. We all received very warm welcomes off the cold, windblown street and were very patient with our delays to ordering!
Best coffee in Australia so far, real espresso. The atmosphere is also very good, and the staff awesome. Tastes like Italy. I'll definitely come back next time I'm visiting Melbourne.
Visited this suburban Italian restaurant located at St. Kilda. A typical busy restaurant with a lot of diners are Italians. We ordered the recommended dishes of the day, Scampi, Oysters 2 Ways, Pasta & Sole fish. They are rustic but very tasteful. I was surprised to have a whole fish done in Italian restaurant so nice and authentic. It was worth for the trip.
this is one of my favourites! the dinner menu is tastier than lunch but still yummy. Very romantic and classy. calamari is the best!! and in general a must in melbourne! Only downfall is it's way overpriced and staff are arrogant
Still the best Italian food in Melb. I have been dining at DiSatsio for over 15 years and I still find it hard to fault. Yes the main dining room at times has a certain attitude about it .. however that is part of the experience. If you want the amazing food with out the theatrics - do what I do - dine on the Bar side - same menu - less formal - whether it is a solo risotto on a rainy weekday, very long lunch with girlfriends and Ronnie sending over amazing cocktails ....or a quiet dinner with my husband - Danny and his team make it a meal to remember! Mi Piace !
...oven-roasted suckling pig is beautifully soft but still with perfect crackling that I just couldn’t achieve at home. A white-jacket pours a delicious jus from a separate jug, and the baked apple is sweet and caramelised, with just enough sour to cut through the rich pork. The dish also comes with a little pile of baked julienne sliced zucchini in garlic. The sum total is heaven...
Epicurean Of Southbank
+4.5
An oasis located in a sea of detritus makes attending this restaurant (strangely called a café so you get the feeling that they are over-delivering on all sensory fronts) which is considered a "Melbourne institution" for 25 years and counting not only a culinary adventure but a clash of art and subtle design nuances juxtaposed with the wild and wanton human zoo kept at bay only by the sheer strength of Robbie's bronze hands and of course the stern front of house. An adventure that I would happily undertake again.
...I love it. I’ve returned. And I will return again. At this almost barren end of Fitzroy Street Croce via di Stasio and Cafe di Stasio are burning bright.
Mr A was kind enough to organise a dinner out to welcome me back home and he had chosen Café Di Stasio. It is located on a busy strip in St Kilda and its dark interior is cosy and sophisticated - a great date venue. To start, we ordered an entrée to share. The tuna was seared nicely while the salad was zesty in flavour. Seared tuna with Fennel, Capers and Pancetta I was after something simple so I went for the special of Angel hair pasta with crab. With the classic flavours of garlic, chilli, parsley and crab, it was a great pasta dish. The serving portion was on the small size though, especially after returning from America, and you can see from the photo it was plated up very awkwardly. Angel hai
I love Vue de Monde (extravagant, original, fine dining theatre - chef and francophile Shannon Bennett is the closest thing Melbourne has to Heston Blumenthal - City Centre), Jacques Reymond (modern Australian take on classic fare - see my earlier review
Really suprised at so many negative reviews! i had a great time here, nice food, excellent service and the food came out pretty quickly. only criticism would be how closely packed the tables and chairs are. Otherwise it was wonderful
I don't understand why there are so many negative reviews. Yes the service is a little slow however the food is amazing. My Morton Bay bug risotto was sublime. I think people are becoming over pretentious when dining and acting as though they're some sort of food critic. Relax and try to enjoy the experience.
Amazing Italian food done right. No fuss, just the traditional way. Probably the closest you can get to Italy now due to Covid travel restrictions! However, this place is not your everyday eatery. The price is a bit steep, so it's definitely a place to go to for a special occasion. Not to mention, service was also great.
Tasty, generous serving sizes. Tad on the expensive side. The linguine would have been an amazing mains.
Was a great restaurant once, absolute icon. Looks like it's gone for good. What a crying shame.
Nice if the the owner honestly announced the future and took the temporary closed sign down.
Eat Play Live Melbourne
+4
We went for a special occasion and had no trouble making a booking using the online system.
The restaurant is quite intimate, very dark inside with only small windows and no view of the street at all. Really we could have been anywhere.
The menu is authentic Italian and everything we ordered was fabulous! The angel hair pasta on the specials menu had a mushroom ragout sauce and was to die for.
We ordered baked oysters, plus the slow cooked lamb and the beef - which was served rare, sliced and truly melted in my mouth. The roasted veggies were also delicious.
We shared two desserts and can recommend the tiramisu.
It was quite cosy seating wise and with so many hard surfaces (concrete walls and floring) it's a very noisy space. I could barely hear our conversation when the restaurant was full. Nevertheless I would still say it was a romantic environment.
Our lunch for two without excessive drinks came to $350 however they do offer a set menu with two courses and a glass of wine for around $39pp.
Great place for a special occasion or a truly authentic Italian fine dining experience.
Great dining experience here - food, service, ambiance - all classy and top notch. Happy to come back
Remains one of the best restaurants in Melbourne after all these years. Yes, the food is fabulous, but for once, genuinely, the waiting staff make the key difference. Professional and knowledgeable, ask them to help with food and the wine list, you really won't be sorry.
Blown away by the level of service at this restaurant 🤯
Best italian food south of the Yarra. 👌
An error has occurred! Please try again in a few minutes