osteria ilaria

we went in the opening week so there were bound to be a few teething issues. unfortunately, they were pretty big issues:
- timing / pacing. every single hot dish (we had 4) came out barely warm. the dishes seemed to have been left waiting on the counter top for us to finish our previous dishes. it was one dish after another in quick succession - we felt very rushed through. and serving cold food is just unprofessional.
- bland. none of the dishes stood out or were particularly memorable, except for how bland it all was.
- pasta was undercooked. yes, i know what al dente means. this was not it. i've spent a lot of time at tipo00, so had pretty high expectations. this pasta was so undercooked it was still hard on the inside.
- service was inconsistent. some were friendly and relaxed. others were nervous and awkward. at times they hovered. it was hard to relax during the meal.

the dishes we tried:
- pecorino cheesecake (cold)
- grilled calamari (not very smokey)
- rabbit terrine (salty, not much other flavour. also, some grisly bits left in)
- paccheri with prawn (undercooked. nettle was too much)
- sheep's milk semifreddo (couldn't taste the sheep's milk. it was also completely solid)

some good points:
the food is beautifully presented.

i'm pretty forgiving for things like services, atmosphere, decor, aesthetics -- if the food is good. but the dishes came out barely warm, they were bland and not memorable, and overall it was very rushed and we felt almost unwelcome. when we told the waitress our concerns, she just awkwardly said "oh, okay" and hurriedly shuffled off. they give you a 2 hour limit for reservations before 7 except we were seated, fed, and unceremoniously turfed out within an hour.

entrees were good. mains were very average, except the pork. the broccolini side dish was almost not edible. disappointed, considering tipoo is one of my fav places to eat

let's get the one and only gripe about this place over and done with so i can focus on how fantastic osteria ilaria is. it was really warm inside, almost uncomfortably so.
with that out of the way... food, tick. service, tick. ambience, tick. winelist, tick. price, tick. the menu is a sharing is caring kind, the highlight was the truffle ravioli, calamari and kingfish, although everything else was great. the service is friendly, unpretentious, helpful and attentive. our party of 6 had such a good time here. thank you!

delicious food, friendly and efficient service - great suggestions from our waiter on which wines matched well with our food. place was buzzing. will definitely return.

to say that there was a fair amount of hype surrounding the opening of tipo 00's sister restaurant osteria ilaria would be an understatement.  situated right next door to tipo (where du nord used to be), osteria ilaria sticks with the italian theme of its sister restaurant, but veers away from the traditional pasta and risotto dishes that tipo 00 is famed for.  instead, expect to see the likes of pork liver sausage with spiced sourdough and rhubarb, roast corn fed duck with radicchio and hazelnuts and roast pork scotch fillet with apple and fennel crumbs.

delicious and diverse menu, comfortable venue and friendly service. for starters, i really enjoyed the complementary fennel bread and butter- a nice twist on the usual. as entrees we went for the zucchini flowers, the scallops and the grilled calamari. the scallops were a standout for me. then for main i opted for the pork cutlet with apple and fennel crumb. we also shared the grilled cime de rappa with corn. the pork cutlet was fantastic and the cime de rappa was one of the tastiest vegetable dishes i've had in a long time.

osteria ilaria may be my new favourite restaurant. the restaurant is warm and welcoming and is situated next to their sister restaurant tipo 00.

the service is impeccable; friendly and knowledgeable without being cloying or overbearing. the wine list is sizeable and they offer a great selection of classic cocktails.

the menu is carefully curated with modern italian flavours that highlight wonderful local produce. we enjoyed starters of lightly battered stuffed zucchini flowers with jerusalem artichoke and mustard greens and a moreish salumi plate.

the highlight of the meal was the perfectly cooked paccheri with seared crystal bay prawns in a rich sorrel and chilli sauce. it paired well with the earthy rabbit terrine, the fattiness of the terrine balanced nicely with a seeded mustard with hints of quince.

the whole whiting with pippies looked gorgeous and was complimented by the buttery herbs and citrusy dressing.

definitely my favourite meal in recent times and hopefully will make it back soon to sample the desserts and the rest of the wine list.

i just can’t pinpoint exactly why i felt the dining experience at osteria ilaria was a little underwhelming and lacking joie de vivre. it’s a great space and the food was perfectly fine but there is just something that doesn’t shout out can’t wait to come back! early days i know!

i happened upon this place by chance when i flew in to melbourne for work. i was looking for a light bite as a solo diner. the place was bustling but had a spot at the bar. i had the nettle gnocchi in a nettle emulsion with hazelnuts and bleu cheese. it was heavenly, little pillows of happiness as a friend described the perfect gnocchi. tonight is my last night in town, so i stopped in for a second visit. the bar was full, but the host escorted me to perch in front of the cook line. i had front row seats to the opera which ensued. the chef masterfully orchestrated incoming orders, mentored his young staff in the most minute details of plating and presentation. i was view to dozens of plates, each masterfully assembled and beautiful - whole fish, duck, pork chops, handmade pasta, grilled radicchio, squash blossoms, each on an emulsion, puree or sauce. it was wonderful. i had the pasta this time and the grilled octopus. the waiter paired my plate selection with a blushed pinot grigio from slovenia, spot on. service both visits was impeccable and attentive. i know it’s not custom to tip in australia but i was compelled. all up, i thought the pricing was not cheap but reasonable for a fantastic experience. chatting with my waiter, i learned they’d only opened six weeks ago.  no wonder they weren't listed on yelp or google yet.  i would definitely return the next time i'm in town. bravo!

absolutely amazing. we stumbled upon this place after wanting to go to tipo next door but not willing to wait for 2 hours for a table as it was busy. best call ever. friendly and knowledgeable staff, comfortable bar stools, good wine selection, prompt arrival of perfectly flavoured food. the prawns were the special and were a standout. the mushroom croquettes were simple but delicious. but the star of the show was the duck. who knew hazelnuts went so perfectly with duck? decent portion too. the two of us left satisfied and stoked we'd found a gem by accident!

absolutely loved this place. my partner and i dined here before going to the ballet on a saturday night. we notified our waiter that we would need to leave at a certain time and he ensured all our dishes came out promptly giving us plenty of time to spare. the food came out quickly but at a good pace that we did not feel like we had to eat too fast.
given that neither of us had eaten since breakfast we ordered a little more than usual.
we ordered the small charcuterie board, zucchini flowers, mushroom croquettes, pecorino cheesecake, cime de rapa and the nettle gnocchi. we found this to be the perfect amount leaving us full but not sick. everything was absolutely delicious with well balanced flavours. the food along with 2 glasses of wine and a beer totalled $140 with a tip, we found this to be very reasonable and well worth the money.
we will definitely be returning to try all the other amazing sounding dishes.

sister to the delicious tipo but different no less. a large modern restaurant with ample tables, unlike tipo, 2 doors down but serving next to no (just one?) pasta. highlights were cime di rapi with creamed and grilled corn, which went well with the duck, hazelnut and radicchio main. nice drink and cocktail menu. walk ins accommodated at the bar. worth a try. suits couples of groups. nice addition to the little bourke precinct.

100% brilliant, loved the atmosphere and food, service was amazing. good music, bring a group of friends and book the private dining room!!!

all the staff are warm, welcoming and attentive from the time you walk in, to when you leave without ever being intrusive. each dish was executed swiftly but with ease by chef andreas and team behind the bar where we sat. all of our dishes were beautiful and i would order each again. zucchini flowers with jerusalem artichoke, pecorino cheesecake with pine mushrooms, porcini croquettes, baby octopus with n'juda, cime di rapa with corn, nettle gnocchi with blue cheese and almonds, and finished with sheep's yoghurt semifreddo with pistachio and orange and chocolate olive oil mousse with streusel. excellent all round. can't wait to come back to try more of the menu. thank you!

this is a great place if you enjoy sharing dishes. we tried a range - the standouts were the lamb cutlets, paccheri, and the seafood dishes. we were too full so didn't try the dessert! down to earth and friendly service from the wait staff.