osteria ilaria

gorgeous contemporary italian bar. so many lovely nibbles to choose from. nettle gnocchi a standout dish. highly recommended. grab yourself a spot at the bar and you’ll be guaranteed a good night out.

the restaurant was still busy as usual, surprisingly we were lucky enough to have a table for 2 by just walking in on a weekday night. the food was nice, quality was in line with its sister restaurant which was literally just next door, and the service was nothing to be picky about.

i remember the good old days when one could waltz into tipo 00 and get a table within five minutes, but as nelly furtado taught us, all good things come to an end. if you’re not willing to balance precariously on a high stool at the bar or firm up your thursday night plans six weeks in advance, tipo 00 is off limits, which is why it made foodie news when the team behind the famed pasta bar opened sister restaurant osteria ilaria a few doors away where overpriced scandi bar dunord used to be.

food is fantastic! atmosphere is a bit monotone but the staff are friendly and know their stuff! would suggest for meals but not really a bar vibe venue, wine is a bit pricey but it's good so you get what you pay for.

so impressed with my visit here as it was pure good luck we came here as i had a wait time of 3 hours for tip00 next door . the food was impeccable and we were lucky enough to sit at the stools where we could watch the chefs do their thing. the presentation, to the flavors and service were all top notch. cannot wait to come back

can't fault anything. the food is amazing. the service was excellent. so good! it's a bit hard to get in during lunch because they don't take reservations but it's worth waiting to get a table. love italian food and this hits the spot.

we were lucky to get seats without a booking, shared a few dishes including croquette, octopus, gnocchi, paccheri pasta, duck which are apparently some of their best and not things i would have thought as traditionally italian. everything was cooked well but didn’t taste amazing enough in my opinion to live up to the hype. thought the pistachio, pea and goats curd was an interesting combo for gnocchi. glad i tried it but probably won’t return and opt for the sister venue next door instead.

the baby octopus ($19) was probably one of the most stunning things i’ve eaten all year. the octopus had been grilled over a wood fire to impart a sweet char to the delicate tentacles, and the accompanying sauce of pureed italian salami – nduja – was bold, meaty, and spicy. this was a simple but flawless combination of excellent ingredients that brought out the best in each other; i may or may not have wiped up the excess sauce with my fingers.

excellent wine list. been here a couple times for dinner. both times ordered the porcini mushroom croquettes because they are phenomenal. ordered the whiting. very boney and not very flavoursome. the gnocchi was ok but nothing that really made me think "wow." zucchini flowers were delicious. i'd suggest this place for a drink and maybe a couple entrees but not really my preference for an italian dinner.

this is apparently restaurant of the year based on time out, which i cant really say if i agree.
their food overall were okay, as i knew that this place is run by the same team as tipo 00 so i cant help but comparing their food, and sadly, i still prefer tipo 00 than this one.
all that we ordered (as in the photos), as well as their famous baby octopus n’duja and paccheri pasta, nothing really special for me, not as how it was described (i realised that tastebud is very personal), instead what i found special was their whole whiting, it was superb, the fish was melt in my mouth and the sauce compliments the dishes well. we ended up having to cancel our dessert as we were too full. service were fast and professional, the waiter that brought us the bill was very friendly and easy going, ill hire him if i ever open a restaurant ;d

we were looking to share a special dining experience with our son, and are so happy to have found osteria ilaria. we had not booked, and on a saturday night this small restaurant was buzzing, but we went to a nearby bar and within 10 minutes a table was available. waitstaff were incredibly friendly and professional, talking us through some aspects of the menu and making recommendations. we initially were going to go with the chefs choice, but decided to go with our own share plate selection. the scallops with cauliflower hollandaise were exquisite. then came the porcini croquettes - perfectly crisp on the outside and soft and tasty within. calamari with saffron was our next delight. then king george whiting with pippis, duck with hazelnuts and gnocchi with peas. all amazing, all perfectly cooked and seasoned. the only criticism - i would have loved some more of that delicious bread to mop up the sauces- too good to leave on the plate!! can’t wait to return to melbourne to eat here again

excellent wine, food and desserts. zucchini flowers, chickpea fries and gnocchi was yum. oh and the buffalo mozzarella 😁😁. semofreddo was to die for. pink peppercorns semofreddo - who would have thought. perfect service too

loved this place! we arrived sad and hungry, and left feeling happy and sated. we turned up and was told there would be a 30-45 minute wait, so we headed to kirk's bar for a drink. after about 15 minutes, we got a call saying our table was ready, but we'd only just got our drinks. this is a bit of a downside of their system - it happens at tipo 00 as well. anyway, we returned shortly after and were greeted warmly. every single staff member is efficient and friendly, not to mention knowledgeable about the food and wine on offer. we had the zucchini flowers, carpaccio, croquettes, gnocchi and calamari, and that was enough for three people, though we were tempted by dessert. we sat at the bar, and it was a really lovely experience. it was great to have the chefs prepare the food right in front of us, and almost felt like a private performance! a wonderful visit.

fabuloius lunch at osteria. the hapuka with spanner crab and pickled cheeses and the beef carpaccio were wonderful starters. the main courses were even better, beuatiful tasting john dory and the softest spaghettini.
highly recommended.

i have nothing to complain about. food was top notch. service was good, with helpful wine recommendations.

so simply... i tried once and will definitely be back again.