The Italian
(03) 9654 9499, 101 Collins St, Melbourne. VIC 3000 Italian $$$
http://www.theitalian.com.auOpen Mon-Fri 7am-10pm Sat 6pm-10.30pm; Licensed; Cards AE DC MC V , Seats inside 140, Outside seats, Private room
Chef: Anthony Grafton (31-03-13) Owner: Roberto Scheriani (31-03-13)
Mietta's Review
On 10-04-2008 The Italian moved half a block to swanky new, multi-layered premises, at the rear of 101 Collins St.. On Flinders La there's a coffee bar which does a roaring trade serving numerous nearby office workers. Ascend the escalators to the Collins St level, head north and enter a high ceiling designer space. Windows line two walls another is dedicated to floor-to-ceiling wine shelves, equipped with ladders and mountaineering waiters who stock and retrieve bottles. Stairs lead to an upper level, above the bar, where staff and customers gingerly go up and down. The long room, made narrow by the bar and invisible service areas, climbs a step or two above Flinders La. The food is fair, not inspired and certainly not great, but good value for the very reasonable prices (mains rarely top $30) and the flash situation. In long established restaurants it seems as though the waiters run on rails. That's not the case here. Unsurprising considering the short time the place has been open. What was surprising, however, was that the owner, Roberto Scheriani wasn't there. The result verged on chaotic. The staff were unsure both of the restaurants geography and their attitude - were they expected to be casual or friendly or formal? Mostly, however, they were missing. These criticisms are of a work in progress and in spite of them The Italian is well worth a visit. Given time and a firm hand on the front of house it could become an excellent establishment.
Other Published Opinions
The Age Good Food Guide 2013 Score: 15/20
Read full review ...Gourmet Traveller 2013 Australian Restaurant Guide Score: 1 Star "The Italian is the house restaurant of 101 Collins Street - home base for law firms and investment banks - and its aesthetic reflects this. All is the product of money and scale, from the soaring, 12-metre ceilings to the thick, 400-label wine list"
Age Good Food Guide 2013 Score: 15/20 One Hat
Gourmet Traveller 2012 Australian Restaurant Guide Score: One Star "They don't call it the Paris end of Collins Street for nothing. Smooth good looks, sharp suits and graceful elegance gather here - and they do so at The Italian. Towering ceilings, glass walls, sleek red leather booths and rich lighting create a dramatic first impression"
Age Good Food Guide 2012 Score: 15.5/20, 1 Hat
Age Good Food Guide 2011 Score: 15.5/20, One Hat
Gourmet Traveller 2011 Australian Restaurant Guide Score: * "How many offices can boast an Italian fine-diner in the building? The Italian, located in one of the city's most architecturally impressive buildings (at the smarter end of town) is imposing, with soaring glass walls, two-storey-high ceilings and high-backed red leather booths"
Age Good Food Guide 2010 Score: 15.5/20
Gourmet Traveller 2010 Australian Restaurant Guide Score: * "By day. The Italian does "corporate grand" brilliantly. The vast dining room is bathed in natural light and its red leather banquettes and generously proportioned tables provide the perfect setting for aspiring masters of the universe"
Herald Sun 25-07-09 "The Italian slots instantly into the top category of all-round great Melbourne eats"
Herald Sun Glutton, Rebecca Burrell, "It's stormy in the city tonight, so we scurry across the vast marble foyer of one of the CBD's most imposing towers and head to a coveted corner table on the mezzanine of Roberto Scheriani's (formerly of Ristorante Roberto) slick eatery"
Age Good Food Guide 2009
Gourmet Traveller 2009 Australian Restaurant Guide "Restaurateur Roberto Scheriani has been round the block a few times. At the latest incarnation of The Italian (it moved in 2008 to grand, soaring premises in the corporate tower 101 Collins) his experience is manifest"
Herald Sun Extra Food, Stephen Downes, 5-08-08 Score: **** "The Italian slots instantly into the top category of all-round great Melbourne eats"
Herald Sun Stephen Downes, 15-07-08 Score: 17/20 "THE air will have cleared by the time you dine there, which I urge you to do. But I ended up signing off my bill at The Italian in one of the lofty atriums of 101 Coffins St. Smoke had filled the ground-floor restaurant - in fact, the whole vast building - and through the glass frontage on to Flinders Lane we could see it was thicker outside. Fire trucks were pulling up, lights flashing, pumps thumping"
Age John Lethlean, 24-6-2008 Score: 15/20
The following reviews relate to previous premises in Malthouse Lane
Age Good Food Guide 2008 Score: 14.5/20
Age Epicure Restaurants, John Lethlean, 8-8-06 Score: 14/20
Herald Sun Dining Out, Stephen Downes, 23/5/06 Score: 16/20 "The Italian's tables are fairly close, but in all other respects here's another terrific Italian brasserie. You're not going to find dishes shoving back the boundaries here, but they will be freshly made and cooked with care from excellent produce. I also liked The Italian's wide range of wines and prices, its good coverage of Italian drops, and that 17 table wines were offered by the glass."