South Melbourne Restaurant Tips by Kate-Me

Trilussa Caffe: more great Italian pastas

This time, one week later than the first time we visited Caffe Trilussa, we were there with a party group (des nouveaux amis de Francedownunder.com Melbourne).
Service was very good, we had the back room all to ourselves, and the decor was very nice (one of the main reasons I chose the restaurant, after trying it out the week before to make sure the food was also great).

Favorite Dish: This time I didn't go for super spicy pasta but the Trilussa, house special, with a spicy Napoli type sauce with fettucini, chicken, mushrooms and bacon.
And dessert...the range was huge, and it was hard to choose, but I went for Kahlua Pie - basically a mousse type of cake (huge pieces for $7), very rich indeed, with ice cream and chocolate sauce on the side.
Delicious! 10/10 especially for the desserts!

Address: Lygon St, Carlton

Comparison: less expensive than average

Directions: near the corner of Elgin & Lygon Sts.

Price: less than US$10

Rating: 5

Theme: Italian

Caffe Trilussa: Carlton - Melbourne's Little Italy

The Caffee is fairly small - just small tables in the front of the restaurant, but there's a narrow room out the back which seats about 20, and I really liked the ambience there, even though we were the only ones sitting there! The walls are painted a gold/terracotta with Italian/Greek style figures on them that reminded me a lot of Pompeii (which made me love the place even more).

Favorite Dish: Martin NL from VT and I both had pasta Amatriciana, and though it was great, I'd only recommend it if you really like hot chilli, because BOY, was this dish spicy! By the end, I'd drunk over 1/2 a litre of water with the meal.....
Delicious though.
My husband had Gnocci, which he said was nice too.
I didn't have room for dessert, but the fridge of continental cakes and slices in the front of the restaurant was so long it ran for almost the length of the restaurant and looked sooo inviting!
Not just Italian food here - a bit of other stuff too like Turkish, a few burgers, even fish & chips. Pasta dishes very reasonable by Carlton standards - $11-$14 ea.

Address: 323 Lygon St, Carlton

Comparison: less expensive than average

Directions: Close to the corner of Elgin & Lygon Sts.

Other Contact: Fax 9347 6814

Phone: 9347 6813

Price: less than US$10

Rating: 4

Theme: Italian

(various - they're everywhere in the city): Cafe's - various

Comparison: about average

Price: less than US$10

Rating: 3

Theme: Coffeehouse