La Porchetta South Yarra - Melbourne

My Partner and I had a nice lunch today at La Lucciola in chapel st South Yarra. I had the spaghetti & meatballs and my partner had the home made gnocchi, both food and service was great and quick. Price was not to bad - value for money.

This restaurant is a complete false advertisement. You'd feel you're entering an authentic restaurant to be shocked with the experience, the food and the service. The waitress is very pushy and fake, at the same time rude, the chef walks in and out constantly staring around at people... The ambiance is confusing and it's a combination of fine dining architecture with a cellar and a fireplace but also with cheap fast food board, bar and seating. When it comes to the food, that was the big surprise. The pizza tasted just like the ones you make from the frozen section of the supermarket and the pasta we both thought it tastes like the canned sauces. Waste of money and complete failed expectations. Not one bit Italian, not one bit authentic.

I arrived here at 1900 hours to find the back section almost full with a group of young Europeans, so my group had to sit in the more brightly lit section closer to the bar area.It took 10 minutes plus for a waitress to ask would I like anything. Tap water is served in long glass bottles.The two pizzas we had were fair: one a medium, the other a large. Two of us also had a Cascade Light: the range of beers available was limited.The toilets had two handbasins in the gents, one of which was missing the top of the tops so it could not be used.Annoyingly there was a small surcharge of 75 cents on my bill of A$50 paid by Visa credit card.

Had to wait a long time for garlic bread. This was over cooked. Mains were great and served immediately after. Very noisy where we sat, right in front of the kitchen. Dessert was great!!

Service was great and food was nice, not outstanding but nice. Was very convenient to our accommodation and friendly.