New Brisbane

For about two years after moving to Brisbane, I whinged to anyone and everyone that would listen that there were no decent Italian restaurants in central Brisbane. And it wasn’t until after Vapiano opened, and I was saying how nice it was to finally have an Italian restaurant close by, that somebody pointed out to me that there was Mellino’s Cafe Bar & Restaurant in the Brunswick St mall, serving up delicious Italian cuisine in what is literally a two minute walk from my Fortitude Valley apartment.

Mellino’s Cafe Bar & Restaurant
330 Brunswick Street
(Brunswick St Mall)
Fortitude Valley
P: (07) 3252 3551

Situated amongst the hustle and bustle of the Valley mall and with the potential to be witness to all manner of Valley culture, Mellino’s is perfect for those who like to people-watch while they dine. A casual atmosphere that boasts extremely friendly and personable staff, this restaurant has quickly become my new favourite date venue - it’s definitely a lot less intimidating than the curtained alcoves of Garuva around the corner!

So I’ve been here a few times now and have sampled pretty much all the food they have on offer. The garlic bread is delicious and always comes out before we’ve even had a chance to decide what mains to order. The pastas are all absolutely mouth-watering, medium-sized serves (that you won’t be able to finish) of your choice in pasta smothered in rich, delicious sauces that leave you nibbling at your plate long after your belly is full. And while I’m not a seafood eater, even I have to admit that I’ve been tempted by some of the delicious seafood pastas that I’ve seen go to other tables.

I’ve tried the pizza here a couple of times and while it was quite good, I wasn’t blown away by it. The selections are a little boring and old-fashioned and I generally find myself abandoning the pizza option in favour of a great pasta. That said, the times I have had pizza from here I’ve found it nice to have a pizza that was relatively non-greasy compared to those served up by other local restaurants - the base had a nice, floury texture that made the toppings more of an accent to the underlying pizza dough.

The mains here are also very good - though again, I’d say they are probably a little old fashioned. They’re certainly serving authentic Italian cuisine - don’t expect to get served chips with your parmagiana! - and are certainly very delicious, but I feel as if Italian food has evolved past what is on offer at Mellino’s. Then again, there are certain foods that never go out of fashion and when it tastes as good as what’s been served to me here, I’m not going to complain.

Mellino’s is one of those restaurants that keeps you coming back because there’s too many delicious sounding things to order in one meal. I’m only halfway through the pastas and I haven’t even had a chance to try one of the risottos yet. And with a specials board that seems to change quite regularly, I’m not sure I’m ever going to get bored of the food that’s on offer here. In fact, it’s lunch time… all this talk of pasta is making me hungry, I think I’ll go grab some right now, to go.

- Ross