Bar Idda

My colleagues wanted to have some good Italian dining/bar vibe on the day and we reserved a table upstairs over the phone because they mentioned we could have little private dining. Unfortunately, the experience was not that great. They booked us a very small table downstairs. After every few minutes, staff come and asked us to order more food or drink even though we were still not finished our food. They always come and disturb us either trying to take our dishes and glasses or forcing us to order more. It was really disturbing. If you want a nice and calm dining experience, this is not a good place. I would never go there or recommend this restaurant to anyone again. For the four of us, we spent a little over 250 bucks, but the dining experience was not that good.

3.5 stars. Service was prompt and friendly but food was hit and miss. The mushroom “ragu” was completely underwhelming and overpriced. For $25 I expect to get more than just a few sautéed mushrooms of the same variety and some pasta, I could have done a better job at home myself. Other dishes we had were tasty but nothing overly exciting. I wanted to love this place but didn’t unfortunately.

When you enter this cosy restaurant you feel like you're stepping into a Sicilian restaurant. It has this authentic feel to it that is impressively matched by the exquisite traditional food. The menu is designed between two or larger groups with shared plates, and there's a large range of dishes to choose from. Seafood, beef, chicken and vegetarian offers a delectable platter to pick and choose amongst you. While the food was absolutely divine, the service didn't quite hit the mark. I arrived earlier than my group and hadn't been there before, I was pointed to my table (rather than seated) and was handed the menu - without any explanation. This made it difficult as most of the menu was in Italian or had ingredients I needed to Google. This was disappointing, it felt like just because I was alone they weren't going to bother until everyone was there. Also we had to help ourselves to our own cutlery and continue to ask for water to be refilled. Nothing too excessive, but the hospitality was a letdown and didn't match the excellent authentic feel and food. Overall a recommended restaurant for great food!

I grew up eating the most incredible Italian food (all thanks to my mum and Nonna), so I rarely find myself wanting to go to an Italian restaurant. I mean, why pay for it? Well Bar Idda has convinced me otherwise. We had a few plates but I only took photos of a couple because a cleaned my plate to quickly. It was so delicious. The asparagi and house made capacollo are an absolute must, closely followed by the purpetti. Do yourself a favour and get the Connolly for desert. Delicious. Sorry Mum and Nonna, I still love your cooking but I can't wait to go back here!

Bar Idda is that local neighbourhood restaurant that you've walked past dozens of times and wondered if you should pay a visit. When you eventually get around to dining there you realise you should have done it much sooner. Everything about the experience at Bar Idda is wonderful. The staff are well trained, very friendly and make you feel welcome which is complimented by the mouth watering Italian food that you'll be raving about to your friends. The Mulinciani (eggplant dish) is an absolute must for entrees and the meatballs are equally delicious. Everything on the menu sounds incredible and I'll be back to try them all. Next time you're walking past and wondering if you should give it a try, do yourself a favour and make a booking.

Consistently some of the tastiest and most authentic Italian food in Melbourne. The pasta dishes never miss, so fresh and full of flavour, while elsewhere, the hits are plenty: lamb shoulder, polpette and roasted eggplant that will make you melt. Sharp friendly service that always knows what it's doing.