One of the true evergreens of Melbourne's constantly changing restaurant scene, since opening back in 1994 Matteo Pignatelli's eponymous fine diner has received more awards and chef hats than he knows what to do with.
There is no question that dining at Matteo's is a singularly unique experience. It is fine dining at its most opulent, from the teardrop chandeliers, gilt mirrors, heavy drapes to the stunning Victorian terrace surrounds. While most other restaurants have bent to the will of informal and communal dining, Matteo's stoically keeps doing what it has always done and still remains one of Melbourne's top restaurants.
Similarly, instead of changing to fit current trends, executive chef Brendan McQueen is committed to mastering his craft in his own way. His innovative menu skips flawlessly between differing culinary influences, from Middle Eastern to classic European and Modern Asian, sometimes all on the same plate. For the best experience, choose the degustation menu and leave your meal choice in this very capable chef's artisan hands. The matching degustation wine flight is also a must for first-timers to Matteo's as the cellar is extensive and rarely matched in a city that flows with quality drops.
Nick Eggert
Open
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w
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Breakfast
Lunch
O
O
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O
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Dinner
O
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Late
Sun-Fri noon-3pm, daily 6pm-10pm
Asian, European and Modern Australian
Entree: $16-$26
Mains: $35-$44
Dessert: $19-$22
Degustation menu:
4 courses,
$110
Set menu:
2 courses,
$38
Degustation menu $170 with matching wine flight
Payment accepted: MasterCard, Visa, Diners Club, American Express and EFTPOS
Licensed with bar. Wine is available by the glass. BYO (wine only) $20 corkage per bottle.
Vegetarian options available
This venue accepts bookings. It is advisable to make a reservation ahead of time. Group bookings are supported.
Gourmet Travller 2009 Australian Restaurant Guide - "Reverence is not a word commonly associated with Brunswick Street, but that is precisely the mood that prevails among diners at this maverick fine diner. "
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All reviews and ratings are the expressed opinions of our users, and in no way reflects the opinions of yourRestaurants, its staff and its affiliates.
Posted by:
zoroisalive
|
18 November 2009, 9.39am
solid performer
nice ambience,professional staff. Descent food portions for this type of restaurant. Consistent old school restaurant. Not trendy, a real enjoyable dining experience.
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Visit: Wed 18 November 2009
Mealtime: lunch
Service:
Atmosphere:
Posted by:
Pork Belly
|
14 June 2009, 12.27am
Good restaurant but there are better at this price range
I had high expectations when I went to Matteos. Website looked great, menu looks great and the Asian influence is what I like. We had the tasting menu to get a range of tastes. I must admit I didn't expect the Asian influence to be that strong. The entree of kingfish and trout was by far the best course. The mains were quite adventurous with flavors, mixing a lot of Asian flavors with Italian. Interesting, but no WOW factor. In general, the food was good, but not outstanding. Service though was great - down to earth and not snooty. Wine list i thought was quite common and had a lot of lower end wines which i thought was odd for a fine dining restaurant. Decor was very beautiful. For the price, i would probably not go back as there are other better restaurants.
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Visit: Sat 30 May 2009
Mealtime: dinner
Service:
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Posted by:
samboyfive
|
14 December 2008, 8.36pm
Love or hate
Ever been to dinner at a restaurant where you haven't really hated anything in particular, but you also haven't loved anything? That's Matteo's. The decor is nice but forgettable. The service was nice enough, a little lacking in peronality, but informative when required. The food...a few really good dishes were reported, mostly from the entrees, and the meat(beef) dishes from the mains. The food in general seems a bit heavy handed and lacks a subtlety. Your first mouthful of a dish is pretty much what the whole dish tastes like until the last, just the one layer of flavour. Wouldn't go back, too many oopses, cheap shots, and uninspired service.
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Visit: Sun 14 December 2008
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Posted by:
rachiep
|
17 August 2008, 10.48pm
A fantastic experience
I walked into Matteo's restaurant with high expectations and I walked out amazed and content after eating food that was great and even better than I envisaged. We chose the tasting menu which comprised of 4 courses and 9 individual dishes for a very reasonable price of $100 (without alcohol).
The entrees were definitely the best course with an absolutely stunning kingfish dish, along with an equally delicious smoked eel with tofu. The oysters were also a great combination of flavours with the sauces complimenting the oysters beautifully.
The ocean trout, ravioli, wagyu beef and duck dishes were all outstanding; along with the desserts, but the entrees definitely made Matteo's stand out as a restaurant worthy of the praise and chef's hat they have been awarded.
Service was great as was the atmosphere of the restaurant. I highly recommend this restaurant if you like fine dining and good quality impeccably presented Asian influenced food.
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Visit: Sun 17 August 2008
Mealtime: dinner
Service:
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Posted by:
Fergus888
|
23 July 2008, 12.24pm
Great restaurant
Sorry to hear that ragnap had a bad experience at Matteos. I was there about 6 months ago for a wedding reception. Let me say that the food was nothing short of sensational. The presentation was exceptional and the quality was second to none. The kingfish entree we had was superb and the mains were all raved about by every guest. They did a fat free vegetarian line as well which would have made a meat lover's mouth water. As with most up market restaurants these days the portions were not like the old pub style, 'more is better' mentality. If you were looking at a place to fill up a hungry teenager this is not the place... Hey isnt that what Sizzlers is for? What Matteos does is leaves you with a full stomach but still begging for more... I'm in Melbourne next week and let me assure everyone Matteos is the first port of call.
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Visit: Sat 19 July 2008
Mealtime: dinner
Service:
Atmosphere:
Posted by:
ragnap
|
16 July 2008, 10.35am
How did they get two hats?
We were expecting big things from this two hat restaurant, and thought it would be twice as good as a one hat restaurant, but it's not. We were seated at a table which hardly fitted our legs under it because it was so low. The waiters served everyone around us bread but forgot us. Our entrees were nice (is 'nice' good enough for a two hat?), my main of steak was average (I can cook a better steak myself) and my boyfriend's lamb was so minute he wondered if he had been given the wrong dish. During this time the waiters had nearly tipped our wine glasses over twice. Finally, the bill came with extras that we hadn't ordered. We wouldn't dine here again, because we've eaten better meals at one hat restaurants for half the price.
Food:
Visit: Sat 12 July 2008
Mealtime: dinner
Service:
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