Cecconi's

With its crisp white table cloths, elegant glassware, exquisite Italian food, and slightly stuffy and overcrowded venue, the formal dining area at Cecconi's stays refreshingly true to the old-worldly concept of the long boozy business lunch.

Situated in the CBD, on the left side of venue is the casual bar area which offers a range of Italian inspired entree's at around the $15 mark, and mains at around $30. On the right side of the venue is the pièce de résistance, where dishes will set you back about $30 for an entree and $50 for a main.  On this occasion we were lucky enough to dine in the formal dining area. 

My entree of calamari fritti was flawless - tender, juicy and cooked to absolute perfection.  So too was the eye fillet steak, which was also served with mashed potato and a roasted mushroom on the side.

The service was also excellent - well that is until one of the waiters was incredibly rude to us at the end - an unnecessary blemish on what could have otherwise been an exceptional experience.

With the suits piled in, the expensive booze flowing and the bellows of laughter coming from all corners of the room at 3.30pm on a Weekday, you'd be forgiven for thinking you'd stepped into a scene on Wall Street.  But all of this adds to Cecconi's distinct charm which what makes it one of the best restaurants in Melbourne.

Food: 5/5
Service: 3.5/5
Venue: 4/5
Value for money: 4/5
Total: 16.5/20
Verdict: Love - get around to trying it soon