Cugini's

With its home made pastas, wood fired pizzas and a whole menu dedicated to Spritz’s (that's right...a whole section of the menu!), Italian inspired Cugini’s is a welcome addition to Nicholson Street in Fitzroy North. 

The home made pastas were definitely a highlight of the night - opting for the entree serves of the pappardelle alle polpette ($12) and the chicken and ricotta agnolotti ($15).  Not only was the pasta clearly home made, it was cooked al dente, smothered in a rich flavoursome sauce and was a generous serving for an entree size. 

The Diablo’s wood fire pizza ($24) was also done well, with a thin but still crispy crust and a generous amount of toppings. 

If you’re in Fitzroy North and looking for some delicious carb fuelled Italian comfort food, that’s great value for money, look no further than Cugini’s. 

Food: 4/5 

Value for money: 4.5/5 

Service: 5/5 

Venue: 4/5 

Total: 17.5/20 

Verdict: love - get around to trying it soon 

 The New Fave dined courtesy of Cugini’s

Albert Park Hotel

It was a shame to see such a beautiful venue as Albert Park Hotel empty for so long - but what I definitely didn't expect was that on its reopening, gone would be the days of its pub fair, with the Hotel instead offering Asian Cuisine. 

The Hotel now offers a front bar, cocktail bar, formal restuarant and take-away counter. On this occassion we visited the front bar, ordering the xiao long bao (4 for $15), the chicken and chive pan fried dumplings (5 for $18), prawn wontons (5 for $20), five spice silken tofu ($18) and salt and pepper calamari ($26).

The higlight of the dishes was definitely the prawn wontons - fat, juicy and filled with large chunks of pranws.  Whereas the lowlight was the chicken dumplings - the chicken meat being far too pink inside for my liking. Otherwise, while the other dishes were "tasty", they certainly weren't anything to write about (especially the xiao long bao which fell to peices to matter how gently I tried to lift them from the steam basket), and to be honest I expected more for the price point. 

While I definitely won't be going back just for its food, with it's heritage-style Albert Park charm, friendly service and stunning outdoor area, I would definitely recommend Albert Park Hotel for a few drinks, and potentially a snack if you're starving. 

Food: 3/5

Venue: 4.5/5

Service: 4/5

Value for money: 2/5

Total: 13.5/20

Verdict: Like - get around to trying it for drinks at some point 

Pontoon

Nestled on the bottom floor of the Stokehouse is its more casual, some would say party-animal sister Pontoon. With one of the more stunning views in Melbourne, don’t be surprised if you find yourself sharing your dinner with DJ working his decks even before the sun has gone down, with a bustling room of people who already have a glimmer of a big night ahead in their eye.

Pontoon’s menu is gastro-pub in style - offering classics such as fish and chips and steak, as well as a large offering of seafood, such as skewered octopus, barramundi calamari and oysters. On this occasion I went with the fish finger burger with cocktail sauce and house pickles.

Unfortunately there was an overpowering smokey taste to it, and the fish was definitely on the scarce side - so while a reasonably tasty meal, not the best fish burger going around.

But who are we kidding, no one is coming to Pontoon for its food. Pontoon is definitely all about its stunning venue, and would be a great choice if you’re looking for a Sunday afternoon drink with an epic beachfront view

Food: 3/5
Service: 4/5
Venue: 4/5
Total: 11/15
Verdict: Like - get around to trying it at some point