Farina 00 Wood Fired Pizza

The Overview…

Food: Arancini, Ricotta Gnocchi Burnt Butter and Sage, Rigatoni Calabrese, Neapolitan Slice

Ratings:
Food: 4/5
Atmosphere: 4.5/5
Service: 4.5/5
Value: 4/5

The details…

Expect a warm welcome in this family owned establishment. Being a little off the beaten  (Northcote High Street) track means you can enjoy an open, spacious venue.  Nicely styled with darker woods, bare brick walls and lots of earth tones, it feels a little more like a fine French bistro than a typical, Italian cafe. You’ve got the space to really kick back and relax with a glass of wine in this inviting restaurant.

We started with the aracini balls. These change seasonally, and we sampled the capsicum and pesto flavour. These were a clever little entree, and I don’t know how they did it, but you’re greeted with a smooth cheese and capsicum flavour initially, before this gives way to the herby pesto. They had a nice crisp before giving way to the soft filling and they offer good value at $12.50 for 4.

For mains, we wanted one thing and one thing only: pizza bowls!! The awesome thing about these bowls is that they can be filled with any pasta main off the menu so you’ve still got so much choice. Don’t be deceived though, when your pasta comes out in this huge pizza bowl, you think it’s a small serve, but just wait until you start eating and realise you’ve barely made a dent!

I opted for the Gnocchi with burnt butter and sage. This worked so well with the pizza bowl as the buttery sauce really complemented the pizza dough and made it even more delicious than it already was. Thankfully the gnocchi is pillow light and the sage cuts through the creamy sauce to nicely balance the dish. I thought it may be a carb overload but I thoroughly enjoyed it and can’t wait for my next pizza bowl.

The calabrese – wow, this has got a kick with the hot salami and super spicy sauce. This one is a real tasty dish, pasta cooked perfectly in the thick tomato based sauce which is packed full of flavour. It’s eye wateringly spicy, and so good, but maybe tell them to go easy on the chilli if you’re not as big of a spice fan as we are!

Finally for dessert we tried their extra special Neopolitan slice. This little stunner is pretty indulgent with strawberry truffles, chocolate cream and a sponge base – topped with some fresh berries. It’s art on a plate, and while I’m glad we shared it there’s no denying it’s a fab dessert, and a wonderful way to finish off a really enjoyable meal!

Everything else…

Website: http://www.farina00pizza.com.au/

Address:  204 St Georges Road, Northcote

Opening Times: 

Mon         Closed
Tue          Closed
Wed        5:30pm to 10pm
Thu        5:30pm to 10pm
Fri          5:30pm to 10pm
Sat          5:30pm to 10pm
Sun        5:30pm to 10pm

Parking: We easily found a street park just around the corner, and there seems to be a car park on the opposite side of St George’s Road (although it was a bit cold for me to go and properly investigate this one).

Getting here on PT: It’s right on the 11 tram route – the tram stops outside the door (alight at Gladstone Ave)

Disclaimer: We dined as guests of Farina 00, Northcote. Reviews are honest and based on our own personal experiences. We cannot guarantee things at a restaurant won’t change including, but not limited to, menu items and opening hours, so please confirm any details with the venue before visiting.