Pacinos – The Overview…
Food: Antipasto for 2, Homemade Gnocchi, Spaghetti Meatballs
Ratings:
Food: 3.5/5
Atmosphere: 4/5
Service: 3/5
Value: 4/5
The details…
The low ceilings and dark walls make Pacinos feel dark and cosy, despite its fairly large size (think American Road side diner), though the brightly decorated rear wall near the kitchen helped to brighten up the space and provide some interest. There’s also a separate take away space at the front too which we thought was a pretty great idea!
We were promptly greeted and service remained reasonably attentive throughout our visit. We would have loved to hear a little more about the venue, and possible be told about the specials available that day (which we only noticed after ordering), especially as the venue was quiet when we visited. To eat we ordered the antipasto board for two, and went for the spaghetti meatballs and the homemade gnocchi for our mains.
Now given that we’ve visited numerous Italian venues over the past few weeks, there was a lot of competition for these dishes. We loved the variety on the antipasto board and it’s a very meat heavy dish with Italian sausage, salami, ham, prosciutto and calamari. The highlight was the char-grilled Italian sausage which held on to the beautiful charcoal flavour and was delicious. The crumb on the calamari was also well flavoured. It initially looks a little small, and a few more veggies or cheeses on here would have made us really happy – however, it’s a very filling appetiser and great value at $26.
The meatball pasta dish was a generous serve, with 5 large meatballs. The meatballs were quite soft and light and it was a nice contrast from the rich starter. The sauce was a fresh, tomato based sauce and it looked exactly like you’d want a pasta dish to look. The pasta itself was well cooked and it was a nice traditional Italian dish.
The gnocchi dish has some yummy flavours. We particularly enjoyed the pumpkin and balsamic reduction combination and it was a more mature, sophisticated dish compared with the meatballs. The gnocchi was enjoyable, a touch dense but still a very pleasant and filling dish. We loved the contrast between all three dishes we had – and Pacino’s do a range of meat-based mains, pizzas and salads too so there really is a lot on offer!
Everything else…
Website: http://www.pacinos.net.au/
Address: 28/300 Epsom Road, Flemington
Opening Times:
Mon 11am to 10pm
Tue 11am to 10pm
Wed 11am to 10pm
Thu 11am to 10pm
Fri 11am to 10pm
Sat 11am to 10pm
Sun 11am to 10pm
Parking: You’ll easily find a space in the large carpark adjacent to Pacinos.
Getting here on PT: It’s a short walk from the Showgrounds train station, or the 57 tram (Alight at Racing Victoria – Stop 31)
Disclaimer: We dined as guests of Pacinos, Flemington. Reviews are honest and based on our own personal experiences. We cannot guarantee things at a cafe won’t change including, but not limited to, menu items and opening hours, so please confirm any details with the venue before visiting.