When is the best time to visit a restaurant for a story? I usually stay away for the first few weeks preferring to visit at the four week mark although I know bloggers and magazine reviewers that visit within the first few days of a place opening. Things inevitably change and areas like service and timing improve as everyone gets used to the new surroundings and menus. But when we were asked if we’d like to check out Neil Perry’s new restaurant Rosetta, well who on earth would say no?
Melbourne’s Rosetta opened to much curiosity – every time we walked past the restaurant, people were peering in through the curved glass windows trying to take a look at the interior. Slated to originally have opened months before, the restaurant is an homage to all things Italian.
Where is it among the Crown Complex? It turns out it is on your direct left if you’re walking out of the Crown Towers lobby, it sits in a separate building. The large logo of Rosetta grabs your attention straight away and it is located right next to Rockpool Bar & Grill alongside the Yarra River.
What would Neil say to those that ask ‘What does Neil Perry know about Italian food’? He says “as much as he does about Chinese I guess. It has been a lifelong love as the food is very seasonal and produce driven, for the same reason I love Japanese. So it fits with my philosophy. It is really nice working within a cuisine that is so varied from north to south and in between. I also wanted a reason to go there at least twice a year!!! I’m using not being Italian as an advantage so I can believe that all parts of Italy make good food.”
The interior is luxe Italian. His brief to designer Iain Halliday was to use references from classical Italian design. There are two types of Italian marble used on the floors and tables. Curved glass windows look out onto the view outside and the terrace area features Pucci inspired cushions.
Terrace area
Diners push the Fornasetti copper plate at the door and present themselves at the front desk which Ferrari fans will notice is upholstered in the same patterned leather as the interior of a Ferrari. A length of Missoni inspired rosetta or red rose carpet lies underfoot while a portrait of Fiat founder Giovanni Agnelli overlooks vases of red and pink roses sitting on an antique Italian table. Neil tells us that he wanted to call it Rosetta for a few reasons: firstly because it is a beautiful Italian woman’s name, secondly, because of the classic rosetta roll and also because he saw this as a feminine space whereas nearby Rockpool Bar & Grill was more masculine.
The main dining room has a classic Italian herringbone patterned floor. There are three domes within the ceiling from which Murano hand blown chandeliers are suspended and there is a wall of framed infamous and famous Italians from a young Giorgio Armani and Valentino to sirens Claudia Cardinale and Gina Lollobrigida to Sergio Leone and Frank Sinatra.
Strawberry bellini (background) and Americano (foreground)
You know, I’m not really one for strong, knock yourself out drinks. The strawberry bellini with fresh strawberries of the season was pure sweet strawberries and very moreish. The Americano was too strong for me, well you know me, I love my cocktails girly rather than burly but Mr NQN enjoys it.
Ricotta Fresca $16
We settle into our table inside in a comfortable chair and the menu makes things difficult to choose. Along with the food, there is an extensive wine list available too. All of the ricotta is made fresh daily and took months of testing to get it just right. At our table is restaurateur and Melbourne’s Godfather of Italian cuisine Ronnie Di Stasio who declares this entree one of his favourite dishes. The ricotta is milky and soft and never sees the inside of a fridge as it is made fresh every day. It comes with a soft roasted tomatoes and slices of bread to smear it on.
Polpette al forno $19
Apart from vegetarians for obvious reasons, I don’t think I’ve met anyone that doesn’t love meatballs. For me, I like it when they’re large and soft with a good, thick, rich tomatoey sauce. Fire roasted before cooking with the rich sauce, these were luscious, plump veal and pork morsels with a beautifully rich tomato based sauce. I could have eaten the whole plate by myself.
Calamari $32
The thin, tender deep fried squid was lightly crumbed and came as tender light golden fingers of squid and zucchini. This was good although it is a tad pricey at $32 for the size.
Vitello $25
The vitello is raw, chopped veal flavoured with lemon and served with a very thinly sliced bitter raddichio. The veal was very well seasoned and with a lovely lemon accent although I found the raddichio a bit bitter for me while Mr NQN liked the combination.
Spaghetti alla Chitarra $35
Onto the pastas! All of the pastas are house made and we start with the house made spaghetti alla chitarra. The house made spaghetti has such a lovely texture, softer and silkier than a dried spaghetti and this is accompanied by tender prawn pieces and pistachio which is a lovely, delicate combination.
Maccaronara $29
If you want something the polar opposite of this dish strength-wise, the maccaronara, a fatter version of spaghetti, is rich and bold with a hearty tomato ragu sauce and snowy blanket of reggiano liberally sprinkled on top. Despite the fact that I know that I have a main and dessert left, every curl of pasta is slurped and every lick of sauce is mopped up with the bread.
And psst! On the way to the bathrooms, take a peek into the back room, a private dining room that seats 14 which is also used as part of the restaurant. Along the back wall is Andy Warhol’s “The Last Supper”. And just in case you needed to know, the taps have motion sensors (whereas I was trying to turn the top-oops, you can’t take my anywhere 
).
Cotoletta $45
The crunchy breadcrumbed veal cutlet was served thinly sliced and pan fried with a lemon and caper salsa and takes up every corner of the enormous plate. I tried a little of this and it was very good with the floral fragrance of sage leaves.
Agnello $49
Soft and luscious, the agnello lamb was rich and yielding without ever being overly fatty. It was a generous sized serve accompanied with sweet peas.
Anatra $45
The main dish that I wasn’t as smitten with was the Anatra or the wood roasted twice cooked duck. Whilst the serve was generous, the duck was cooked til pink but the pieces on the bone are a little difficult to cut which was surprising as it was twice cooked. The two peach halves were quite tart to go with the rich duck.
We quickly pop into the kitchen, firstly checking that we won’t be in the way and we stand back and watch the action inside. It’s phenomenal to watch – the coordinated action has a real urgency to it coupled with the nervous tension of a new restaurant. Rockpool’s Brendan Sheldrick heads up the kitchen under Neil. Neil’s signature ponytail swings as he turns back and forth directing dishes and rows of staff wait their plates while other staff watch on.
Bonét $19
Dessert is a whole column in itself on the menu with a range of five Italian cheeses to choose from as well as desserts, gelati, sorbetti and pastries. The Bonét is a swoon worthy Piemontese chocolate pudding – rich, dark and glossier than a moonlit harbour. It’s a divine balance of chocolate, coffee, caramel and rum in a dense, smooth pudding. It’s an adult’s dessert and Neil tells us that apart from the caramel, there is no added sugar in this dessert which uses a Valrhona bitter chocolate.
Panna cotta $21
Again, another polar opposite dish to the above is the panna cotta. We’ve all heard the line that panna cotta is supposed to be as wobbly as a woman’s breast. This one is so soft and wobbly, it’s almost obscene. Competing with the Bonet for favourite dessert, this milky vanilla and jellicious number is paired with a sweet rhubarb and strawberry compote. I went to the dark side of the Bonet while Mr NQN went to the light side of the panna cotta.
Fior di latte ice cream $8.50
The fior di latte is a milk and cream based ice cream which is made on the premises as is all of their gelati and sorbetti. It has a lovely texture and just the right amount of sweetness to it.
Cioccolato and Pistacchio gelati $8.50
The pistachio gelati tasted like roasted pistachios, not like almonds which usually happens when they use pastes to flavour gelati and I could have eaten scoops of this along with the dark, intense chocolate gelati.
Cannoli di ricotta $8
Freshly filled with a paper thin crispy shell and a smooth, sweet ricotta filling, these are the perfect size for a post dessert snack. Sophia, Gina and Claudia would surely approve no?
So tell me Dear Reader, who is your favourite starlet from yesteryear? And do you prefer rich, bold flavours or light, delicate ones? And do you like your cocktails girly or burly?
NQN and Mr NQN dined as guests of Rosetta
Rosetta
Crown Complex, 8 Whiteman Street, Southbank Victoria 3006
Tel: +61 3 8648 1999
http://www.rosettaristorante.com/reservations/
Open: Lunch Tuesday to Sunday from 12pm – 3pm
Dinner 7 days from 6pm – 11pm
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33 Comments | Add your own
Salivating so much I might as well put on a swimsuit…… Bonet sent me over the top!
First time I’ve heard of a panna cotta described as a woman’s breast! haha, love it!
Great post
Teehee, you and I both always make reference to almond-flavoured “pistachio” desserts whenever we mention pistachio! Love it. And that’s a chocolate dessert I could actually get behind. Coffee and caramel too? Yep!
That food looks fantastic! What a dream evening! I’m all about girly cocktails too, I love coconutty ones! I would have the panacotta, the Angello and the Spaghetti alla Chitarra!
To answer your questions about bold or light and girly or burly, I think I like both depending on the dish or drink. Everything looks so great. I really want to grab the plate of pasta with prawns and pistachios!
What an incredibly lovely dinner. I enjoyed reading about every course; it indeed is thrill to watch the action of a well orchestrated kitchen. It’s something of a ballet.
I have never heard of this place, but it all looks sumptuous.
What lovely elegant food for a lovely elegant setting. You are making me want a meatball right now. Among other dishes…
Audrey Hepburn (and Katherine), big bold flavors, and girly cocktails.
I’ve had wonderful experiences dining at Rockpool Bar and Grill here in Sydney! My eyes are immediately drawn to the Bonet – looks so deliciously oooozy.
I definitely have to say Im’ a girly cocktail girl – sweet drinks all the way!
That’s a stunning looking restaurant. I love the interior. And those little green candle holders on the tables are gorgeous surrounded with the red. It’s a shame the twice-cooked duck wasn’t falling off the bone xx
*sigh* I heart Neil.
I also heart Italian food and Rosetta looks like it is on the money. I do find I am prefering restaurants that do simple food well as opposed to the molecular and/or fancy stuff. And I will have a girly cocktail please!
$32 was rather pricey for that calamari although it sure looked tasty!
I like girly cocktails with a hint of alcohol. I don’t see the point of a fancy drink that’s so strong you can barely swallow it.
Oh wow, where do I start? I must try Rosetta the next time we travel to Melbourne. Impressive doesn’t seem to be enough to emphasise everything about this gorgeous restaurant. Neil Perry never does anything by halves and he has pulled out all stops on this project!
From humble beginnings she achieved so much and has lived her life graciously.
Love the name, decor and want to taste the food! Being Italian I rarely choose to dine Italian but “I’m chomping at the bit” to try this!
Even though all three ladies are gorgeous, I always choose Sophia because of her natural beauty, the way she carries herself and her very famous phrase:
“Everything you see I owe to spaghetti!” Now that sums up Italians in my book
Depending on my food mood I can go either bold or light and the same for drinks but you can tell a good Italian if an Amaro is ordered, it’s in our blood!
Sophia Loren from way back and now. She’s a class act and I would love it if she’d let me stay in her Rome apartment just opposite Michelangelos steps.
I bet she can make a nifty pasta dish.
Rosetta sounds like a wonderful place to have a meal (or 3).
I agree on not reviewing a restaurant at opening. Unless it’s an experienced person like Neil, reviewing before they find their legs is cruel.
Have always thought of Neil Perry as a very clever guy! Look at the utter and absolute simplicity of that brilliant menu: totally depending on quality of raw produce and perfection in cooking! Achieved methinks! Kudos! Prices steep for this rural gal, but looking at the surrounds, understandable. Do hope his clientele understands and appreciates. Usually no cocktails for me:start with the wine with which I mean to continue. Flavours: depends! Stars of yesteryear: Ingrid Bergman, of course, and the two Hepburns and the wonderfully elegant Dirk Bogarde . . .
Absolutely gorgeous looking meal. I love the look of the succulent lamb and the strawberry cocktail
oh and who could forget that yummy looking cannoli.. one of my faves:)
Well, now I have another reason to go back to Melbourne sooner rather than later! You had me at ‘fresh ricotta’.
I am not one for cocktails, this girl prefers wine, champagne, or straight whisky. I suppose on the flavour front it really depends on what I am eating, and how it interacts with other flavours on the plate. I adore the brash sharpness of dijon mustard, but then I also love a cool slick of cream in another dish.
My favourite starlet from days gone by would have to be Katharine Hepburn. She knew how to be a woman of power in a man’s world, and she made a great brownie!
Thank you for another great post. You keep giving me reasons to visit Australia! I like a balance of bold and delicate flavors during a meal. The one you had would be ideal.
I had the worst panna cotta in Rome… the restaurant we wanted to go to was closed (owners on holiday in June apparently) so we had to settle for a a touristy place. The panna cotta was hard like a very stiff pudding; they had put it in the fridge. Very strange!
I would love to come dine with you someday.
That is one plush looking restaurant. I guess with that luxe decor, you can justify a plate of $32 calamari, huh? Oooh, pricy. But the experience overall looks totally worth it.
I like to go to a new restaurant early, especially if it’s a good ‘un, because it’s quite hard to get into places after they become too popular.
Love the look of the food here. A shame the duck wasn’t fantastic because I love duck! But I guess everything else makes up for it huh?
I’ve never seen calamari served with zucchini and I’m very fascinated with the combination. It’s a lot prettier and I might give that a try at home too. I’m used to light and delicate flavors but I once in a while enjoy bold flavor. But I have to admit 1-2 days out of a week is enough for me. Such a gorgeous restaurant!
Wow, Rosetta looks incredible!! I agree, I always think it’s only fair to let new places get into the groove before visiting. But in the groove these guys definitely are, everything looks amazing, reckon I need to get down to Melbourne v soon!
Gorgeous… Italian… Need to eat right now
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
What a stunning place! And the pictures take me right inside the dining room. Fantastic review. But $16 for cheese?? Wow.
Just your description of the interior made me want to visit, but with that bonet dessert and actual real pistachio gelato…done!
I think I need a bit more Italia food….Australian style.
I have to say Marilyn Monroe after just having seen the exhibition in Florence and I am a wimp when it comes to cocktails.
Yay! You got to come to Melbourne and try Rosetta
even though I agree with you and usually avoid restaurants when they first open but hehe I think Niel Perry is so experienced that his restaurants will be amazing from the first day ~
I’m going to Rosetta soon
just haven’t had time to book super excited about trying the pasta and Bonet!!!
I definitely like my girly cocktails hehe
those giant meatballs reminds me of the ones at cafe sopra, yum!
Audrey Hepburn and Natalie Wood, such totally cute women! Love your pics, this place looks wonderful, nothing there I wouldn’t devour!
I love light delicate flavours, as well as girly cocktails.
Again I need to go and have one of each of all the desserts.
We had booked dinner here soon, so thanks for the heads-up on what to order and what not to order. Heard that there was a $65 pasta dish (?!). Prices in this area of Melbourne are generally excessive for the (mostly mediocre) quality of food served. That said, your pictures certainly capture the beauty of it – as we have seen in other reviews too. We’ll let you know how we go, looking forward to it, thanks again.
I love reading your restaurant reviews, thank you.
And for me:
Cocktails – girly
Tastes & Flavours – strong
Frankly, it looks amazing. Love the look of Polpette al forno. And could well go a cool Americano right now! thanks for sharing.
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