Cecconi's Autumn Menu Is A Hit
Cecconi's in Flinders Lane is one of The World Loves Melbourne's favourite Melbourne restaurants and we were delighted to be invited (David and Mario) to imbibe the new autumn menu. Check out our Best Italian Restaurants in Melbourne.
Cecconi's was pumping and a full house on a quiet Wednesday night in Melbourne, a testimony to its class and Italian style. The room appeared full of the well heeled who know their Italian cuisine. The World Loves Melbourne finds the cuisine at Cecconi's both rustic and rewarding with dishes that have a modern twist. As we keep saying, dining at Cecconi's is like dining with family. And that's due in major part to the influence of iconic Maria Bortolotto and her family who are charming and engaging hosts and the inspiration behind the cuisine and ambience.
Bread was a delightful starter, especially as this bread was of the highest quality made from stoneground flour. Many customers comment on the bread here.
Wait staff are professionally attired and knowledgeable. The conviviality of Cecconi's is enhanced by the engaging wait staff, who ensure customers are well satiated and looked after.
First course was this attractive and tasty Beetroot salad, burrata, candy beets and spiced hazelnuts. The beetroot and the creamy burrata combined brilliantly with the crunch of the nuts welcome.
A highlight was this Seared Yellowfin Tuna salad with kipflers, green beans, parmesan cream. The quality of the tuna was undeniable and the kipflers perfectly cooked. The parmesan was the perfect accompaniment, while the addition of bottarga set the dish off.
Canneloni is a comfort food for The World Loves Melbourne and Cecconi's was at its modern rustic best with this Beef Cheek and Ricotta Canneloni with parsnip puree and horseradish gremolata. Beef cheek is one of our favourite Italian dishes and to have it presented in this Canneloni style was a triumph.
Cecconi's garnishes return visits from satisfied and impressed customers. Having been here several times there is a consistency of quality dining experience and the restaurant is ever evolving not resting on its laurels. An exceptional and changing wine list is also top notch.
John Dory, black mussels and saffron and a stunning smoked cod broth was another dish of triumph. The smoky flavours of the fish were superb and the broth was compelling. We had to dip our spoons in the bowl to consume the broth like a soup. Mussels were also delightful, making this another compelling dish.
The dish we will remember for some time was this Rabbit loin wrapped in prosciutto, pine mushroom puree and rabbit croquette. It's not everyday you see rabbit on the menu and we enjoyed this rustic dish. We remember the days when rabbits were more bountiful across our country and these days it's harder to acquire. And not everyone cooks rabbit well. This dish was rich using rabbit in each component. With a matching pinot noir from the Mornington Peninsula the rabbit dish was the highlight of the night.
Complementing the Rabbit loin and croquette dish was this simple but impressive Baked sweet potato, feta, chilli, mint, radicchio. A clever concept to open up a large baked sweet potato and fill it with a refreshing salad.
Desserts at Cecconi's are always of a high standard. This Gingerbread parfait, poached rose fruits, apple sago and cinnamon streusel seemed like a healthier tasty dessert option to us and not too heavy. The plating was pretty.
The glass was frosty cool for this delicate and rewarding dish of Lemon yoghurt cream, casis jam, crispy meringue, vanilla sugar. The lemon flavours run through the dish and we enjoyed the crispy meringue and jam.
Cecconi's is some of the best dining in Melbourne. Highly recommended.