Spinetoli, South Yarra

Spinetoli - Tagliolini con crostaci - Handmade tagliolini with Tiger prawns, prawn bisque reduction and cherry tomatoes ($29)

21 Apr Spinetoli, South Yarra

Posted at 19:23h in Food, Italian, Restaurants, South Yarra, Spinetoli by A Chronicle of Gastronomy 0 Comments

Spinetoli opened up quietly in March on the western end of Toorak Road, where a few new openings have appeared of late. Here you’ll discover dishes that are modern in style, but true to classic Italian flavours.

Spinetoli - Kingfish tartare, olive oil cracker, cucumber salt, with herbs and sprouts ($19) — Kingfish tartare, olive oil cracker, cucumber salt, with herbs and sprouts ($19)

Spinetoli - Thinly sliced rare beef filet, prepared with fresh rocket salad and shavings of grana parmesan cheese ($19) — Thinly sliced rare beef filet, prepared with fresh rocket salad and shavings of grana parmesan cheese ($19)

Kingfish Tartare features fresh and tasty seafood with bright accompaniments of cucumber salt, herbs and sprouts and olive oil crackers. The beef Carpaccio is sliced large and thin, and has a nice supple texture. It receives an extra kick of flavour from the shavings of grana parmesan cheese.

Spinetoli - Lamb loin, coated in parsley crumb, lamb porchetta, served with golden beetroot, mushrooms and a demi-glaze sauce ($31)

Lamb loin, coated in parsley crumb, is beautifully tender and is served with golden beetroot, mushrooms and a demi-glaze sauce. Definitely one of the better executed lamb dishes we’ve had recently.

The pasta at Spinetoli is all handmade, so it would be remiss to leave without trying a pasta dish. Their Tagliolini con Crostaci is paired with shelled and chopped tiger prawns, and is slicked with a beautifully rich bisque reduction. The taglionlini itself has a nice, smooth texture, and just the right amount of bite.

Spinetoli - Tortina di frolla - Italian biscuit tart with italian cream infused with passion fruit, nuts and dried apricots ($13) — Tortina di frolla - Italian biscuit tart with italian cream infused with passion fruit, nuts and dried apricots ($13)

Their Tiramisu is very well balanced, with a good ratio of coffee, chocolate, cream and biscuit. A little unsure about the Tortina di Frolla due to my general dislike of dried fried, we were convinced to try it. The biscuit tart is filled with daubs of Italian cream infused with passion fruit, and is showered with walnuts. The flavour of the dried apricots is not as intense as I feared, and it only features as little slivers on top anyway. The shortcrust pastry is delightfully crumbly, and the passionfruit cream has a good level of zing to it.

It’s safe to say that the tart exceeded our expectations, and in fact, Spinetoli really impressed in general. Highly recommended.