I think it’s safe to say that we had way too much pasta in Melbourne every time we were in Melbourne. Booking a hotel means we end up eating out for every meal, and there really aren’t many dining options in the evening and at night. Cafés are unfortunately all closed by the afternoon. Our best bets were the Asian food places (which we found horribly exorbitant, given that we pay much less in Asia for the same food!), and Italian restaurants.
We were really fortunate that we managed to clinch a table here despite not having a reservation. We had no idea this place was so popular even on weekday evenings, and was initially turned away because they were fully booked. The kind staff saw that we had a baby in tow and probably decided that it was better to get us in rather than let us try to find other dining options in the cold, so she ushered us in on the premise that we finished the meal before the diners who reserved the table arrived.
We obviously took up the challenge, knowing that we eat fast anyway (a new superpower you pick up as a parent). The downside is that this is clearly not the most family-friendly dining place, so no baby chair/high chair for your little ones. We resolved that easily by having our baby in a carrier, and by letting her sit (supervised and manually restrained) on the cushion seat. However, do note that it gets tough if your baby can’t sit well in a carrier or if you only have a stroller/pram.
It’s not often that we indulge in cocktails, but we decided we might as well enjoy a little on holiday. I’m a huge fan of coffee liquors so I got the venus nectar – amaretto, cognac, coffee liquer, lemon, egg white (AUD 25) and my husband decided on the sojurita – mezcal, soju, yakult, lime (AUD 26).
We found them a little pricey considering how small the portions were, but safe to say they were really, really good.
The mains selection is kept pretty small at just 7 options. I picked the paccheri, duck ragu, rosemary crumble, black olive powder (AUD 48) and my husband had the mafaldine, moreton bay bug, nduja, tomato, basil pesto (AUD 54).
To be honest, I had no idea what paccheri was and had to google it before making my order. Despite the fact that I’m more of a penne and fusilli fan, and that the dish looked pretty ordinary, this actually turned out to be one of the most impressive plates of pasta I ever had in my life.
Yes, even better than The Moat.
I know I said previously that The Moat at State Library Victoria served my favourite pasta, but this one really topped it. For someone who eats a lot of pasta (oops), this means that the pasta at ALT Pasta Bar is seriously good.
You can tell when pasta is made in-house and cooked to perfection by a chef who knows what they’re doing, and when a restaurant is serving it just because. The duck ragu paccheri was clearly the former. The duck ragu was intensely flavourful without being salty (important distinction: umami instead of salty) and paired nicely with the pasta.
I actually wanted seconds, if only the pasta wasn’t so expensive.
I didn’t try the moreton bay bug (okay, I’m not very adventurous), but my husband was just as impressed. So you can probably tell he enjoyed his dish as much as I did with mine.
I would love to dine again at ALT Pasta Bar – but perhaps next time during lunch. And maybe with a reservation. And certainly with a fatter wallet.
DIRECTIONS
Address: 30 Niagara Ln, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia
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- The Fitz Cafe & Rooftop: cosy & delicious brunch in Melbourne
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