Giuseppe Arnaldo & Sons

This sassy little Italian number in Southbank has been open for about a year and a half now and business seems to be moving along very nicely.  I dined here about a week ago on what was supposed to be the first day of my detox after all of the Christmas eating.  Needless to say the detox went straight out the window when our good friends Mikael and Cindy phoned up to say they had a babysitter for the night and wanted to go out to dinner.  It was too hot to cook at home anyway!!!

Now I know that some of us locals have issues with dining along the promenade at Southbank but you do have to think of all of the business travellers and tourists that visit this area every day.  Don't you want them to come away thinking that they have had a good foodie experience in Melbourne (The food capital of Australia)?

I think GAS is a fantastic option for people wanting to dine somewhere in the Southbank/ Crown vicinity and experience a little taste of Melbourne dining.  From the moment you walk in to this beautifully designed space you get a little bit excited, particularly by the waiters walking around in their mad scientist style knee length overcoats and for me the cabinet full of hanging salumi.

We were seated and ready to order from our menus which happened to double as place mats (similar to Wagamama).  I was having trouble because I really felt like pasta but the other primi piatti also looked very enticing such as the veal shank braised in milk with mashed potatoes $28.  When I was told that the veal shanks were no longer available for the evening my choice was simple I would have the Bucatini pasta with squid, tomato, chilli, red wine and pancetta $21.  I am very glad that I did as the sugo was wonderfully rich  and the pancetta worked really well with the squid.

Nick also went for a safe option ordering a Tagliatelle “ all Amatriciana” pancetta, guanciale, tomato sauce and his dish was equally as good as mine.  So Nick and I were having a very good time woofing down our pasta but unfortunately for Mikael and Cindy their dishes didn't seem to be quite as pleasing to the taste buds or the eye.  Mikael ordered the “Zampone” Pigs Trotter filled with house made cotechino $26 which I must say looked like a rather differed appendage than a trotter but apparently tasted okay.  And Cindy who had already eaten pasta for lunch ordered a steak which was just that.

Giuseppe Arnaldo & Sons is a great place for the weary business traveller that is staying at a hotel along the river and is really craving a good bowl of pasta and a sneaky carafe of wine it is also a very good option for any locals wanting to take their traveller friends to Crown for the day and still eat somewhere with a bit of class that doesn't cost an arm and a leg but perhaps might cost a trotter.

Address: 25/8 Whiteman St, Southbank VIC 3006
Phone:  (03) 9694 7400
Bookings:  Recommended
Licensed:  Fully