Ristorante Pinocchio, Unley Rd

Me and the boy headed out for Dinner the other night to Unley Road. I really fancied Asian food and there are a couple of nice restaurants there I fancy trying.

However the menu and fantastic atmosphere of Ristorante Pinocchio changed my mind and had me craving Italian instead.

The Restaurant is quite new to the Unley Strip (I think it used to be an internet cafe, but the renovations make it un-recognisable) The furniture is wonderfully solid, big heavy chairs selection of small and huge long tables make it perfect for couples or large groups. The fresh white walls are decorated with colourful Pinocchio paraphernalia of all shapes and sizes from days gone by.


It was a cold night so we started with a bottle of Italian red to warm us from the inside out! I think it was a Zinfandel although I can't quite remember, the Fruity blackcurenty flavours still linger strongly in my mind.


The menu was vast and so were our appetites! We ordered Antipasto 'La Fraschetta' for starter and both ordered Specials for main.


The Antipasto ($17.90) was a lovely way to start the meal, little tastes which left you longing for more. I'm not sure what the little fish were (Maybe sardines?) but the salty tang combined with the marinated mushrooms was fantastic! And the prosciutto was melt in the mouth but not wafer thin.


I tried an olive (which I thought was very brave!) and it wasn't as strong as others I've attempted but I'm just not an olive fan. I think the seeds are cardamon seeds? The boy likes them and did his best to eat our fair share!


The Salmon was a replacement for the Tuna special which had sold out (I liked that they had a replacement option available as often once it's gone it's gone...too bad!) The Salmon was grilled and served with a Truffle butter and steamed vegetables (we thought the waitress had said roasted veg so we didn't order a side of potatoes. and It was a little on the small side without ordering the side, next time we will know better).


I finally decided on the Umbricelli alla Bolognese ($24.00) Homemade pasta, like a thick spaghetti, tossed in a slow cooked veal and pork bolognese. mmmm. The pasta was quite al dente and had a really nice flavour to it, I'm not sure I've ever had homemade pasta before? The sauce had a lovely rich meaty flavour and not as tomato-y as I was expecting.

Definatly a place we will go back to.


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Pinocchio Ristorante
50 Unley Road (Opposite Boho)
Parkside
Tel: 0414157974
e-mail: edoterni@yahoo.it

Open Lunch- Tue-Fri 12.00 - 3.00pm
Dinner- Tue-Sat 6.00 - late