Cucina Di Gió Restaurant - Food VIC

5 /5 ML D: Quite simply the best Italian ristorante around! The menu, whilst not extensive is a case of a smaller number of dishes done to perfection. The service is warm, friendly and attentive. The atmosphere is intimate. We had a brilliant time here and will definitely be returning soon!

5 /5 wentian wang: This Italian restaurant is absolutely fantastic! From the moment you walk in, you can feel the warm atmosphere and authentic Italian charm. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable, offering great recommendations based on your taste. The pasta was perfectly cooked with rich, balanced flavors, and the pizza had a crispy base with deliciously melted cheese. The tiramisu dessert was a highlight — smooth, creamy, and not overly sweet. The wine list is impressive and pairs beautifully with the dishes. Overall, it was a wonderful dining experience — perfect for a date night or dinner with friends. One of the most authentic Italian meals I’ve had in Melbourne. Highly recommended!

5 /5 Sarah North: Dining Date: 28/02/2026. This restaurant is an underrated gem in the heart of Malvern Road. Since Benito (Calabrese descent) and his Shaghai-born wife took over in July 2025, it appears that the place has not been as busy. This is a real shame as the food and service here are top notch. The décor is purposefully dated to make it look like eating in a Nonna’s house, however I personally believe that it could do with modernisation given all current Italian restaurants have gone down this path. Removing the lace curtains and the gingham table cloths is an easy change. The music was a bit hit and miss too, so an improvement in the background music would assist. Also, upon arrival the air-conditioning unit was on 16 degrees making the place feel like a freezer. Thankfully Coco agreed to turn off the AC. We arrived at 6:45pm on a Saturday night and there were 8 people there across three tables, who were finishing up their meals and all departed by around 7:15pm, leaving us as the sole table. For a Saturday night this is no good for business. One of the drawbacks of the restaurant is that it appears to be run by Asians (the two waitresses were of Asian descent) and there is another in the kitchen. Rest assured, however, Benito is working hard taking the lead in the kitchen and having worked with Gio before he sold, has learnt all the wonderful recipes and delivers tasty, nicely presented and well-portioned meals. We spoke to Benito who acknowledged that getting some European staff would be beneficial however he noted that the ones coming out on Work-Holiday visas demand a minimum of $45/hr, which is an exorbitant cost for a suburban restaurant. I’m not wanting to pick on the staff here (as they were all very friendly and welcoming), as I would say the same in an Asian restaurant – people have expectations that it is run by Asians to make it more ‘authentic’. As for the food, we ordered the starter of octopus and caponata, followed by the chicken cacciatore and meatballs (entrée sized) plus an Italian Salad. All dishes were decent serving sizes, really well presented and very tasty, except the Italian Salad, which for $16.50 was overpriced for the serving size. We could not fault the food at all, as it was all very genuine Italian food. We didn’t have dessert as we were too full. We brought our own wine and paid the $15 corkage which was fine. After we’d finished the meal, Coco brought out us a bottle of Birra del Borgo ‘Lisa’ which was a tasty lager beer plus a small glass of tawny port – both on the house. This was unnecessary of them, however it was greatly appreciated and shows the lengths they are willing to go to please patrons. Overall, it was a lovely meal and we’ll return. Hopefully next time there is more atmosphere with the locals enjoying the experience here. Best of luck Benito and Coco.

5 /5 RyanM: I’ve followed this passionate hospitality couple for years. They previously ran a very successful steakhouse in Melbourne and also owned an Italian restaurant in Paddington, Brisbane. With that strong experience behind them, it’s no surprise that Cucina Di Gio in Malvern is such a beautiful addition to the area. My family and I have already visited many times, and the quality has been consistently excellent. The food is genuinely homemade and authentically Italian — simple, honest flavours done properly. You can really taste the experience and care in every dish. The seafood is outstanding, and the marinara is probably one of the best in Malvern — fresh, generous, and perfectly balanced. What I appreciate most is that this restaurant stands confidently on its own. It reflects the owners’ professionalism, passion, and years of experience, without needing comparison. Highly recommended for anyone looking for authentic Italian cuisine and warm hospitality in Malvern.

1 /5 Anna H: My issue here is with the asian front of the house staff or chef trying to flip the blame onto me. I came in without a reservation on christmas day and was able to get a seat. My server didnt explain anything about the menu - just that it was a christmas set menu and kind of just left me to decide what to pick off the menu. There was only 1 option for the antipasto so i assumed it was included in the menu and just arriving as is. I chose the beef ragu pasta, steak, and tiramisu. My entree arrived and it was heavy so i asked the asian lady if the dish at the top of the menu was included (olives, salami, bread) antipasti. She said to me that it is too much for me (probably because i was dining alone) and that it was meant for more people. Because of this I assumed im paying for whatever i order off the christmas menu not as a set menu so i said ok. The pasta was so salty and rich i needed some bread to cut the heaviness so i asked my server if i could order some focaccia bread as a side dish. He was able to get that for me. Time to pay. The asian lady came with the machine and i saw my bill. It didnt make sense. It says Set menu $85. No charge for my side order of bread. I asked her to clarify if the antipasti was included or not - and she says straight up to my face that i said it was too much and that i didnt want it. ?????? baffled i made it clear i never said that and that SHE said that to me when i asked about it! Mind you i had to order the bread on the side after i asked and she said it was too much for me. She starts to explain that its what they give to everybody that comes in. Am i not a part of that everybody? Its not very fair if the person next to me is paying the same price for the same meal... and gets the actual full menu and i dont because im dining alone. She probably could tell i was really not happy about it and offered me to have it for take out. In the end $100 later and im just annoyed that i was being gaslit into something i never said. This meal was not cheap either, everybody works hard for their money and i would have rather donated it and not eaten here.