Going Home to Amiconi

Amiconi Restaurant

359 Victoria Street, North Melbourne
p. 03 9328 3710

Visually, you could be mistaken for thinking you had walked into someone’s house, waiters laze about the bar as if they were entertaining at home. Family portraits and newspaper clippings line the walls. The Italian lure of Amiconi cannot be ignored- the atmosphere is something that can only truly be manifested by years of hard work and relentless passion.

Immediately seated, the service is prompt and professional on the outside- however once comfortably settled the charade is over and you are time travelling back to Ma and Pa’s house in Napoli. Warmed olives are bought to your table, courtesy of the house. As you would bring a bottle of wine over to friends, Amiconi is BYO- a refreshing change from the bulk of many other Italian restaurants –‘$15 house’ red wine your grandfather made. No thanks.

Our waitress far exceeded our expectations not only was she attentive she was refreshingly honest. As someone that suffers acute Food Envy I find it hard to settle on one dish of choice; subsequently I only dine out with those who believe in the communal eating ethos i.e. stealing from one another’s plates. Our waitress was like minded and offered three of the best picks, and in the interim challenged the foreseeable ordering of garlic bread with a suggestion of Ciabatta alla Parma instead. Just enough to whet the appetite - we eagerly awaited our mains.

The Tagliatelle alla Carbonara provided us with a solid benchmark on which to measure Amiconi up against its Lygon Street counterparts. It was flavoursome and consoling without the need to say forty Hail Mary’s to your butt and thighs. Soft in texture and with a basic Napoli sauce enveloping it, the Gnocchi alla Mattriciana appealed to the simple palette. I personally found it a little dull, however arriving with Parmesan freshly grated on top (as opposed to the dehydrated form in a glass shaker on the table...not acceptable) accentuated the craftsmanship and love that goes into the preparation of food at Amiconi. The star main was the Tortellini ai Funghi; stuffed with savoury meat and blanked in a heady mushroom sauce it was delectable. For those inquisitive one’s savoury meat is (and I am only referencing one source here) meat that has been mixed in with spices. It was not until we asked this question that the waitress gave us that answer and truly reflected on how ridiculous it sounds. Not a place to mess with tradition I imagine savoury meat will stay on the menu for many moons to come.

The dessert menu covers the typical mainstream Italian fair; Tiramisu & Co. The ‘special’ was Chocolate Broulee, I don’t know how Italian that is but if theirs was anything to go by I would be first to adopt it as my country’s dessert. Its rich and decadent body was protected by a sugary crust, served with home-made Vanilla bean ice cream its bitterness was subtly controlled. Profiteroles came in a serving of four, fresh puffed pastry with a sweetened cream cheese like filling, dark chocolate coating them - Vanilla Bean ice cream to the side. Both dishes were accompanied with gargantuan chocolate dipped strawberries; the quintessential surprise and delight factor. Love it.

For the authentic Italian experience, side step Lygon Street and catch the 57 to North Melbourne. Amiconi will be waiting there like an old friend to welcome you with open arms.