There has been a lot of buzz surrounding fifteen, so we made a visit this week to check it out. I have been a long standing fan of Jamie Oliver and love Italian food, so had fairly high expectations.
The restaurant has 3 seating areas; a white room, a dark room and private dining. At present bookings are only taken for groups over 5, so we arrived taking our chances. We were seated in the white room, which is a little sparse/cold for my liking. We went on a Thursday night for dinner and the place seemed a little empty.
The service was fairly average ... timing and attention just ok. The wine list was ok, however no sommelier (or none that we were aware of), so we drank a trusted favourite of a Viognier from Condrieu.
The saving grace was the food. Overall a very high standard. I had the carpaccio (outstanding) and Sam had the olives (so-so) for antipasti. Followed by some excellent pasta, then onto a shared milk-fed lamb for two as the main course - which was superb. After 3 courses we were feeling fairly full :-) so opted for a shared sampler of deserts which was a great finish.
115 - 117 Collins Street
Melbourne, VIC 3500, Australia
+61 1300 799 415
www.fifteenmelbourne.com.au
Food: Outstanding (Casual Italian)
Wine: Average
Service: Fair
Ambience: A Little Cold
