University Cafe - Carlton

We were at the University Cafe as part of a large group. It's a somewhat dated low-key place but quite pleasant nevertheless. Wine was good, service was excellent, and the food was acceptable without being anything out of the ordinary.

Carlton is, and has been for decades, like being in the nicest parts of Rome. The convivial atmosphere was there aplenty today. This restaurant has been in its location for 60 years. (The staff were somewhat younger. We dined inside because of the cool weather but in summer the streetside dining would be great. It was a favourite of our friends, who chose their favourite meals, but our choices (different were excellent. There was a *very* extensive menu and an adequate choice of wine. The staff numbers were minimal but professional and numerically sufficient. This sounds clinical but the experience was great, and certainly not only because of the company.

During our short holiday in Carlton from Perth, we dined at Lygon St four times. University Cafe stood out as the best in terms of food quality, service, and overall atmosphere. Despite being very busy, the service was exceptional. The staff were very helpful when I couldn't decide between two dishes, and the wine pairings were perfect. The prices were also reasonable. They were able to accommodate my wife's gluten-free dietary restrictions with delicious spaghetti. We highly recommend University Cafe.

We’ve been bringing our business here for a few years now, and have brought numerous friends. We’ve supported them throughout the pandemic and have truly been loyal customers. On our last visit we’ve waited for our food for 1:20mins, and our waiter brought our food to the table next to us. When they brought a second round of food and we said that’s ours, she said “no, that’s not yours, then once the other table turned it down, only then she brought it to us”. After about 15mins, another waiter went to the table next to us, said “wrong order”, took their food and brought it to us. We asked if they could replace it as it’s been sitting there getting cold, they said “ well, you will have to wait another 20mins, so I suggest you take it”. After the trauma of the pandemic in Melbourne, I can’t be ok with food that’s been sitting there for a good while and people were breathing down at it, talking, and sneezing around it. This shouldn’t be ok in any setting. The waiter said he’d get the manager, but we never saw the manager or got an apology. There are plenty of really good Italian places on Lygon street or in Melbourne CBD for that matter. I could surely do without the attitude and have better service/ food elsewhere.

Visiting Melbourne from Darwin. Happened upon this cafe after arriving at Lyon Street. Great service. Good food. Lots of customers.