Spring menu tasting @ Cecconi's

Gastrology bloggers dined courtesy of Cecconi's.

A modern Italian restaurant where food, wine, service and atmosphere blend beautifully together, Cecconi’s boasts delicious Modern Australian cuisine while taking great pride in using only the freshest ingredients available. The new Cecconi’s spring menu is, as expected from its predecessors, excellent.

The restaurant’s colour palette mixes black, white and copper while incorporating varying textures and tones to create contrast, producing a space that possesses familial warmth. 

The luxe, dark and clubby basement space of Cecconi’s boasts one of the more theatrical kitchens in Melbourne – wide-open and centre stage.

Caramelised scallops, broccoli pangrattato, prosciutto crisps, lemon aioli

The scallops were perfectly seared and bursting with natural flavour, a flavour further enhanced by the subtle sweetness of the broccoli pangrattato.  The fruity acidity of the lemon aioli and the restrained savouriness of prosciutto crisps introduced further layers of complexity.  It was a beautiful dish.

Crispy king prawn with black sesame, avocado, pickled cucumber, lime

The king prawn has a perfectly crisp exterior and a moist and juicy interior. Nestled on a bed of avocado with a tart lime juice over the top, this was an enjoyable dish.

Squid ink gnocchi, broccoli, baby squid, chilli, chives

A lovely dish that was highlighted by the light gnocchi which captivated with it’s delightfully salinity courtesy of being made with squid ink. The accompanying baby squid was very tender and beautifully flavoured. 

Rock flathead, parmesan cream, kipflers, baby zucchini, frizze

The crispy skinned flathead was very fresh and excellently cooked. The accompanying classic flavour combinations worked wonders. We particularly loved the luxurious parmesan cream.  

Tasmanian Wilderness scotch fillet, truffled mash, king brown mushroom, jus

The steak was the highlight of our dinner at Cecconi’s. Displaying a mastery in the manner the steak was cooked, the inch thick cut of beef was cooked perfectly from end to end. A light searing ensured that the steak was lined with a thin crisp layer packed with caramelised beef flavour. The accompaniments, of a thick slice of king brown mushroom, truffled mash and jus, provided a range of harmonising flavours and textures – the end result was a thoroughly enjoyable dish that departed from the norm. 

Foreground: White chocolate cheesecake, brownie, no cello gelato 

Background: Citrus bavarois, pistachio cantucci, mandarin sorbetto

Continuing the trend for the evening, the desserts were delicious. The rich cheesecake was beautifully made while the citrus bavarois was zesty and well-balanced.

Cecconi’s continues to deliver with dishes that are consistently well executed and highlighted by innovative, yet familiar, flavour combinations. 

Location: Basement, 61 Flinders Lane  Melbourne

Phone: 03 8663 0500

Link: http://www.cecconis.com/

Cuisine: European, Italian, International