il Fornaio Review - Part I @ St Kilda, 2 Acland Street

When we first heard that Phillipa Sibley had taken over il Fornaio in St Kilda, the Boy and I were ecstatic! The QUEEN of desserts had arrived in town and we were just around the corner! Minutes to her famed Snickers dessert! MINUTES! (Yes, I'm a food groupie)

The decoration adorning the wall

So one Sunday afternoon, the Boy and I took a leisurely drive and arrived about 3pm. Walked in, sat down and I eagerly looked around to see what everyone else was eating.

No one was eating any desserts of any kind. I walked up to the cake/bakery counter, and NO famed desserts. Only a few pieces of cakes, sandwiches and some quiche...

The bread and cake counter

Quite depressed, I walked back towards the seated Boy, who had kindly waited for me before putting in an order for tea and coffee (coffee apparently is a must have, since they get their stock from St. Ali)

Cane Sugar

The coffee arrived and I put in my order for the most lively looking cake behind the counter, and the Boy ordered a tea time quiche...

Coffee was good, but still only second best to Brother Baba Budan and Seven Seeds...

Caffe Latte and English Breakfast Tea

The cake arrived, and although not quite the amazing dessert I was looking forward to, it was a really good cake. Moist and full of flavour, the orange and almond was a perfect pair matched in the oven :)

Flourless Orange and Almond Cake

The Boy said that his bacon and pea (Not quite sure if it was a Lorraine), was really good. The quiche had a delicate balance of creamy and rich, which is quite often hard to find at other bakeries and cafes.

Quiche Lorraine

Although quite disappointing that we didn't quite make the try out for the dessert, the Boy and I vowed to return to try our luck again.

We weren't offered any explanations either when we asked the waitress who served us if there was a menu and where were the famed desserts. She just said, "No menu. The kitchen shuts at 3pm", and then walked away.

A bit taken aback with that answer, we did not dare to ask any more questions. We did however return the following week for breakfast...

*Disclaimer: All food ratings are purely based on my own experiences and how I feel about the service, food and quality

Food/ Cuisine: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner/Dessert - Australian/Contemporary
Dining Style: Cafe/ Restaurant
Overall Food Rating (Based on the Dining style): 7/10 (That cake and that quiche was amazing.. especially that cake)
Restaurant ambiance: 6/10
Service/ Attitude: 6/10
Value for money: 6/10

Address:
2 Acland Street
St Kilda VIC 3182

Tel:(03) 9534 2922

Website:www.ilfornaio.net.au

Il Fornaio is open from
Monday - Friday 7am-11pm
Saturday & Sunday 8am - 11pm (closed from 5pm-6pm)

How to get there:

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