EAT: CIAO CUCINA/CIAO CIELO PREVIEW DINNER
Say ciao to the new and improved Port Melbourne Italiano eatery Ciao Cielo, which now calls the gorgeous heritage-listed 115 Bay Street establishment home. The finer dining restaurant also shares its new digs with sister venue, Ciao Cucina, a more casual, Mediterranean-inspired bar and beer garden.
There's of course the classics; simple italiano inspired by traditional recipes, executed faultlessly with a combination of fresh produce and teaming of tried and tested flavour combos. Nonna's tiramisu, anyone? But owners Kate Dickins and Chef Bryan Nelson also aren't afraid to explore the creative side of Italiano cuisine, with modern tweaks aplenty across the menu. Our pick for favourite dish on the evening was the Spencer Gulf King Prawn risotto, featuring perfectly al dente grains of risotto swimming in an intensely flavoursome and moreish bisque, topped with a fragrant marjoram gremolata, highlighting how inspired 'simple' can be.
Who says good Italiano was just pizza and pasta? Visit Ciao Cielo or Ciao Cucina, and see for yourself.
Truffle mushroom wood-fired pizza.
Confit spiced duck suppli.
Mozzarella & bits board.
Wagyu bresaola - with artichoke, endive, horseradish and gnocchi fritti.
Spencer Gulf King Prawn risotto - with bisque, marjoram gremolata.
Whole rainbow trout - with pancetta, thyme, lemon and olive oil.
Sardinian style goat leg - with wild olives, fennel, lemon, chilli, marjoram, polenta dumplings and pangrattato.
Bistecca alla Fiorentina - Little Joes grass fed 1kg T-bone.
Fagiolini (braised green beans, tomato, garlic and olive oil) // Wood roasted sage mushrooms (with goats curd and puffed wild rice).
Ricotta filled cannoli - with fennel almond crumb, blood orange sorbetto, chocolate snow and candied almond.
Nonna's tiramisu.
Amaretto bomb - with Amaretto gelato, orange centre, Italian meringue, citrus and amaretti.
Ciao Cielo // Ciao Cucina
115 Bay St,
Port Melbourne, Victoria, 3207.
(03) 9646 7607
Disclosure: I dined as a guest of Ciao Cielo/Ciao Cucina. All opinions expressed in this post are based entirely on my experience and observations made during the time of my visit.