Mietta's Review
People always seem to have good things to say about Matteo's. The food is always well prepared, innovative and of good standard. The restaurant itself is huge, offering lots of light and room for diners, both in the dining rooms and the rear courtyard. Lots of good and well-priced Australian and imported wines. In 2005 a major revamp took place making the restaurant softer and adding loung-like touches. The food too, under new chef, Brendan McQueen, has left Europe behind and moved into the modOz mainstream with an emphasis on Asian flavours with fine results. Recommended.

Other published opinions

Age Good Food Guide 2010 Score: 16/20, Two Hats "16/20 0 Q Confidently unfashionable and reliably excellent. Matteo's defies the trend for lessstructured, informal dining. Patron Matteo Pignatelli knows what keeps his clientele loyal, and chef Brendan McQueen keeps his signature experimental flourishes to a thoughtful minimum"

Gourmet Traveller 2010 Australian Restaurant Guide Score: * "Opulent and sumptuous. Matteo Pignatelli's restaurant has a sense of occasion. But its the welcoming atmosphere and arresting combinations of ingredients and ideas that are the real hooks"

The Age, Sunday Night Dinner Janne Apelgren "Once you're in, you know you're in the hands of professionals. There's chemistry at play in this place, which manages to be at once old-fashioned and modern. It has brio, with its simple banquettes crowned with chic designer lighting, its smooth service and its menu surprisingly Europe-meets-Asia and out-there for a restaurant with an Italian name"

Herald Sun Simon Plant, 18-11-08 "Would I go back? ? Definitely Trend spotters overlook this enchanted dining room. Mainly because it has has been quietly pleasing its customers for nearly I5 years But now is the time to revisit Matteo's for its exciting Asian-influenced food, Italian hospitality and worldly style "

Age Good Food Guide 2009 Score: 16/20 "Celebrating 15 years in 2009, Matteo's shows no signs of slowing, nor of losing its status of fine diner of choice for a large slice of Melbourne's inner-north. On the contrary, the restaurant's dining areas expanded late 2007 with the opening of the back room after a smart, salonstyle refit"

Gourmet Traveller 2009 Australian Restaurant Guide Score: * "Reverence is not a word commonly associated with Brunswick Street, but that is precisely the mood that prevails among diners at this maverick fine diner. Some of that can be attributed to the dramatic light fittings and luxe curtaining"

Age Good Food Guide 2008 Score: 16/20, Two Hats "Among Matteo's many qualities, perhaps the most appealing is its dedication to the finedining experience. The boldly decorated dining room has plenty of corners for a private conversation, the lighting is flattering, the cutlery has an agreeable heft and the staff are neither starchy and remote nor flippant and overly familiar"

Gourmet Traveller 2008 Australian Restaurant Guide "Matteo's has a loyal following of locals who cherish the place and enjoy the excellent standards of service"

Herald Sun Bob Hart, 20-01-07 "none better than Matteo's which has managed, for more than a decade, to keep things lively, interesting and excellent. With Matteo Pignatelli at the helm, it made its mark, initially, as an Italian establishment with touches of French finery. But now ... The food at Matteo's, not unlike many residents of this edgy and stylish suburb, is unorthodox and adventurous while remaining accessible and deliclous."

Gourmet Traveller 2007 Australian Restaurant Guide "New owners Courtney Christie and Jake Stephens have sparked renewed enthusiasm at Flying Fish. Faced with becoming marginalised as a beach eatery serving expensive fish and chips, they've dropped prices and ramped-up kitchen quality. There's a casual air befitting a funky shack here, but inside, the food quality and presentation reach far beyond what you'd expect."

The Age Good Food Guide 2006 score 15/20, 1 Hat "Ritzy, glitzy and just a little bit ditzy. That's the result of Matteo's makeover. Tables are doubleclothed in crisp, heavy linen, professional waiters wear aubergine aprons toned to match the plump new chairs, and a long banquette table faces an expansive bar under a wave of pendant lights. The effect is comfortable and assured, if a little mad due to the retention of timber panelling and carved wood details, and feature walls covered in shimmering Asian wallpapers."

The Age Epicure John Lethlean 17/5/05 score 16/20 "A refined dining experience with a new enthusiasm and direction to the food."

The Age Good Food Guide 2005 score 15/20 One Hat "THIS handsome, well-run restaurant celebrated its 10th anniversary in August 2004, one of an elite group of Melbourne eateries to reach this milestone. A toast, then, to good-humoured host Matteo Pignatelli"

The Age A2 19/2/05 Jane Faulkner "This new lease of life to an already lovely dining space just gives Matteo's a more contemporary touch, which is also reflected in the modern Australian food, now under the direction of head chef Brendan McQueen."

The Age, Agenda, 20/6/04, John Lethlean,'This refined North Fitzroy stalwart includes a lot of vegetarian dishes on its regular menu,bundled into a vegetarian degustation at $79 for six courses...Real strengths here are the service and the wine list.'

The Age Good Food Guide 2004 2 hats, score 16/20, excellent wine list, wide selection of vegetarian options

The Age, A2, 17/4/04,John Weldon,'there's a bold six-course Modern Mediterranean degustazione,which deserves serious attention.Grander,more regal and a little more formal...for just $75 per person you can enjoy the full extent of this hospitality.'

Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide Australia 2004, 1 Red Star, Excellent wine list, Good vegetarian options,'The triple-width shopfront is a warm assemblage of terracotta tiles, timber and white linen;service is amiable and professional...A vegetarian degustation menu (and very fine desserts) alleviate the meaty-focus.'

The Sunday Age, Eat Streets, John Lethlean,1/12/02

Herald Sun, Weekend, Bob Hart, Eat, 23/11/02

The Herald Sun, dining, Stephen Downes, 22/1/02

The Age, eatstreets, 29.4.01