Italian and Sons

Posted by: Deltafly | 9 April 2011, 4pm

I can't see what the fuss is about... I was taken here on my birthday and we started with a bottle of Prosecco - expensive and so are their other wines which we had by the glass. The young waiting staff however were very good and attentive.

We found the menu extremely limited, - disappointing in fact. There are special dishes for each day of the week but our table of 4 all struggled to find something we liked. Most of us had pizzas. These were expensive, ordinary and nothing special. We all left hungry and with empty wallets and we'd describe our experience as "underwhelming".

It's not often that I say the service was better than the food but in this case it was. Not worth the fuss.

Food:			Visit: Fri 14 January 2011 Mealtime: dinner
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Posted by: Impressed | 21 December 2010, 2.41pm

Awesome service, great food, what else can I say. Loved it

Food:			Visit: Fri 17 December 2010 Mealtime: lunch
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Posted by: VirulentV | 16 May 2010, 7.51am

Italian and Sons is a fantastic addition to the Canberra food scene, and even more important for a town that lacks any high end Italian restaurants.

For first times, the restaurant is located in a small room opposite the loathsome Civic pub, with a small yellow sign advertising it's presence. Whilst hard to find, it will be worth it when you go in and sample the produce.

The menu is limited, and expensive, so do your research in advance and peruse their menu online. But if you're a fan of good Italian this has everything you will want, perfectly cooked pasta, divine pizza with a melt in your mouth crust, and the best tiramisu I've ever had, and I've had plenty. The service was also fine, and the only real gripe is the fact that Italan and Sons insist on dinner 'sittings' of 6pm or 7:30, so if you want to enjoy a relaxed dinner choose the 7:30 slot instead of the 6pm so there won't be new diners waiting to take your table.

Food:			Visit: Sat 1 May 2010 Mealtime: dinner
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Posted by: Wzzm | 31 March 2010, 11.11pm

Dropped in on spec this evening. Fairly busy but managed to get a seat at the bar for a drink and a pizza. We only wanted a drink and a snack.
Overpriced menu and ordinary ambience. Manager or owner seemed to take exception to this and insulted both my companion and myself (after we had paid of course). Apparently drinking the (overpriced)house white means one has no class. Won't be back and will recommend against a visit to others.

Food:			Visit: Wed 31 March 2010 Mealtime: dinner
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Posted by: nws | 23 January 2010, 12.10pm

I tried this not long after it opened, and so gave them a break when our phone table booking wasn't recorded when we arrived for lunch. To their credit they created a table for us, though it was in a cramped spot. The food was delicious, though small servings. The service was OK, a bit hurried and lacked attention to detail. Wine list limited and expensive. The second time I booked our table was waiting, again the food was lovely though portion sizes small. This time we weren't allowed to split the bill, not uncommon, but as this is restaurant looks to serve a largely office-worker clientele during the day you would think they could accomodate spliting the bill. A distinct lack of flexibility or interest shown in helping this be negotiated left a sour taste. The third (and sadly last) experience was their refusal to accept a booking for eight for a team Xmas lunch as they already had a booking for a large table that day. I now believe the customer is not in the forefront of their mind. This is a shame as the food can be pretty good, and the place is lovely to sit in. If they get the balance right and focus on the customer a little more this could be a winner. Not sure I'll go back to find out however...

Food:			Visit: Thu 3 December 2009 Mealtime: lunch
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Posted by: MelM09 | 29 October 2009, 2.37pm

We had a terrifc casual and inexpensive lunch here today. The service was attentive and faultless; the atmosphere was relaxed and inviting, while the pizzas were arguably some of the best in Canberra! Fantastic addition to the Canberra restaurant scene and looking forward to returning soon.

Food:			Visit: Thu 29 October 2009 Mealtime: lunch
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Posted by: petesens | 24 October 2009, 8.27pm

We booked for Saturday lunch and were shown to table at the back of the restaurant, away from the window, in spite of being the only diners there. When we asked to sit up the front near the window, the waiter had to ask someone else if this was ok. It was, but we were not able to sit at the table we headed for. During our three hour lunch, only one other party came in (unsurprisingly). What the fuss was about, I don't know.

The food; if you didn't want pasta or (expensive pizza), there was a dish of the day that the waiter took some trouble to explain. I ordered it; several minutes later the waiter returned and said he had been informed by the kitchen that it was only available in the evening. One would have expected that with only one party of diners and sufficient time to acquaint himself with the available menu, he would have got it right the first time. The meal of the day that was eventually revealed was one not listed on the menu anywhere.

The meals were well prepared, though the serves were small. The oven-roasted fillet was perfectly seared on the outside and perfectly cooked, and the calemaretti was tender and tasty, though somewhat overpowered by the accompanying sauce. The diavola pizza was ok, say 7 out of 10. However, as we were finishing the main course, one of our party asked for a piece of bread to mop up the sauce from her garlicked prawns. Again, the waiter left with the order, then returned to say this was not possible! She had to order a plate of sourdough for 4.

These sorts of glitches would be fine and acceptable in an Italian cafe, but if a restaurant wants to charge the high-end prices this place does, it has to measure up, and Italian and Sons doesn't. This was my second, and probably last, visit.

Food:			Visit: Sat 24 October 2009 Mealtime: lunch
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Posted by: D42 | 21 October 2009, 11.31pm

We went to dinner tonight to Italian & Sons. Service was good, food was good, and the restaurant itself was nice and fitted out well. But the value? Not really there.... $11 for a glass of Ravensworth? You can buy a bottle for $25 down the road! Nice food, and a nice restaurant, but how much can you charge for Italian food really? They've got a great idea with some fresh produce, Italian wine, meats, cheeses, etc...but they've missed the mark a little cause I walked out feeling ripped off. If they made it a little more 'urban Italian kitchen' and priced it accordingly, it'd be up there as one of the best places in Canberra.

Food:			Visit: Wed 21 October 2009 Mealtime: dinner
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Posted by: fine dining | 30 September 2009, 11.25pm

Wine menu limited and Expensive as an example only one Australian wine offered in each wine category. Main meals (very limited on offering) are small, expensive with no additional offerings. You must order side servings to even go close to a sufficient meal. It must be the most confusing menu our table had ever seen. All our meals lacked taste, finesse and were only just served warm. Our expensive bottle of white (purchased at the restaurant as there is no BYO) remained at the table with no chiller. We had to ask a couple of times to get our water glasses filled. Overall a very disappointing night. On a positive side the setup of the cafe is simple and well done.

Food:			Visit: Wed 30 September 2009 Mealtime: dinner
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