Alphington CaféS

Unfortunately booking through open table (for 7 people a week in advance) we were placed right at the door which was extremely cold every time someone came in or out; and that was regularly. There was a table behind us that we would have fitted onto and which held only three or four (and changed on a couple of occasions) that we could have been placed on. There was also a small table for two placed next to us which changed on three separate occasions which might have been better placed near the door for walk in customers, than those who had prebooked. I have to say that the food was average with overcooked steak x3 and fish x2 and when I received my pasta, whilst tasty, it was cold on top and I had to dig into the centre of the bowl to retrieve the warm bits. Added to this the food came out at various stages with the fish coming out well after everyone else had received theirs. I was the one who chose this place as I had been there with some friends for lunch and was impressed. But this was a big disappointment and embarrassment. I will admit that they did not charge for the fish which kind of made up for the dryness of 5 main dishes. However, in saying that, there is a variety to choose from, our table possibly chose the wrong things!!!! The risotto came with an impressive decoration and the prices are reasonable. Maybe a warm evening might be a better time to visit but if you are going to go on a cold winter's night ring first and make sure that you aren't in the doorway. Open table does not tell you where you are sitting.

Oct 2025 - Came in for a Sunday lunch and we had the $45 "Feed Me" special. Wow! What a spread! For starters we had tender, perfectly cooked calamari plus their popcorn chicken. We then received two mains of the chef's choice - a prosciutto pizza and beautiful spaghetti marinara, accompanied by a rocket salad with pears and walnuts and parmesan. Beautiful! But twice as much as we could eat, so they graciously provided takeaway boxes. Lastly, we were served a pair of lovely mini cannellini. To wash it down, we availed ourselves of a bottle of Italian chianti. Service was excellent. Highly recommend! Sep 2025 - Tried a takeaway capricciosa pizza. I thought the toppings were a bit sparse, but my wife loved it and is already planning to go and dine in.

I rarely get takeaways so I was looking forward to getting a pizza from my local pizza joint after doing physical labour all day and being too tired to cook. When I placed the order they said 10 minutes. I got there in 10 min to find the pizza was sitting in a delivery bag and was not hot. So I had to pop it in the oven to warm up when I got it home. When I opened the pizza box I was shocked at how little it was and how few ingredients there were, given this pizza cost me $30. It didn’t taste yummy like pizzas should. It was a waste of money. I can make tastier pizzas.

Mediterranean olives were great. Polenta fries inedible, Margherita pizza way too much passata and cheap cheese that congealed into a fatty mass. San Daniele pizza looked okay but didn't venture there as I was done with the other items. When the waitress offered takeaway containers for the uneaten olives and pizza we were surprised that translated into dumping them on the table for us to do ourselves without any cutlery. The place has potential but for $100 the quality of the service and basic food items need to improve.

What a great night. Couldn’t fault it. Lovely open fire place (yes it was lit unlike other peoples comments below). The theatrics of the pizza maker. The ambience of the room lighting. And the down to earth friendly service. Already planning on going back again. Family had a wonderful dinner thank you. Highly recommend