I guess I still can’t call myself a Melbournian girl until I get to know all the hidden gorgeous food spots. And… Bar Idda just proved that comment is right.
I used to live in the city for a few months but honestly, I never explored it enough. It’s filled with all the little places which create surprises for your taste buds all the time, and you just can’t catch up!
Bar Idda is a little gem hidden away on Lygon Street in a suburb called Brunswick east. It’s a 12 minutes’ drive from the city center or a 20 minutes’ tram ride from Melbourne central. The side street next to the restaurant offers free on-street parking and this little place is just around the corner.
Walked in Bar Idda, I was amazed by how friendly the staff were and impressed by its cozy set up.
It was for my best friend’s non-hen’s night since she doesn’t want to have a big party before the real big day arrives. A few good friends catching up would be awesome enough. She used to live in this neighborhood so she called the shot and chose this place.
Frankly, I had never managed to go this far when I was living in the city, but now I live 40 minutes away. Yet… it’s worth the trip for the sake of friendship, nice accompany, a beautiful night out, or simply just for the yummy food!
You need to book if you want to be seated on time. It was jam-packed when we got there. And as I was told, it’s always packed.
The food on the menu is typical Sicilian. Just imagine yourself walking into a local Sicilian home and waiting to be served a heartwarming family meal by an Italian mama. And that was exactly what we got that night. Everything we ordered was supposed to be shared by everyone. We ordered baked eggplant and stuffed olives, complimentary bread came with the starters. The eggplant was so tender with a burst of cheesy flavor. It was so tasty as it is or with the bite of bread.
For the main, we ordered two types of pasta: the macaroni and cheese and the hand-made pasta with white bate.
I loved these two pasta dishes, not just the dressing, but the texture of the pasta was so nice that you do feel like having an authentic Italian meal in a local house in Sicily.
Just to be sure the food was enough for 5 adults, we ordered another main dish, baked barramundi, one word, delicious! The pastry flakes on top of the fish compliment the fish and one bite, you got all the things happening in your mouth. It was light and rich at the same time, just gorgeous! And the stir fry of seasonal vegetables, I had no idea what vegetables they put in there, but we couldn’t have enough of it.
“Soo full! Don’t think I’m going to have dessert.” Ladies were having the same issue when we were asked if we wanted to order
dessert. Once I saw the dessert menu, I decided to challenge my stomach because that cannoli sounded awesome! And everyone else did the same.
As all of us expected, the dessert was worth every penny, highly recommended!
All in all, great dining experience in Bar Idda and I will definitely make my way back there with my little family.
