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59 Bourke Street, Melbourne
Ph +61 3 9650 3174.
Last Tuesday we went to Spaghetti Tree for dinner. Situated close to the top of Bourke St, this restaurant has been open for many years, and has a regular clientele.
I originally intended going to the European Bier Cafe, but upon arrival we were told the kitchen had closed already at 8.30, even though it was supposed to be open until 9pm. Tsk tsk tsk.
I’d previously been to Spaghetti Tree a couple of years ago with some friends on a Friday night, and they had a guy playing the piano as the live entertainment / background music. I’m not sure if they still do that, or maybe it only happens on the busy nights.
The place was largely empty (granted it was a Tuesday, and it was a bit late) and we were one of only four groups of diners in the place, so I was slightly surpised it took me some time to catch a waitress’ attention to place our order.
I think the lighting could have been a little bit brighter - at least where we were, as there is a fine line between subdued mood lighting and dim gloom shadows.
After studying the menu, Louis decided to order the Fettuccine Marinara for $20.80, and I settled upon the Lamb Steaks with Vegetables - $25.50. (I would have chosen the Rack of Lamb, but it’s not on the menu anymore - their Citysearch website seems to be out-of-date). I also ordered an Asahi Beer ($6.50), which I thought would compliment the lamb well.
We also received two glasses of (tap) water (with ice), free of charge.
As I mentioned earlier, it was pretty quiet - so the meals arrived quickly.
Lamb Steaks with Vegetables
The meal was of a decent size, so unless you’re a glutton you won’t go hungry. My meal wasn’t overly hot though, so don’t talk too much before you start eating.
The vegetables were cooked to ‘medium’, so you’re not biting into overcooked mush, nor trying to crunch an almost raw carrot.
They also give you a small portion of sauerkraut, which is a welcome change from the standard lineup.
The meat was nice and tender, and the gravy was quite rich and thick. Toward the end of my meal I ran out of gravy though, so a little more wouldn’t have hurt.
Overall the taste was ok, but it wasn’t really memorable. It didn’t taste bad, but wasn’t so great that you’re hurriedly loading the next mouthful for another burst of flavour. I do remember the Rack of Lamb had a flavour more along these lines.
I’d also previously tasted the Mango Chicken, and whilst having mango in a main savoury meal isn’t to everyone’s liking, it was nice. Just not something you’d have every day.
Trying to attract the waitress’ attention to ask for the bill was an interesting task. You’d think with 4 staff and 3 groups sitting right near them, it would be easy to call someone over. No. It was getting late, and they were busy with their own tasks or conversations. Finally after waving my arm like a lunatic, I got someone’s attention and sorted out the bill.
The Marinara Supreme
I will say right from the start that i love pasta of any sort, fettucine carbonara more than others. Once in a while, i am willing to experiment with new flavours and see how everything measures up. This time, the dish has pasta + seafood, two of my favourite things. They call it Marinara Supreme and i can see why. At first i was thinking, gosh, only three pieces of mussels! But after digging through the dish, i uncovered more mussels, pippies, prawns and squid. They certainly don’t scrimp on the ingredients.
As for the flavour, it’s a little strange having a shellfish-based pasta, but it was enjoyable. There wasn’t enough time for the pasta base to infuse into the various seafood though.
Service-wise, there was nothing spectacular. It was late, and i think the waiters couldn’t wait to finish their shift. They took some time to get our orders and some more time to present the bill.
But don’t let the service stop you. The Spaghetti Tree has been around for a while and their food is reasonably good, if you are willing to pay the $19-$25 range for mains. Worth checking out again.
When I read this I thought how similar my experience was here. Although I was there at lunchtime, the general atmosphere was gloomy with dim lighting and little chance of the light from outside reaching back to our table. The service was slow, but it was due to the place being packed. The food was interesting - although I thought it was a little dear for what it was.
Left by Kez on May 24th, 2007