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Only having opened in June this year, Enoteca Boccaccio is already winning awards left, right and centre including design awards (Best Australian Hospitality Design) and a Good Food Guide hat. 

Kew/Balwyn locals will know the name immediately as the beautifully independent wine store and grocer next door, Boccaccio Cellars. The D’Anna family have owned the store there for over 60 years, that’s 60 years of Italian food wisdom, wine knowledge and international relationship building to bring the best produce from around the world here.

You scale the pink marble stairs, past the quote at the top of the stairs, “it’s better to repent what you enjoyed than to repent not having enjoyed anything,” (which it totally embodied inside) into a moody, three room, 60-person bar setting. Sitting by the window, there was a moment when the bright pink sky washed in through the windows and lit up the pink and burgundy walls and pink terracotta flooring.

This was once where the D’Anna children would play after school before they were old enough to help in the shop next door. I just love the imagery of the kids playing amongst the maroon marble, art deco bar setting, cheese wheels and gold accents. I know they only just put those details in but the romantic in me loves the idea.

In early posts on Instagram they describe themselves as a wine bar, I think they quickly realised they were onto a good thing and they became Enoteca e Cucina (wine repository and kitchen). I want it to be known from here, they are much more than a wine bar, the food was some of the most consistently amazing I’ve had all year, each dish as good as the last, none of them letting the next down. The service was impeccable despite having to navigate around some very small table settings, they spaced out the courses perfectly to ensure we never felt overwhelmed. 

We went for a two pronged approach with the food; we wanted to try what they were known for, salumi and cheese as well as try the mains.

Laid out in thin slices over an oval plate was the bresaola and on another plate was the Casa Madaio cheese. Considering the price, the cheese probably came out a little smaller than I expected but they filled the plate with honeycomb, quiche and pickles. We paired it all with a serve of the sourdough which was topped with herbs and had a side of confit garlic.

My non-oyster-eating partner wanted to try their oysters to see if she could be won over and said the vinaigrette was one of her favourites she tried and would consider becoming an oyster eater if they were all like that…

For the vegetarians, I tried the broad bean crudo – even if you think broad beans aren’t your thing, it’s on a bed of stracciatella which honestly can make anything 10/10.

But the star of the starters and for me, the winner of best dish of the night was definitely the charred octopus, with ajo blanco and charred cos. The smokiness of the octopus was so moreish I was dipping my bread in the leftover jus on my plate. 

The amatriciana pasta with guanciale was reliable and delicious. One of those dishes you could comfortably have every night.

I had to get my phone out and google the next dish and it was so worth it – paccheri, vongole, with chilli, lemon and garlic. The perfect balance of a light pasta topped with pippi’s, the shape of the pasta almost reflected the pippi’s, I used the pasta to scoop the pasta.

On the specials was the Veal Cotoletta, which as I looked around the restaurant it seemed everyone had ordered, my inner FOMO made me order it too. I’m so glad I did; crispy, crumbed veal with the bone still in the meat to keep it juicy.

I’ve been very conscious of trying more cost friendly reviews at the moment as we all feel the pinch but I think there’s still space for the special meals where you treat yourself. When they do come around, though, you want to make sure you’re getting truly good food. I can so comfortably send you to Enoteca Boccaccio knowing you’ll leave singing their praises. I would say with a couple of glasses, or a bottle of wine it’s about $100 a head or a little more if you’re ordering with gay abandon (as you totally should in a place like this). 

Given the small size, bookings are essential.

Enoteca Boccaccio

Level 1, 1030 Burke Rd

Balwyn