and Lucini's Historic Pasta Cafe
64 Main Road Hepburn Springs
Victoria 3461 AUSTRALIA
http://www.macaronifactory.com.au/lucinis-pasta-cafe.htm
Open Friday, Saturday & Sunday for lunch (12-3pm) and dinner (from 6pm)
Bookings recommended on (03) 5348 4345 Mob 0404 123 153
Zucchini, Anchovies and Mushroom cream Linguini
Relics from the past in their dining area.
From the road
Rosemary Balls in Minestrone
Vesuvio Spaghetti (Vegetarian)
A rustic and true to our stereotype of a quaint Italian Village dwelling. Lucini definitely have all of that. Housed in the oldest Italian building in Australia, it is a perfect place to have a plate of pasta. Its history is also a rich one.
When we were there yesterday we shared a Rosemary ball Minestrone and had a plate of pasta each for mains. The soup was wholesome, fresh and the rosemary balls were fragrant and pretty. Th combination was very beautiful experience with fresh crusty bread on the side. My mains was called Vesuvio Spaghetti (not for the faint-hearted!) after the Vesuvius Volcano in Italy, due to its chilli hot gravy that sends your tummy rumbling in ecstasy! I chose it, as I am a lover of chilli and this really drums to my beat. Chillies and tomatoes being pulp and made into beautiful sauce. Debs had a Zuchinni, Anchovies and Mushroom cream Linguini. As she described, she never thought anchovies would taste this beautiful. It was sweet and also soft at the same time.
To top the beautiful wholesome home-cooked meal by Italian ladies in cute villagey headscarf, they lit up the fireplace so that we can eat in warmth and let us wonder around the idyllic Italian compound. Later, we also learned about the fresco tours they have on Saturdays for $10. I think I might go back to that one of these days.
UPSIDE
1) Beautiful home cooked simple wholesome Italian
2) Featured in Cheap Eats
3) Friendly staff of 6th Generation original Italians of that house
4) Ample parking on roadside
5) Ample dining areas
6) Pretty place
DOWNSIDE
1) 75kms from Melbourne- Its in Hepburn Springs
2) Opened only 3 days a week
Rate:
Price-medium- reasonable pricing
Food- 5/5
Service- 4/5
Ambiance- Italian village
Accessibility- 3/5
