Don Vincenzo

The best thing about this quirky, cosy little café is the fantastic staff who are always friendly and accommodating.

We stopped here on our way to Coles because it looked like a funky breakfast spot. Unfortunately we were all disappointed. We ordered a breakfast burger — bread was stale and crumbly, only one tiny piece of bacon, salad was not fresh,
chorizo omelette– eggs waaaay over cooked and not a good blend of favours. And I ordered a vegetarian brekky with poached eggs. My egg whites were still really raw and runny (think snot-​like) which pretty much ruined it for me.
Also our coffees took a while to come out with my Soy Chai coming well after our meals were served.
Nope. Won’t be back.

Had a great hang-​over breakfast at this little joint on Brunswick Street.
The service was great– never had our water glasses empty and the breakfast’s were so large and full of delicious goodness! I had the veggie brekkie (with bacon) which went down a treat– the hash brown was a highlight when for me potatoes are usually at the bottom of the list! So I was pleasantly surprised. The others at the table had omelettes which came in a pan– they are a flat round omelette not a folded french style one. They were very happy with their breakfasts too which were full of flavour.
All in all a delightful breakfast.

This place is strange. It has everything going for it and it just doesn’t work. The Italian delicacies are good, but nothing special. The space is ok, but nothing to write home about.
Maybe it just pales in comparison to others found on Brunswick St. It feels like it wants to be Mario’s, found just next door. So think of this as next door’s little brother. Everything is good about it, it just seems that Mario’s is the favoured first born.
And just the second born that stands in the shadows of others; Don Vincenzo keeps a delicate dark secret. This secret delicacy is in the form of the most tantalizing Chai I have ever had on Brunswick Street. You can keep your menu of Italian wonders; I’m here for the Chai!

Sometimes you just can’t be bothered with anything healthy, light, or Australian. You just want a huge bowl of pasta and a good, rich sauce.
Don Vincenzo has a great wine list, that’s really quite cheap (only a couple bottles are over $ 40).
And they have pizzas, but the pastas are where it’s at. They do risotto, gnocchi and regular pastas (with gluten free option). They have some staple dishes, and then a bunch of specials (one of each type) that change quite often. SO good.
And I guess if you do want light and healthy (ish) they do have an amazing dukkha crusted fish dinner, that changes depending on which fish they have freshest.
Grab a seat in the window on a weekend, and watch the show along the sidewalk and stuff your face with something that hits the spot.

I’m not sure I really get what Don Vincenzo’s trying to do. There are aspects, like the classic logo, that are trying to be sophisticated and timeless. But the execution is so patchy — I’ve had lovely service here on a number of occasions, but there are other times when I think the waiters would rather eat a rotten ostrich egg than take my order.
Whatever, I keep going because the food is pretty decent if you’re a fan of salt. And I am. Don Vincenzo does all the greatest breakfast hits and hearty Italian style lunches and dinners that are sure to put you in an early grave. I’m a big fan of their eggs benedict as the serving of hollandaise is as generous as it gets. At other times I tend to stick to the pastas or forgo savory dishes altogether and head straight for the dessert menu. The tiramisu is intense but very more-​ish, and the chocolate mud cake is so good it will give you a major sugar headache. Don’t come here if you’ve got your foodie hat on, but if you’re after a hangover cure or an indulgent dessert then it’s a pretty good bet.