Matteo's - Fitzroy - Raymond Capaldi- Polish

Name: Matteo's

Address: 533 Brunswick St
Fitzroy 3068 VIC
Phone: (03) 9481 1177

Food: ModOz, European, Asian (Polish for tonight only)
Average price: Entree: $15-$20, Mains: $32-$39, Dessert: $16
Degustation menu: 7 courses, $85
Set menu: 3 courses, $78

We enjoyed ourselves so much the last time that we couldn't resist coming back for the second round of the Extended European Vacation with Raymond Capaldi - tonight's theme was Polish.

Complimentary: Bread with butter as well as THREE sides (how lucky are we).


The bread (rye?) was served slightly cold and had a pleasant tang to it.

Polish Salad - carrot, apple, potato, kohlrabi, buttermilk - $8


This was quite light and vegetable heavy. Everything was cooked well and the flavours complimented each other (there were peas as well).

Cracow kasha - buckwheat groats, barley - $8


This was my absolute favourite side, I think I had more than my fair share of this. The grains were lovely and they were enveloped in sour cream(?) which was gorgeous against the crunchy onions/shallots(?). Really yummy and everyone loved it.

Steamed potatoes, dill butter - $8


Once again the potatoes were perfectly tender with a bite as well as being enveloped in melted butter and sprinkled with dill. Generous portion, the whole table had trouble trying to finish these off.

We ordered the 3 course set menu ($60 pp - I had vegetarian one) plus 2 starters:

Starter: Braised meat pierogi, milk curd, fried onions, paprika - $6 (4 pieces)


Everyone liked the filling.

Artisan cured meats, pickled berries & cucumber, rye bread - $16


This was a hit with everyone. The sliced meats were lovely, and the sausage was also great. They went really well with the flavoursome pickled berries that everyone was smearing on their bread. The dill cucumber lovers chomped away happily.

Entree: Borsch - beetroot soup, soft boiled egg


This came loaded with beetroot and a gorgeous egg, with luscious runny yolk.

Buttermilk soup with beetroot, apple, dill, baby leeks(?)


There was a whole lotta buttermilk in this. The sweet beetroot slices and crunchy tart apple helped to cut through the silken tanginess of the buttermilk.

Main: Shadowy - crumbed pork loin, braised 'golabki' stuffed cabbage


A huge piece of well-crumbed and cooked pork loin served with a lemon in muslin, and cabbage leaves stuffed with a meat I think in a tomato sauce.

Braise golabki


Cabbage leaves (and maybe kale?) stuffed with onions and maybe barley in a lovely spicy tomato sauce - not really sure what was in it but it was tasty.

Dessert: Baba - Polish rum cake, chocolate, clotted cream


I was worried when I saw this, as every baba au rhum I have had has either been too dry or drowned in alcohol.
Boy was I happy when I tasted this beast. Absolutely yummy - a huge cylinder of sponge perfectly soaked with a gorgeous rum that packed a punch but was not overpowering at all (and I don't drink) which had a gorgeous, thick clotted cream and even thicker quenelle of luscious chocolate. Really gorgeous, although only three of us managed to polish off the whole giant sponge (put a plate in front of me now and I'd eat it all).

Cost: $382 - 6 set menus, 2 starters & 3 complimentary sides.

Service: Great - we had a wheat/lactose/other intolerant diner with us and they were catered for with some off the menu items.

Atmosphere: Relaxed - my sister-in-law was thrilled when we asked her to come as she has forever walked past the restaurant, loved the interior and wanted to see inside. Lovely dark hues, wallpaper accents, feature lighting and fresh flowers give it a polished, refined look.


Parking: Ample. We went on a Tuesday night at 7pm, there was plenty of unlimited parking right in front of the restaurant.

Website: http://www.matteos.com.au/

Hours: Sun-Fri noon-3pm, daily 6pm-10pm

Would I return: Yes - to yet another Raymond Capaldi evening held at this restaurant.