First time here and the food was incredible! We ordered a few dishes but the stand out was the Tortellini cacio e pepe, we actually had to order it twice it was that good! Thanks for the great service and conversation Elena. See you again next time!

Al Dente is a fantastic restaurant. For dishes that I’ve had many times before in other places, I was surprised with how unique the flavours were. Truly unique.. The experience is great, the restaurant is well managed. You can tell by the well trained staff.

We ordered these dishes in total (Tortelloni/Scallop/ Kangaroo Tartare) and my favorite was the Duck breast with macerated cherries. They used a sweet and sour sauce, which paired perfectly with the tender, partially cooked duck. We also ordered their tiramisu, which was quite delicious and not too sweet. The atmosphere was wonderful in the evening, and the service was very attentive.

Good Ambience, Good Food, Good Wine list but the standout was Elena the manager( if she isn’t she should be!). Our bad that we made a mistake with our booking and booked the wrong day for dinner, but Elena swooped in and saved the day. Instead of just saying bad luck as the restaurant was full and buzzing; She juggled things around and made space for us on the bar. She turned what would have been a disaster as we were visiting from interstate to a really top night! It’s service like that that makes the place stand out. The scallops were lovely with the sauces enhancing its natural flavours. The pasta’s were cooked al dente and the richness of the ragu and sauces were excellent. Finally the duck and beef were done very well. Overall superb! One last word on the wine list, well curated though I would have appreciated a larger selection by the glass, but still good. Well done!

Last night we celebrated my mum’s birthday at Al Dente Enoteca on Nicholson Street, Carlton, and the evening was nothing short of exceptional. From the moment we arrived, the service set the tone — coats taken, a stool for my mum’s bag, and staff who clearly cared about every detail. The atmosphere was refined yet welcoming, even down to the artwork and boujee vibe in the amenities. My amaretto sour was one of the best I’ve had — smooth, balanced, and perfectly made. For entrées, we shared the stracciatella insalata and croquettes — both phenomenal — but the standout was the homemade bread and butter. Such a simple touch, yet utterly exquisite; the salted butter on warm bread could have been a dish in itself. For mains, everything looked stunning, but my cacio e pepe tortellini was on another level — rich, perfectly balanced, and finished beautifully with a scarpetta of bread. We wisely saved room for dessert: the latte miele and their signature tiramisu. Now, I’ll never admit anything beats my mum’s tiramisu, but this came incredibly close. Hands down the best I’ve had dining out — generous in portion, bold in flavour, and refreshingly confident in not following social media gimmicks. The chef from Verona clearly brings both passion and pride to the table, and it shows in every dish. Thank you for making my mum’s birthday so memorable. We’ll absolutely be back — especially to try the specials!