Enoteca Sileno Vino Bar & Cucina (Melbourne) – ♕♕♕♕ 1/2

  Enoteca Sileno came highly recommended by an Italian foodie clients of ours,  and for quite a number of years it was providing the local Italian immigrants a taste of authentic imported selections either for sale as take away,  or for dining in,  especially their rarer to find Italian cheeses, wines and candied fruits.  It is otherwise off the radar of many locals for some unknown reasons,  I suspect due to a lack of press coverage!?    Knowing Melbourne however and also in general Australia,   many food items can still become just a tad localised or reinterpreted when it comes to their kitchen’s cooked food items.   On the menu you will still find a Spaghetti al Ragú Bolognese,  which really isn’t exactly the most loyal replica of the famous Bologna dish.   Although I treasure taste and occasionally creativity over authenticity,  sometimes I adhere to my inner stubbornness too much and believe that some dishes should really ought to be named in a historically accurate fashion!! 

 

 

 

A Wine Bar with a Restaurant and Wine Bar side, 
and a dedicated Take-Away section.    Reminds me a bit of Richmond Hill Café & Larder 

 

 

 

Restaurant Side -

 

 

 

Pretty Decent Bread and EVO -

 

 

 

A Cauliflower Cappuccino to start with -

 

 

 

Mini Panzarotti filled with Pork Sausage, Broccoli, Tomato and Basil -  AUD $9
The external crust was a bit too hard,  which is a little bit disturbing for what is considered a mini Calzone.   The inside filling and a side of diced tomatoes and herbs was decent.  ~  6.9/10

 

 

 

Decent Filling -

 

 

Caramelised Ox Tongue, Blood Orange and Shallot Salad – AUD $10
Look back at the price,  this place is actually quite a bargain!    The ‘lingua’ tongue was cooked really well and worked quite well with the condiments.  Nicely presented too ~  9/10

 

 

 

Risotto of Vialone Nano rice, with New Season Asparagus – $26
The server divided our dish into 2 dishes for sharing by default.  Some photo bloggers would loathe about this arrangement but to be fair it means they are paying attention to the customers needs.   This was cooked quite well to the right degree and the new asparagus were quite flavourful.  Didn’t think this dish’s recipe is out of this world but the execution was good enough.  ~  7/10

 

 

 

Baladin Spuma Nera -
A slightly sparkling Italian drink that is fruity yet bitter,  like an Amaro but more approachable than a straight Campari with similar characters!   Quite unique ~  8/10

 

 

 

 

Daily Specials -
There are higher end Italian fine diners in town,  but Enoteca Sileno is more of a smart-casual type of Vino Bar.   At this price point it is doing quite well indeed and with decent food executions.  I like here,  but I am not so sure about you…   (We are all born different and appreciate different things!)

 

 

 

Price:  AUD $35 – $50
Ease of Access:   3.5/5 (Not far from Tram Stop but a bit remotely located)
Food:  ♕♕♕♕ 1/2

Opening Hours:
Tues-Sat 8am until late
Sun 8am – 3pm

Address: 920 Lygon St Carlton North
Ph:  (03) 9389 7070