Just before Christmas, I went with a friend to hear the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra and Choir perform their Noel Noel concert. It was a wonderful performance, and put us in a festive mood.
Afterwards, we went to dinner at the nearby Tutto Bene, at Southbank. Tutto Bene is an Italian restaurant that sells the most wonderful gelato outside. However, this time, we were going for the full dining experience.
We shared an entree of baked goats cheese, pistachio and hazelnuts with an aperol fruit salsa ($14), pictured at the top of this post. The goats cheese rested on a drizzle of honey, which perfectly complemented the creamy cheese and crunchy toasted nuts. The aperol fruit salsa was refreshing and zingy.
For main, two great minds think alike, and we both ordered the Zucca risotto ($26) - pureed butternut pumpkin with sage, candied walnuts and goats cheese:
The risotto was smooth and creamy, and the walnuts added a welcome textural variation.
For dessert, my friend ordered the Cento per Cento ($15) - honey mousse, gelato, burnt caramel, comb:
How could you go wrong?
I ordered the less picturesque but equally delicious Mousse al Pistachio ($15) - a Sicilian pistachio mousse with blueberries, Amerana cherries and chocolate crumble:
This dessert was unusual but good. Again, the chopped pistachios added a lovely crunch to the smooth mousse and fruit compote.
We also had a very good Aperol spritz with our meal.
The dining experience at Tutto Bene was enjoyable and definitely worth a repeat.
Mezzanine 28/3 Southgate Complex
Southgate Avenue
Southbank VIC 3006
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