amazing staff and service located almost hidden and tucked away just off lygon street this place is quite nice and fancy without the pretentious feel to it

we had the degustation menu for valentines day and it was more or less reasonably priced and we were full without being disgustingly full

loved the oysters and the dessert i have to admit, only thing i could pick on was the cheap looking papers they would add on top of the table setting (i'm aware it would have helped with cleaning up though so it's not a huge issue)

I've been eating here for years, and I've never had a bad meal, or even an ordinary one. Some have been outstanding. The produce is fresh, seasonal, excellent quality, and cooked with care.

In particular, the desserts are often the highlight of an already very fine meal. Il Vicolo makes the finest creme brulee I've ever eaten anywhere: rich and creamy, wonderful real vanilla bean flavour, and not a trace of graininess.

On a visit earlier this year, I chose a banana semi-freddo with leatherwood honey. I was hesitant to order it, because leatherwood is my least favourite honey; it has a strong, slightly bitter flavour that tends to dominate everything it's added to. But I needn't have worried. The honey was used judiciously, and complemented the banana perfectly.

The prices are not the cheapest, but considering the quality of the produce and the cooking, they're not outrageous either. If you're on a budget, consider the special weekday "Carlton Lunch" menu, which is excellent value: two or three courses from a limited menu, plus a glass of wine, at a special price. I forget exactly how much it was last time I was there, and the website doesn't say, but if I remember correctly the three courses plus wine still came in at less than $30 for the lot.

The serving sizes of the main courses in this special lunch menu are smaller than those in the a la carte menu, but perfectly adequate for most appetites, and if you're like me, you don't want a huge lunch anyway, especially if it's a work day.

Service is attentive without being intrusive. The only thing that annoys me is the waiters' relentless pushing of things to bump up the price - garlic bread, sides, salads, and so on. I can read the menu, thank you; if I wanted those things, I'd have asked for them. But this is a relatively minor criticism.