Benito's

Introduction: Could not resist trying this restaurant after a very nice article in the Age
Ambience: Feels like an Italian wine bar
Service: Amiable and unhurried
Food: The chicken liver parfait ($7.50) is exquisite and would not be out of place across the road at Vue de Monde. The small antipasto ($16.50), quite a good size, with eggplant, tomato cheese, calamari, sausage peppers and meat was an honest dish of consistant good quality. The duck sausage on a bed of mash is a strange main course ($25.00) and not much to my taste. The pot roast rabbit was tender succulent and very tasty ($25.00), The veal saltimbucca was also excellently prepared ($25.00) The marinara made from fresh ingredients was another good dish. The desserts, of which there were only two choices by the time we got to them, were unusually good. The two flavours of semi-frodo, pear and passoinfruit were exceptional and the chocolate parfait really nice ($6.50) eac.
Wine: We had a 2004 Mornington Peninsula pinot noir - Massala by Kooyong ($35.00) I'd try something else if we return. There is a modest range of Italian and local wines at reasonable prices
Price: Good value
Comments: There is a fairly limited dinner menu which means it will be quite a while before I return. I have no complaints about the food some of which was quite excellent and well worth the visit.
Score: 14.5/20