JULIET ATE HERE | receipt no. 12, La Pinta, Reservoir
JULIET ATE HERE | receipt no. 11
La Pinta, Reservoir
(An ode to the horseshoe bar, the wall-written menu, and the joy of being fed well)
Adventure Friday became Adventure Saturday this week. We took ourselves to La Pinta in Reservoir, a place that had been recommended again and again. We had once stopped in for a drink, but never to eat. It is known for its huge horseshoe bar that fills the front room. Most of the seating wraps around it. A few small tables sit in the windows, and there are two larger tables in the back for groups. They only take bookings for 5 or 6 people. Everyone else waits and watches and hopes for a seat.
I had first heard about La Pinta from my favourite Melbourne pastry chef, Anneliese. She posts the cakes, desserts, breads, and pastas she makes there. They always look mouthwatering through the screen. Now I can confirm they are exactly that in person.
Because you cannot book, we waited at the short bar against the wall. We started with cocktails. Sam had the Michelada, a Bloody Mary Beer Spritz. I had the House Martini, gin with Cocchi Americano and a lemon twist. We people-watched. Around the bar were pairs. Two and two and two and two. Lovers, friends, colleagues, families, each pair wrapped in their own conversation and shared food.
There is no printed menu. The menu lives on the wall outside, and again inside. You take a photo of it. Items are crossed off as they sell out.
The man who greeted us was the same one who served us months ago when we had only come for a drink. His warmth is the kind that makes you feel remembered, even if you were not. You feel like you belong. You feel taken care of.
We were seated in the back room. Two long tables. My guess is this is where the groups go, or perhaps it is part of the kitchen when the place is closed. It felt like the working heart of the restaurant.
The order:
Our bread, fratalli olive oil $6
Split pea dip, pickles, seeds $10
Raw trout, horseradish, creme fraiche $18
Potato spoia lorda, mussels + pancetta $32
Lamb chop, broad bean, brown butter $35
Rhubarb, cream almond cake $14
We watched them prepare the bread while we waited at the bar. Thick slices. Heavy with olive oil. Salt you could see. The bread and the split pea dip arrived first, still drinking our cocktails. I said to Sam that if this was all we had, I would be perfectly happy. It tasted that good. We did not leave a smear of dip behind.
The raw trout came next, like a tartare. Bright, fresh, sharp. Then the potato spoia lorda. We realised we did not know what it would be. It turned out to be a filled pasta, pillowy and soft, with potato and cheese inside, in a sauce with mussels and pancetta. The kind of dish that makes you stop speaking. We wished there was bread left to mop the sauce. We spooned it instead. Before we finished the plate, Sam had already started looking for recipes to make it at home.
Then came the lamb chop. Cut for sharing, with broad beans and brown butter. Simple, but not simple. Familiar, but better than any version you think you know. If you think you have had lamb chops, you have not had these.
For dessert we had the rhubarb, cream sponge cake. We had seen it passing through the kitchen. I had seen it on Anneliese’s Instagram many times. There was no conversation, it was obvious that we’d have dessert. Light but full. Sweet in the right way. We later learned you can reserve a slice when you arrive. Good to know. It sells out.
Sam said afterwards: it has everything you want in a Melbourne restaurant. Good food, good service, good energy, prices that feel fair, music that matches the room. A place that is looked after. Cared for. Only good for small groups, but still good.
We were really pleased. La Pinta earned its place in our favourite list.
Total: $141.00
The bar as theatre: Couples and pairs, stories circling one room.
Bread a must have: Olive oil, salt, dip you remember.
Spoia lorda: Pillows of goodness, sauce eaten to the last drop.
Reserve the cake: Trust Anneliese. Always.