Reviews

Herald Sun

Donna Coutts, May 3 2005

Score 17/20

 

"Tasty, reasonably priced food in a pleasant setting. Good service packs the points on for Spiga..."

 

Seating: Plenty, quick turnover
Decor: Modern, smart
Patrons: Shoppers, suits

The Age Cheap Eats 2007

"The dust has settled over Melbourne Central's much-hyped laneway eateries and the stayers have emerged from the pack; Spiga is one of them. It's a comfy, chilled bistro space where you can recline on banquettes and bright cushions, or go formal over a bowl of housemade ricotta gnocchi, pungent with rich gorgonzola sauce."

The Age Cheap Eats 2006

Bustling Menzies Alley is just the place to park
yourself after a heavy day of city shopping. And Spiga must be one of the best spots on the strip to refuel.

Mietta's

Pizza by the slice is the go here. Joe Vacirca, once worked at Cafe a Taglio, now he brings those skills to Spiga which is located deep in the bowels of Melbourne Central. There's a full menu to accompany the excellent pizza slices. Really fabulous service make this a must if you're in the area.

 

The Age

Matt Preston

Melbourne's "new wave" pizza explosion has given us many good things, but, as with any revolution, for every Elvis Presley thrown up there will be a hundred Pat Boones or Fabians.

 

Stylishly simple, and awesomely white, Ortigia off Bank Place in the city is one of the few places to pull it off. St Kilda's pizza a taglio in its early days was another.

 

Back then, a taglio was where Joe Vacirca plied his trade. Now he is turning out the trays at the six-month-old Spiga Bar, a smart, two-tier cafe and restaurant in Menzies Alley at Melbourne Central. This modern interpretation of a CBD laneway is covered, so you can sit outside at the tables in all weather, smoke and enjoy good-value slabs of pizza.

 

The topping combinations veer towards the traditional: margaritas, capricciosas using leg ham, or hot salami with red pepper. There's also the Olimpia, which adds feta and semi-dried tomatoes to a traditional mozzarella base and the egg and pancetta that recalls the old-fashioned "Aussie".

 

Two winners are the mushroom, provolone and gorgonzola, with just enough of the blue to make it interesting, and the potato pizza. Thin slices of spud are matched to quills of parmesan, pale caramelised onion and a fair whack of rosemary. The bases are crispy underneath and plumpy without being too doughy on top. All the dough, bread and cakes are made onsite. They also do pastas, and the coffee - Genovese - is good.

 

 

The Age Epicure

Matt Preston, December 21, 2004

"a taglio was where Joe Vacirca plied his trade. Now he is turning out the trays at the six-month-old Spiga Bar, a smart, two-tier cafe and restaurant in Menzies Alley at Melbourne Central. This modern interpretation of a CBD laneway is covered, so you can sit outside at the tables in all weather, smoke and enjoy good-value slabs of pizza.

 

* Please note, at Spiga, we update our menu regularly. In turn, some reviews may be dated – Sorry, we no longer offer pizza by the slice. So sit down and enjoy with friends!