Formerly known as Cafe Buongiornos, it was pretty dismal back then. Ever since I’ve been in Adelaide though I have known it as Cafe Brunelli. It has obviously gone through a facelift and now it is nearly always packed with locals. With seating indoors and outdoors – as well as a wide selection of Mediterranean dishes, pastries, chocolate truffles and gelato – it is no wonder that this cafe is conducive for all three meals in the day. From what I hear, the coffee is rather good too.
Selection of chocolate truffles. Pastries on the next counter. Didn’t manage to snap a photo of the colourful gelato!
Want to know another fun fact? I don’t know how reliable the truthfulness of this is, but… Apparently, Cafe Brunelli was sued for copying the logo of the more renowned Cafe Brunetti in Melbourne. Well, could it get anymore obvious.
Anywayyyyy.
Here is a view of the restaurant from the inside. It is usually very loud, very Italian.
Yay! Complimentary bread and butter for starters. I like.
Bread and butter.
Unfortunately, the bread did not look very appetizing; it looked rather dry instead. Boo. Butter’s always good though.
I ordered the Pasta Bello – grilled chicken, pesto, pumpkin, capsicum, onion, broccoli, garlic and cream sauce. Best thing of all? You get to choose what pasta you want it with. I chose the ravioli because I have always loved ravioli and don’t you think it’s more worth the money? I mean, it’s stuffed too!
Pasta Bello with ravioli.
Pesto, pesto, pesto. Mmm mmm mmmmmmm! This was extremely filling and creamy. It was yummy, and I felt a little healthy eating it. Only downfall is that the vegetable chunks were cut too big and rough. And three quarters of the way through my stomach was fit to burst.
My boyfriend and another guy friend ordered an Open Lamb Souvlaki – tender pieces of lamb, pita bread, Greek salad, tzatziki and chips to share. This was under the category “PIATTO GRANDE (Really, really big)” and it looked like this:
Open Lamb Souvlaki
Oh, food glorious food. It really was a big portion. The meat was cooked until tender and marinated in delicious spices. Yum yum yum. The chips were also bursting with flavour under their superb golden coating. However, again we had the huge chunks of feta cheese this time which I do not appreciate. Also, the salad felt too oily and salty after a while.
I came in a group of 11 people – Cafe Brunelli is good for groups, so I got to try a few other dishes. Risottos, to be precise. I usually am quite keen on risottos. I had a bite of the Risotto Tutto Mare – with our selection of fresh seafood, chilli, garlic, basil, in a tomato base sauce and the Risotto Pollo & Zucca – marinated grilled chicken and roast pumpkin, cooked in its own stock which I initially wanted. I wouldn’t be too qualified to say, but I thought the risotto was slightly undercooked although it then lent a gritty texture to the risotto which I kind of enjoyed. The risottos also blended well amongst the flavours combined in the dishes.
Cafe Brunelli is not my first pick down on Rundle Street, but it does leave you satisfied.
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Taste: 4/5
Presentation: 3/5
Value: 3.5/5
Service: 4/5
Ambience: 4/5
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Café Brunelli
187 Rundle Street,
Adelaide, SA 5000,
Australia.
t: (08) 8223 2221
w: http://www.cafebrunelli.com.au/
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~ Chelle.
th- nose knows 