Cenzo: Australian Italian Restaurant & Bar (Club st)

Having heard so much hype about this Australian-Italian hybrid restaurant, I definitely had to check it out and of course, try all the recommended dishes. The lamb skewers were flavourful and the following waygu tartare was also decent. The standout was the oyster with the sorbet and this added a sweet dimension to the brine of the oysters. The appetisers were a standout - both the octopus and the king prawn. Both cooked to perfection and perfectly seasoned and I dare say the best dishes of the night. We had the Pappardelle (wild boar ragu) and the Campanelle (slipper lobster) and I felt that it was just a bit under seasoned. The Campanelle needed some acid to cut through the spice and the Pappardelle could do with a bit more salt. Service was good, attentive and always ensure that our glasses were full. Overall, a nice place to visit!

Had a lovely birthday dinner at Cenzo. Big shoutout to Vernon, Angel and Iris for the warm hospitality! Ordered the Spicy Lobster, Pesto Pasta, Wagyu with baked potato, and Tiramisu. The pesto pasta was the star of the night, hands down one of the best I’ve had since coming back from Italy. Ended the meal on a sweet note with the tiramisu. Will definitely be back! 🤗

Date of visit: 10Jun’26 Ordered a mix of snacks/antipasti, pastas + vegetables. Overall food was great, although the table-side cacio e pepe was mainly theatrics (and compromised on sauce texture/flavour, which is common for any pasta dishes served in cheese wheels). Relatively creative innovations as well, not your typical Italian choices but great to see new interpretations! Service was spot-on, and even provided us with a complimentary birthday tiramisu (which tasted more like a cookies & cream flavoured), but loved the gesture!

Wow food was amazing. It’s not like your typical Italian restaurant, it has some Spanish, Australian influence so it was super unique. You NEED to get the prawn risotto. It’s incredibly indulgent, creamy and definitely the best risotto I’ve ever had. The octopus and chicken as well were great. Seasoned wonderfully and surprised not too oily. Tried the porchetta croquettes too and they were crispy, hearty and comforting. Recommend a side of aragula salad as a refreshing element too, simple but necessary. The vibes here are great, with the open kitchen concept. It’s great for dates, family dinner or friends. Staff were so helpful and friendly too. Highly recommend and I will be back!

Service was great but a little long waiting time for food to be served. 1. Wagyu cannoli – Mediocre, nothing particularly memorable. 2. Crab uni tartlet – Unfortunately tasted quite fishy which affected the overall flavour. 3. Prawn risotto – Mediocre as well, not as great as the rave reviews suggested. 4. Pistachio pesto burrata pasta – Decent but not a “wow” dish. 5. Frico – Essentially like a rosti, though slightly over-burnt for my liking. 6. Grilled octopus – Texture was okay but also a little too charred. 7. Iberico pork – The weakest dish of the night. It was quite dry and tough even though the waiter mentioned it would be served medium rare; it felt closer to medium well. 8. Tiramisu – Not bad overall, but slightly too heavy on the alcohol for my preference.