Mietta's Review
Well located restaurant with good food and it's always very busy. You need to book. Service can be variable. Wines are not cheap, the acoustics make the place very loud when full - which is often. Wide ranging menu with good seafood - Eden mussels, chilli, garlic, parsley, white wine.

Other published opinions

Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2010 Score: 13/20 "Beneath the creamy Italianate colonnades of the Melbourne Building is just where you'd hope to find a restaurant that takes the authenticity of its cucina seriously"

Sydney Eats 2009 minor "Kick off with the salty woodfired bread then try panfried sardine fillets on baby beetroot, ricotta and walnut salad with orange dressing"

Courier Mail Food and Wine Guide 2009 Queensland "Milanese elegance in a 1920s building, this one an old bank"

Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2009 Score: 13/20 "There's something so solid and permanent about the Melbourne Building. It's a reminder of Canberra's early years, staid and serious. Mezzalira is an enduring fixture on the western corner of the building, with a buzzy bar and pleasantly formal ambience"

Gourmet Traveller 2009 Australian Restaurant Guide "Despite the competition in this neighbourhood, Mezzalira succeeds by holding fast to its southern Italian roots. Stylish surroundings - honeycoloured timber details, yellow walls and scarlet upholstery - create a sense of warmth and wellbeing"

Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2008 Score: 13/20 "It can be difficult to get good service in the nation's capital, but Mezzalira is an exception. It's notable for the proud professionalism with which smartly attired staff turn out tempting, comforting Italian food under the Trimboli family's watchful eye"

Gourmet Traveller 2008 Australian Restaurant Guide "Carb -phobes be warned. Sure, you could construct a perfectly satisfying Italian meal at this relatively classy contemporary Canberra landmark without any of the evils of carbohydrate, but to do so would be to miss the point."

Sydney Eats 2008 "Whatever you do, be sure to order the woodfired bread to start"

Canberra Times Bryan Martin, 11-04-07 Score: 15/20 "First-class Italian food, a materclass in simplicity and quality, with service and a wine list to match."

Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2007 Score: 13/20 "With its curved, wraparound glass walls and sexy, U-shaped bar, this family-run Italian favourite has a light, happy feel. The greeting is warm, the service efficient, and the cucina rustica just the sort of simple, fresh Italian food you could eat every day."

Gourmet Traveller 2007 Restaurant Guide "Judging from the number of diners seated by 6.30pm, one would think there's an early-bird special on offer, but it's the crowd pleasing cucina itself rather than any happy-hour deal that's responsible."

SMH Good Food Guide 2006 Italian Score 13/20 "With unusually high ceilings, curved, banquette-lined booths and outdoor tables, this Italian diner is infected with a breezy feel. The same can be said of the Trimboli family's cucina rustica - it's fresh, vibrant and well made, never cloying or fiddly."

Gourmet Traveller Australian Restaurant Guide 2006 "Without Mezzalira, contemporary Italian cuisine would be an all-too-rare commodity in the national capital. Chef Bruce Chapman's move across the lake following the closure of Atlantic has injected new life into this inner-city ristorante."

Sydney Eats 2006 "Now arguably Canberra's best Italian, Mezzalira is a model of style and elegance with excellent food and comfortable surroundings, to say nothing of the terrific winelist."

SMH GFG 2005 Score 13/20 "Pasquale Trimboli's wood-fired oven is the heart and soul of this warm Italian bistro, with its curving timber spaces, red cloth chairs and wavy blue banquette. He's responsible for the irresistible, freshly baked warm focacce, and the lovely, thin-crust pizze"

Sydney Cheap Eats 2005 "A model of style and elegance, with decor, service and food to set it apart - not to mention an extensive wine list - Mezzalira offers the full dining experience."

Gourmet Restaurant Guide 2005 "With that woodfired oven cranking at the back of the restaurant, Mezzalira continues to satiasfy with its modern Italian offerings. ... The service merges that rare combination of personality and efficiency to keep up with this fast-paced, seasoned performer."

SMH GFG 2004,Score 14/20,'The white-jacketed floor team is as professional,yet cheeky and fun,as you encourage them to be.There's plenty of vim in the 40-something-strong menu that shows off the oven's influence.'

Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide Australia 2004, Excellent wine list, Good vegetarian options,'The dining room exudes an easy elegance...Add a good wine list and proficient, friendly service, and you have one of Canberra's smartest and most reliable restaurants.'