I was strolling along Yarra River from South Wharf looking at the endless choices of western food, bars, pubs, Chinese food and café when Cervo stood out from the rest and beckoned to me.
From the river, you can see the outdoor seating area where diners can relax in the sun set and enjoy the occasional river breeze.
Past the al fresco area, you will be greeted by an extremely warm and inviting interior of the restaurant. With exotic mosaic wall decorations and a lively atmosphere, Cervo instantaneously transports you to somewhere in Europe.
The liquor bar was quite impressive with a wall full of different kinds of bottles of wines and liquor.
The restaurant has a mix of bar seating to group table seating and is very crowded during meal times.
The menu at Cervo is fairly simple with the usual sharing plates, starters, mains, salads, pizzas and desserts.
For a start, we had the oysters which were extremely fresh albeit small in size. They were juicy but not the creamy kind of oyster and the size is quite small.
The fried calamari came with a generous amount of rocket leaves. The batter was very light and fried till crispy and the squid inside was soft but I found the dish slightly bland.
The duck risotto was done extremely well with the flavours of the duck infused into the risotto rice. The rice is well cooked till creamy with deep flavours of the tomato and wine.
The slow braised beef was very tender and succulent according to my colleagues and the servings were huge enough for 2 to share as you have other starters. The beef was nicely cooked with a pink centre and a crusty skin.
The tiramisu was quite a disappointment, it wasn’t bad but it was not as good as I had hoped it would be after a few excellent mains. The whole fruits and chocolate toppings and sauces in the plate was way over the top and complicated the taste of the tiramisu which should have just been simple and good.
They serve a wide variety of local beers and imported beers as well as cider drinks. The price of the drinks are also pretty reasonable for a good chillax session.
Overall, Cervo served really good dishes especially the mains and the atmosphere was just great to spend time with friends and family enjoying great food and good drinks.
Address: 285 City Rd, Southbank VIC 3006, Australia
Operating hours: 8 am to 12 am
Bear Travels . Bear Eats . Bear Cooks 