La Taverna - Brunswick East

Great atmosphere however, thought I was in an Mexican restaurant because of the decor, ha.

Unpretentious, extensive menu, good food, not pricey, accommodating staff.

My partner and I visited here recently and were appalled by the service - or there lack-of. Having looked online for a reasonably priced local eatery, we decided to come here since it had a good rating on Google Review. Upon arrival we were led to our table and seated with a menu. My partner ordered a ham and mushroom pizza whilst I opted for the caesar salad. About 15 minutes later our order was taken and our menus retrieved, at this time the place had started to fill up a bit. After a bit of a wait, we over-heard the waitress telling arriving customers that their food would be at least an hour wait, so if they were looking for a quick bite to eat then it'd be best if they thought about going somewhere else. This worried us slightly, and as we looked around we noticed that almost no-one seemed to be eating, indeed the table next to us that had been sat down when we arrived didn't even appear to have any drinks. After forty minutes of waiting, and on the verge of asking what the hold up was, my partner's pizza finally arrived. It was a reasonable enough portion for one person for the price ($15 for a medium) however it wasn't anything extraordinary, it could've been bought from the supermarket and shoved in the oven for less than half the price. I waited hungrily for my salad, and after 15 minutes it still hadn't materialised, so my partner went to the counter to enquire. The member of staff he spoke to was rude and abrupt and simply said it was 'on it's way.' A further ten minutes passed and my partner had nearly finished his main, mine had still not arrived. We caught one of the waitresses as she walked by to ask again whether it would be with us soon, and were told that it hadn't been made yet, and we were supposed to have 'told the person who took our order that we didn't want to share each meal.' This struck us as a rather poor excuse, one that was delivered with even poorer manners and not a single apology. In the end we left to find another place to eat.Overall I give this place a 2/10. I have never in my life received such poor customer service, and having worked in several restaurants myself I can appreciate the strains of the job. Not receiving so much as an explanation or an apology for the mix up/disorganisation is bad enough, without being actively blamed for apparently 'ordering incorrectly.' The experience was simply laughable. Will never visit here again.

Food here is really good especially there Parma's quite a large serving I truly struggle to finish veges are always cooked to perfection pasta

Attended this vibrant and quaint restaurant last night for my nieces birthday. A little crowded because it is full of people enjoying good Italian food. Meals are large so make sure you are hungry when you go. Prices are good, staff are friendly and the place has a feel of people coming together in a relaxed environment. Recommend this place any night of the week.