Belucci's, Canberra

In January this year I went to visit my Mum, Sister and Brother in Canberra, Australia. I took my friend with me as Tub was reluctant to fly long distance. While I was there it would be my birthday so on that night we all went out for dinner to a well known Italian restaurant called Bellucci's.I believe there are around of 3 or 4 branches of this restaurant in the city and we chose the Dickson one which was probably the closest to us.

We had a 7pm reservation and arrived on time. The dining area was very large and open plan with lots of tables quite close together but well laid. The kitchen area was also open with only a counter separating it from the tables. The decor was neutral and modern but inviting.

As soon as we sat down a server came over to take our drinks order and handed us large menus. The variety was excellent with lists of pastas, pizzas and international cuisine going on forever. To be honest, it was hard to choose as everything sounded great.

We decided to order some garlic bread to share for a starter while we waited for the main. I opted for a pasta dish called Linguine Al Formaggio while the others had pizza or pasta. The dishes didn't take long to arrive and looked fantastic.
My linguine was served with tender pieces of chicken, fresh tomato, ricotta and herbs in a light cream sauce. I added plenty of cheese to this (as I do with most compatible meals!)
I want to describe it more for you but I don't think my description could do this meal any justice no matter how hard i try. I have to say it was one of the best pasta dishes i have been served in my life - a perfect sized portion of the freshest ingredients creating a most perfect taste that I know I will never manage to recreate [insert sad face]

After the meal, everyone commented on how lovely their meals were. I tried a bit of my sister's pizza while not being the best pizza in the world, was still pretty nice but was really pleased with my own choice.

All in all it was a lovely night with the best company. I couldn't have asked for a better birthday in my favourite country with my favourite people and was pleased when on the last night of my holiday, we got to go back to Bellucci's to try that lovely pasta once again.

Food 9/10 excellent.
Price 8/10 From what I remember, it was a little expensive but justified.
Service 8/10 polite and efficient for it being so busy.