周D
Google
Casalingo, Apollo Bay (late July 2025) – A Coastal Gem with Heart, and Room for Al Dente Improvement
After a long, scenic drive from Melbourne, we arrived at Casalingo in Apollo Bay a little early at 6 pm, hoping to beat the dinner rush and unwind with a good meal by the sea. The setting alone, rustic-chic, warmly lit, with a relaxed coastal charm, set the tone for what turned out to be a mostly delightful evening. And while the food had a few missteps, the service was absolutely outstanding, earning this place a special place in my memory.
From the moment we walked in, we were greeted with genuine warmth. The bartender was friendly and efficient, setting the mood with a welcoming smile. Our main server, a young Japanese woman, was polite, attentive, and clearly proud of the menu. Two other female servers rotated through the evening, checking in at just the right moments, never intrusive, always thoughtful. It felt like a well-oiled team that actually enjoyed taking care of guests. Service, 5 stars. In fact, it’s rare to see such consistent, heartfelt hospitality outside of fine dining.
We ordered a spread meant to celebrate the coast and countryside,
- A medium-rare steak, which arrived just a shade over, more medium than rare, but still tender and well-cooked, with good flavor, 4 stars
- The marinara pasta, a classic, but more on that in a moment
- A warm spinach and bacon salad with potatoes, hearty, rustic, and comforting, though the spinach was a touch on the salty side, likely due to the bacon, the potatoes, however, were perfectly unseasoned, which I suspect was intentional to balance the salt, 4 stars
- And to drink, a soft Sangiovese and a Tempranillo, both excellent choices that paired beautifully with the meal.
Now, the pasta.
I need to be honest here, this is the third time in as many days in Australia I’ve specifically requested al dente pasta and been served noodles as soft and limp as flat rice pho. At this point, I wonder if it’s a cultural preference. Do Australian kitchens interpret “al dente” as “fully softened”? Because what arrived was the opposite of toothsome. The texture was uniform, mushy, and lifeless. I had stressed it clearly to our server, who even wrote “al dente” on the ticket, so credit where it’s due, they tried. But the kitchen either didn’t understand, or defaulted to a softer cook.
To their immense credit, when I mentioned it, they immediately offered to take the dish back and remake it. That kind of responsiveness is deeply appreciated. But the damage was done, this was the weakest dish of the night. 1 star for the marinara, not because of the marinara, which was fresh, garlicky, and full of briny seafood, but because the noodles ruined the entire experience.
Still, I’d return. Why? Because Casalingo has soul. The vibe, the service, the handmade pasta and pizza, yes, they make their own, there’s real craftsmanship here, even if the execution on the noodles missed the mark this time. I’d come back to try their house-made pappardelle or a wood-fired pizza, confident that, with this level of care from the front-of-house, the kitchen can, and likely will, get it right.
And yes, I forgot to take photos of the steak and salad, proof that we were too busy enjoying the moment to document it. Sometimes, that’s the highest compliment a meal can receive.
Final scorecard,
Service, 5 stars
Steak, 4 stars
Spinach and bacon salad, 4 stars
Marinara, noodles, 1 star
Overall, 4 stars, for heart, hospitality, and the promise of a better bite next time.
Would I come back? Absolutely. Just, maybe I’ll whisper “crunchy” next time I say “al dente.”
