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Restaurant

Zia Rina's Cucina

857 High St, Armadale VIC 3143, Australia

Recommended by 47 people

Updated

Find Zia Rina's Cucina

857 High St, Armadale VIC 3143, Australia

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HoursMonday: Closed Tuesday: Closed Wednesday: 6:00 – 10:00 PM Thursday: 6:00 – 10:00 PM Friday: 6:00 – 10:00 PM Saturday: 6:00 – 10:00 PM Sunday: Closed

*Opening hours may differ during holidays.

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About Zia Rina's Cucina

No printed menus, no static wine list—just pure trust in a $75 multi-course Italian feast dictated by the kitchen. Armadale locals gladly surrender ordering rights for a tailored dining progression capped at 20 seats. The table learns its main dish only after sitting down, from charred squid over pumpkin to duck breast or crisp flathead. Before that comes a parade of seasonal antipasti—fried zucchini flowers, kingfish crudo, crusty bread—followed by al dente bone marrow casarecce built for fare la scarpetta. Drinks are pitched verbally or scrawled straight onto the dining room wall. The room fills quickly toward 8 PM, winding down over crisp cannoli and house limoncello.

  • Surprise Set Menu: A tailored multi-course meal featuring antipasti, pasta, table-specific surprise mains, and dessert with no printed menu.
  • Tailored Accommodations: The kitchen effortlessly flexes the set courses to suit vegetarian needs, pregnancy, or red meat restrictions.
  • Seasonal Plates: Standout seasonal plates span crisp zucchini flowers, bone marrow casarecce, and triple-cooked potatoes.
  • Menu-Free Drinks: No formal drinks list—bottles are chalked directly on the wall alongside bespoke, off-the-cuff drinks.
RestaurantItalianRestaurant

What's On at Zia Rina's Cucina

Upcoming events, special menus and other reasons to plan a visit.

No events or specials listed right now.

Why Diners Choose Zia Rina's Cucina

Why Armadale diners choose Zia Rina's Cucina for blind tasting menus and intimate dinners

  • Chef-Led Surprise Set Menu

    Zia Rina's dispenses with printed menus in favour of a surprise multi-course set dinner curated daily around fresh seasonal ingredients and table-specific mains.

    Depending on your number of diners, and the day of your booking, each table is prepared a different main for their $75 set menu and you don’t get to know what it is until you sit down.

    Mel B

  • Trust-Based Trattoria Experience

    Dining without a static bill of fare lets guests sit back and enjoy an authentic home-style meal guided entirely by the kitchen and attentive floor team.

    you won’t be given a menu, but rather told to simply trust the chef will bring you a delicious 4 course

    elisa mets

  • Effortless Dietary Accommodations

    The kitchen seamlessly customises its blind multi-course feasts for guests with specific allergies, vegetarian diets, or pregnancy without diminishing the meal.

    One of us is a vegetarian and the other has specific allergies and he effortlessly catered to our requirements, providing homemade cuisine with excellent service on top.

    Anta Sy

  • Tailored Menu Substitutions

    Diners with particular exclusions such as no red meat receive individually tailored mains and bespoke drinks while enjoying the full set progression.

    Although they don't have menus, they're happy to cater for dietary requirements.

    Jasmine (Jas.eats)

  • Intimate Micro-Capacity Dining

    With seating strictly capped at 20 guests, Zia Rina's creates a calm, focused environment ideal for date nights and small gatherings.

    Only catch is that they can only seat a max of 20 PAX.

    Rick Donald

  • Atmosphere Built for Shared Occasions

    Acoustic updates and low table counts foster a quiet, warm trattoria atmosphere built for personal conversations and shared celebrations.

    the recent interior refresh added acoustic treatments, so the atmosphere is now even more intimate than before. Perfect for date night or a small group dinner.

    Tom Neudorfl

Signature seasonal courses from the chef-curated tasting menu

  • Duck Breast

    followed by beautifully cooked duck breast.

    Rick Donald

  • Zucchini Fritters

    memorable zucchini fritters and perfectly cooked casarecce pasta.

    Jasmine (Jas.eats)

  • Bone Marrow Casarecce

    second course, came the bone marrow casarecce. rich and fatty but not at all heavy. the pasta had the most perfect grainy bite.

    elisa mets

  • Charred Squid

    Our main was charred squid with pumpkin, and wow, it was so good.

    A&J _

Other favorites

Memorable house sides, breads, and sweet conclusions

  • Baked Potatoes

    the most HEAVENLY potatoes I have ever put into my mouth. i don’t think I can ever enjoy another potato. not unless its cooked three times and salted like this. WOW.

    elisa mets

  • Sicilian Cannoli

    To finish we were served really light lemon ricotta filled Sicilian cannoli and a complimentary lemon based home made liquor.

    Rick Donald

  • Tiramisu

    Talk about dessert, the tiramisu was such a good ending. i had mine with limoncello & my partner had it hazelnut liquor

    A&J _

  • Focaccia

    The focaccia bread was so light and fluffy. I loved the little touches like bringing a small piece of bread after the pasta to soak up the sauce.

    Silvana Horvath

Beyond the menu

Thoughtful, above-and-beyond hospitality details from our dining experience

  • Focaccia for Scarpetta

    Extra slices of housemade focaccia are brought to the table specifically after pasta courses so guests can wipe their plates clean.

  • Complimentary House Limoncello

    Dinners often conclude with a generous pour of housemade limoncello served on the house.

  • Bespoke Course Adjustments

    Even without printed menus, dietary requirements such as vegetarian diets, pregnancy restrictions, and red meat exclusions receive bespoke, individually crafted alternatives.

  • Table-Specific Mains

    Guests can specify main preferences on reservations, resulting in tailored mains like duck, steak, charred squid, or fresh daily fish varied table by table.

Before you head over

Practical tips for planning your surprise set-menu dining experience

  • Book in Advance for Small Capacity

    With dining capped at a maximum of 20 patrons and tables packing out quickly by 8pm, make an advance reservation to guarantee a spot.

  • Embrace the Unwritten Surprise Menu

    Expect no printed food menu or written wine list; trust the chef to curate surprise shared courses and ask staff directly about bottle pricing when getting wine recommendations.

  • Note Dietary Needs at Booking

    If you avoid red meat, have allergies, or are pregnant, specify your requirements during booking so the kitchen can seamlessly tailor alternative courses like fish or charred squid.

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