Member Review by BBG

Borsari was selected because of its full tables and extensive posted menu. Ordering was a problem because there was nothing that did not look excellent and excite the taste buds.

We had a grilled octopus starter that while good, was not special. Mains included a chicken dish and a crumbed veal. The meats were both quite good, and the potatoes very good, but the vegies were a let down being overcooked and limp.

The wine selection was OK, but the bottle delivered was not the bottle on the menu - a menu shiraz was actually a cab shiraz. While vintages are often inaccurate, mis categorising on the menu should not be on.

While there were no serious issues and one would not be disappointed, there is nothing to set Borsari apart from the many other Italian restaurants on Lygon beyond the wonderfuly broad menu.

Member Review by Gary

Borsari was the 'signature' Italian Lygon St restaurant - you could walk in and it would be more like Bologna or Florence than Carlton. The linen tablecloths and napkins, long aprons on the staff and immaculately clean full-length windows give off a positive impression - but it's not like it used to be. I've dined at Borsari for family, business and group events over the years, and now they're starting to disappoint.

The quality of ingredients is patchy - we both ordered steaks last visit, and you would have thought they were bought at different places. The entrees were better, but the choices on my antipasto plate were less than limited, with only one cured meat and regular supermarket marinated vegetables almost tossed in mesclun with stale grissini. The saving grace is that the serves are large. For the first time in decades I have sent back a dish at Borsari. Why would anyone put a chocolate sauce on a strudel? Only to conceal its 'past the use by' date! Having a waiter who knew nothing about the dishes didn't help either.

For quality, ambience and value, Borsari used to be a winner, and a reliable place to bring a group of guests, but not for me any longer.

Borsari is just okay. With the competition of the 2000s, not good enough.