I know everybody has org*sms over this place, and I thought I would too, but it was just so disappointing. I had not been here since it first opened at the end of 2021 and imagined it would have got better. It’s important for me to say that the service was good and the wait staff pleasant and friendly. After starting with drinks (a delicious cosmopolitan for me) we were brought the arancini balls as ordered. These were lovely and crisp and had a nice flavour, but there was already a hint of disappointment, as the taste of the sauce was just a bit too subtle for me. The carpaccio was tasty, but not as strong in flavour as I might have expected, especially considering the presence of an attractive-looking parmesan. it was all downhill from there. The napolitana sauce on the $32 gnocchi sorrentina was not even as good as some I’ve made at home. By the time I realised I had paid $36 for a pile of eggplant posing as swordfish I just thought what the f*ck. Although the chocolate cheesecake that followed was delicious, it didn’t make up for my sense of being ripped off. I don’t normally complain about the price of fine-dining restaurants because it’s my privileged choice to go there, so I know what I’m in for. I understand CBD (especially Hardware Lane) overheads are high and often lower prices means staff aren’t paid properly. However, this restaurant just seems unviable to me if it charges so much for such mediocre food. This doesn’t mean you should go to some murder kitchen instead. That will always be worse/wrong and I’m conscious that my bad review might give people an excuse to dismiss a vegan place for a slaughter salon like Maha , Matteos, or Hochi Mama. That is not at all the intention..