I love this place!!! We don't eat in very often, but it's the only place we go for take-away pizza as the food's always great and not disgustingly oily and fatty like other pizza places. We always enjoy ourselves when we eat in - the layout is a little cramped, but that's only a problem if you get stuck next to a table with people who don't seem to understand that they can't just fling their handbag around or stick their elbows out as they move around on their chair :) The food is always fantastic - my favourite is penne with their tomato, bacon & spinach sauce - absolutely delicious!!! The only complaint I have is to just be careful if you're asking for something to be taken out of your meal (eg. onion, capsicum etc.) - there's a very good chance that it won't happen - I think that's simply because the kitchen is so busy, but if you're asking because you're allergic to something make sure you really emphasise that and you should be fine :) We actually hired out the upstairs dining room for my sister's 18th birthday, and it was a great night - we were very well looked after, and the food was fantastic. The owner is a lovely Italian man who is always happy to see every customer who walks in the door, and always tries to get around to every table to check that you've enjoyed your meal. If you start going there often he'll quickly learn your name and enthusiastically great you with a "buonasera" or even a "ciao belli" every time you're there :)

Approximate cost: $15-$30

I went here for dinner one Saturday night with an Italian friend who was visiting Melbourne. We were a little hesitant at first because it seemed a little over-the-top with the enormous amount for Ferrari memorabilia, but everywhere else was full. As someone who used to work in hospitality, I found this place extremely disappointing - we had to wait 45 minutes for someone to come over and take our order (that included our drink order). We were then waiting ~30 minutes for our food and we'd only ordered pizza and the place wasn't even full. I ordered their prosciutto pizza - quite nice, but way too much cheese. My friend was also disappointed in his pizza which also had too much cheese. Looking around at the dishes people around us were eating, his opinion was that, despite being run by Italian people, this place wasn't cooking authentic Italian food - it had been more Australian-ised to suit the type of Italian food we're used to here. Once we'd had enough of our food (couldn't finish it because of all the cheese) we were then waiting for another 45 minutes or so for someone to come over to clear our plates and settle our bill. The place was nearly empty by this point, so we saw no reason for the wait. We eventually gave up and got up to pay our bill at the bar, leaving our half-finished meals still sitting on the table.

Approximate cost: $10-$20

I had heard a lot about this place from other family members, and went here a couple of weeks ago for my father's birthday lunch. Unfortunately we all left disappointed (and my father and sister had been there before). The calamari entree tasted great as did the fried white bait / anchovies (admittedly, I can't remember which it was), but the abalone entree special was extremely expensive for the amount of abalone we actually got. I ordered the spaghetti vongole special because one of my favourite combinations is oil, chilli & garlic - unfortunately my spaghetti was covered in parsley (so that was all you could taste) and didn't even have chilli in it. Service was alright, but we did ask one waiter for another bottle of water - we already had an empty bottle of mineral water on the table so that was what he brought us - we actually wanted tap water. Yes we probably should have specified, but as someone who has worked in hospitality he also should have clarified first - when we told him we actually wanted tap water he responded extremely rudely with "well you should have said tap water" - that was completely unnecessary. We ended up spending ~3 hours there because the meals were extremely slow (our main waiter had waited until he cleared our entree plates before telling kitchen to start on our mains...so it took a long time for our mains to come). Positives would definitely be the view, and their chips - they are amazing! But unfortunately I'm not in a hurry to go back to this place, not for the price. Expected much more :(

Approximate cost: $30-$40

Have been here a few times and love this place!!! This was my first experience with Thai food and it did not disappoint. Their pad thai is delicious, as is their crispy chilli chicken and chilli cashew chicken. If you don't eat a lot of spicy food, start off with mild - it's beautiful. But don't be afraid to up the heat a little - it's wonderfully sweet and tasty.

Approximate cost: $10-$20

I've only been here a few times, but always order the same thing: their teriyaki beef noodle soup. It's delicious, but unfortunately the wait staff ALWAYS get it wrong, and bring the standard teriyaki beef dish. I then have to spend ~5 minutes trying to explain to them the difference between what they brought me and what I ordered even though I read my order straight off the menu. I usually have to resort to pointing to the menu because they don't understand me (the english skills of the people who work here don't appear to be as good as some of the other places on Kingsway, so most of the time you do need to refer to the menu a lot because there are a lot of dishes with similar names - I'm not saying this is a bad thing, it's just something to be aware of as it can be a little frustrating sometimes). Apart from that, the food is decent quality - the teriyaki beef is extremely succulent (cooked rare as the pieces are so thin) and the soup is beautiful. The Japanese combination entree is great - the tempura eggplant is delicious. Not necessarily a place to go if you're wanting a fancy, private night out, but great for a casual meal before going to a movie.

Approximate cost: $10-$20

I actually quite enjoy this place - as a Glen Waverley resident for ~a year I ate there / got takeaway lots of times. My favourite dishes are the roast duck & crispy pork noodle soup (delicious), chicken & sweet corn soup, and their spring rolls (the best I've had in a while). Their beef & black bean is also very nice, and their dumplings are very satisfying. As far as I'm aware, this place doesn't use MSG in their food (but don't quote me on that - it's based on the fact that I usually react badly to MSG, but I'm fine with the food from China Bar). The restaurant layout is a little cramped, but I've never felt like my personal space was being invaded by other guests or staff, and have quite comfortably sat there with friends for a couple of hours. Some of the staff do come across as quite blunt, but I think that's simply due to how busy they are - my one piece of advice would be to make sure you know exactly what you want when you order - being so busy, some of the staff members aren't particularly keen on indecisiveness (especially if you're ordering take-away on the spot). Definitely a good place to go to if you're just wanting a casual, reliable night out - better than the other places on Kingsway in my opinion.

Approximate cost: $10-$15

I love this place! I'm in Carlton occasionally for uni and noticed this place one day as I was walking to Lygon Street - I was immediately attracted to the sound of the sizzling woks, amazing smells wafting out the doors, and the buzz of a full restaurant. Didn't actually get to eat there until a couple of days later, somewhat accidentally - had originally intended to eat elsewhere only to find that place was closed (when it shouldn't have been), so I decided to try Rice Bar. Best decision!!! My favourite dish is their wonton noodle soup - lovely pork, the best wontons I've ever had, and a wonderfully flavoured soup :D
I now make sure I eat there at least once whenever I'm in Carlton, although I will admit I'm yet to try anything else on the menu (even though it looks so amazing) because I'm just too fond of that amazing wonton soup :)

Approximate cost: $10-$12