Tucked away inside Federation Square, Cafe Chinotto is one of several places to eat in the recently opened landmark / eyesore / gathering place / money pit / triumph of 21st century design (take your pick). The building which houses Cafe Chinotto hasn't been fully completed, so the glass back wall of the cafe allows a lovely view of workmen finishing the interior of what looks like a large presentation hall of some sort. As far as cafe ambience goes, it's not really ideal, but the striking, jagged-puzzle glasswork of the five-storey walls is quite interesting to look at.
So, how was the cafe? The food was very satisfactory and the service was terrible. I ordered the Chilli Beef Pizza ($12), which came topped with Mozzarella, Red Onion, Tomato and Spinach. It arrived promptly enough, and tasted great. Dave ordered the Garlic Mussels in Spaghetti and White Wine ($14), and for many many minutes nothing happened. I was nearly done with my pizza when, after asking the waiter what was going on, Dave finally got his meal. Once he was given the chance, he enjoyed it a lot.
We had some wine: Sticks Pinot Noir and Knights Granite Hill Merlot. No complaints. We are easy to please when it comes to wine.
For dessert, I had a Chocolate Mandarin Cake and Dave had a Blueberry Almond Tart ($6 each, both came as little standalone cakes about the size of a coffee cup). They were quite good. Unfortunately, after our mains we sat around being ignored for so long that to get dessert, we had to flag down a waiter so we could order it.
We had the same problem with the bill. After we finished dessert, we sat around again... and had to flag someone down to ask for the bill. Nobody came to our table to ask if there was anything else we wanted, or even to clear our plates for quite some time. There appeared to be plenty of people working in the cafe, so my guess is that they haven't quite got the efficiency and routine down yet.
At least they didn't have to take the auto-water-refill test. A communal jug and stacks of glasses were provided at the side of the room.
There were no toilets available specifically in the cafe; the public facilities of Federation Square are there instead (and decent enough, because they're new - time will tell if they get worn and abused).
All in all the food was nice but I would wait awhile before trying this place, to see if they ever sort out the service. Maybe by then the whole building will be finished and you'll get a decent view from inside.
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Dave's summary: "It must have been a pain to build this place."
Probability that we will return: 31 / 42
Note that the probability rating is affected by the fact that there are hundreds of places to eat around here.