Behind a very plain facade lies this wonderful restaurant. The staff are exceptionally helpful and friendly. We let them choose our meals and wine and we were not disappointed. Everything was amazing. We had a table for 10 in the room out the back of the restaurant. It was not noisy and we could easily chat across our table. I would definitely recommend this restaurant.

Love the Chef's Special Menu, great service and very obliging staff

Was initially a bit apprehensive after reading mixed reviews, but intrigue won over during our South Yarra visit. Turned out to be one of the best dining experiences we had.

Da Noi is a very tight, homely restaurant that is easily missed as its shopfront is tiny. White tablecloths hint of its upmarket nature, but otherwise seems a simple, cosy place. We chose the chef's set menu over a la carte because we were told that the dishes would be a surprise depending on the chef's food selections & cooking (& mood I guess), which added to the intrigue. But what a treat we had! Starters & desserts were shared, whilst the pasta & meats were served individually. Each serving was delicious. Starters comprised some half dozen antipasti plates ranging from octopus to capsicum to mussels, meatballs etc all wonderfully done.

The pasta dish was spaghetti with asparagus in a crabmeat base. Really good, with the spaghetti perfectly al dente. The meat dishes were slow braised lamb with vegetables, and suckling pig by which time we were quite full although we left nothing behind on our plates! Desserts of tiramisu, semifreddo, mousse tart with generous serving of fresh berries etc were great too but were almost an anticlimax after the feast we had.

The wine list is very good with a wide range of primarily Italian wines. We chose a Turriga for the meat course which turned out to be excellent.

As expected, this was not a cheap meal. I think the wine was a bit expensive at AUD150. But as regular diners at several top Aussie restaurants listed at the pointy end of foodie lists, I would venture that Da Noi ranks for us as simply outstanding. We will visit again & let the chef weave his creative magic.

Couple of ending notes: we were seated in the mid section on the ground floor which was fine. We noticed a couple of tables at the front were constantly interrupted by entry & exit of customers which couldn't have helped their dining experiences. Service,overall, was pleasant & friendly without being intimate in the way that one might expect in a homey restaurant.

We all thought the food was good but the wine and the price of it is another matter. When we were asked would we like a champagne to start with ( no wine list offered) we had no idea and were not informed of the price.So enjoyed one glass and asked what it was . The waiter would not say just said its french. We nearly died when we got the bill and saw the price. We all decided when we got the bill that night that we would never be going back. It cost me a weeks wage for my husband and I to dine there and although the food is lovely the waiters did not give enough info on wines and we felt quite taken advantage of with prices . We both know many many other restaurants that are just as yummy but way better prices. Sorry Da Noi you lost me