V Rating: V-Ware
Where: O’Connor Shops, Sargood St, O’Connor, ACT
When: Mon - Fri lunch, Mon - Sat dinner
Tel: (02) 6248 7238
Licensed: BYO only, no corkage
Price: Entree = $6.00 - $9.50, Main = $12.50

Marinetti is a charming little restaurant in the O’Connor shops in North Canberra. There are many things to like about it: the loud and busy (but not overbearing) atmosphere, the fact that there is no charge for corkage, the friendly waitstaff, and the warm and unpretentious touches that make it homely (eg. menus are simply printed on plain A4 paper, stapled together).

Sadly, for vegetarians, the choice of dishes is somewhat limited. For entree there is a choice between mushrooms in a creamy white wine sauce served on toasted crusty Italian bread, minestrone soup, and a cold eggplant platter. I chose the mushrooms (as did both the friends I was dining with) - they were divine. I don’t know how they manage to get such an amount of flavour from such a simple dish. Perhaps the trick is to use a variety of mushrooms - there were some types I just couldn’t recognise.

For mains, the choice is more limited: in fact, there is no choice. There is only one dish available as a main for vegetarians - crepes filled with spinach and ricotta. (The crepes are also available as an entree size - $9.50 - and given how rich they are, that size would probably be enough for most people). If you don’t like cheese, you’re in trouble: the crepes are filled with ricotta and covered in melted cheese. It is, I have to say, a pretty unrewarding dish, lacking in depth of flavour. (If I were to have the meal again, I would have the eggplant platter as entree and ask for the mushrooms to be served as a main.)

You would think an Italian restaurant could do some other vegetarian options: a basic vegetarian pasta, for instance. It may be the case that if you asked they would adjust one of the pasta dishes on their menu to make it vegetarian. But I did not ask if this was possible - I don’t think vegetarians should be obliged to seek special changes to be made to menu items.

Marinetti does some great dishes for meat-eaters, so I am told. The kidneys, liver, snails and lamb shanks are all well-recommended by my carnivorous friends. For vegetarians it is just not so good.

- AC

Share This