Teatro Vivaldi Restaurant
ANU Arts Centre, University Ave, Canberra ACT
This is a slightly up-market restaurant tucked into a beautiful corner of a lovely campus, next to some of the largest willows I’ve ever seen. The menu offers a wide range of main meals that are specially marked as vegetarian, and gelati and sorbets. But it also states that special diets are catered for, so I put them to the test and asked for a vegan meal. The challenge was superbly met! A dish emerged of penne in a rich tomato sauce containing aubergine, zucchini and black olives, its intense taste nicely complimenting the pasta. Sitting beside it was a side salad of crisp small leaves, cucumber and tomato, a fine contrast with the main dish in texture, taste, colour and, come to think of it, nutrition. An old friend suggested this would be a good place for catching up over lunch, and as is usually the case the recommendation of a local was spot on. Viva Italia!