Eataliano Hamilton Review – An Italian Icon in Hamilton

📍 Eataliano
55 Almada Street, Hamilton

Despite Eataliano being a bit of an Italian icon in Hamilton, this was surprisingly my first visit since I started doing these reviews.

I’ve eaten here quite a few times over the years, but somehow I hadn’t been back for a good few years.

That was finally about to change.

There were five of us out for dinner and I’ve included photos of everyone’s food, but as always, I’ll only properly review the dishes I actually tried myself.

I will say that everyone else enjoyed what they ordered and everything that arrived at the table looked top drawer.

As for me, there were two things on the specials menu that immediately caught my attention.

Fish tacos.

And a mixed grill for two.

Naturally, I decided to get both.

My full order was:

Fish Tacos
Mixed Grill for Two
Nutella Brownie

And one of those dishes ended up being an absolute belter.

Fish Tacos

One of the hazards of the job when you review food is that you’re constantly trying to order something different.

Sometimes experimenting works out brilliantly.

Sometimes it absolutely does not.

I didn’t even bother asking what was actually in the fish tacos. I just threw caution to the wind and ordered them.

When they arrived, they were a cold starter filled with what I can only describe as a sort of seafood sandwich filler.

Now, before anyone starts — I know it wasn’t actually seafood sandwich filler! 😂

That’s just the easiest way I can think of to describe the style and texture of the filling.

If I’d bothered asking beforehand what was in them, there’s a decent chance I would’ve ordered something else.

But I’m glad I didn’t.

They were actually really nice.

I’d happily eat them again if somebody put a plate in front of me, although I probably wouldn’t personally order them again.

That’s purely down to my own preferences rather than anything being wrong with the dish. I’m not the biggest seafood lover, so if seafood is your thing, I reckon these would be right up your street.

Mixed Grill for Two

Now we’re talking.

The mixed grill came with:

Rib eye steak
Rump steak
Pork belly
Italian sausage
Roasted vegetables
Mixed salad

My review?

OUT. BLOODY. STANDING.

Not much in life makes me happier than sitting down and seeing a massive plate of meat in front of me.

And this was no exception.

It was beautiful both to look at and to eat.

My only complaint?

I wanted more.

I genuinely wish I’d just ordered the mixed grill for two for myself and eaten my way into a full-blown meat coma.

Every bite made me want another.

By the end, I was cutting my steak into approximately 2mm bites just to give myself the illusion that I had more left.

I can’t fault a single piece of meat that was on this plate.

The steaks, pork belly and Italian sausage all delivered, and this comfortably earns a place in my top tier of delicious scrans.

I’d order this again without hesitation.

Nutella Brownie

I don’t think I need to say too much about this one.

I was in two minds about ordering dessert.

Then I saw the word Nutella.

You can bet your bottom dollar I’m getting it.

It was a lovely wee treat to finish off the meal and exactly the sort of dessert I enjoy.

Personally, I’d have liked a little more Nutella in the brownie.

However, considering I’m also the type of man who will happily sit with a spoon and eat Nutella directly from the tub, that might be more of a me problem than an Eataliano problem. 😂

My Verdict on Eataliano Hamilton

Great scran all round.

The staff were fab, the food was great and after somehow going years without visiting Eataliano, it was good to finally get back.

The fish tacos pushed me slightly outside my usual comfort zone and ended up being much better than I expected.

The Nutella brownie finished things off nicely.

But the star of the show for me was unquestionably that mixed grill for two.

Absolutely outstanding.

And yes, next time I’m still tempted to order the entire thing for myself.

Have you been to Eataliano in Hamilton?

What do you normally order?

And more importantly… would you attempt the mixed grill for two yourself?

I’m building an interactive map of every food spot I’ve visited over the last few years. It will update with every post I make.

Food Map