Rockpool Bar & Grill

7.5 Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  8      Service  7      Value  6     

As you enter the restaurant, your senses warn you of impending death as the lights are noticeably dimmer compared to the pedestrian thoroughfare in Crown which gives a moody yet sensual vibe as you walk past cases of meat carcass and seafood.

Read more on my blog

Feb 17, 2013 

5.3 Average

Food  8      Ambience  10      Service  2      Value  1     

My husband and I went here a few weeks ago and was excited when we first sat down as the ambience is really nice. Then it all started...

First we ordered Rock Oysters which never came. When we mentioned it again, our server said they had forgotten but no apology. By then our entree had already arrived so we said to forget about it. My husband ordered the waygu as his main which was Perfect. My pasta crab dish was a whole another story!

The first time it came out it had so much lemon in it, it was inedible. I sent it back and the server said the kitchen staff agreed they had put too much lemon in the dish and would make a new one. The 2nd time my pasta dish came out, I realised why they had put so much lemon in it in the first place. It was Extremely fishy! I couldn't believe this was coming from a place like Rockpool.

I explained this to the server and asked him to have the kitchen staff try the dish. Surely there must be some kind of mistake. The server came back and said the kitchen staff says this is the way the dish is supposed to be and was very offended that I wanted to send the dish back again. Still no apologies. Seriously? By this time, my husband was almost done with his main so I decided not to order anything else.

Our server knew I was upset about the whole experience so he offered us either a chocolate nut brittle or marshmallows as compensation. So I don't even get to pick something off the dessert menu when I didn't even get eat my main?

Did I also mention that as soon as there was the problem with my dish, our server completely skirted around us. Avoided all eye contact so we had to flag him down every time we needed anything including drinks.

Rockpool, I expected more.

Jun 27, 2012 

9 Highly Recommended

Food  10      Ambience  9      Service  10      Value  7     

I had the most marvellous dining experience here. The whole package is wonderful, exemplary service (almost too many service staff attend to you ...), respectful and very courteous staff who are flexible, discreet and totally great.

The most exquisite food with wonderful flavours, marvellous ingredients and a very Very enjoyable ambience. That is marvellously achieved, even though the restaurant is sizeable, you don't actually notice that there are probably 100 people and a very busy kitchen around you. It's just wonderful.

My dinner consisted of Grilled Whiting fillets, hand-cut salad (ingredients are brought to your table after they are cut, before they are tossed, so you can see their quality and variety) with mixed spiced peppers. My companion's dinner was a 300g steak with brussels sprouts. We then enjoyed chocolate profiteroles and chocolate mousse (respectively).

As it was my birthday, the service staff also brought out a surprise cupcake for me, with a candle to blow out, which was a lovely treat. Wine list was lovely also. Totally recommended.

Jun 10, 2012 

4 Below Average

Food  3      Ambience  3      Service  3      Value  7     

Went for mother's day and v v disappointed. Service was amateur, food cold and tasteless, the pavlova was, however, as great as always. Used to be one of my favourites but 2 v average experiences in a couple of months and won't be back. Sorry. Melb has too many great restaurants to go back for average food and service.

May 13, 2012 

2 Not Recommended

Food  3      Ambience  3      Service  1      Value  1     

Appalling service. We regularly attend this restaurant and couldn't have been less satisfied by the service. We twice requested the senior staff to our table and despite acknowledging our concerns and promises of greater service, nothing improved.

A Mothers Day lunch ruined, next time we go to a more consistent restaurant.

May 13, 2012 

8.5 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  8      Service  9      Value  8     

This is an amazing restaurant. I am not a big red meat eater, and I cannot stop myself from booking in at this place. The menu has great variety and the staff are extremely knowledgeable especially about the wines. For those who are wary about the price, rest assured that it is worth every cent!

May 07, 2012 

9.5 Highly Recommended

Food  10      Ambience  9      Service  10      Value  9     

I have dined here several times and the level of food and service has always been consistently high. While dining I noticed James Packer and T Woods were also enjoying a meal as James polished off his meal with ease! My steak was cooked as ordered and my chocolate dessert was fantastic.

Dec 20, 2011 

7.8 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  9      Service  8      Value  6     

Hubby and I had dinner at Rockpool recently, to celebrate a special occasion while on holiday in Melbourne. We had a lovely night. The steaks were superb, the wine list extensive and the service was good. Only a few negatives, it would have been nice when we ordered our sides, the potato and cabbage gratin and seasonal veges, if the waiter had told us the latter was mostly cabbage too, as we would have picked something else.

Also, the balance in the Bearnaise sauce served with the steaks was way off, making it very acidic and not overly pleasant. Everything else though was outstanding, and the ambience great. Loved seeing the meat aging cabinet on the way in.

Nov 13, 2011 

8 Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  8      Service  9      Value  6     

I had a great dining experience. The food is brilliant. The dessert is outstanding. The price is abit more but you get what you paid.

Sep 14, 2011 

8 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  8      Service  10      Value  6     

Was looking forward to it and the prestige that has come with this restaurant made my stomach grumble. Overall the food was great except for one disappointment. That is, what they are famous for, the steak. When you pay $75 for a steak, it better be good. It wasn't juicy, no succulent meat flavour, just bland chewy stuff really. Other than that it was a good meal but very expensive.

Read more on my blog

Sep 01, 2011