Fresh User Reviews in South Melbourne

8.5 Highly Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  9      Service  8      Value  9     

This is a little hole in the wall restaurant in South Melbourne Market. It is a very small room but has lots of seating outside. I have rated this place very highly. The food is really good but is even better when you consider the low prices (if you know what I mean). Tapas sharing is the go here and we found everything to be really flavorsome and the servings were a good size.

May 28, 2012

4.5 Below Average

Food  2      Ambience  9      Service  3      Value  4     

Was a little disappointed, after being rushed to our seats, I then realized there was No Vegan meal option at all. I watched my family eat their meal and ordered a soy latte that seemed to get forgotten.

May 25, 2012

8.8 Highly Recommended

Drinks  9      Ambience  9      Service  9      Value  8     

Just what I imagine a Bohemian restaurant in Europe in the '30s would be like! Their food has flaaaavour, and the live performances are fantastic. It's not your normal night out, that's for sure!

May 08, 2012

1.3 Not Recommended

Food  1      Ambience  1      Service  1      Value  2     

The food is really bad. Celebrated my friend birthday over there and their service is horrible. They don't even care about their customer. The food is slow, and one of the food went missing in the order and they practically ignored us. In the end my poor friend have to wait for an hour for the food to come while others had finished theirs. When we complained, we were being told off.

Apr 13, 2012

5.8 Average

Food  6      Ambience  5      Service  7      Value  5     

Visited this place with my partner on one of the rare occasions out since the birth of our baby so was really looking forward to it. Unfortunately, we were disappointed. Entrees were nice, had the calamari and selection of cured meats. Cured meats were better than the calamari. That's where it ends.

Waited well over 40 minutes for main and the restaurant was not full. I ordered twice cooked duck with polenta and green beans. Beans were delicious! My duck was chewy and not falling off the bone. The worst part of the dish was the polenta, it was terribly lumpy and inedible. My partner ordered the rib eye steak medium rare and it came out medium and was also chewy. Both dishes were $35 and didn't earn it.

Service was good though, our waitress was lovely and attentive so no complaints there. Overall, not great and quite disappointing.

Mar 25, 2012

8.5 Highly Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  9      Service  10      Value  7     

Industri Cafe is a coffee shop with a difference. You not only get freshly brewed coffee at our café but can also host functions. We offer best catering service in town for functions of all sizes and budgets.

Mar 15, 2012

3.8 Below Average

Food  7      Ambience  5      Service  1      Value  2     

Quite a nice meal (and possibly the best chocolate pudding ever) was, unfortunately, ruined by disappointing service, indifferent, inattentive and having to wait 2 hours for our meals to be served.

To add insult to injury, we watched nearby tables ordering, being served and finishing their 2 course dinners before we had been given a mouthful. Despite two reminders and prompts to ask where our meals were (alarming that service staff don't notice that for themselves constantly walking around a relatively small dining room), we weren't offered any explanation, or even extra bread or a bowl of fries to appease our growling stomachs! Our bread and butter plates were cleared an hour before we got our meal.

Understood that restaurant kitchens sometimes stuff up and miss orders, but this was not handled well and we were given no indication that the management or staff gave a toss about making good with us.

The staff were pleasant enough with the smiles and the 'yes sirs' and leisurely polishing glasses in the background while we sat waiting, waiting, absolutely poor customer service!

And a query about the amount of French champagne presented in a glass (for $18 in a pub, I expect more than a sherry glass full) was not followed up after a half-arsed "I'll check with the bar".

We weren't difficult customers - we remained nice, showed grace and patience, we didn't make a scene or complain loudly. But that didn't get us anywhere.

The management at The Palace obviously completely couldn't give a stuff about peeved customers because a complaint the next day on their Facebook was removed (twice) rather than followed up by management. How pathetic.

Go ahead and bury your head in the sand, management at The Palace Hotel, plenty of good gastropubs in Melbourne. Won't go back.

Mar 08, 2012

8 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  8      Service  8      Value  8     

We have been to Sugarcane at least five times in the past few months and it is always consistently good. The food is authentic, fresh, tasty and beautifully presented and the service is superb. Family owned and run, it's become a real favourite now that we have moved into this area. Bookings are generally easy to get but as it gets more popular, it might be best to book ahead.

Mar 07, 2012

9 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Drinks  9      Ambience  8      Service  10      Value  9     

The Wayside Inn is a little gem! A happy place on City Road to enjoy a drink in the sunshine or some impressive restaurant food.

The bar menu is good and the restaurant menu sounds fantastic And they are happy to let us order off the restaurant menu in the bar, it’s the small things that make this a great place.

The staff are gorgeous, lovely and friendly and helpful, they make you want to come back very soon! And the food….. soooo good! The Burgers are a little stack of wonder!... read more at my blog

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Feb 04, 2012

4.5 Below Average

Food  8      Ambience  5      Service  1      Value  4     

We've eaten here on a number of occasions in late 2011 and again in the new year. The food is great, nicely presented, fresh and tasty. It's the service that lets this place down. The younger staff are fine and attentive. The senior staff is rude and very aloof. It's a hard ask when there are many great pubs in the area.

Jan 27, 2012

7.8 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  7      Service  8      Value  8     

The Moroccan fried eggs – two fried eggs sprinkled with dukkah served with toasted Turkish bread spread with house made hummous with feta, olives and grilled tomatoes is rich, fragrant, nutty, salty – amazing dish!! Eggs – perfectly cooked of course!

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Jan 15, 2012

8.8 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  8      Service  9      Value  9     

It is somewhat fitting that with the departure of Luke Mangan's name from The Palace, that the regally named John King moves in to own kitchen operations. Having worked in some impressive kitchens with the most recent being The Royal Mail Hotel, it looks like this is the opportunity for John King to make a name and reputation for himself in one of the classier gastropubs in town.

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Jan 14, 2012

7.5 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  7      Service  8      Value  7     

The Blue Room in South Melbourne. Has all sorts of good meat dishes but for vegans, any of the Napoli pastas work and you can make them gluten free for an extra three bucks.

We shared a pizza and made it have vegetarian half vegan (just removed the cheese) - awesome light base with snow peas, roasted veggies included red peppers, pumpkin and artichokes. We also got chips (confirmed not pre cooked in animal fat) beautiful and crispy with a gourmet tomato relish dip on the side.

Check out photos and full review on my blog.

Read the full review on my blog

Jan 06, 2012

9.5 Highly Recommended

Food  10      Ambience  9      Service  10      Value  9     

The Chef’s chilli jam is rich and lightly spicy and hubby is very happy tucking in as he sings the praises of the delicious sausage and perfect friends on the plate.

I have gone for the ‘Deconstructed NYC bagel – house cured sake salmon on toasted bagel with avocado and fetta mash and horseradish creams cheese’. It is the best breakfast I have had in a long time! Each element of the dish is wonderful!

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Dec 31, 2011

9.3 Highly Recommended

Food  10      Ambience  9      Service  9      Value  9     

But hold everything the Dead Man BLT with pork belly on brioche with gazpacho is genius! Slices of gorgeous pork belly all crispy and succulent. The pork just falls apart and though inherently naughty it would have to be one of the best breakfasts I have had in ages! Sweet brioche toast with a delicate herby butter and a shot of cleansing gazpacho! Nibble on a bit of salad afterwards and you can feel virtuous again!

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Dec 27, 2011

8.4 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Drinks  9      Ambience  8      Service  8      Value  8     

The absolute standout is the braised beef and chilli croquettes with capsicum aioli – amazing! The beef is super succulent and flakey, packed into a little breadcrumbed sausage. There is a great heat from the chilli and the capsicum aioli, it is gorgeous!

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Dec 24, 2011

8.5 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  9      Service  8      Value  8     

Warm baguette and croissant accompanied by a smorgas board of yumminess! Amazing butter, fragrant jam, perfectly soft boiled egg, jambon, cheese and this wonderful fluffy vanilla yoghurt with sprinkles of granola. It was a perfect platter for two to relax and enjoy with a great coffee!

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Dec 18, 2011

8.5 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  8      Service  8      Value  9     

The fava bean dip was amazing and well presented with a plentiful supply of little chunks of turkish bread.

The slow cooked lamb meatballs were Amazing! Served with potatoes, tomatoes, yoghurt, bread and the most flavour packed mini dish of rice flavoured with tomatoes and mushrooms. The meatballs were so yummy, pulled together with their accompaniments we could have eaten another 3 each!

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Dec 18, 2011

9 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  9      Service  9      Value  9     

We have been a few times since they opened and they have never failed to serve great food, the best coffee, friendly service and banging tunes!

This time it is corn fritters with avocado smush, rocket, poached egg and a great tomato relish and it is not a disappointment, the food noises are out!

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Dec 18, 2011

8.3 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  8      Service  8      Value  8     

Perfectly poached eggs on a herbed polenta square with roasted red peppers and a pinenut and spinach pesto is amazing. The eggs ooze like a rich yolky lava across the plate and the sweetness of the peppers and the zingy pesto is a formidable combination!.

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Dec 18, 2011