Alathea

8.5 Highly Recommended

Food  10      Ambience  7      Service  9      Value  8     

We were a bit slow ordering as we hadn't been before and it is quite a large menu but the staff were patient and explained dishes which was appreciated. Settled on sharing a seafood pizza- wonderful blend of flavour with a light-as-air crust and also the burger which was very flavoursome without being heavy. Finished with the bread and butter pudding - superb! (don't try to eat one of these on your own, even between the two of us and despite being very willing we still could only get through two thirds of it!)
The only thing I would say is choose carefully where you sit as some spots seem to get a lot of noise bouncing back to them.

Jul 22, 2009

5 Average

Food  5      Ambience  5      Service  5      Value  5     

After reading other reviews I feel I was at a different restaurant. Four of us went on a Thursday night, the service was virtually non-existent and when we could get it un-gracious and disorganized. The food was not nice eg fried chat potatoes with rosemary were oily, undercooked and where the rosemary was I don't know and calamari was also oily, tasteless and more breadcrumb the calamari.

The live band was too loud to make normal conversation possible (and here I was thinking I was in a fine food restaurant not the local pub!). The only nice thing was the wine and hey I can go around the corner to Dan Murphys and buy it myself for half the price so probably not likely to be going back there.

Dec 12, 2008

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

6 Average

Food  6      Ambience  6      Service  5      Value  7     

The pies were very good but the mashed potato was luke-warm and the peas were luke-warm and hard. I wasn't impressed by having to pay $1.50 for a tablespoon of watery gravy either. The service was poor, the three waitresses seemed more interested in standing around chatting to each other than looking after customers, eventually had to leave my seat and interrupt them to get someone to take our order. They were unable to give us either of the teas we chose from the menu and could only offer us the sticky-date pudding without the sauce!

Aug 21, 2008

5.8 Average

Food  6      Ambience  6      Service  4      Value  7     

Service was friendly but incompetent, four of us were seated at a table for two although the restaurant was half- empty so we had to move another table for two to join with it ourselves after failing to be able to catch their attention. Also had to ask three times for ice- buckets.

Food was fresh and nicely cooked but so bland. I know Asian restaurants adjust for western tastes but this was over-adjusted. We may not be able to handle the food as hot but we still want some flavour!

Jul 02, 2008

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

9 Highly Recommended

Food  10      Ambience  8      Service  10      Value  8     

Fresh, delicious and beautifully presented food. Friendly and helpful service. Great wines with knowledgeable recommendations. (if you like whites the 'i' range Arneis is fantastic). Not the most scenic views compared to some other winerys in the area but still very much an enjoyable experience.

Sep 22, 2007

8.5 Highly Recommended

Food  10      Ambience  7      Service  9      Value  8     

We were a bit slow ordering as we hadn't been before and it is quite a large menu but the staff were patient and explained dishes which was appreciated. Settled on sharing a seafood pizza- wonderful blend of flavour with a light-as-air crust and also the burger which was very flavoursome without being heavy. Finished with the bread and butter pudding - superb! (don't try to eat one of these on your own, even between the two of us and despite being very willing we still could only get through two thirds of it!)
The only thing I would say is choose carefully where you sit as some spots seem to get a lot of noise bouncing back to them.

Jul 22, 2009

5 Average

Food  5      Ambience  5      Service  5      Value  5     

After reading other reviews I feel I was at a different restaurant. Four of us went on a Thursday night, the service was virtually non-existent and when we could get it un-gracious and disorganized. The food was not nice eg fried chat potatoes with rosemary were oily, undercooked and where the rosemary was I don't know and calamari was also oily, tasteless and more breadcrumb the calamari.

The live band was too loud to make normal conversation possible (and here I was thinking I was in a fine food restaurant not the local pub!). The only nice thing was the wine and hey I can go around the corner to Dan Murphys and buy it myself for half the price so probably not likely to be going back there.

Dec 12, 2008

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

6 Average

Food  6      Ambience  6      Service  5      Value  7     

The pies were very good but the mashed potato was luke-warm and the peas were luke-warm and hard. I wasn't impressed by having to pay $1.50 for a tablespoon of watery gravy either. The service was poor, the three waitresses seemed more interested in standing around chatting to each other than looking after customers, eventually had to leave my seat and interrupt them to get someone to take our order. They were unable to give us either of the teas we chose from the menu and could only offer us the sticky-date pudding without the sauce!

Aug 21, 2008

5.8 Average

Food  6      Ambience  6      Service  4      Value  7     

Service was friendly but incompetent, four of us were seated at a table for two although the restaurant was half- empty so we had to move another table for two to join with it ourselves after failing to be able to catch their attention. Also had to ask three times for ice- buckets.

Food was fresh and nicely cooked but so bland. I know Asian restaurants adjust for western tastes but this was over-adjusted. We may not be able to handle the food as hot but we still want some flavour!

Jul 02, 2008

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

9 Highly Recommended

Food  10      Ambience  8      Service  10      Value  8     

Fresh, delicious and beautifully presented food. Friendly and helpful service. Great wines with knowledgeable recommendations. (if you like whites the 'i' range Arneis is fantastic). Not the most scenic views compared to some other winerys in the area but still very much an enjoyable experience.

Sep 22, 2007

7.3 Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  6      Service  5      Value  9     

This is a tricky one to review as there are very good things about it and also rather bad. For the good the menu has many interesting and beautifully flavoured dishes on it and the wait staffs are very pleasant and competent. For the bad we twice booked for dinner at 7pm only to have the kitchen close at about 8pm. They also started mopping up near us (using something with a bleachy smell which does not add to the enjoyment of the food at all!) at about 7.30pm.

We realise that being in the Dandenongs lunch time is their main trade but if you are going to say you are open for dinner then it should at least be done properly, not half heartedly. I don't think it's too much to expect the kitchen to stay open until more like 9pm for a dinner booking, also if the guests are leaving their jackets on while they eat it's probably a sign that you need to turn the heating on or up!

Aug 20, 2007

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

6.5 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  5      Service  5      Value  8     

Went once for lunch, the waitress acted as if serving us was a nuisance to her rather than her job (we were there on a quiet day and were treating her in a pleasant manner and not asking for anything out of the ordinary). We tried again another time for dinner, just ordered when another staff member arrived for their shift and switched the music over to techno - quite loud as well. I don't mind techno music at times but don't think it's quite right for dinner music more for a nightclub - it was obviously more for the benefit of the kitchen staff than the patrons. We'd been hoping to relax after a hectic day but no way with that music going.

Aug 13, 2007

9 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  9      Service  10      Value  8     

Delicious food with well-thought out and interesting flavour combinations, a comfortable and pleasant ambience (with my favourite, an open fire-place in winter) and friendly and helpful staff.

Aug 13, 2007

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

9.3 Highly Recommended

Food  10      Ambience  8      Service  9      Value  10     

Been going here for the banquet for about 12 years, really delicious food. They serve several small dishes one after the other and at the end ask if you want to repeat any of them - we can never resist having just a little more because they are so yummy. Only Saturday nights I would try to avoid -they're so busy they tend to rush you through (you need a little breathing space between courses) and it is quite noisy.

Jul 10, 2007

9.8 Highly Recommended

Food  10      Ambience  10      Service  10      Value  9     

Been several times and always enjoy it very much. The food is wonderful (although most of it quite rich) the staff are lovely and it's just a very pleasant place to be.

Jul 05, 2007