5 star everything, except maybe something small that happened at the end of our dinner. The atmosphere here is excellent and the host and staff are very friendly. They offer table changes and anything else in their power to make sure that the time spent there is welcoming for all patrons. This could be a perfect spot for catching up with friends or a cozy date night. My impressions are that this could be an amazing location for small to medium sized parties, up to 6 people. A special mention to the staff working here, they are excellent. This is true white tablecloth service. The staff is very helpful and friendly. Water refills without asking, prompt menus, no long wait times and explain the menu and portion sizes properly. The staff member who served us was even making small talk like we were regulars there, which is very refreshing. Finally the food was amazing as well. We had our salmon which was fresh with (I can’t believe I’m about to say this) a pea purée that actually tasted good. Clearly no frozen peas were used for that purée. Pasta was perfect al dente. We had a classic aglio e olio, which was to die for. Such a simple dish but made to perfection. Now about the big let down. This establishment used forced tipping tactics (also known as tip creep tactics). Tipping culture is not a part of Australia and should be at the patrons discretion. It should be “I would like to add a tip” not “how much would you like to tip?” SHAME on you management SHAME ON YOU for using these tactics making the whole situation embarrassing for the patrons in front of your friends, family, business partners and not to mention the staff member who actually provided a great service. This is a huge letdown to otherwise an excellent dining experience. And to patrons of Melbourne, may I suggest that moving forward we only give tips at venues that do not use this tactic?
Sab Ayyappan · 2026-01-28