State of Grace was one of the highlights of our Melbourne trip -- an incredible dining experience…read morefrom start to finish. The atmosphere is vibrant, stylish, and full of character. From the moment you walk in, there's a buzz that makes the place feel alive without being overwhelming. It strikes a great balance between upscale and relaxed, making it perfect for a date night or a fun evening out. The warm lighting and eclectic design add to the charm and make you want to linger. Service was friendly, attentive, and well-paced throughout the night. The staff were knowledgeable about the menu, checked in on us at the right moments, and made the whole experience feel effortless and welcoming. Every dish we ordered was excellent -- not a single miss. We started with the Cauliflower & Mozzarella Croquettes, which were crispy on the outside and perfectly creamy inside. The Grilled King Prawns were flavorful and cooked just right, while the Kingfish Ceviche was fresh, bright, and beautifully balanced. The Stracciatella & Heirloom Tomatoes was simple yet outstanding, letting the quality of the ingredients shine. For mains, the Duck Breast was cooked perfectly and full of rich flavor, and the Lamb Backstrap was tender and well-seasoned. The Pecorino & Ricotta Ravioli was comforting and delicate, while the Seafood Linguine stood out with generous portions of seafood and a beautifully balanced sauce. The Honey Glaze Carrots were the perfect side -- sweet, savory, and executed flawlessly. Overall, State of Grace delivers on every level -- ambience, service, and food. An exceptional spot that lives up to the hype, and one we'd absolutely return to on our next visit to Melbourne.

State of Grace has a positive vibe. Even before your first drink you will think oh what a cool…read moreplace. It's the decor from extravagant chandeliers to deer heads with pearl necklaces; it's beautifully eclectic. I had an old fashion and it had the right mix of orange and bitters. I also ordered the burger which was decent and the fries were hot and crispy. The night I visited there was a live singer playing tunes. Service was quick and friendly. Even the ordering is eclectic as you order electronically (QR) pasted to a library book. This place is worth a visit.

I really wanted to have an Aussie steak while staying in Australia. The Railway Club Hotel had…read moregreat reviews on trip advisor and luckily was close to where we were staying. The best way to get to the restaurant is by car and there are tons of street parking. You could take a tram if you don't have a car. Dinner reservation is a must. It is recommended to book a couple days before, and they do not take any walk-in once they are booked fully. I was debating between Eye Fillet (their Fillet Mignon without bacon-wrap) and Scotch Fillet (Rib Eye without T-bone), but decided to go with 220g (8oz) Eye Fillet. My steak was perfectly cooked medium rare as I ordered and the meat was very tnder. I ordered a side of garlic and truffle oil sauce and it went well with my steak. They do bring out horse radish and 3 different mustards free of charge. It was bit surprising Aussies use mustard for steak but it was very good. Every steak comes with thick cut chips (they mean fries) and was sooooo good! I loved them as much as I loved the steak. My husband's salmon was bid too bland but surely generous portioned with two huge jumbo shrimps. Their price is very reasonable for the quality and quantity. I would definitely come back here if I was in Melbourne again.

Raw shrimp from surf and turf. Waited 90 minutes for mains. Even the bread rolls have been…read moredispensed of. Maybe inflation is really biting, apparent with the undercoverage from the wait staff. Maccas might be more in line with expectations

Sometimes I'm tempted to walk into as many restaurants as possible and just order a beer and see if…read moreanybody will tell me to get out. Actually, I should also count the number of places that try to upsell me a meal, but I can't fault them for that. Yeah, I think this is actually a restaurant, but hey, not only did he sell me a beer, he didn't try to upsell be food either. Oh, and they have a balcony, and that balcony's pretty cool as well. I get to look out over the ocean, or at least Port Phillip Bay.

When the London hotel in Port Melb was demolished, most people thought that Mr Lawrence disappeared…read morewith it. But they're wrong! Mr Lawrence and the great team moved one block further down Beach Street to the location of the old R-bar. The same great menu and the same good service, along with the $10 Turkish pizzas on Monday, make it a local favourite. They don't do the Lamah Joon anymore but the Persian lamb meatballs are still fantastic. But I'm biased cuz I'm a regular. :-)

If I could give points purely for posters then this pub would get a five star rating - actually it…read morelooks like I have done just that. Then again, I doubt you would see an awesome Salvadore Dali and David Bowie poster in a one star pokie machine infested pub. However, the Pier is maginificent, and certainly one of my favourites in the area. Along with the really cool posters (and other stuff), they have a good selection of beers, and a great lounge area out the back. Definitely a place I'd try again (which is what I have done, if only to sit out the back staring at the huge poster of David Bowie).

The Pier is my new local! It's a great all-day and night beachside bar/lounge/restaurant in Port…read moreMelbourne at the very end of Bay Street. The handful of outdoor street-side tables and couches are a perfect spot for enjoying a cocktail or a jug of pimms after spending the day at the beach. The pink cucumber martinis while a bit girly are delicious as is the strawberry and chili caipirinha. There is also an extensive wine menu. The food is solid, typical Australian gastro pub fare (a mixture of steaks, roasts and Asian fusion salads). Prices are high---not great value for money, but you're paying for the bay side location. I usually get the tasty Vietnamese salad which comes with marinated grilled steak. All in the Pier is one of the better all day drinking/eating beachside establishments in Port Melbourne.

We rock up with a voucher. Can't even work out how to get in. From the outside it looks like a…read moretotal dive. I wonder where the motorbike gangs are. Then we step into the spacious rear beer garden and it transforms. A great layout and plenty of space (in part due to the lack of people). Inside it's been renovated with solid wooden bar tables and so much room and cozy spotz. Dance floor and band stage. Sunlit cubby complete with cushions. It's great! Staff are friendly. The limited menu is supremely well priced. Parmas from $10, desserts for a fiver. Drinks are cheap. Fat Yak on tap always makes me happy. The food came out super fast. It tasted good. It's not a gastropub but we hardly need more of them. The biggest shame is that more people don't know about it. Great for private parties. Excellent for a cheap feed a quick bevvie. Gotta love a beer garden. Get to it! All your friends will be impressed about your well hidden gem find!

Between 3.5 and 4 out of 5…read more. "...WHY THE NEGATIVE REVIEWS..?? WE LOVED IT..." Bought a Groupon Voucher for a meal at the COMMERCIAL HOTEL, Yarraville - COST $20 for 4.. YES.. that's $5 each..!! We made a day of it - Went to Scienceworks in Spotswood.. Had Lunch in Newport.. Saw a film at The Sun Theatre.. Finished off with Dinner at 'The Mersh'.. Yes, I agree.. from the outside it looks 'CLOSED' - that's part of it's charm, but when you get in - from the side car park gate - it's all good.. really good.. We ate in the beer garden - reminded me of a good rough inland country pub.. The 'tranny' posters on the inside walls.. so reminiscent of Oxford Street, Sydney.. It's a pretty eclectic place - I was enchanted by it... And there were quite a few eclectic diners - A good sign.. Staff are laid-back... whatever... all good... no probs... kinda people - really really liked this... We had our 'Mersh Parma' - not huge, but enjoyable.. Well cooked Parma, home-made Napoli Sauce, nice-tasting Mozzarella, crisp well-seasoned Steak Fries, well-dressed fresh Salad.. A good honest home-style meal.. Hey... what do you want for $5...!!! We had dessert: $5 each 2 x very large wedges HOME-MADE Apple Pie - Delish... 2 x very large slices HOME-MADE Raspberry Cheesecake - Very Delish... Drinks: $31 total 2 x jugs Lemon Squash 2 x pots VB Beer We will absolutely go again - my kind of 'really relaxed' place... Visited on Friday 9 October for Dinner with my family of four.

We have enjoyed eating at The Clare Castle many times and drive from Brighton to do so. On Sunday…read morewe had family from interstate and went for lunch. The ragu was not moist or even tender, the "Shared Steak Plate for 2" (at $105) was a very small porterhouse and an eye fillet that I was unaware that you could get them that small. In all there was a dozen very small slices of meat to share (one of the slices was chewy and grissly) and a tiny bowl of chips. When the order came we then ordered more chips, a side of salad and a side of broccolini/beans. We were still hungry after our meal and we decided to have desert. The sticky date pudding was actually a piece of warm cake and icecream .... nothing sticky about it and no sauce to make it sticky. The staff were lovely but overworked and difficult to catch to place an order. We left feeling very disappointed in every aspect and will not rush back

I didn't even know about this pub until yesterday when some work colleagues and I hit it up for…read morelunch. Clare Castle have some awesome looking specials, including the $23 Eye Fillet Fridays - of which I chose for fear of a waistline blow out if I are anything else. The medium-well cooked steak was... Medium well! Hoorrraayyyy! The veggies were perfect and the mushroom sauce... Just run me a bath of that, thanks slave! So good! However, where these guys lose a star for me (and some might see this as pathetic, but I'm not allowed to drink alcohol at the moment) is that I had to pay $3.80 for soda water. Boo! Bubbly water... From a drinks gun behind the bar. If you're going to charge for carbonated water, at least provide patrons with the good stuff from Schweppes! But look, if you do drink, there is a great selection of bevvies available to you so I'm sure your experience will be truly worth it.

This is another one of those pubs that has turned out to be a rather delightful surprise. Then…read moreagain, it does happen to be a pub in Melbourne's inner city, and close to the railway as well (though the name probably gives that away). Yeah, the pub is pretty cool, particularly since it does have a rooftop bar, even though the rooftop does get wet when it rains, heavily that is. Still, they have some great beers on tap, and the atmosphere is fantastic, so yeah, this is definitely a pub that I like.

I've dined and drank here pre renovation as well as post reno's. What they did to this place has…read moreabsolutely changed the look and feel, whilst still maintaining some of the old. It was very refreshing. Once you're inside you don't feel like you're in Yarraville! I am however confused at what is trying to be achieved here - the menu is a mix of asian, asian fusion and pub but the decor of the place is like old school/French/Italian/something! Put that aside and it's still a good place to meet up with friends and have a bite. Food was a bit of a wait I thought. Took about 30-40mins. We ordered chicken Parma and slow roasted pork belly. The Parma tastes like any Parma and the serving is huuuuge so it easily justifies the $22 price tag. The pork belly tasted nice but unfortch did not have the super crunchy skin that we all know and love. Come here if you're either if you're a devoted local or if you're in the area seeking out a drinking hole! And be warned - this ain't no cheap pub food place!

I can't really say that I was all that impressed with thing pub, but then again I didn't…read morenecessarily hate it. In fact, as a pub it wasn't too bad, and they do have a decent selection of beers here as well. Actually, I've been here a couple of times, though I don't necessarily always find myself down Port Melbourne way. However, as a pub, this place really wasn't all that bad, but still, it wasn't the greatest either.

This place is always happening. Its corner location (Rouse & Bay) houses many locals Monday -…read moreWednesday then plays hosts to many functions, bucks & hens night, birthday's over the weekend drawing in crowds from all over Melbourne. The vibe is sophisticated, modern while still maintaining that local pub vibe with welcoming staff which are generally fun and inviting amongst the rowdy atmosphere. If you get the opportunity to eat in the dinning room you wont be disappointed... Updated seasonally, The menu showcases a modern Australian twist with chef's selections. The menu utilises the best local produce and contains an appetising list of grazing plates for sharing, along with an agreeable portion of pub classics.

Yeah, this place was actually quite nice, and laid back, which was a refreshing experience from…read moresome of the previous places that I had had the unfortunate experience of visiting. Staff were pretty friendly, which is generally the case with most places that I go to, but they also had a good selection of beers, which I really did appreciate due to having be stuck with the standard fare at the previous places I was at. The interior was also pretty cool, though the outdoor area basically consisted of an seats next to the road, though they were separated by some flower pots.

Stopped by for a farewell drink with some colleagues, and for 6pm on Friday, it is good to find a…read morehotel, that is not too formal, not too yuppified, and just being a pub. Good guitar player doing some great covers, and just a good feel on the decor and outlook of the pub over the streets with large older style windows. Great bar stools and not to confied with seating. We did not try the meals but the ones I saw coming out looked great. Adequate outdoor seating and a good mix of people for a Friday evening. Overheard people talkign about how great Saturday night is with the 80's music being played and apparently its been around for years as an 80's themed night. Will have to give that night a go. #234 bus stop is just 100m away so no need to drive.

A must stop hole in the wall pub great service great Guinness…read more First time in Melbourne an ill be recommending this place to everyone

This is the best Irish pub in Melbourne and it's all down to Siobhan. I don't know how she does it…read morebut she remembers everyone and even though she seem to always be working she's always friendly and happy. Of course keeping the Guinness at the best standard you can get in Australia is a plus! Although I don't think it is drinkable outside Ireland/England but that's a whole other subject. There is live music too. The only food is simple toasted cheese sandwiches which are just awesome. There's usually two tables out front on the street which are generally communal.