(Drank 12/16/24 MO @ 11:30am): We were certainly south of things but no dining on our first visit here! A friend and I were on Day 3 of our 12-Day Southern Australia Explorer cruise with Princess Cruises, we took the local train into town, and after some initial morning exploration, we finally took a break at Pure South Dining. Located at one end of the Evan Walker Bridge, we've already been roaming Melbourne's downtown area for a few hours now and needed some refreshments before we continued. The location and morning crowd instantly drew our attention, so we decided to give it a shot. Now, the question was what were we going to have. Was this pure bliss at this dining establishment!? PURCHASE Moo Brew Tassie Lager Pale Beer 425ml Draft ($12.00AUD): Golden amber color, light hoppy malty aroma, light body, light earthy hoppy malty flavor, crisp finish, and light hoppy malty aftertaste. This was a nice morning beer! https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw&select=pOaKXxioignZa4YpAe7RRw SERVICE We were immediately greeted by a friendly young hostess who easily sat us at a table close to the bar with a view pointed towards the windows that faced the Yarra River. We were handed both breakfast https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw&select=VrokqUzZG2vQCALVhQQ8tQ and drinks https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw&select=ATKEhvX04l--ZBZuWyyBIA menus, respectively, and given glasses of water while we perused our options. We (with my urging) both decided on a morning beer which seemed to take our server by surprise. Nonetheless, our beers arrived quickly as we settled in. Soon enough, we finished our drinks, asked for our checks, and headed out for our next adventure as the place got busier, and I'm sure they wanted to utilize the space we took up - cheers! PARKING (Varied; N/A this instance) There was paid basement parking within the Southgate Centre. There also appeared to be a decent amount of parking on all surrounding streets (please note any posted signs), onsite parking at the nearby Federation Square, and of course the wonderful public transportation such as the tram system which we conveniently took and then walked the rest of the way - 'nuff said. ATMOSPHERE, DÉCOR, AMBIENCE Located within the Southgate Business Centre https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw&select=tl0oyMEs1_TQkyxjlVLg0g on the banks of the Yarra River, this 2-level eatery (I never saw the 2nd level) had a very clean modern feel perfectly situated for all passerbyers to see. Its 1st level had an expansive floorplan filled with chairs/tables and a central bar area https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw&select=iv40miJZUzj-s8-tj731QA that immediately caught my attention. There was decent natural lighting that entered through the many surrounding windows while an assortment of electric ceiling lights filled in the rest. There were several TVs throughout while the voices of conversations were heard in the background. https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw&select=L7UN5cQ6DpBu_XOA_q0Xpw ATTIRE Totally casual, so I would normally be in a t-shirt, boardshorts, and flip-flops. OVERALL I enjoyed the location, look, and feel of Pure South Dining and would love a return to actually have a full experience. My local beer was nice, but their minimal tap beer selection https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw&select=kJkjes82wpSywzBhwgHS4A woefully needed some help. The food aroma was tantalizing, so I only imagined it tasted wonderful, too, and the lunch/dinner menus were probably even better. The prices seemed comparable while the service was fine. I found very good value based on the prices, service, and experience noted above (TOTAL paid experience was around $12.00AUD / $7.50USD BEFORE any discounts/tip). And, they accepted my credit card of choice... AMEX! 4.0 STARS read more

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100% recommended - especially if you're paying in $USD. We made a late reservation, but still able to get a table. Note: There are 2 Pure South - street level and upstairs. We ate upstairs. Had more of a formal vibe, but still smartly casual. We opened with a nice drink, then after a menu review, decided to go with the six course meal for $135 AUD. Add another $80 AUD for wine pairing and there you have it. All of the courses were gourmet portions, but that leaves room for you to taste and savor and not jam it in. My favorite was the steak - perfectly cooked with the perfect sides. Great service as well. Our waiter was a pro - to include appropriate table service / cutlery changes as the meal progressed. You can tell the chef puts effort and care into their work. highly recommended while in the South Bank of MEL. read more

Pure South - Din menu - Modern Australian Near Me - Melbourne, VIC

Amazing food and even better service. I would definitely come here again. Great place for dinner.

Right at the Riverside with great menu for lunch and dinner. But breakfast is not much excitement. I ordered the hotcake. Well, it's not the typical round flat pancakes but they looked like muffins. Beautifully plated with huge strawberries, miso maple syrup, whipped dairy farm cream and two Cute Flowers Price? $22 AUD. Let's say it looks good but didn't like it. read more

Pure South - Australian version of hotcake - Modern Australian Near Me - Melbourne, VIC

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I guarantee you will not be disappointed dining here! This has been my absolute favourite #1 restaurant in Melbourne for the last few years! Prices are extremely reasonable for what you get. Every meal that arrives to the table is presented with 5 star presentation/ perfectly balanced, quality ingredients and hands down best flavours I've ever tasted. We had kingfish, beef tartare, beef cheeks, wallaby,broccolini side and creme caramel and a bottle of wine and everything was amazing! As they have an open kitchen upstairs, it is nice to see the kitchen is flawless and amazingly clean and tidy, you can see how hard these chefs work to deliver 5star quality in everything you order. read more

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I came here for a work dinner so we had a preset 3-course menu. However we had sharing plates for the entree so I got a good taste of their food and drinks. Three entrees we had were crispy pork belly and cubed cucumber. Beautiful presentation although it was too difficult to eat the cucumber and pork together. The pork was way too hard and chewy. The other dishes were better- kingfish sashimi atop sweet peas and the yummiest fresh oysters. They should have brought some type of sauce for the oysters- vinegar or hot sauce, as standard to serve. The mains were huge portions, I couldn't finish mine. Tender beef cheeks were like pulled pork style along side a mash of carrots that were spiced perfectly. Side salad and hot chips were also done very well. Someone mentioned their salmon was cooked perfectly, crispy skin and tender meat. Lastly dessert was divine. Sweet chocolate pudding-cake with blackberries and caramelised popcorn paired well together with the tawny port. Overall a delicious meal! Ambiance is just right, overlooking the Yarra with open windows on a warm night. Service could use some work to time bringing out drinks with the meal. However it was a full house and easy to see why with a local menu like that. read more

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I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone out there who appreciates fresh modern Australian cuisine of a high quality and standard. Pure South has a lot of things going for it and they have made it their mission to source the freshest, tastiest offerings from the countries south. They don't just serve amazing seafood, a lot of patrons come for their beef of which they cook with amazing consistency. The food has a certain glow about it and it certainly radiates. Everything the menu offers just makes sense and there is no scrutinising or fraternising over what to order. The restaurants setting is classic fine dining situated on South banks busy promenade, the atmosphere allows you to relax in the comfort that you know you will be looked after throughout the night and served by passionate people who know good food. read more

Pure South - Modern Australian Near Me - Melbourne, VIC

Nice atmosphere, well done dishes with a variety of options. You can taste the care in the preparation. Will definitely go back on my next trip to Melbourne. read more

We went as a group of 14 with a preordered menu. Everything was wonderful and the service was superb. All the appetizers and main courses were well prepared and presented. read more

A very special place above the Yarra River in Southbank. Get an outside table after sunset and watch the city light up across from you. Spectacular views. This restaurant serves dry-aged steak, milk-fed lamb, hand-fed pork, seafood, quail, and pheasant from the Tasmanian and Bass Strait islands. Where else are you going to get venison carpaccio? The menu is very well priced below $40 pp, with a fine wine list. The missus and I have this on our revisit list, next year. read more

I love King Island Dairy and I love a good drop of Tasmanian wine. Pure South, while it sells itself on its fresh Tasmanian sourced produce, was a huge let down. The wine was good and it had an extensive selection. So tick there. The food however, was not great. It was like the chef had spent so much time making the dishes look pretty and not enough actually cooking and preparing it. I had the chicken, which was rolled and the bits in the middle were god knows what but certainly not edible. I was scared to eat the chicken...it had no taste and looked pink. The entree of pork belly was pretty filling though so that was lucky. Not the best pork belly I've had but I still couldn't fault it. My partner had mussels to start, very nice, and the porterhouse as a main. it came out sliced and had a huge lump of fat in the middle. The menu explained it cam with potato...a mouthful of potato actually. The staff were all lovely. It was, however, so over priced and way too pretentious for a place that doesn't have white table cloths. Perhaps I was disappointed because I had built it up in my head to much. read more

I went here a month back for lunch with a friend. The sun was out so it seemed like a good day to occupy their balcony style seating. Their breakfast menu on weekends goes up to 3pm which is great. I remember ordering scrambled eggs on toast whereas my friend had the ploughman's platter which was in the large section. He ended up getting a dismally sized medium meal two two slices of dry toast, some weak tasting shredded meat, ham, some pickle, a small block of cheese, some tangy jam. He didn't enjoy his meal and thought it was overly priced at 28 My scrambled eggs were fluffy and yellow and toast was nice but the eggs were average. Nothing spesh. Coffees were nice. Great views. Quick service. But food is nothing special. read more

We were really disappointed with the food here. Everything was stewy and had a kind of plasticy flavour. Starters were dumplings, squid and chicken. Dumplings were confused and couldn't decide if they were Asian or Italian, with not much meat. Chicken flavours were too sweet, no depth (well cooked though) and squid was chewy. Mains were chicken curry (got the ok) salmon (sauce was syrupy, fish over cooked), short rib, (well cooked, weird flavours). Staff were nice, wine was delicious, food, very average. Won't be back. I'll try somewhere down a back alley to get some of that melbourne gastronomy. read more

Went there for dinner on Thursday night. The pork belly entree was absolutely delicious. Rendered beautifully with a soft meat and crunchy skin. I had the porterhouse for the main and it was nice but tougher than what it should have been and a little under seasoned. The sides were good-especially the spinach with burnt orange! I had the chocolate ganache for desert. It was simply divine. There is not really anything else to say on it! The service was efficient and friendly and I would happy return for a special occasion where we are happy to spend a bit more on a meal than usual read more

We came back the other night after we noticed the menu has changed, but I am a little disappointed with the menu. It wasn't as good as last time and I thought everything was prepared as you would expect... nothing stood out as amazing and nothing stood out as bad... it was ok. We ordered 4 entrees and a dessert. We also ordered a Tazy wine, 42 Degrees Pinot Grigio and a Tazy rum. They were excellent! The cheese plate was also very memorable. My favorites were the cheddar and the stormy washed rind. I'll go back for their Tazy alcohols and cheese plate until they change their menu. read more

Pure South is yet another Modern Australian restaurant in Melbourne - Sometimes I feel like that is the only way to describe the cuisine of so many restaurants these days. However, I can be a little more specific with Pure South - They serve Modern Australian Cusine that is specifically inspired by the southern most islands of this country, including Tasmania, King Island and Flinders Island, and the fresh produce found in the region. The menu is very much based on the best fresh produce of the season, and has a wine menu that compliments each dish. If you like the idea of sample some of the finest produce our country has, like aged beef, lamb, fresh seafod and local cheeses, Then this is the restaurant for you. You get the feeling that the owners and chefs of this restaurant really care about what they are putting on the plate, and are passionate about what they do. The service staff are very knowledgeable about what they are serving, and the sommelier is always on hand to make recommendations. This is definitely a restaurant for the foodies out there. read more

Pure South - Modern Australian Near Me - Melbourne, VIC

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What a delightful restaurant! My partner and I went recently and it was such a memorable evening for all the right reasons. If you're looking for a restaurant that provides great produce, cooked with incredible skill and beautifully plated, look no further. To start with, the service and the ambience of the restaurant are exquisite. It's recently undergone a huge renovation with huge windows now open right on to southbank so you can watch the world go by. Our waiter was telling us they were still waiting for the final furniture to arrive as it was currently being shipped from Tasmania, having been made by a local designer there. I can't wait to see what it looks like when it arrives because it's already stunning! The food was another level. The produce is all supplied by Tasmanian producers and the quality is outstanding. Our dishes included melt in your mouth beef, juicy chicken, fresh, scallops and a mouthwatering selection of cheeses. I'm still dreaming of those flavours. read more

This is a good place to grab a drink and quick bite to people watch. Lots going on here. Also can hook up to WiFi and work with a pleasant view. read more

Looked popular when we walked by, so we decided to give it a try. We were told there were no other seats but a high top, but we could clearly see a cleared table for 4. Fair enough- better to make room for more bodies when there were just two of us. Ordered wine and it was good. Then went to order brunch/breakfast. Our waitress said "no ham" until I pointed it out on the menu choices and coming with smoky eggs. Oh sorry, it was listed as "ham steak" she said (my mistake) with a homemade HP sauce, which we were eager to try. Well, ham was cooked fine, and smoky eggs cooked perfect too. Brioche toast was unusual, but tasted ok as well. Sauce was not my favorite- too sweet and like a regular Barbeque sauce, but not like HP sauce I am familiar with. Then our waitress disappeared, though she did leave an attentive server in charge of her tables. I guess my word for this breakfast was unremarkable. Our guides said to tip if service was remarkable, and certainly was not. Also, no available WiFi, and this was the first place in our travels all around Australia and New Zealand that made me feel like WiFi was not available specifically for me (just the way she said it, like I was asking for something unusual just for my use). read more

Not such an enjoyable experience Was not too concerned that my beer was slow coming until the food arrived and when I asked the waiter if the drinks where coming replied Oh what did you order? Soon the beer arrived with the head sunken as it had been sitting on the bar for quite sometime. Beef short ribs where one off and very short read more

I am a HUGE fan of Pure South. I've been coming here for about 10 years now and have always consistently had a great meal! Not a good meal - a GREAT meal. Sometimes they really outdo themselves and it becomes a 1-2 Hat meal - in my unprofessional opinion. (Having said that, I have eaten as some top restaurants around the world.) Skip the sweets and have the cheese plate for dessert, along with some of their recommended wines. You won't be sorry. This is one of my go-to restaurants in Melbourne to take out-of-towners, business colleagues, or special occasions. I trust that these guys will always do an excellent job and have never been let down. I held a small group function here once (~14 ppl) and they did well. (The restaurant did well, that is. My group was obnoxious.) The service is about as good as it gets in Melbourne, and you get fantastic views from the outside seating. Just make sure to have reservations. read more

We decided to try it out again after it re-opened. Upstairs v Downstairs - and yes it feels the same as another episode of Downton Abbey. Food is nice but when nobody asks why you didn't eat your meal, but just clears the table and brings the dessert menu, you do wonder whether they care about customer service or the bill at the end of the night! Another typical restaurant on the tourist strip which means bums on seats and no consideration for good service or food! read more

This restaurant is amazing. Fantastic sustainable and locally sourced produce and meats cooked to perfection. On my visit, I had grass fed Flinders Island lamb which was by far the best I've ever had, served with a lovely assortment of autumn vegetables. My dining partner had an aged, oak fired Angus fillet which was so very tender and delicious with a very delicate smokey flavor. Other plates eaten on our visit were the charcuterie plate and the triple fried chips, both of which were quite good. The maître d' was a perfect guide to the concept, background and food. The waitstaff operated smoothly in the background, providing for your wants and needs before you even knew of them. I would highly recommend this place to any who might ask. read more

What a great spot. Awesome range of small plates and good set ice while watching the world go by

Beautiful food, great views, and service better than the USA! Sat at the bar upstairs and had the most amazing meal. Food is sourced from Tasmania so it's fresh and amazing. Oysters were solid but the octopus papardelle may have been the best octopus I've ever tried... better than Greece and Italy! Got the filet mignon and was perfect! Polenta that comes with it is to die for. Highly recommend you sit at the bar and chat up the bartenders on the local brews! read more

Pure South is just ok for the money ($au 280 with tip for two). The food was pretty good but not spectacular or unique (grilled octopus was excellent, smoked steak was good but not great) and the (house brand) recommended Taz Pinot was fine but not great for $80. read more

Shocking, staff unprepared to handle a full house. Our food took an age to arrive, when it did appear it was only average.

The concierge at the hotel recommended this place for steak and seafood. When we arrived, the host asked if we had reservations and thought he was kidding because the place was empty. When we said no, he said we couldn't sit on the deck because all the tables were reserved, and sat us inside -- we were the only ones dining inside. I had the tuna and the sauces were okay, but nothing you can't find anywhere else. Everything was a la carte: the side salad was what you'd expect on an airplane, and the potatoes were boiled with some oily herb dressing. The regional bottled beer was good. What I could barely see from sitting inside the restaurant, the views of the river looked nice. I had guests with me, and wish I'd chosen better: there are much nicer restaurants all nearby. read more

I was walking around the Southbank later in the evening and stopped for a lite meal and some wine. They had just stopped serving food, but offered to make me a cheese board which I happily accepted and was absolutely the perfect companion with my pinot gris. Fun to sit at the counter overlooking the main walkway, river and city lights and people watch. Staff was super friendly and helpful. Great spot for my "last supper" in Melbourne! read more

Quick and tasty ploughmans lunch complemented by a side of aioli fries and green tomato/goat curd salad. Windows open on a mild Melbourne's winter day. Good service in a great setting. read more

First visit to Melbourne from U.S. And we had dinner here last night. Great fresh dishes and we enjoyed everything we tried. Luckily our friends made reservations because it's very popular and busy last night (Tuesday night). read more

Excellent quality and service the beef cheeks are to die for. Huge wine a little on pricey side.

Really great service and food. Good value (and helpful after the fac)t. Excellent variety in all sections of the menu. I rang to get their ABN as I didn't have a copy of the receipt and they were super helpful rounding up the exact receipt and emailling it to me. They were very interested in my opinion of my night out. Good to see a great concept working and that they really do care! read more

Ive heard of Pure South's Reputation and was excited when a friend booked a table for us for dinner. I had the salmon and we oth shared the pork belly and octopus entree. the pork belly was nice but the portion was ridiculously small same with the octopus. The Salmon was just as small and while tasty I could have cooked it just as well at home. overall, service was decent and knowledgeable but the food was too simple, too small in serve but with fancy presentation and way too overpriced. The whole experience was really pretentious and I won't be returning. read more

Sloooooow food service and small (I.e. For what you pay) serving sizes. Melbourne has a ton of restaurants that are way better value.

Very good food and very good service with a simple menu that makes it easy to understand what you're ordering. Add an outside table for taking in the riverside and its wandering people, and there can't be many better ways to spend a warm early afternoon. read more

Visiting Melbourne and had a great meal with a colleague here. The lamb portion was hefty and tender. The natural clams from Tasmania with Vietnamese sauce was also tasty. I also enjoyed the chocolate ganache desert. For those craving Tasmanian cuisine that is fresh and organic, this place hits the spot. Great location as well for al fresco dining. read more