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.

This new hidden cocktail bar is already one of my favourites. Entering through a side door down a…read morelaneway, and climbing the stairs, opening the door as if to a house and being greeted so politely. The choice of the cocktail bad, whiskey and cigar room or the rooftop, delights me and caters or all your needs. The cocktails are strong, creative and use spirits and aperitifs in the most unique ways to deliver the most perfect cocktail. There are so many liqueurs, sprints and aperitifs that you wouldn't have even heard of. All the food sounds Devine, and the chocolate truffles are a slice of heaven. Cannot recommend highly enough.

- super friendly staff - free wifi…read more- delicious drinks - lively scene - came generously recommended by the city's top bartenders

Absolutely disappointing experience and appalling customer service. The vibe looked good and we…read moredecided to take a chance. We entered at 11pm and decided to get a bottle of sparkling. No one informed us about any policy. We paid for the bottle with 5% service charge which I do not think they deserved. We had a sudden work call at 11.30pm and grabbed the bottle to go, only for the staff to chase us to the front of the bar to inform us that they do not have a takeaway license. For christ sake, we already had bought the bottle!! Though it's alright, we respect policy. They highlighted that they needed to keep the bottle in the establishment. We asked if we could come back and finish it. They said they would keep our bottle. We rushed back to our hotel (Marriott- 200m away for the call). When we returned at 11.58pm, they had already thrown our bottle away. Unbelievable! They were quick to receive our money but equally quick to throw our experience out the window. No doubt, we returned almost at closing times but throwing our wine before closing time - if you wanna go by the book, that is still not your closing time. When we raised our grievances to the staff, she said she told us about closing time at 12 midnight. However, we emphasised that she should have let us know about the takeaway policy and license. Had we known, we would not have ordered a bottle. She looked at us blankly and simply replied "feedback received, but we do not allow anyone in after 12, so you have to leave". Quite honestly, ChatGPT / Claude / Grok could have conveyed more empathy. I am not a VIP customer nor am I a high spender. That being said, I value places with a human connection and empathy, and would regularly visit such places with joy and happiness multiple times. This place is not one of them. For this reason, I will never visit again. If you think likewise, and value authenticity and a true Aussie welcome, you would not visit this place. I hate to give negative reviews but please spend your money elsewhere.

Yeah, this pub was okay, and a part of me sort of wondered why I missed it. Then again, I can't say…read morethat I'm an expert on this part of town, and I don't come down here all that often and wander around looking for bars that I haven't been to. Well, at least not recently. However, I did come down here and found this place, and it wasn't too bad. The service was good, as were the beers, but unfortunately it didn't really jump out at me the same way that other places have.

Went for steak night (Thursday night). Beautifully cooked & charred 250 gram steak. Staff very…read morefriendly and attentive. Highly recommend.

So they've just told me that use trip advisor and not Yelp but alas here I am because I know other…read moreNorth Americans will go on Yelp. My friend and I came here for my last night in Melbourne and we decided on this spot for dinner. We phoned ahead and made resos and then were blown away by everything we had! Seriously! We shared the gnocchi and the burger and then had the pb&j for dessert. The gnocchi is expensive for the amount but they used the word 'delicacy' to describe it and this is 100% accurate. The least fav part of the meal were the fries which were meh. But of course I ate them all. :) Come here, and come again. You won't be disappointed.

Had the best night of my recent visit to Melbourne here at St Luja…read more Great food, great drinks, great vibe. I started the evening with a nice red on the patio waiting for friends to arrive, then we moved inside as dinner time approached. The space inside is cozy & nicely appointed. Our party was about 20 people & the staff did an excellent job accommodating us, making us feel welcome & pulling off dinner service the way they did for a group our size was impressive. Bar staff was very knowledgeable & mixed us some great drinks. St Luja will be a must visit for all of my Melbourne visits in the future. ly

This cafe was recommended to me because it is housed in an old power station or something to that…read moreeffect. Space had a lot of natural light but the service was terrible. We interacted with three different servers and all were obnoxious. Skip it; lots of other cute coffee shops with better service. Food was blah!

One word - amazing :)…read more The food was super delicious and presented beautifully. The hotcakes weren't too sweet and the eggs were well cooked. I think the flavors complimented everything really well. The service was quick and friendly as well. The ambience of the cafe really set the tone of the space. The timeless structure of the building was renovated tastefully. Really pleasant place to chill and pass the time. Would love to come again. Thanks

This is one of those places that has a realy prohibition feel about it, to the point that it can be…read morepretty tricky to find as it happens to be behind a rather non-descript door. In fact it took me a bit to actually locate the place since it isn't hugely advertised, however once you step inside it is pretty awesome, but I suspect that is what the whole prohibition theme is about. The service wasn't bad, and while it is a little pricier than norm, they do have a pretty good selection of beers. It is pretty classy, but as I suggested, that has a lot to do with the prohibition feel.

Such a vibeeee! The atmosphere and bartenders were top notch!…read more As you can see from the pic, the options are endless and they are so creative, especially the nitrogen for some really cool drinks.

Amazing ambiance and service. The details of this bar are incredible. Definitely not a place to go…read moreoften, but a really cool spot to experience and take other people to. The menu is wildly inventive and requires a bit of explanation (in which the servers do exceptionally well). Definitely a must-stop-by spot if you're visiting Melbourne.

This used to be a night club, and honestly, I am totally over nightclubs, simply because they are…read moreloud, crowded, and can be impossible to enter at times. Well, this is no longer the case here. In fact, this place not only opens much earlier but it has an awesome atmosphere. Actually, I don't even think I can consider it to be a nightclub anymore, but rather a cocktail bar, and a pretty awesome one at that. Not surprisingly, there are references to books, and some pretty awesome books at that, all over the place. Oh, and not only do they also have beer available, and the service is also pretty awesome.

Hidden Beer Garden for the layed back client…read more This place is cool, i mean i lived around the corner and sometime you would spend all night there and other just a warm up for the night but either way a cool joint. Good music and a very hipster-esk clientel means its a very relaxed environment and for a smoker like me HEAVEN. They make a mean pizza and the cocktail jugs are a good price and decent. the toilets however were too small and the line a mile long but that was updated recently which is good. it needs a few other things but its a new cool layed back Been Garden which works well. P.s Bring back the Shisha guys!!!

From the owner: Outdoor Pop Up Food Trucks Eventsread more