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Recommended Reviews - Stalactites Restaurant
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We are looking for Asian food in Melbourne's china town but we were overwhelmed by the choices. We stumbled upon Stalactites and it was packed with a waiting line. So, we gave up on Asian food and went Greek! Great choice. Hummus was creamy and nicely seasoned with lemon. Pita was good albeit a bit greasy for me. Lemon lamb with potatoes...tender, fall apart lamb. Yum. Ambiance is like crowded NY deli. You sit close to other tables but a good vibe. Fellow next to us gave us a recommendation for Asian restaurant so a win win for us!
First visit to Melbourne and upon arrival our Uber driver suggested this place. Immediately unloaded luggage and went straight away. GREAT suggestion because our party of 5 were all very impressed. So glad we went early because a line started quickly after we arrived (line moved fast). Slow start on service but once we ordered the service was prompt. Started with a Platter for two of the Vegetarian appetizers, very good. The pita bread is authentic & perfect, we ordered extra. The Lamb Souvalki....so delicious, grilled perfectly. Garden salad was fresh and delicious and so was the hummus, tzatziki and eggplant dip, yummy! This place was amazing everyone worked so hard to fill and clear tables for more customers. Highly recommend a visit, please be patient because the place looks to be always busy.
Ordered some Souvaki for take-away. I got the lamb and chicken combo, with feta, French fries, tomato, lettuce, onion and tzatziki sauce. Super tasty. It was flavorful, juicy, and very filling. They put a nice amount of chicken and lamb. Would love to go back, cute vibes and ambiance and the place was packed on a Monday night so you know it's good. They have a nice range of appetizers, mains, seafood, and platter to share. Would love to dine in and try some other dishes. Quick service and great food!
Aloha, in the Greek district of Melbourne, probably the last of the Greek Restaurants, it was very good. Clean restrooms, good food & quick service. I had a great Greek beer that was nice & malty. All in all a great Greek experience. Thanks for being in Greek town! And being open 24/7 who does that anymore?
A delicious smorgasbord of meats. We did take away and the restaurant really caters to both eating in or take away. This is a Melbourne go to.
Coming to Melbourne for a short stayed wanted to trying the Hellenic Food culture. Food if good wouldn't say great and probably first time finding not one Greek working. The atmosphere and service was great its definitely a popular venue with volume of customer you could say an institution of Melbourne greek food
I like to consider Stalactites to be an almost-insitution: a must go in the early hours of the morning after trying out Melbourne's finest pubs and clubs. Open 24 hours, Stalactites has a busy and dynamic atmosphere and at peak times you'll see a line going out the door. Usually I'm not much for waiting, but this is totally worth it. I only had to wait about 10 minutes for a table at 7pm on a Saturday, which in my view was a win. Staff were super friendly and helpful and given the business of the place, surprisingly attentive despite the craziness. One thing I do not like is the layout at the entry which splits into a sit- in queue, take-out queue, and in the midst staff walking through to collect meals to take to the dining room. With two friends we had ordered the vegetarian share plate for two, a mixed, chicken and vegetarian souvlaki and large fries. No complaints about the food at all, the dips were flavourful, the pita bread was fresh and warm, and the souvlaki was well dressed and flavourful. I felt the cost was reasonable for what you get and have no qualms recommending this place to others.
A while back when my Geologist friend was lecturing me on the formation of rock features in caves, and I started dribbling like a Pavlovian dog, I realised I had a latent obsession - Stalactites. And this had absolutely nothing to do with Limestone. Stalactites is one of the sole reasons why I bother heading into town for a drink, rather than just, say for example, heading to my local pub. Cos we all know the main reason we drink alcohol (responsibly of course) is so we have an excuse the get a late night Kebab/Souvlaki. And Stalactites make some of the best Souvlaki's in town. Sure the meat can be of variable quality, sometimes being juicy and succulent and other times burnt and chewy. But it always tastes pretty good to me. The reason? The tzatziki (garlic yogurt sauce). Stalactites tzatziki has enough garlic to make Dracula turn in his grave half way across the world in Transylvania. The only thing I really don't get about this place is the many many people who appear to dine in their restaurant section clearly on a romantic date (remember the tzatziki). Now I may not be the next Casa Nova, but Stalactites seems like a strange option for a date to me. Maybe I'll just have to take someone there myself to see what all the fuss is about. I am that obsessed it appears.
Looking for Greek/Mediterranean in downtown Melbourne? Look not further Hot off the grill with bread off the oven The gyros and the shawarma style meats are tasty The hummus selection is yummy and the location of this restaurant is unbeatable Portions are good even the kids ones read more
I was recommended to try this place by the front desk person of where I am staying. For dinner service it seemed like the place was geared towards group diners but they still welcomed me even though the workers were a little confused to where to put me. Service can be a little slow. I got the Lamb Kokkinisto and it was pretty good. It was basically stew lamb with some steak vegetables. There is an option to get it with rice and potatoes. The entre portion was more than enough for me. It was pretty well decorated inside read more
2 years ago
This was my first meal at Australia and I absolutely loved it! The hubby and I stood in line for around 15 mins on an afternoon and once we were seated we were super excited to dig in. The service here is fast and I loved the ambiance here where there was stalacites coming from the top. Really cool experience. For food we ordered the: *Mixed gyro plate - this came with chicken and lamb gyro, and the meat was super juicy and succulent. This plate also came with fries, a roasted tomato and salad which was great. *Pita - the pita here is out of the world, so soft and perfectly chewy, went so well with the gyro! * Dips plate - this came with 4 different dips which included hummus and a yogurt dip... this was DELICIOUS! Highly recommend trying this out Overall, the food was great with really large portions and absolutely delicious food! read more
We are looking for Asian food in Melbourne's china town but we were overwhelmed by the choices. We stumbled upon Stalactites and it was packed with a waiting line. So, we gave up on Asian food and went Greek! Great choice. Hummus was creamy and nicely seasoned with lemon. Pita was good albeit a bit greasy for me. Lemon lamb with potatoes...tender, fall apart lamb. Yum. Ambiance is like crowded NY deli. You sit close to other tables but a good vibe. Fellow next to us gave us a recommendation for Asian restaurant so a win win for us! read more
First visit to Melbourne and upon arrival our Uber driver suggested this place. Immediately unloaded luggage and went straight away. GREAT suggestion because our party of 5 were all very impressed. So glad we went early because a line started quickly after we arrived (line moved fast). Slow start on service but once we ordered the service was prompt. Started with a Platter for two of the Vegetarian appetizers, very good. The pita bread is authentic & perfect, we ordered extra. The Lamb Souvalki....so delicious, grilled perfectly. Garden salad was fresh and delicious and so was the hummus, tzatziki and eggplant dip, yummy! This place was amazing everyone worked so hard to fill and clear tables for more customers. Highly recommend a visit, please be patient because the place looks to be always busy. read more
4 months ago
10 months ago
7 months ago
1 year ago
7 years ago
Ordered some Souvaki for take-away. I got the lamb and chicken combo, with feta, French fries, tomato, lettuce, onion and tzatziki sauce. Super tasty. It was flavorful, juicy, and very filling. They put a nice amount of chicken and lamb. Would love to go back, cute vibes and ambiance and the place was packed on a Monday night so you know it's good. They have a nice range of appetizers, mains, seafood, and platter to share. Would love to dine in and try some other dishes. Quick service and great food! read more
7 years ago
4 years ago
Aloha, in the Greek district of Melbourne, probably the last of the Greek Restaurants, it was very good. Clean restrooms, good food & quick service. I had a great Greek beer that was nice & malty. All in all a great Greek experience. Thanks for being in Greek town! And being open 24/7 who does that anymore? read more
3 years ago
Coming to Melbourne for a short stayed wanted to trying the Hellenic Food culture. Food if good wouldn't say great and probably first time finding not one Greek working. The atmosphere and service was great its definitely a popular venue with volume of customer you could say an institution of Melbourne greek food read more
11 years ago
I like to consider Stalactites to be an almost-insitution: a must go in the early hours of the morning after trying out Melbourne's finest pubs and clubs. Open 24 hours, Stalactites has a busy and dynamic atmosphere and at peak times you'll see a line going out the door. Usually I'm not much for waiting, but this is totally worth it. I only had to wait about 10 minutes for a table at 7pm on a Saturday, which in my view was a win. Staff were super friendly and helpful and given the business of the place, surprisingly attentive despite the craziness. One thing I do not like is the layout at the entry which splits into a sit- in queue, take-out queue, and in the midst staff walking through to collect meals to take to the dining room. With two friends we had ordered the vegetarian share plate for two, a mixed, chicken and vegetarian souvlaki and large fries. No complaints about the food at all, the dips were flavourful, the pita bread was fresh and warm, and the souvlaki was well dressed and flavourful. I felt the cost was reasonable for what you get and have no qualms recommending this place to others. read more
15 years ago
A while back when my Geologist friend was lecturing me on the formation of rock features in caves, and I started dribbling like a Pavlovian dog, I realised I had a latent obsession - Stalactites. And this had absolutely nothing to do with Limestone. Stalactites is one of the sole reasons why I bother heading into town for a drink, rather than just, say for example, heading to my local pub. Cos we all know the main reason we drink alcohol (responsibly of course) is so we have an excuse the get a late night Kebab/Souvlaki. And Stalactites make some of the best Souvlaki's in town. Sure the meat can be of variable quality, sometimes being juicy and succulent and other times burnt and chewy. But it always tastes pretty good to me. The reason? The tzatziki (garlic yogurt sauce). Stalactites tzatziki has enough garlic to make Dracula turn in his grave half way across the world in Transylvania. The only thing I really don't get about this place is the many many people who appear to dine in their restaurant section clearly on a romantic date (remember the tzatziki). Now I may not be the next Casa Nova, but Stalactites seems like a strange option for a date to me. Maybe I'll just have to take someone there myself to see what all the fuss is about. I am that obsessed it appears. read more
I love love love this place! Lamb is cooked on a spit the traditional Greek way by the old school Greek men haha there is a huge menu to choose from with pricing ranging from $10-40. There's a childrens menu too with smaller meal sizes - which I tend to go for as the meals are massive and very filling! Open 24/7 which is awesome when you're craving a souvlaki any time of the day or night! Service is good, there's a hostess to take you to your seat or if you feel like take away Go For It! Highly recommend. read more
11 years ago
The worst meal I've had in a long long time. My friends and I got a lamb souvlaki each, this fried cheese dish and a bowl of chips. As it was freezing cold, I also got a coffee. The waiter kept trying to get us to buy dips with bread and was super pushy. Service was awful. We had to wait 20 minutes to get their attention to order and half an hour to get our bill. The fried cheese was nice but I think you would feel sick if you didn't share it. The lamb souvlaki lacked flavour, salt, and basically just taste. The lamb at times was rough and tasted raw. Ugh. The coffee tasted foul. None of us finished our meals and left in disgust. read more
12 years ago
BOOKING AND PRE-ORDER RECOMMENDED FOR GROUP OF 10+ (especially on Fridays) Friday team lunch we had about 15-20 people which we pre-booked, however we did not pre-order, which was a big mistake. It took over an hour to get our food ...yes very hungry. A few of us had to get take away as we need to run back for meetings etc. So make sure you set up lunch for 1.5 - 2hrs. The food was good, I had the Lamb Giros Souvlaki with chilli sauce plus chips on the side. Service was average. Although I would like to say that the supervisor (Chris) handled the situation of us complaining about the food very well. We got free chips and he re-printed out receipt to make sure it was easier for individuals to identify how much was their meals are (we all know how hard it is to split bills when there is more than 10 people). It's probably not a place I would go again for lunch or dinner, BUT a great place for when you have had a few to LOT of drinks! ...supper time! Sorry didn't take any photos as I was super hungry from the wait! read more
Stalactites is the bringer of good Greek food in Melbourne's own defined 'Greek Precinct'. I've eaten a few times here with family (Greeks dont tend to be risky when it comes to eating out) and whether it's just family wanting to be able to order in Greek or not, the food is great but it doesn't really pack that 'special' that you might be looking for. I hear people rave about the food here and the venue is crowded with locals but maybe it's just because nothing can beat my ma's cooking that i don't think so highly of the meals. I've sampled a few things here and I now have the one-and-only, eggplant lasagne. As a vegetarian (so rare for a Greek i've been told) this is what tastes great and fits into my eating habits. Everything else on the menu is quite 'meat' orientated so Vege's, your options are limited. The venue is a tad squashy at times and if you're seated near the bathroom / stairs be prepared to hold your breath. read more
15 years ago
Ok, so I understand that Stalactites is one of the most famous Greek restaurants in the CBD. Greeks swear by it, drunken teens swear by it, and foodies swear by it too. Plus the never-ending queue out the door seems to confirm that they must be doing something right. Unfortunately my experience there says otherwise. The souvlaki was rather average due to chewy meat and crumbling bread, which made it really hard to eat. The crumbed kalamari seemed to have no seasoning whatsoever, and the baklava was dry. Maybe I just visited on one of their off days, who knows. I will say this, the place was certainly buzzing and the atmosphere was rather nice. The brick walls walk a fine line between restaurant and someone's cosy home. But if that doesn't tickle your fancy, you can always just grab some takeaway. read more
12 years ago
This place was recommended to me by a very charismatic and successful man who used to live in this city. He also said to me that the food in Melbourne is so much better than the food in Boston, and I think this place is one of the reasons. I also realised that Australian lamb, when cooked sufficiently, is excellent. I walked in very hungry and I had a Lamb Giros souvlaki, and I thought it was one of the best lunches I had in Melbourne so far. The tenderness of the lamb with the slight spice in the flavour, the warm pita bread, the nice creaminess and the flavour of the tzatziki made this an excellent pita sandwich. The dish is about $12.50, and after eating this dish, I was really full for the entire day and had plenty of energy to go walking around Melbourne. I was so glad I didn't order chips with this dish. The dish was so delicious that I vividly remembered the tenderness and flavour of the lamb. I also realised that this place is open 24 hours, so it might be an excellent choice after an amazing, adventurous, delightful, and exhilarating night in the city, especially with your cool friends and your gorgeous companions, and all of you get really hungry in the process. I have never been to a Greek restaurant that actually does this, or even seen a Greek place that does this in the States. The service here around lunch time at 11:30 was a little slow but efficient. The location is excellent, it's right in Central Melbourne. Overall, although I believe I did not have the best Greek food in Melbourne, I definitely had one of the tastiest pita sandwiches in a very long time. To reinforce this, I went to my local Greek restaurant after I came home, which was supposed to be one of the best in the somewhat decent city of Boston, and I ate a Gyro sandwich.... The flavour and the deliciousness of that Gyro sandwich still fell a little short compared to the Lamb Giros souvlaki I had here. All other pita sandwiches (with lamb) I ate in other places in the somewhat decent state of Massachusetts almost tasted bland and lacked flavour. They got my stomach full, but not really full. So if you are a first time visitor to Melbourne, this place is worthwhile to get some tasty Lamb souvlaki. read more
15 years ago
I am a fan of Stalactites. One articular reason for this is that I don't think I have ever seen it closed. Whether it has a 24 hour license or whether they just have more stamina than myself, the result is impressive. The quality of their food does not seem to degenerate as the sobriety of their clientele certainly does. On each occasion I've eaten here the service has been lightning fast with souvlakis being served up only minutes after they were ordered. They are fully licensed which makes it a great place for an after party or a pit stop before you take your night further. Possibly not up there for the best souvlaki in Melbourne but pretty close.... read more
9 years ago
Food: This place is a paleo's dream. There is so much delicious meat and fresh salad on the menu! We ordered the meat platter for two. What I loved was how every meat had it's own texture and flavour, no two were alike. We orders chips alongside it - which was a bad move, the chips are a bit of a let down compared to their gorgeous meat, and they were also far too heavy, we should have opted for a salad instead. Atmosphere/Service: Stalactites is one of those places that just attracts everyone, from students look for a cheap eat after uni, to groups of friends lining their stomach before a night out, to older couples and families, clearly winding down after a day's shopping and enjoying the authentic Greek food on offer, or foodies like us, looking to sample all the meat they can offer! Service is fab, fast and friendly. The waiting staff are a credit to the restaurant. Even better, this place is open 24 hours. Would I recommend it: 100% yes (unless you're a vegetarian). Delicious, no frills, tasty greek food, any time of the day or night. Right in the heart of the CBD, it offers everything from a quick snack, to a filling meal. Particularly if you are just visiting Melbourne, this is the perfect place to get reliable, affordable food no matter the time of day. read more
7 years ago
15 years ago
A couple of weekends ago, after an evening spent at a swish corporate ball replete with three-course dinner of refined dish after refined dish and copious amounts of wine, my friends and I ended up at Stalactites. In a cab. Well past midnight. And we weren't even all that hungry. Stalactites' souvlaki is THAT good. A veritable Greek Melbourne institution, Stalactites' menu offers far more than just its rightly famous souvlaki but this is invariably what I - and Stalactites many other patrons - opt for. Its chicken and lamb souvlakis are particularly good, consisting of warm pitta bread absolutely stuffed with spit roasted meat - quiet there in the smutty seats - lettuce, tomato, onion and just about the best homemade tzatziki in existence. I have it on good authority. Although Stalactites is a pretty popular restaurant for dining in but I tend to stop by for takeaways en route home after a night out in Melbourne's CBD. A word of warning though for fly by night souvlaki eaters: you cannot order ahead by phone to pick up Stalactites in your cab, necessitating no small addition to your taxi bill. But with souvlaki this good, who the hell cares? read more
15 years ago
Stalactites. Stalactites is the place you go when it's four o'clock in the morning and you want some fried cheese. You walk over pools of vomit to get there, queue up behind shady characters before you can get a table. One of your friends orders a kebab, you order some saganaki, and you wait. And you wait. And then it comes, and it's edible but you realise it's not worth the wait or the price and you're just here because you don't have anywhere better to be, and you either get a cab home, or you head out for some karaoke. read more
15 years ago
Would you like dust with your souvlaki? Seriously, the faux-cave ceiling in Stalactites must be a health hazard, but if it's 3am and you are in desperate need of grease, it doesn't really matter. My pick at Stalactites is actually the moussaka rather than the souva - it's like the greek version of lasagna with layers of eggplant and meat. It's hugely filling and warming, and will fix what ails you. Enjoy it with a beer and soak up the ambience of this 24 hour eatery - fun times. read more
11 years ago
I am pretty disappointed. The food tasted okayish but nothing at all like typical Greek food. I have only been to Greece 2 times but even in the dirtiest looking place the food taster way better than the food at this restaurant. Sorry, no recommendation here. However, the restaurant is nice, staff is friendly and the ouzo tastes good. read more
8 years ago
I find it from yelp while I come back from the China town. It is near it. And the test is good , I love it. read more
9 years ago
12 years ago
Not many places you can go to 24/7 & 7 days week but this is one of them. The Greek Custard ~ not greek so dont know how to say it but love it anyway. For the Man ~ any of the meat dishes, they are all good.. If u are hungry any time of the day or night.. This is the place to go!! The Renovations ~ Fantastic! read more
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More info about Stalactites Restaurant
177/183 Lonsdale Street
Melbourne Victoria 3000
Australia
Melbourne
Directions
(03) 9663 3316
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http://www.stalactites.com.au
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