Your manager Johnny should be fired. To come to a place on a weekday night and it was not a Friday, only to be sat in on a table that was on the first floor and was sandwiched between a wall and the counter. This narrow corridor was the only accessible path of travel to the stairs that leads to the ground floor. With less than 600mm walking space, I saw this as a health hazard; imagine knives, skewers and hot plates brushing by your face at eye level. I requested to change my seats, which the waiter obliged but had to consult his manager, fair enough. Johnny as he is called was told of this and proceeded to shout at the waiter in anger and continued to clean tables while grumbling "it's a busy restaurant you know" and ignored all requests for table changes. No it wasn't. Half the floor was empty, but he insisted on hoarding tables were kept empty for big groups of 8 or 6. 5 minutes in and a lady and her partner wanted to change her spot too because she was left in the same predicament as me, to which I said, "if you do not want to split the tables into two pairs, I'll gladly share the table with her". No response. The lady then relocated herself to the associated table and was promptly told by Johnny, "if you do not want to sit at your table, you can find another restaurant". Deplorable attitude. She kept her dignity and walked out. The poor waiter was helpless because he's been corralled by unprofessional management or rather floor manager that does not empower his staff. Unprofessional service to reasonable requests. read more

Weird decor - but, then again, I'm an American, eating Greek food in Australia - so what do I know. The Gyro was one of the best I've ever eaten. Superb. I'd go again. read more

Amazing food, service and ambiance! We came from the US looking for authentic Greek food and this was it. They're open 24/7...u won't be disappointed... read more

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

See all

I don't know why I don't eat here more, given how much I like Greek food and how this places delivers it up pretty consistently. It probably had something to do with the lines! I recently shared a vegetarian platter with a friend: the dips are top notch and you can taste every individual ingredient. For my main, I had the lemonata. The lamb was soft and tender, full of flavour and those lemon potatoes tasted as if lemons had been infused inside them. read more

started with a good eggplant dip, my wife had the chicken skewers, I had the mixed grill which included a chicken skewer. The chicken was beautifully tender but overspiced. The lamb was very salty and chewy. Expected better quality for the price. Service was fabullous! read more

Dear You, Please take a seat whilst I tell you a wonderful story. A story that happened within the early hours of the morning in the city. This story began when a young lad named Mathan first encountered night shifts at his current work. It required him to be awake during inhumane hours of the night and sleep during the warmth and brightness of day. It was a difficult task. He didn't quite know how he could cope with two weeks of being nocturnal so he thought, and thought, and thought. Unfortunately by the time he was finished thinking it was only 11pm in the evening. This frustrated him as he is required to remain awake until the sun rose and he wasn't doing a well enough job at that current time. The answer to his dilemma took shape in a very curious way. He decided instead of going through this alone he should take two of his closest friends, Dan and Mel who were not nocturnal either, and wonder in the city until sun rose. Mathan thought this was a brilliant idea. So three days before Mathan began his night shifts, Dan and Mel accompanied Mathan in the city. It was a brutal first evening as by 2am in the morning they were all tired, not to mention hungry. So they decided to find food. They scoured and scoured La Trobe street for a place to eat to no avail. The three were nearly about to give up when Dan stopped the others and said to them, "I know. Let's go to Stalactites!". To which they all agreed. They all arrived at Stalactites with no clue as to what they wanted to eat. They walked into the gorgeous building which hosted decorations that signified being inside a cave. Stalactites were hanging from the roof and the atmosphere of the restaurant was amazing. They spoke to a waiter asking whether they could find seats. They nodded and directed them to a nice spot by the window with a view of the city streets, which they all considered divine. By now, the three have started to really feel the hunger. They decide to pull up the menus and check out the food available to order. There were meals which ranged from a decent price from $10 onwards. They pondered for a little while. And a little while longer. The urge to sleep is now at full swing which promoted everyone to order what they thought was good. All of them ordered Souvlaki. The food which these three ate that night was splendid. They considered every bite flavourful and the portions were more than enough. The time it took for the food to arrive wasn't bad either as they had ample amount of time to chat about how tired they all were before the food arrived. The three amigos left Stalactites satisfied that night. They left with a massive grin on their faces knowing that they have found the place to indulge good food within the inhumane hours of 3am as they are 24 hours. This was fantastic as this would not be the one and only time these three would find themselves in the confines of the CBD during those hours--this continued for three nights in a row. Dan, Mel and Mathan will never forget Stalactites. Within the multiple time spans of their visit to this restaurant it has become their favourite place to eat within the early hours of the morning. They highly anticipate their return, and when they do they know that Stalactites will never disappoint. read more

Stalactites... Honestly a poor example of Greek food. Yes the portions are exaggerated, I ordered the Beef Kokkinisto and it was my fault for forgetting to request an entrée size instead of the main size but the waiter didn't even ask me. This thing was 500g of meat in soup with green beans... Luke warm, slightly chewy and with Greek food presentation that doesn't matter. I normally complain that portions are too small in Melbourne but this was too large and honestly, the though of having it as leftovers wasn't a good one. With out being too harsh, it reminds me of portions and quality you find at Sophia's... Only Greek. The souvlaki doesn't stand out to others and at $12.50 it's not cheap either. So if your visiting Melbourne and want to discover the food it truly has to offer make this one a miss and move on. read more

Oh good lord, the portions are huge! Food is served so quickly! That's how we were able to be seated so quickly without much of a wait on a Friday night. - Greek salad - gigantic, plenty of cucumbers, tomatoes, olives and feta. - Calamari - could be crispier. - Lamb Souvlaki $12.50 - with lettuce, tomato, onion and tsatziki. It easily can be shared. Eat it efficiently, as the pita will get soggy if you wait too long while you are chatting with friends. It is delicious with the fresh veg inside (tomato could be sliced a bit thinner). It would be even better if the pita was toasted instead of just warmed. - Chicken Souvlaki $12.50 - had some fatty pieces of meat, yuck when you bite into tendon. - Tzatziki - perfect read more

Have always loved Stalactites and hope it stays that way. There's nothing I love more after a night out, p*ssed or not, than grabbing a souvlaki or whatever - and this place is consistently good. It can get quite busy but it's worth the wait. They also do a brilliant saganaki. With Comedy Festival coming up they're going to be seeing a lot more of me again, I just can't help it. If I limit it to three times a week instead if every day I should be fine. read more

For my first restaurant in the Greek precinct, we went to Stalactites, a typical Greek restaurant with a laid back atmosphere and comfort food in nice quantities. The place was full the whole time we were there (on a Saturday night), and service was quite good, waiters being efficient despite the high number of clients. So why 3 stars? Well the food wasn't that amazing. We started with an eggplant dip with pitta bread, then a vegetarian souvlaki for me and a lamb dish of the day for my friend. The souvlaki was mostly filled with salad, which is always disappointing, and the lamb dish and eggplant dip and lamb dish won't last in our memory. read more

The last time I went to stalactites was about 7 years ago. I was a drunk mess, and don't remember the taste of the food, but i do remember thinking that the roof of my mouth shouldn't be so covered in fat. Fast forward to yesterday and I visit again. Sober this time. I look at the menu, it's really easy to understand. It was $12.50 for a souvlaki or $26. 00 for a giro plate. It didn't explain the difference enough for me to want to pay that much. It looked like I got a side of chips for the extra $13. 50. I ordered a souvlaki and my friend ordered the goat special in an entrée. The goat came out - big serve for an entrée. It was pale and boring. No garnish or sauce. The goat looked boiled, as did the potatoes. My friend tells me it looked more exciting than it tasted. My souvlaki came out. Wrapped beautifully. Felt good in my hand. And then it was a fail. Every restaurant gets the pre-bought bread and salad right - but the meat is obviously the star and this meat was not. Basically, years later, the same large chunks of fatty meat with no flavour. I couldn't taste any herbs or spices and my god it was tough. I just think that if you have been around as long as Stalactites has, you need to do better. Bad meat, watery garlic sauce and overall, a pretty average experience. read more

who wouldn't like 24 hour all you can eat greek style food? Located perfectly in the middle of the city, Stalactites never fails to please. I came here for a sit down dinner months back but suggest it as a late drunk night snack, for sure! They've got great chips (french fries) and you can even ask to add some hummus and garlic topping (A MUST EAT) I personally didn't LOVE the quality of meat packed into their infamous souvlaki's but i'm a picky one. There is often a line but it's well worth the wait. read more

Stalactites has recently re-opened after renovations. It's pretty nice inside; it's been given the clean up and re-working. All the usual favourites are there, the souvlaki, giros, and classic dips with fresh baked pita bread. At first, it was one of those places I passed a bunch of times before going in. But here, you're pretty much guaranteed for a feast. It's a Nice place to go. read more

The food is excellent and some of the fastest service I have ever experienced. The atmosphere is loud and busy but enjoyable, nobody there is having a bad time! The wait staff are all friendly and extremely helpful looking after as many customers as they can. Definitely recommended to all who are after a reasonably priced and fairly generously portioned meal! read more

I've just got to put a note in here that this is without a doubt one of the best 24/7 restaurants I have ever been to in my life. And not just because it's 24/7, but one of the nicest greek food places I ever eaten at. Definitely above average. I've come here at least 10 times now for late night food, and have done everything from ordering a sandwich and eating it on the curb outside to ordering a bottle of wine and dining in at 1am. I've even come for dinner at 6pm. Every time it delivers and flawlessly. I dunno how they maintain it as its never trashed or dirty yet always full with quality food, and good service. read more

Open 24-7 - very busy at lunchtime. Tasty and fun place with huge portions and a rocky ceiling. Fish soup, hummus, pita, and souvlaki, esp w the spicy feta sauce, were great! The baklava was soggy. Womp-womp. read more

This place is always packed during dinner and up till late on Fri and Sat nights. Been here twice, never disappointed. Love the Lamb Giros Souvlaki - chunky pieces of tender lamb (mmmm... Writing this is making me hungry again), generous portion - too generous, in fact. I couldn't finish my souvlaki, even though I barely ate the whole day. Might order the kids size next time. Highly recommend this place, especially if you are looking for a good place to eat on a weekend that won't blow a hole in your pocket, or if you want good takeaway wraps in the city ( because they do takeaways too!) Drink options so-so.. And they have a special dinner menu from their Greek chef too (I think only on Fridays, not too sure) read more

Used to go there every Thursday for lunch and I was never disappointed. Always got the lamb suvi, the lamb was crispy on the outside and nice and tender on the inside. Personally I could not fault this place. read more

The quality "souva" has dropped significantly over the years, once upon a time it was the place to get good quality souvlakis. Meat quality was not good and came out cold. The place is trying to be both a restraunt and take away, yet not up to either standards. If your dining in expect to wait a long time to have your food served. Expect mix ups with your orders. It's loud and roudy inside. The toilets on Saturday night is trashy like a nightspot. If your getting take away and you live outside the city, kebab vans on the way are cheaper and on par or better quality with less wait times. read more

Delicious meals and a great environment. Stayed just across the street so was nice to always have somewhere open for a quick nibble. Be warned, the meals are huge! I ended up ordering pretty much every meal as an entree so I could still fit on the plane to head home. read more

Fast service good yummy food. You stink like garlic after trying the mixed dip platter but totally worth it!!!! Open 24/7!! read more

See all

Greeeeeat meat! Souvi is perfect and beef taste well. At most $20 can make full. And super kind waitress! read more

Stalactites Restaurant - International Near Me - Melbourne, VIC

Great place to eat. Didn't expect a lot of a place opened 24/7, but the food was great! Don't expect a fancy place, just nice food. Had to wait around 20 minutes to get seated on a Wednesday day, was really crowded and a great atmosphere. Food god served very fast (almost too fast) however, the quality was good, a good amount and the prize was definitely worth it! read more

We survived the table service, which involved an evolving floor show of dropped cutlery and smashed glasses. That aside, the wait staff were very accommodating, even of the unreasonable request from the patron at your correspondent's elbow (tables are pretty close together) to have each and every component of a souvlaki served in a separate bowl, with a side of chips. The "vegetarian falafel" is actually a stem cell sort of starter souvlaki without the meat, but with a too generous smear of lots-of-garlic tzatziki and some felafel fragments substituted. It's the vegetarian option provided by people who can't understand why you aren't eating meat, what's wrong with you? Also, messy. Eating wise. I couldn't easily find where to wash my hands before or after. I tried eating my stem cell souvlaki with a knife and fork, with predictable results. The ceiling is covered with stalactites but there are no corresponding stalagmites. It's confounding. read more

Food was mediocre, mixed meat souvlaki was too greasy. Service wasn't great either; there was a minimum purchase, we couldn't just order hummus which was on the menu (had to be paired with something else), had to prepay and waitress had an attitude. read more

I hadn't eaten here in around 5yrs and to be honest nothing much has changed. The restaurant was super packed but I was just there for a Takeaway anyway. I ordered the lamb Gyro with cheese and a large chips which was $19. The service was fast and very friendly. I'm glad I took it back to my hotel room and was able to put it on a plate as there was plenty in it and let's just say the wrapper was well wrapped up into the gyro as well lol. Everything was super tasty and nice and hot. There was a good serve chips and they were well cooked and nicely seasoned. Overall I would recommend. The only reason I have given four stars and not five is because it's not exactly great value for money for what is a Takeaway Kebab for $20. read more

Three words, Lots of Meats. Ok the place is always packed. They do a super fast service if you're doing take out. I ordered the Lamb souvlaki. It was packed with meat. The catch is its nowhere near anything you get in Toronto. The tiziki sauce was pretty mediocre. read more

Stalactites is the best restaurant in all of Australia and I am indebted to this fine institution for the rest of my life. Stally's - thank you for existing, thank you for staying open 24 hours per day, and thank you for being there for me when I need you the most. read more

I love this place. Normally had mixed souvlaki for lunch but decided to try eating in for dinner. Had to line up but got a table quickly. No reservation required. We had the mixed platter for 2, kalamari, salad, small chips and some pita breads. It was really good and portion was quite generous. Lamb skewer was a bit dry but the chicken one was really tasty. Kalamari was alright but not the best. Will definitely come back for dinner. read more

Wonderful lamb souvlaki. Great eggplant dip with warm buttered pita breads. Really great tasty meals and friendly service.

I quite like this one, for both food and their decoration style! Hang out there with my crazy friends for my bday. This was my first time to try Greek food, though I eat lots of Greek yogurt. Located at the Greek precinct in Melbourne, everything looked so yum n awesome~~ To pay for that, be prepared for a long queue... read more

It's the combination of lots of meat in the souvlaki and the fresh salads. And compared to somewhere like Jimmy Grants, you are definitely getting quality and quantity in the size of the servings. Plus if you want to go past the takeaway, then its on the to traditional Greek dishes and home made cooking. The staff are usually friendly and do their best to handle peak periods. For a business that opens 24hrs a day its amazing that things run smoothly at all hours. read more

I've been going to Stalactites for close to 20 years since I was in university and after on my last visit the the food was terrible and flavourless I'm a basic guy I like my mixed sov extra meat and drink but this time yuck hopefully it's something they can fix for the table service you get it's okay for a busy restaurant especially on the dinner rush read more

Consistently good authentic Greek food! The prices here are very reasonable and serving sizes won't leave you hungry. It's an added bonus that Stalactites is open 24/7 - a late dinner here is definitely preferable to any of the other nearby fast food restaurants. read more

This place is always busy at night and a great place to eat ar after a big night out or trying to recover from lots of drinks. The service isn't too great but the food is value for money read more

Worst service ever First they forgot some of our meal Then after we paid and left the waiter chased us down in the street and accused us of not paying for our bill. When went back to sort it out the cashier said we hadn't paid and was really rude as she was trying to grab at my credit card saying " you haven't paid. you must pay" Then when I proved that we had already paid all of a sudden the cashier now remembered us but now she had under charged us by $10 less in witch now she was trying to over charge us with stared another hole desiccation over maths. Wow never again Tonight they lost 4 long term customers. read more

Came here a few years ago and it was the best thing I've ever had but things have really gone down hill since, the service was not great at all. Nobody ever got us water even though we asked 3 different waiters I ended up drinking my own bottle that I had in my bag, the food was not as good as I remember and really quite over priced. The waiters were all over the show they were dropping things, breaking things and seemed out of it, I believe they're understaffed for the amount of customers. The manager is nice guy but that's it. This place is over rated there are way better restaurants to try nowadays. read more

We ordered a variety of dishes and they were all mediocre at best. All lacked flavor and the dips appetizer had been pre-plated. The dips all had a 'crust' on them from starting to dry out. Would not recommend. read more

Every times I pass through the restaurant , I see there are many people there and food look great . Before departing melbourne, I ate it finally. As I think, its meals are awesome and its interior design is amazing. read more