Father's Day lunch started off well until we arrived at the boathouse. Had a lunch time booking and when we arrived we were greeted as through we were an inconvenience. Had lunch and the food wasn't too bad, I was there with my wife 2 kids and the grandparents . Towards the end of lunch unfortunately one of the kids dropped a glass we apologised for multiple times. We finished up and paid and also paid an extra $20 for the dropped glass. As my wife and grandmother walked out the host which is the same one that greeted us was shaking her head at them. This made for an overall terrible experience at the restaurant and we felt uncomfortable from the beginning. This isn't the first time we've felt that way there and it appears from the reviews to be a common thread . Will not be returning read more

Every time I come here I have the feeling I am annoying the staff just by ordering something. Never is there a smile but rather a 'is that all?' Today the server looked at me like 'are you going to order something now? Or what?' Couple the foul service with overpriced coffee and food and I'm not going to give them another chance even if they are right next to a park and the river. read more

So, where do I start. Was greeted by self serve seating, cutlery, ordering and water. They had a cup day menu, I ordered $20 for poached eggs on sour dough with no pepper @ 9.57. 10.02, eggs came out complete with cracked pepper, advised the waiter I specifically asked for no pepper, so they took it back. 2 minutes later, eggs were back - with pepper removed and eggs flipped. So there was still pepper stuck to the toast & some of the eggs. I returned them again, explaining I said no pepper for a reason (intolerances that I was told they could cater for). 6 minutes later, more eggs arrived, still with bits of pepper on the eggs and toast. At this point (just slightly annoyed!) I returned them and asked for a refund and left. Needless to say, I won't be returning! PS - the size of the dish was far from worth 20 bucks, public holiday or no public holiday! read more

The Boathouse - Melbourne Cup Day menu. Apparently "The Whip" menu is breakfast pizzas. - Cafes Near Me - Moonee Ponds, VIC

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The boathouse sits conveniently next to a playground/park, and beautifully along the Maribyrnong river. Book ahead for a table inside or come in and snap one of the outdoor seating for casual coffee or brunch. Their seafood are fresh and cooked well, however pizza is on the small size (think pide size for a small), and dessert was average. 3 stars because some of the prices can be steep and although service is lovely, it is choppy and I feel that they ( management in general) can be friendlier, too many tables and impersonal. There is no warm nor inviting feel. What this place is great for are: - kids - good kids menu plus half size- half price anything on the adult menu. - Great view, bring your parents or your next door old neighbour. - Have a small function here, its that kind of place. Bring your first date here for lunch if you are aiming for a casual affair and slow walk by the river ;) read more

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Was a busy Saturday afternoon when we visited The Boathouse, and we were seated in the side courtyard - lacks the water views of the deck, but was at least outside during a lovely day. That's about as good as it got. Service was barely there - was like they had forgotten people were in the courtyard, as some other people upped and left after waiting for their order to be taken for ages. The few times we saw our waiter he mumbled incoherently - and never did bring us some water as requested. Food was a long wait, and everything was cold when it did finally arrive. The pizza and the sliders tasted like they would have been quite good if warm though. At least it was a lovely day outside. read more

The Boathouse - Cafes Near Me - Moonee Ponds, VIC

A great place to come to after work or after a walk around the river. Great for kids and groups or a just a quiet drink! Food is lovely with a big selection to choose from! read more

The Boathouse - Sitting on the deck by the Maribyrnong River - Cafes Near Me - Moonee Ponds, VIC

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I visited The Boathouse on a recent trip to Melbourne with a girlfriend. She had tweeted to Matt Preston to ask him where we should go for our eggs in Melbourne. He suggested The Boathouse, becasue apparently Gary Mehigan does the best Holindaise Sauce in town. So we got up at some ridiculous hour for a Sunday morning and caught the tram out to Moonee Ponds to go to The Boathouse for breakfast. If you are going to go, and want to sit inside - I would strongly recommend making a reservation - becasue they can get pretty busy - particularly on the weekend. The atmosphere was lovely - although we were sat at a table that was right underneath the heater - so we got a bit warm. For breakfast I ordered Scrambled Eggs, Crispy Bacon and Spinach. It was DELICIOUS!!! I ordered crispy bacon and actually got crispy bacon!! :) I was so happy. The meals were a little slow in coming out (becasue they were incredibly busy) and the drinks were even slower (because they lost the docket - probably once again becasue of how busy they were) but all in all it was a great morning :) Would definitely go there again :) **Please note - no split bills are allowed and they dont do alterations to the menu on weekends (becasue of how busy they get) read more

I really really want to give this place more than 2 out of 5 stars, but there's just a gut feeling that it's not deserving of it... I mean... It's a beautiful spot by the river, with lovely views - plenty of greenery; a large outdoor decking area for warmer days, and a good sized indoor space with a fireplace for cooler days. But... Whilst the food is OK, it's not stand out good. And the menu hasn't changed in over 5 years. The drinks selection is "alright" but nothing inspiring. For what it is, it's overpriced - not helped by not having table service. Yep, you have to queue every time you want something - including drinks. There's a bar but no bar service! The staff are nice enough, but don't leave you feeling like you're valued. Clientele tends to be mostly families. Overall, the place presents and is priced like a swanky restaurant but is more like a glorified café that's got complacent. I confess to coming here once every 3 months or so - but it's for the views and is only a short walk. And it takes nearly that long for the previous disappointment to wear off... P.S. The loos are outside. read more

Great location but totally let down by the service. We waited over 20mins for 4 bottled beers, and then over an hour more for food. Sure it's busy, but hire more staff!!! Staff were also dreadful at coming back to check on you. For food I had the salami pizza which was nice but others had the fish and chips which were apparently nice but such a rip off, over $20 and no salad, just a pickled onion!! Not an inspiring menu either. Go for the location but expect to wait and wait! read more

The food is good nothing special; my only problem was that I had to ask for water more than once and it wasn't that busy the restaurant at that moment. read more

The Boathouse - The steak was good - Cafes Near Me - Moonee Ponds, VIC

Depressing to see Bulmers on tap :( Our whole experience was saved by a Lucky Duck Cider. The staff were inattentive and seemed more interested in their finger nails then helping us out. OK so we only ordered a beverage each and a dessert but that doesn't make us any less important. In times gone by The Boathouse used their lucky location and suave staff to woo patrons of all ages. Now it seems they are more inclined towards big happy families rather then the younger childless crowd. read more

I took my girlfriend here for valentines day and we had the best night. She loves Gary from masterchef so she really wanted to eat here. I asked in advance if they could accommodate her as she is a vegan but it was a set menu. They still tried their best to help her out where they could. The venue is in a great spot and the staff are fantastic. The food was amazing. I loved everything we had. My favorite was the soft shell crab sliders with aioli and avocado. Aswell as all the desserts lol I can't wait to eat here again. Do your self favor and eat here. You won't be dissapointed!!! read more

A very sophisticated pleasant spot to stop off at for a cold beer or a nice glass of wine. It's setting has a fantastic view over the elegant maribyrnong river, and catches the afternoon/ evening rays on a summers night. The selection of food is small but very nice. A bit more pricey than it's neighbouring counterpart, but a lot more pleasant if your looking to impress. read more

We attended a Christmas Party function in December at The Boathouse. Before attending I checked out some reviews on other sites that painted a bleak picture of the service and food. To our surprise and delight the service was fantastic and the food (although we had a set menu) was fresh, well presented and very tasty. I look forward to going again and trying some of the normal menu. Judging by the other reviews on other site, people seem to expect that this will be a 5 Star dining experience. This is a Cafe thats offers dinner service and as such the menu is set out that way. The one draw back we found was there is no BYO and the wine list was a little limited. Other than that, very happy with the food and service. read more

Waited and hour and a half for 2 pizzas .. had to line up separately for drinks for 20 mins .. overpriced and average food .. far too long to wait. read more

I have been to the boat house on a number of occasions and each time was a similar experience. You are served by Vacant/useless staff, given overpriced/average food and leave with a sense of disappointment/annoyance. Ignoring the fact that this place is descended upon by hordes of screaming families, everything about the restaurant is a failure. Struggling to think of a positive...ummm...it looks nice? that's a bout it. read more

Great location and reasonable menu. Food is lovely but service is a little erratic. I had the impression staff just wanted us to order, eat and leave. We did not have the same server for any part of our meal. E place was not exceptionally busy and there were ample staff. Just did not seem to be anyone co-ordination what was happening. Loos are accessed outside - not a good experience. read more

Not like majority of the restaurants within the area The Boathouse has an upmarket feel compared to the usual pub meal you often get in Moonee Ponds/Ascot Vale. The food is very tasty and well cooked and after eating here 4 times I have not experienced a problem with the food. The layout of the restaurant is rustic yet modern and for those who sit out on the balcony has a relaxed feel. The service always starts off well with waitresses/waiters greeting you and taking your order however each time I have been I have waited from 15-30minutes for my drinks to come to the table and often my food comes before they arrive. I believe this is because there are drinks waiters and food waiters. Unfortunately the drinks waiters are letting the team down and not making the service look good. A tip for The Boathouse! The quicker the drinks come the more I drink and the more I spend. If there is a delay I am happy to drink the free bottled water on the table and walk away with more money in my pocket. Due to the scene and the food I do like this restaurant and would recommend to my friends. read more

This Place has the most fantastic location and setting, but it's service is terrible. After arriving we wanted to drink some wine and grab a bite to eat. After drinking a glass of wine we choose to come inside for dinner and had to flag down somebody to make an order. After 1 hour and 20 minutes our food did not arrive so we asked where it was, only to find the waitress had not placed the order the kitchen and now the kitchen was closed. Whilst they re opened the kitchen to make the dinner at 9:30pm at night, our meal arrived cold and was not enjoyed. Such a disappointment. They offered a free desert, but nothing was suitable for my friend who has intolerances and my dessert arrived immediately after the meal, with no time in between, so I was too full to eat. read more

The restaurant is in a beautiful location but is pretty pricey. Does run some buffet specials during the week. Perfect place to grab a coffee after walking the maribyrnong track or before. Great place to eat out for special occasions and functions. read more

Worst service gave us menus when we couldn't order for half and hour, then brought hot chocolates to us when we didn't even order, can I rate this place a zero lol read more

Nice casual environment, food is great.

I took myself and my parents today 5/5 and was disappointed by the atmosphere and service. Firstly, we were seated near a window and were inundated with flies ( not a very good start ). The service was very average at best and we had to call for service ( place not even half full ) The food.... Well ! Pizza ( 4 cheeses ) very very thin and burnt with no taste. The fish & chips very oily, and my crab burger only OK. ( too much coriander overpowering the taste ) All in all, very disappointed and not on the list to try in the near future. The ONLY bright side, Gail who took my booking was very friendly and helpful. read more

Nice place, but when l watch Masterchef and Gary expects good food and a variety kind of food from the contestants, but it's a big shame his restaurant doesn't have a variety of food its same all the time l think he needs to pick up his game and give the people more of a variety, when we left we were still hungry and went to McDonalds to eat, goes to show you the food wasn't enough.. Big shame.. come on Gary give us more variety food.. read more

I had Christmas lunch there, which was a set menu. The food was OK, but for the price, I would have expected more. I know it's a busy day, but they seemed to be behind the game all day. For example, upon arrival, we were offered a glass of 'bubbly' included in the cost. I said I don't drink alcohol, and was not offered anything, even water, although I had obviously paid for it. I would not call this responsible service. When I asked for mineral water, they plonked a bottle on the table and didn't even open it or pour it. The entrees and mains were ok, but fairly standard for the 140 dollars per head. There was one entree plate for six people, and the amount of food was good, but it would have been better to divide the same amount into two plates.l and put one at each end of the table. It was really awkward to reach across the table and there were no serving tongs. People had to use their own soiled cutlery to take food off the shared plate, so I gave up. Similarly, there were no serving spoons from the shared mains resulting in the same unhygienic practices. The dessert was pretty lacklustre with no choice. Then I had to pay for the mineral water although I was not offered a non-alcoholic drink instead if the champagne. Pretty disappointing, really. read more

What a day! We meet friends after a leisurely walk at the Boathouse, we sit down to realise that on a public holiday there is a 15% surcharge on the bill. Ok we deal with that, then the manager won't take our orders beacuse it is 11:30 and breakfast is over but lunch begins at 12pm. He said we cant place order now for lunch because the kitchen will get stressed. So i suggested not to pass the orders to the kitchen till 12oclock, but at least talke our orders as we are all at the register. He then likes the idea and asks the kitchen if that's ok. Just shocked at this, and what do people do in that 30min!!! Prices are ridiculously expensive 2.5meals orders for lunch and 2 drinks at $80. Over priced for what the value is. Nobody came outside to see if meals were ok. Service is generally very poor. Last time we eat here. The only thing they are good for is the outside canteen, grab a take away coffee while kids play on playground. Dissapointing!!!!! read more