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The Mess Hall

3.6 (23 reviews)
ModerateItalian
Closed 7:00 am - 8:00 AM, 10:00 AM - 8:00 pm

The Mess Hall Photos

THE MESS HALL ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Outdoor seating
Good for groups

Recommended Reviews - The Mess Hall

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The Mess Hall
Celia M.

A great venue for a function or just a nice space to relax and catch up with friends, The Mess Hall is a worthy stop on your way along Bourke St. Split into two levels (the top floor can be reserved for functions) The Mess Hall has a very friendly and intimate atmosphere. On cold wintery nights the restaurant seems to gleam with the welcome glow and the sound of chatter and laughter. On warmer days and evenings the seating outside is a great option. Have a pizza and gaze down Bourke Street towards the hive of activity down on the Mall. Coffee is so-so, not outstanding but worth taking a seat if your catching up with friends. The food is very good and authentic Italian classics like gnocchi with ragu, freshly fried calamari, and pizzas are made with care and go down a treat with a glass of wine. The Mess Hall is a great place to have a function. The last time I went there was a nice sitting area and a long table down the middle of the room. The upstairs is the perfect space for larger dinners and drinks and the view down the road is a beautiful on a clear night.

Vanessa R.

Definitely a fine spot for a casual catch up with friends and also a place you can feel comfortable in when you're dressed up for a big night out. The window seats are particularly fun with a friend, watching Melbourne's city folk walk by over a delicious pasta and a good drop of red, or a small snack with a gin and tonic before more drinks and nightlife. In fact, Mess Hall is one of those eateries that's fine for anytime at all and with anyone at all, as long as all involved are happy to eat good food and drink happily. Yay - the top end of Bourke Street rules.

The main counter
Carrie G.

This place is unassuming from the outside but it is a great find. We went for breakfast and I was impressed by the selection of dishes. I went for the scrambled eggs even though my heart really wanted the hot cakes! The eggs were perfectly cooked and I enjoyed the coffee. Service was great and very friendly.

Choc croissant and peppermint tea :)

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The Mess Hall Reviews in Other Languages

Review Highlights - The Mess Hall

Walking along Bourke Street, this was the only cafe that was opened for Breakfast.

Mentioned in 3 reviews

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Rosetta - Outside of Rosetta.

Rosetta

4.1(23 reviews)
1.7 kmSouthbank
$$$

I have been to a few Italian restaurants and this is by far the best. The service was wonderful,…read morethe food was awesome. The entree, mains, desert they were cooked to perfection. The ambiance is beautiful. Highly recommend this place.

Tonight was the opening night of Rosetta, the latest offering from Neil Perry of The Rockpool Group…read more-- and it was fantastic! We were the first booking, and I was the first in the door when the opened to the public -- a more complete review will follow, but, I wanted to get this into Yelp as soon as possible. The staff is a mix of Sydney Rockpool Group staff, The Waiting Room staff, as well as staff from Spice Temple and Rockpool Bar and Grill Melbourne -- and, of course, some new faces. They are still finding their way with the layout, the menu, and each other, but tonight's opening was truly a joy to behold. Pictures and more to follow, and I would give this 5 stars, but I felt that being opening night there is always something to learn and improve upon. Neil Perry was present for the evening, and was a fantastic host. Those of us who are "fans" will feel right at home. The menu is focussed, delicious, traditionally inspired, but creatively enhanced. The wine list is just right for the venue, and the desserts, well, YES PLEASE ALL OF THE ABOVE. Right, that's it for now. Really, just, wow, great start to what I truly hope will be a fantastic addition to Melbourne's foodie landscape. Great job Neil and crew, looking forward to the next visit! --- Update December 31st 2012: My wife and I have just finished our last meal of the year at Rosetta and it was the best yet. The entire meal was flawless; three hours of the best wine, food and service that you can get in Melbourne. I promised to update the review as soon as the crew had hit their stride, and boy, have they. There's a sense of flow between the staff and the location that only comes as people get to know one another and their environment. They know how to duck and weave, how to give way to patrons, to people carrying food and drink, and this "coming together" is reflected in all parts of Rosetta now. For dinner we started by sharing the Insalata di Mare - both my wife and I loved every bite, but the scampi was probably our mutual highlight here. Next, we shared one of the primi dishes: Tagliarini Neri. Described as "Hand picked warm mud crab with fresh chilli and lemon zest" the dish is likely one of the more complicated ones to prepare -- that hand picking is tedious work, and the server did say that since it's not done by machine, there may be a bit or two in the mix that isn't expected. We were more than fine with that, and in our case, no issues. The pasta was absolutely perfect and we both found ourselves using bits of bread to get as much of the lemon/oil as possible. This was probably our favourite dish at Rosetta to date. My wife went with the Maccheroni Giganti and I went with the Anatra - they slightly changed it, now it is served with braised cherries; last time we visited it was peaches and vinaigrette. I must say, I preferred it with the cherries. The skin was crispy, the flavour spectacular. We finished with some of the gelato (wow), and of course had a bottle of wine with our meal - but the experience at Rosetta has, to us, reached that level of enjoyment that is about far more than just the meal itself, it's the interaction with the staff, the way they truly seem to enjoy their jobs, and how much we look forward to going back as soon as we can.

Photos
Rosetta
Rosetta - The bar at Rosetta, with a glass wall to the open kitchen behind.

The bar at Rosetta, with a glass wall to the open kitchen behind.

Rosetta

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Foglia Di Fico

Foglia Di Fico

5.0(4 reviews)
1.8 kmMelbourne

This Italian gem charmed me instantly with its cozy, intimate atmosphere. It's so small with wall…read moreto wall wine. The seafood pasta was perfection--fresh, flavorful, and cooked to the ideal texture. I love a solid Italian spot, Every detail, from the friendly service to the authentic decor, made it feel like a slice of Italy in Melbourne. If you're craving heartwarming Italian food, this is the place to go.

Vitello Tonnato 28.5 USD Raw beef skin slightly grilled,…read moresauce is tuna mayonnaise concoction, with sweet potato crisps rich in flavor, very tasty, recommended to try! Capesante 28.5 USD Scallop meat with hummus, side dishes are mushrooms and corn, the scallop meat is very big and fat, fried really tender, also sprinkled with some pomegranate garnish, very sweet and refreshing Polpo Alla Grjclia $29.50 USD Charcoal grilled octopus jio, very chewy and served with a tomato sauce and some chopped parsley Cappellacci Neri di Mare 46.5 USD Ravioli with squid ink pasta skin, filled with crab meat and shrimp puree, very delicate, sweet and juicy, topped with four to five shrimp, very tasty and recommended to try! Bistecca di Manzo 59.5 USD The steak was medium, the flavor was ok but not amazing, a little less charcoal grilled, the side dish was black truffle flavored mashed potatoes and mushrooms, the mashed potatoes tasted good Tagliatelle ai Funghi US$44.50 Mushroom spaghetti, drizzled with white truffle oil so the truffle flavor was still pretty strong, with parmesan and buffalo mozzarella, it was pretty good Tiramisu Italian food must eat dessert , tiramisu flavor is also good, the top of the blueberry is also super sweet! There are 75 U.S. dollars / 2 courses and 115 U.S. dollars / 5 courses two sets of meals to choose from, the restaurant's environment is very good atmosphere is very good, quite suitable for a date, the service attitude is not to say, the taste of the food is very good, the presentation is also very delicate, it is worth to brush the restaurant again!

Photos
Foglia Di Fico
Foglia Di Fico
Foglia Di Fico

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Tipo 00

Tipo 00

4.3(76 reviews)
0.9 kmMelbourne
$$

We were looking for a restaurant that was less touristy than many of the others along the laneways,…read moreand we came upon Tipo 00 so we made a reservation. We're glad we did! Here's what we noticed: - It was difficult to get a reservation at prime dinner hour, so we opted for a 3:30 PM late lunch/early dinner which worked out perfectly for our schedule. - The place overall has a great vibe, good music, and it is pretty small. - There were some really interesting drinks and good wines to choose from...we went with wine since we had other plans later that evening. - We decided to start with the salad with pear and honey, and then my wife and I split both the black squid ink pasta, and the special pasta that had Moreton Bay Bugs. The salad was incredible perfectly dressed... Having it first gave us away as Americans for sure, but it was perfect. The squid ink pasta was every bit as good as everyone said in reviews, and so was the special pasta. - Service was great, not overbearing. They even brought us some extra bread so we could sop up the sauce from our pasta. Bottom line: There are so many great restaurants in Melbourne and Tipo 00 is right up there and should be on your "to try list".

Sat at the bar and enjoyed wine, complementary focaccia, an appetizer of fried zucchini flowers,…read morethe tortellini for our entree then their house brownie tiramisu for dessert. Delicious meal from start to finish, excellent service and one of the best Italian meals we've had. Highly recommend.

Photos
Tipo 00 - Sitting at the Bar is so much fun !

Sitting at the Bar is so much fun !

Tipo 00 - Brownie Tiramisu

Brownie Tiramisu

Tipo 00 - Tipomisu

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Tipomisu

Il Pomodoro Italian Eatery

Il Pomodoro Italian Eatery

2.5(2 reviews)
1.9 kmSouthbank
$$

A great high energy Italian food outlet at the food court in the Crown Entertainment Complex. Their…read morepizza's are of a generous serving for a great price; although they can be a little cold at times. Any of their pizzas (including the meat lovers) are great to consume on a Saturday night for a snack before eating something more substantial later. Buy your pizza, go outside and enjoy the spits of fire overlooking you with a loud hiss along the yarra. The sauce is refreshing, with an abundance of fresh toppings. A little more cheese could be great. There are moments you would like to ask if there is a microwave nearby to heat up your pizza; although the staff can and do put it in a warm conveyor like toaster to heat up your pizza for you; although the problem with that method is that the pizza becomes too crunchy. Best to order these pizza's when fresh. The cheese is just sensational then, and your pizza is also piping hot. Amen. Great food at the right time, and the service is quite pleasant as well. The staff are fast and efficient. If there is a queue (which there sometimes will be) don't worry too much about it; you will be served in no time.

The restaurant is well placed but really not worth going to. The pasta dish I ordered was dry,…read morebland, cold and way overpriced for what was served. My other two guests made similar comments. We did request that the chef be given our feedback yet we received no acknowledgement or apology for the poor standard of food. We certainly will not be going back!

The Mess Hall - italian - Updated May 2026

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