I'm glad I didn't look at the reviews before going. We stopped in for happy hour and really enjoyed it! The setting was beautiful -- perfect for people watching and soaking up the river atmosphere. There was a dj with really good music. We ordered the wagyu sliders and the calamari. The sliders had great flavor and were cooked just right. The calamari was crunchy, well-seasoned, and very tasty -- my only complaint is that the coating tended to fall off a bit. The pistachio, nougat, Patrón Café ice cream was the highlight. It takes a while so be patient. Overall, it was a lovely spot with good food, a nice vibe, and friendly service. We'd definitely come back for another relaxing afternoon by the water! read more

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This restaurant is located along the Yarra River. The energy is so high here. We came on a Saturday night. They had a DJ spinning some awesome tunes. You couldn't help, but dance in your seats. Our seating was at 5pm and I couldn't believe the energy level in this place at that time of the night. Cocktails are definitely the way to go here. Apparently they have some sessions where you can get bottomless beverages for a price. We saw carafes of beverages being replenished at tables all the time. Don't expect menus or a dedicated server at this restaurant. The table had a QR code in which to place orders. If you have questions you can flag down a member of the staff, but you're pretty much on your own. We got a variety of dishes to share: The crudo Gunpowder cauliflower popcorn Smoked mussels Wagyu sliders The mussels were my favorite dish. It was a good portion and the lemongrass flavors were delicious. The gunpowder cauliflower was not spicy. It was nice and crispy, but the cauliflower remained soft inside. The crudo was great too, nice and delicate. We went back on another night and had all three desserts. My favorite was the chocolate raspberry cake. It's delicious. The table also loved the pistachio cheesecake. read more

Booked an annual function at this venue. Booking process was professional (and easy). Staff on the night were fabulous. All food was delicious. A little noisy as the night went on however our group had a fabulous time. Would definitely book again. read more

Way too loud, drink orders take way too long to arrive and the online ordering app is substandard. Av read more

Left Bank Melbourne - Over 30 minutes since I ordered a drink and all I have is my empty first drink glass - Lounges Near Me - Melbourne, VIC

Chic Riverside Dining Without the Human Element This review is about the ordering process only as we never got to eat or drink anything. I'll assume the food is prepared with ruthless efficiency by robots and is adequate. The one person I saw working in the restaurant seated us graciously and promptly and told us to scan the QR code on the table to order. I'd rather not use my phone to browse a menu, but whatever. I find a yummy sounding Tropic Thunder on the drink menu and order one only to realize that I'm paying double because I didn't select it from the Happy Hour menu. I can't figure out how to remove it. Eventually I make my way to the "Order and Payment" page and there at last is a delete button. There is nothing intuitive about this interface. My wife is also struggling so we agree that I'll do all the ordering on my phone. I put in two Tropic Thunders and one appetizer. My order is rejected because "invalid phone number". I'm using an android phone with Google Pay how many different ways do you need my number? I find the phone number box and enter it. "Invalid". I add a country code. "Invalid". After hunting I find a tiny 3x4 pixel icon that provides a drop-down menu for country. Now my phone number is accepted, but the order is rejected because I ordered two of the same item. No way to override. No warning when I added the second cocktail. At this point it is fifteen minutes later and our patience is expended. We leave to go to a lovely Italian restaurant with paper menus and real human servers. It was only later that I realized there was no way to order a drink that was not on the menu. What if I just wanted a simple rum and coke or gin and tonic? I didn't see any way to do that. These QR code ordering systems must die. read more

For a glamour and chic evening overlooking the amazing city of Melbourne, head down to Left Bank for their diverse food and bar culture. From the February 5 until March 22, the popular boulevard will be serving Shark Bay's sensational seafood. From their Raw Bar to their Prawn Brioche, you will not want to miss it! The Raw Bar served the freshest Prawn Cocktail with dipping sauce! Each prawn is perfectly devein for that one bite sensation (no nasties). The Raw Bar also serves the freshest Swimmer Crabs, snapped into half and ready to be enjoyed. It is not a surprise to find plenty of meat and creamy egg inside. read more

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We were a party of 9. Table was 20 minutes late from reservation time for being set up. Initial drinks and starter food order was taken, and once the initial drink order and starter order was placed our table was ignored for the rest of the night. We continually had to go find someone to place drinks orders for the table. I had to find someone to clear the table because there was no staff initiative. 3 times the incorrect drinks were delivered to the table, at one point waiting 40 minutes for two drinks (which I had to follow up 4 times with 3 different staff members!). Super hot environment with poor aircon, and super loud. If you're looking for a comfortable place for dinner and drinks, and basic table service, this is not your place. You'll spend all night trying to find staff to service your table. Terrible experience. read more

My colleague and I arrived here for brekky on a cold Friday morning. There is seating both indoors and outdoors under the gas heaters. The service is quick and efficient with one young man at the payment counter, asking for orders and delivering the orders. We got coffees and the claypot shakshuka. My skim cappucino was extra hot, strong and creamy! Delicious. My colleague enjoyed her almond milk latte and had two of them to demonstrate her appreciation. Our shakshuka was disappointing. It came with three pieces of quite thin slices of turkish toast (probably something you would serve with tapas or a cheese platter not for breakfast). The shakshuka itself was below average. The tortellini beans had this weird pungent lemony flavour, the tomato sauce was at least fresh tasting, and the poached eggs were flavourless. Definitely not large enough to share and quite small compared to standard brunch sizes. read more

Left Bank Melbourne - Layout shahshuka - Lounges Near Me - Melbourne, VIC

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Ate a Sunday lunch here with a group of six adults and six children and found the restaurant to be very accommodating. The service was quick, and the staff was friendly. I ordered the pumpkin, goat cheese, and caramelised onion pizza and was very pleased with my choice. My only complaint is that my pizza (which was massive, don't get me wrong) was the same size as the kids personal pizza, yet costed double. The atmosphere is great for groups, but definitely book ahead. Plenty of indoor and outdoor seating with lovely views of the city and the Yarra River. My favorite part of my lunch was the live music- a handsome piano playing singer. read more

Left Bank Melbourne - Pumpkin and caramelised onion pizza! - Lounges Near Me - Melbourne, VIC

I've been here twice. The first night was for my birthday and my hubby and I ordered a pumpkin and spinach pizza to share as an entree and then I ordered pasta and he got a salad. I remember being really happy and thinking the food and service was excellent! I just went back while on a work trip to Melbourne and sat out on the patio for lunch. The service was still really pleasant and polite and my pizza was good but just a tad too oily and salty for my liking. I think it was just the pesto so no real way to control that I suppose. It has a great vibe at night and one of the more reasonable places on the water. I remember it having some decent cocktail specials when we went for my birthday. I'd definitely go back and try a few other things off of their large menu but I'd probably try a few new places first. read more

Left Bank Melbourne - Pumpkin, goat cheese and spinach pizza. Tasty but quite oily from the pesto and salty from the cheese. - Lounges Near Me - Melbourne, VIC

Grumpy and slow service. A cocktail shouldn't take 20 minutes in a well staffed bar. Really not one of Melbourne's finest. The hospitality feels like you are doing them a favour by ordering. Maybe this wouldn go down well in somewhere like Brisbane. Oh, probably Gold Coast. The espresso martini was truly meh read more

GREAT atmosphere. The patio with a view to the water is nice. Been here a couple of times and never disappointed. The sliders and the black angus porterhouse steak was really fantastic! Friendly staff and outstanding beverage selection. I'll be back! read more

Left Bank Melbourne - We had a large group and a veeeeery nice fixed menu. Yum! - Lounges Near Me - Melbourne, VIC

I went to Left Bank for its weekend express lunch special (available everyday except Sunday) - where you can get 1 course for $18, two for $28 or three for $35. I got the three courses meal and found all three to be pretty good. In fact I would definitely go back again. I did, however think that this French a la carte restaurant and bar lounge, like so many similar places, is trying to run before it walks. Not including the amazingly priced express lunch, I couldn't help but feel like this place was over priced. The food is pretty good, but it is definitely not of the high standard that this place is clearly trying to achieve. I think the wine list gives a good example of how Left Bank falls short of being exceptional. For about $10-$12 a glass you can get a range of wines. In fact many of the same vintages that I just so happened to have at home in my cellar - all brought for about $10 a bottle from Aldi. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with these wines - after all I bought them for myself, but if you want to be a top of the range French restaurant then you do need to invest in some good produce to deliver the goods. Fancy names, refined cooking techniques and good service will not make up for this. read more

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This bar is located on the corner of south-bank busy restaurant & bar stip. At night its the perfect venue to be sipping cocktails out on the terrace, which also offers free standing heaters in the cooler months. The vibe is certainly inner city, with modern design and architecture extending from the exterior right through to the sophisticated lay out of the bathrooms. I have been to Left Bank on two separate occasions, once for lunch and the other was for cocktails. On both occasions I felt extremely satisfied, the service was prompt, waitstaff were chatty and friendly and the variety on the menu surpassed my expectations. A great bar/lounge area for entertaining, or an intimate dining setting for more romantic evenings it really is your choice. read more

Left Bank Melbourne - Lounges Near Me - Melbourne, VIC

Quite nice. Food was great as was the service but the eating area in ration to the bar is not great. Loud pumping music with drunk people is not the best for a romantic night out. Pity as the rest was very nice. There should be a glass wall between the 2 which could opened when the food closes. Not too expensive though which is good and good selection for drinks too. read more

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I actually ate here twice during my time in Melbourne. I enjoyed the first visit but that was NOT the case on the second visit today. The restaurant facilities are nice right on the river, but there are 30 restaurants or more almost the same in this area, The prices are ok, similar to other venues. I went for lunch today with my wife. She is vegetarian with a spice allergy and ordering food can be a challenge, She ordered the express lunch grilled cauliflower. I asked the waiter if the dish was spicy and was assured it had no spice. My wife took 2 bites and looked at me and said OH NO. I tasted it and it was quite spicy even by my standards. I called the waiter/manager over and expressed my displeasure. I then had to leave the restaurant to go back to room to get her allergy meds for the reaction. While I was gone they got her something else, more expensive, and she was able to eat about half of it but was feeling poorly from the reaction. But the worst part was paying the bill. When you can almost kill someone from an allergy by telling them its ok and then charging me more for the replacement dish. RIDICULOUS. Most places that care about customers would probably have just given us lunch for free due to their mistake. I wont go back and consider yourself warned. read more

I had a nice steak here, it wasn't amazing but it was prety good. I would try to give this 4 stars but it wasn't quite up to that standard. We had fries which were big but a bit cold. The place was pretty trendy and for the most part it was a nice place, just not more than A-Ok. read more

Came here for breakfast. Nice physical space on the river but not at all friendly. The food was ok but could have been warmer. The coffee was not good, should have gotten a cappuccino probably. It's been 25 minutes since I finished and, although it's not crowded, no one has stopped to see if I want my cheque. Maybe a better place for happy hour but if you're looking for a friendly neighborhood spot I'd look elsewhere. read more

Left Bank Melbourne - Lounges Near Me - Melbourne, VIC

Popped in for drinks on this fairly slow Tuesday and the waitress treated us like she was doing us a favour by even paying us attention. True, we weren't ordering food, but we would have ordered many more cocktails if the service had been prompt. We were practically begging for attention and found this extremely frustrating. We'll happily go elsewhere along Southbank next time, where the cocktails are just as good and the staff are happy to serve us. read more

There is literally one giant chain of restos along the south bank. They all seem to be busy so let's hope they're all good! We tried the Left Bank because it looked nice, hip, had patio seating, and was busy not to mention the proximity to the Eureka Tower as we were hoping to catch Australia Day fireworks from the sky deck. The people watching made for entertaining dining. We were seated promptly but it took awhile to get the server to come over. She was friendly and quick once she took our order. My SO ordered the porter house steak which came with a duck fat roasted fondant potato. I didn't make that up, seriously. Someone was exercising their culinary literary talent when writing the menu. Where are we? The Bocuse D'or?!?! I had the roasted beet pumpkin salad. The steak came cooked exactly to order with a nice sauce on it. The much awaited fondant potato was a single rectangular hunk of roasted starch. It wasn't a cylinder and I don't think It met the technical definition of a fondant potato if you really care. Salad was a generous bowl of greens with goat cheese and beets and pumpkin and hazelnuts and other stuff I couldn't see because it was too dark on the patio. Food was great. It was entertaining watching the street scam artist demonstrate how to ride his bike and then convince people to pay to ride it and if they could do it he would give them his bike. Let's just say some overly confident folks lost their money.... Overall price and quality of food is value for what you pay in this area. We heard Meat and Wine Co was good as well so maybe next time we will give that a try! read more

Despite it's almost separation from the crown precinct, you still have a lot of trouble taking the crown out of Leftbank. You also have a lot of trouble being able to walk properly. Seriously, that floor in front on the main bar is so sticky, it may as well be a new superglue factory. Forget gym work-outs, just try taking a few steps at the bar and the sheer amount of physical effort required to lift your feet of the ground is exhausting. If you were to repeat this exercise of trying to to walk onthe super glued floors, your legs would be so muscular, that they would make some of those extreme bodybuilders' legs' look like matchsticks. Very much a backpacker/suits/bogans/who-ever crowd. Beers are alright and beverages mostly filler, but this is located in the tourist mecca, so it's always going to be a bit hard to shake. There's food which I have not tried yet, but the pizza's do look tempting. Gold medal international award for stickiest bar floor ever. I thought I was going to come out of my shoes with them permanently attached to the floor several times. That stuff must be eating away the floorboards though. Massive clean up operation at the end of the night. read more

I went to Left Bank for a function, where a vendor I have done some work with had the place pretty-much booked out. This wasn't the first time I've been to Left Bank, but I've got to say that under the pressure they were experiencing with a place so pumping, it will not be the last. The food was fantastic; a selection of h'orderves were being floated around, including some wonderfully-grilled meats, scallops served on-shell with a light savoury chutney, and a wonderful assortment of other nibbly-bits. The wine - be it only house-selection - was also above expectations. I can really see the appeal of Left Bank especially at this time of year. Sitting out looking over the Yarra on a wonderfully sunny summer day, taking in the scene with glass of wine in hand. Check them out! read more

I have been drawn into Left Bank at Southbank, near the border of Freshwater Place multiple times now. Sometimes as a matter of convenience knowing that the food will not disappoint (and it never has) and once because I heard live music on a Sunday. What is better than live music, relaxing conversation, food, beverage, a river view and service whilst the sun shines? After choosing a high chair at a high table outside, we were quickly greeted by a friendly server. She took the drink orders, explained the menu, shared a joke and was generally very affable. A gentleman was inside playing popular covers and nobody seemed to be stressed. Some people were reading the newspaper. Others were enjoying a cigarette and catching up on gossip. Some like my party enjoyed our politically charged conversation over the food and beverage that was promptly delivered. As the minutes turned into hours, we retired inside to the lounge where it was warmer. The lounge is a good hideout from the hustle and bustle of the Southbank promenade and it is a good place to drink and have a yarn. Left Bank has since changed their menu around a bit since the relaxing Sunday I enjoyed a few weeks ago. When I returned last week, I had to try the Cantonese sticky smoked pork ribs. It is advertised to feed two however for two hungry blokes, we were left wanting more, not because the portion was not generous, but because they were so damn good that we just wanted to fall into a pork induced sleep after devouring them. The servers have always been happy to promptly refill empty glasses of ale and were cheerful about it. There is always a lively atmosphere at Left Bank. Service has always been efficient. My expectations have always been met and I am pleased it is in the neighbourhood to provide a refuge for the hungry and thirsty patron. read more

Food was fantastic. I had the best gnocchi Ive ever had and my wife had a delicious coal-fired pizza. No disappointments with either. Drinks were good, but took forever to have made and delivered. Service was very slow and inattentive. And who in the hell doesn't have a take away box for leftovers?? read more

The food is GREAT, but the drinks not so much. They add so much ice and it taste different. The service is nice.

I've been here for business for the last month and this has been one of my least favorite experiences. The outdoor dining is nice, however, food, service, and prices could improve. The Caesar salad had little dressing and was bland. I paid extra for chicken but found very little. My wife and I both had risottos but were not impressed. For the high dollar and many nearby options, this place wasn't the best. For a little more dollar, the Meat and Wine restaurant was a much better experience. read more

For a quiet afternoon two hostesses at entrance chatting away was shown to dirty table where hostess said she would get someone to wipe it! Goodness is that not in her job description so we waited and waited and after 5 minutes had to interrupt their chatter again to order! Drinks came and again as we wanted more we waited and after 5 minutes again waved one of the talkative hostesses over and ordered! Again no one was paying attention went to leave tried to give us table next to us bill, no eftpos forced to use high fee in house ATM! Never again too much competition at Southbank for this service and we were looking at venues for mates 380 pax xmas party! read more

I absolutely adored this place. The service was really nice and I liked to see that most of the waitresses were American. If you were to eat here I definitely recommend the pork belly. It was my favourite meal here yet. The kids pasta is massive. I might get the kids of you want pasta because I would hate to see the full sized one. The salads and sliders are nice to. They have great specials throughout the day. The view from the restaurant is also great. As long as you sit outside. All in all, make sure you get to eat here. This place deserves more than 3 stars and I feel bad for the people who had such a bad experience at such a great place read more

It was a very windy night and we were a group of 10, having booked our table 2 weeks in advance. When we realised they had seated us outside in the freezing cold we had no option but to ask them to re-seat us. To be fair, the lady who made a number of excuse, did eventually find a large empty table inside (that nobody had booked) and seated us there. There were $14 cocktail deals until 7pm but by the time we were moved and got to our new table it was 7.15 so they would not give us our discounted cocktails, instead we had to pay $23. Where is the compromise? Not a big fan of large carb loaded dinners whilst wearing a tight dress I ordered the tuna and octopus salad thinking that I would be served some fresh seared tuna and octopus and a bed of greens, beans, beetroot and a variety of other tidbits (it was $28). what I got was tinned tuna mixed into a salad with 2 pieces of octopus and lots and lots of green filler. It wasn't worth $28 and to be honest it wasn't even tasty. Food envy ensued as it seemed the rest of party had decent sized servings with lots of ingredients (hence the 3rd star, otherwise it would just be a 2). I would not rush back here. read more

Can only comment on this place as a bar as my visit was on a Friday night after dinner elsewhere. Put simply, this is not my sort of place. It was loud, dark and felt like a mix between a pit stop for people before the go out and some sort of pick up joint. Drinks were expensive and there are plenty of better places in this part of town. read more

Went here for breakfast and everything was bad! Waiters and waitress didn't smile and clearly gave us the impression that we were a hindrance to them. The food looked like it was slapped together in a hurry with one of my wife's poached eggs still having eggshell on it! My wife asked the waitress could she have multigrain toast rather than white toast with her eggs. After repeating this request three times she sort of got the message we thought. No obviously not my wife got the white toast. It was one of the worst breakfast experiences that we have had anywhere and will never ever return. Went to pay the bill (couldn't get out of there quick enough) and was made to wait for about 5 minutes whilst one waiter was putting glasses away, one was moving tables and the waitress wandering aimlessly around the room (all of whom saw me at the counter). Literally a dog's breakfast! read more

Amazing location on Yarra Riv w great view of fireworks. Good drinks reasonably priced. Pretentious crowd/patrons. Great DJ but little/no dancing so went to Merrywell. read more

My favourite bar along the river. Great views, friendly table service, good music (including live). Also a great venue to arrange to meet friends, and reserve s section at the side if you are having an occasion. read more

One of the better positions on the riverwalk, the furniture is looking a little sad but hard to notice on a sunny day. Snapper curry was delicious, unfortunately the sliders were a little undercooked and soggy. Overall good service. read more

Fail. Steaks were ordinary. One of us ordered scallops as a main and would it have hurt the waitress to mention the dish consisted of 3 scallops and nothing more? Tiramisu dessert was deconstructed to the point of missing the point. Too few wait staff; minimal attention. Had to keep flagging down wait staff for drinks glasses, menus, etc. Music too loud to hold conversation. Southbank is full of other places to eat. Go elsewhere. read more

Came here on a weekday for a quick feed with friends. Good food at good prices, great service and a nice view in a good location. Will definitely come back again. read more

Poor service, poor sizes. Overpriced. Used to be really good but has seriously gone downhill.

A great location on the Yarra, of course, so the prices are Casino like as are all the venues along the river. It is a bar first and a very good looking well appointed one at that. Well staffed and they seemed happy enough and attentive, when you got there attention. I was hoping for a good choice of food for lunch but this is not the place for that, unless you want a high end hamburger; but that's about it. Do not go there for the food. A small get together with all happy and chatting, then at 3pm a DJ arrived and cranked up unsuitable music. Talking became impossible where we were sitting. I looked around and the type of people that were there would not have wanted this kind of entertainment, on a Sunday afternoon. I couldn't see the passing families etc being drawn in by it, very odd. The only people dancing were the staff and when the 'DJ' went outside to smoke and check her phone and left it playing, I felt like stepping in and turning it all off. Also please get rid of the plastic straws, don't you read the news? read more

Just as I was raving how great this venue is on my Facebook profile, only a few hours later, my partner was keeling over with stomach pains, followed by sickness. There was no mistake it was food poisoning. Other than the morning brekky of toast/vegimite, we/he hadn't eaten anything else that would have caused sudden sickness like this... Undercooked korean beef salad (formerly i thought it was lamb). Anywho, thanks Left Bank! Don't believe I've ever paid so much for food poisoning before! read more

On reading some of the negative reviews, we had to post our own. We were on holiday for 2 wks in Melbourne at the end of November. Did alot of walking, saw as much as we could. We found Left Bank to be our favourite place to finish off the day. Staff were so friendly and rememberd us after 2nd day. We were always greeted like we were VIP"s. We never booked a table, but when we turned up they would do whatever they could to give us an outdoor table, even though we never asked. They always remembered what we drink and would ask if we wanted our usual. Definitely the friendliest staff we met on our holiday. We tried many other places, but always gravitated back to Left Bank for the atmosphere and could always relax. We found the food that they offer was very good. We have recommended to everyone we know. read more