Review La Bimba - Apollo Bay

A must try for seafood lovers! Though they have a limited menu but the food is spot on. We tried the lobster roll and rock lobster butter garlic. The lobster roll would have been much more enjoyable if the bread was a roll rather than a rounded bread with slit in the diameter, the taste was good and the fries were amazing. However the rock lobster was epic and yum. They also have bucket of prawns and a big tub of seafood delights which looks delicious. Ask for their dessert of the day... they are worth a try. Overall a very pleasant experience and pricey but ideal for big groups.

Limited menu with gluten-free options noted. We got lucky and scored a table for five though initially told they were fully booked. Meals are definitely expensive. They print their menu everyday so hard to know what exactly your options are by looking online. The duck pastry and potatoes were nice as were the steaks. I also appreciated the restaurants apparent commitment to locally and ethically sourced foods. Only negative was one staff member scurrying and stomping around the tables.

Wow. Absolutely stunning dinner. Great views and beautifully cooked food. The prawn dish they had on that day, cooked in garlic and sherry was one of the best dishes I’ve ever had. Wonderful atmosphere and brilliant staff. Thank you so much for having us.

Had a party of 10 and ordered the set menu for $68/pax. The lamb and fish was executed perfectly. We cleared it even when we are all filled. Paella smelt so great with all the fresh sea creatures 🤪. The aged beef was on the house 👍🏻 tummy is satisfied

We ordered a paella and a fish for three of us. The seafood paella was delicious with lots of seafood. The fish, forgot what we ordered , but it was well prepared and cooked just right, tender and juicy. Service is very welcoming and fast.

Very good food and service. We did not have the normal chef however the food was excellent. The service was wonderful once we were seated. Helpful with dish and drink selection given lots of the food and drink are local. Will come back Thanks

The food is average, expecting for something more extraordinary. Service is good, fast and friendly staff. The place is quiet small, it can be noise as they are close space with full tables. Overview, I give 3 stars for the food, location and staffs.

It is one of the best places along the Great Ocean Road - excellent fresh and local seafood. It does get busy during peak holiday seasons - good staff and the chef offers a range of fresh caught fish. Most of the products are sourced as local as possible. Brand new menu is excellent - ENJOY!

Simple and perfect fresh local seafood (and meat) in a casual breezy setting. We had a delicious lunch with grilled snapper and the best potatoes for miles. Great local wine list Best place for miles!

Hands down one of Australia's best seafood restaurants. Menu always features beautiful and respectful examples of how best to enjoy locally sourced fish and meats. Service is warm and knowledgeable, with excellent attention to detail. Each visit here is exciting.

Delicious, fresh food, good wine list, excellent cocktails, friendly helpful staff - almost missed this Apollo Bay gem as it's hidden upstairs off the main street, but SO-O-O happy we found it! If you're after a superb but not over-the-top dining experience, do yourself a massive favour!!!

The duck was awesome, and the view is always lovely. We always try and come here if we’re in Apollo Bay - they also do a great brunch.

Execelant food and service with a great view. And very reasonable prices would recommend to everyone for breaky, lunch or tea.

Beautiful service the girls were great nice smiles great food my flounder was to die for and Chris's steak was awesome also a great birthday lunch thank you all at La Bimba Cheers keep up the good work xxx

The meal and view here was fabulous. We have a selection of entrees and they where all very delicious.

Just had dinner at your restaurant tonight. The food was amazing!! The service was excellent too. I think it was Sarah? that seated me and took my order. She made a cocktail for me that wasn't on the menu, and both waitresses were attentive, knowledgeable about the menu, and professional. I've spent a week on the Great Ocean Road, and I'm so glad I made your restaurant my last dinner before I head back home to Brisbane. Thankyou!!

Great seafood and local produce, awesome staff, check it out

We have eaten here many times and it has never disappointed. Delicious food, full of flavour & food that is locally sourced. Love it.

Always first class. Hard to go past the seafood. Service always good (given the trend around town is getting longer wait times on getting served). Highly recommended

Couldn't have had a better night. Highly delightful food aside, it was like being welcomed by old friends, kudos to the staff. Love Owen and James.

Had such an amazing dinner last Saturday.I told our waitress that it was our Anniversary and she made the whole experience feel so special.The food was amazing too.Thanks heaps!

The service was extremely poor,and the food well overpriced and certainly not what one would expect of the supposed best restaurant in town.

Beautiful view even on a cloudy night! We shared Beef Tartare, Gurnard Ceviche, Mirror Dory and the potatoes! <br/>Everything was exception and full of taste! The stand out was the Mirror Dory.. with the sweet whole garlic cloves and a beautiful lemon sauce!<br/>Staff were friendly and attentive, seamless operation! Cannot wait to return!

Lived up to expectations. Service and food good. Not a cheap place, it is seafood your eating. If you’re wanting a special place to dine in a average (food wise) seaside village then this might be for you.<br/>And footnote, went back the following week and got the same quality of food and service. Thanks Steve.

Booked La Bimba for dinner as our 'fancy' dinner for our Great Ocean Road Trip and thoroughly enjoyed our time. We struggled to decide what to order as it all sounded incredible. The changing menu really shows how fresh the seafood is and how good the chefs are at adapting their meals every day.<br/>We opted for some oysters to start, followed by the mussels, then for main shared a king whiting and pork neck.<br/>We were pleased with everything we ordered, all fresh and well cooked. After tossing up whether or not to get the famous paella we enjoyed seeing served to various tables and it looked delicious.<br/>Would recommend this restaurant for good seafood and something a little more upmarket than usual.

Hard to fault except for time.  La Bimba advertises that everything they provide is as locally sourced as possible and it certainly seemed that way.  Service was gracious and friendly and considering the cost of local ingredients, probably not as expensive as you might assume.<br/><br/>It took a LONG time for our orders to come out however we booked for 8:30 and the place was full.  It became quickly apparent from looking other tables that this establishment is cooking from as close to scratch as is possible.  When it's busy, being a small kitchen they will get smashed with orders at the same time and you will have to wait.   So...   we waited.  You'd be well advised perusing their excellent wine menu and ordering a bottle.<br/><br/>When our order came out it was excellent.  The octopus was literally perfect.  We ordered the lamb shoulder for a shared main and it was simply the best lamb I've had in years.  Note the fat in one of the photos which might put some people off....well WOW it was incredible in flavour and juiciness and being of a largely ketogenic mindset, I was in total heaven.<br/><br/>I'd come here again, but I'd book early..  or prepare myself to drink a lot and stay late as quite a few of the other patrons were doing.

Came here and got seated in a booth. The sourdough bread was quite nice. We shared the paella between 3 of us and this was delicious. The broccoli looked impressive but didn't taste that good. Service was quick and friendly.

On arrival you’re welcome with very friendly staff who were very attentive the whole night. The food smells great and atmosphere is nice. The food was okay but not great. Ordered at 7:45pm (Oysters, sea urchin noodles, and the dry age steak ended up being a basic porterhouse) we got the oysters around 8:00pm and mains came at 9:00pm. Over priced for the quality that is promoted. <br/><br/>Over all:<br/>- Great staff.<br/>- Okay food. <br/>- Small menu (mainly share plates) or run out of menu items early. <br/>-Over priced.<br/>-Long wait time.

We arrived for dinner at 7:15pm on a Saturday and had mussels/octopus as our entreés and a flounder as the main. The entreés arrived in a timely manner but the main was served far too late at 8:45pm and spoilt the whole dinner mood.<br/><br/>The food tasted fantastic and the first wait staff who served us was pleasant in general, taking time to go over the menu with recommendations but it was obvious the kitchen was swamped as orders took too long to be served.<br/><br/>I would suggest arriving close to opening time to have your dinner served promptly. As good as the food was, I would probably not be attempting a second visit.

Came down to Apollo Bay for a footy free weekend. Booked in at La Bimba for 6:00pm dinner sitting. Staff were attentive, pre dinner negronis were on point, house baked bread with real butter and sea salt lovely, whole melt in the mouth flat head to share with red cabbage slaw and a matching SA Pinot Grigio. Followed by espresso. Great evening, great service, great food. Would recommend to anyone visiting Apollo Bay. Thanks to the staff for looking after us.

Nice coffees or 2, but a bit overpriced and limited options for breakfast; decided to head back downstairs for breakfast at one of the many cafes along the main street instead. Have had some delicious lunches & dinners here in previous years so decided to try for dinner instead. However with a group of 6 for dinner we called to book ahead & discovered that there was a set shared menu for large groups, explained that there was a few dietary requirements (celiac, no red meat, ect) for some members of the group and asked if we could make any changes to accommodate this & was told there was no room for changes in the menu for large groups. I can understand needing a minimum spending per head but to only offer a set menu and no changes for groups is quite difficult when dietary requirements are becoming more and more common. Ended up have a nice meal at one of the local pubs instead.

Tremendous food. I'm fortunate enough in my work to be able to experience some great restaurants, inc fine dining. La Bimba tops the lot. They just nailed it

With only 8 people in the restaurant you would have thought that the service would have been good - it wasn't and neither was the food. The duck was totally overlooked and the $89 rib eye, in the picture attached, was a mess of fat and gristle. There was no apology, no discount on the meal and there will defiantly be no return! Your restaurant is an embarrassment. You are better of at the Chinese restaurant or brew house.

My partner and I were passing through Apollo Bay for dinner when we spotted La Bimba. Fortunately, we were able to walk in without a booking at opening time and were lucky to get a seat straight away. As the restaurant quickly filled up around us, we were welcomed by the wonderful wait staff and seated with a great view of the ocean.<br/>Our waitress took the time to explain the menu and talked us through the range of fresh fish that was available. <br/>We ended up ordering the 'paella for two' which was served in a huge paella pan filled with beautifully cooked saffron rice, nice portions of seafood and freshly cooked prawns and mussels.<br/>I wish we were there with more people so that we could have trialled a range of dishes. Other than that, we had a wonderful dinner at La Bimba, highly recommended!<br/>

I went here for brunch with my Dad and sister. Normally when I go out for breakfast/brunch I order something savory with eggs but this time I felt like something sweet so I ordered the sago pudding with coconut milk, lemon and mango. My sago pudding was delicious 😋. The flavours went together perfectly and it was the perfect amount of sweetness. My Dad ordered the poached eggs on toast and my sister ordered the Turkish eggs, both were happy with their meals. My Dad and sister also had coffees which they like and I had a lemongrass and ginger tea. They were pretty generous with the amount of tea in the pot, it was almost over stuffed. The tea was nice and strong. The staff here were friendly and if you sit in the right spot you get a nice view of the beach. I'd like to come back here and try more of their food. I forgot my phone so I used Dad's phone to take pics but Zomato won't let me load them because they're too small.

I went to La Bimba for breakfast and was greatly disappointed. There seemed to be only two floor staff which made for terrible service .  After waiting for  for almost half an hour to order,  we had to wait another 45 minutes before our food come out.  The meals were small portions,  and for the simplicity of the dishes overpriced and nothing special.<br/>The farmers breakfast consisted of one piece of toast an small sausage some of beans and streaky bacon.<br/>We ordered DIY eggs which consisted of an  over cooked poached egg  that  sat on a single pice of toast,  an order of mushrooms (or should i say 'mushroom' ) some spinach and some streaky bacon.<br/>2 hours later, almost 50 dollars later and we got  most ordinary eggs and bacon I have ever had. Would not recommend.

As great ocean road enthusiasts our group of friends have been dining here each year for the past 15 years at least. This year we feel considerably let down by the lack lustre menu and inconsistent food quality. The board at the entrance claimed a variety of quality seafood alas not identifiable on the menu, and upon inquiry the waiter appeared as clueless. The steak on the specials list was small, dry, undercooked and poorly presented. Most of the main meals in flavour, quality and presentation were underwhelming. definitely NOT the experience we have been accustomed to, mind you still charging around $40 for a main course. Service was average and did nothing to make up for a boring experience. We won't be coming back!

Service was great. Kangaroo was cooked perfectly, so was the lamb. Octopus was okay. Sides are decent sizes (we had pumpkin and beetroot). A bit pricey but worth it. Would eat here again if down this way.

Delicious! Friends who live in AB recommended La Bimba for breakfast and we loved it. I'm on a fodmaps diet so eating out is always a bit of a challenge, but there was something for everyone! We had poached eggs with smoked trout, rice pudding and hotcakes. Oh and a brilliant Bloody Mary. Staff were professional and the location and view were great. Would definitely return.

Had dinner there tonight and it's a really pretty place with great attentive service. However, the food was very average and so salty we couldn't finish it. I had the pork which looked amazing but so salty and dry. Such a shame. My partner had the lamb which said rolled lamb but came out as braised lamb which was ok but nothing special and again very salty. For $40 a dish it certainly was a disappointment.

Decided to try La Bimba for lunch as we felt like trying fresh seafood in the area.<br/>Had a sample of each of the oysters as a entree and felt the flavors a little too over powering.<br/>As main I had the calamari which was delicious and my partner had the mussels which was a large and filling serve. <br/>

Tried this place for lunch today was a really nice atmosphere and its on a second story so it's a great view of the beach! The food is mainly seafood which fits well with the beach theme. The seafood is very fresh and would recommend this place for a lunch by the beach. Staff were friendly and service was quick! Mussels were amazing and calamari was soft and not chewy at all!

High price but low quality! Waiters are lack of patient and a little bit offensive and when we asked to some water, they refused to grasp the water and let us to bring by ourselves.<br/>Especially, the calamari was no longer fresh and served in bad condition. The oyster was quite small but expensive, comparing with the closest Fish&chips.<br/>We have almost ordered $90 for4 but we still hungry<br/>! Anyway, don't go!<br/>

Wow, wow, wow! Amazing food, we had the baby squid mussels, and pumpkin and honestly couldn't decide what was our favourite! The peanut butter ice team dessert was crazy good and even the way they served the hot chocolate with frangellico was awesome.... Service was faultless, great ambience, would highly recommend and would definitely come back!

Good solid restaurant. Generally when at a tourist holiday locale, I expect to get a restaurant experience where they don't really care about giving great food and service cause they aren't really driven by repeat business. Not so here.<br/>The food was clearly produced by some professionals that care about their craft. Nothing over the top fancy, but some clever combinations of flavours and ingredients that leave you with a smile.<br/>Unfortunately the kitchen team are let down by the front of house service. Bit sloppy. A procession of wait staff line up to ask one after the other if I'm ready to order. Staff not really knowledgeable. Share platter left on the table without any plates to eat off. I guess that it would be hard to get experienced staff here. More likely they are tourists on a working holiday themselves.<br/>Wine list was not too bad. Managed to find a nice SSB from Geelong that drank well for the price point.<br/>Overall left very happy, full and contented.

Awesome seafood lunch... The soup and the mussel all well cooked. The paella was a bit moist and flavor was average. Staff was not very welcoming, and I was even a bit unwilling to bother them..the food is slightly overpriced too.

La Bimba has a great balcony with a glimpse of the ocean which was a great spot for a sunny breakfast. We ordered the muesli and vegetarian breakfast. The muesli came with a side of skim milk and honey and was beautifully presented with edible flowers. The vegetarian breakfast included 2 poached eggs (slightly under cooked), roasted vine tomatoes, avocado, labne and toast. Good meal, nothing outstanding.

Came in here hoping for a quick breakfast as a pit stop on our way back to Melbourne. We ordered the coffees which came out in a few minutes. The coffees had a good temperature but that was about the only good thing. The coffee itself was very milky and didn't have enough kick to it. The tea on the other hand was brewed quite well.<br/><br/>After waiting for 45 minutes, our food finally came. The quantity unfortunately was abysmal. The extras here were ridiculously overpriced. 1 little piece of bacon for$4.5, a SINGLE piece of mushroom for $4, and my extra sausage was a 2 inch piece was overcooked and dry. <br/><br/>When we relayed this feedback, our server became defensive, simply responding "I don't make the menu here. I wouldn't eat here either." Great response instilling a lot of confidence. Avoid if possible.

Disappointed with this restaurant. Over-priced and under delivers. I had the kangaroo loin and it was tough, dry and a tiny portion. My wife had the lamb soup which was okay. Straight after the meal I picked up a scallop and leak pie at the bakery downstairs which was awesome. We should have skipped the expensive meal...

For a nice meal in Apollo Bay the most prominent option is Chris's Beacon Point Restaurant. Unfortunately they were booked out so I stayed in town. The two remaining options were La Bimba and Vista. Both have good and bad reviews and it was a tough decision choosing between them. What drove me toward La Bimba in the end was two things - there are more La Bimba reviews and recommendations, the website for Vista leads to some Japanese website and also when I tried to call Vista to book they didn't answer. That seems enough reasons. Funnily on the night I walked past and the place looks nice, there is a good amount of seafood there including a (rather expensive sounding) $190 fresh seafood platter with mash (no fried food and no fries they advertised to me).

Brilliant, we had dinner with a 5 adults and 3 children. Every dish was perfect, the service was great and the wine was flowing. Highly recommended.

High review score because the setting was better than any of the other Cafes on the seafront-it's on the first floor with great views. Service was good, prices reasonable, interesting menu. The trout was very good with a generous serving of trout. Eggs benny good but nothing special.

Pricey (very) but average quality. Beef pie was pasty and not as richly flavored as it should be, although the pastry was well done. The paella was aromatic but lacked the crispy base I expected. Service was a little slow but polite. Might go back again. Equivalent food can be had in Melbourne for less.

Disappointing. Offered still or sparkling water on arrival. Chose still and two bottles of still water arrived. When we received bill, each bottle was charged at $6 each. Deceptive. Most restaurants provide water, albeit tap water complimentary.  I chose a jug of aperol/ proscesco/ soda water at $35 for jug. It was very watered down, abundance of ice, tasted like orange cordial. Very overpriced. Food was very nice but expensive. We didn't enjoy feeling ripped off, so declined desserts. La Bimba was our favourite restaurant when we were here 5 years ago. Not so impressed now and wouldn't recommend .

Started out as a perfect dinner, nice table friendly chatty wait staff. Great wine list with a few of our favorites on offer. Entrees were a bit slow but forgiven as delicious once they arrived after about a 50 minute wait. Garlic king prawns and snapper cerviche were both really good. <br/><br/>Our mains were a sharing sized flounder with a roasted pumpkin, labne, garlic and almond side. The pumpkin was definitely the highlight as the fish was well over cooked. Told the waitress when she collected our plates and mostly uneaten fish but didn't get a response from the kitchen. <br/><br/>Had the panna cotta for dessert - was beautiful. Tea and coffee good also. Would return - hopefully the fish miss was a one off.

Great coffee and great breakfast. Prices are reasonable for what you would pay anywhere. Nice view of beach available if you can get a window seat. Would come here again simply for the coffee as they use Genovese beans. Haven't tried the lunch or dinner menu but is quite pricey so I wouldn't go here if you want something on the cheaper side.

Great view and location. Good friendly service. Amazing fresh seafood meals, we had the seafood paella. It was substantial, fresh and tasted lovely. A++ overall with the food a highlight.

Such a variety of seafood dishes, so tasty! Both my husband and I were happy with both our meals. Also do steak and lamb dishes along with the many seafood items. Lovely ambience overlooking the sea. Great Mojitos too!

Beautiful space, elegant and spectacular ocean views. Staff, although friendly, were a little awkward. Food was beautiful, but very expensive. Simple things missed - no cutlery or napkins presented. Had to prompt staff for cutlery after food had reached the table.

We were here for our second anniversary and sorely regret it. <br/><br/>We were excited after seeing the specials and decided to order a steak and some pasta with truffle and butter. The beautifully aged porter house came out closer to well done when we had requested for medium. The poor cow died in vain. <br/><br/>The truffle pasta was soaked in melted butter and smelt more like raw pastry than an appetizing meal. The saddest part was that it cost $45!<br/><br/>We never write reviews but this place is too disappointing to not save the public.

Lots of seafood on the menu. Not the best if you're not into seafood. But their beef pie & buttered peas was really good! Service was slow but very friendly. Great view from the window seats. Massive coffee!

Very disappointing. I should have gone with my instinct and left before ordering after being shown to our table by a male waiter who was clearly not interested. Paid $12 for a couple of bits of bread unevenly smeared with some garlic and oil. Main dishes were not up to standard. Mussels were shrivelled and rather pathetic. Kingfish was either not fresh or over cooked and at the price a disgrace. When we left and paid the waitress didn't bother to ask how our meals were. I called the mobile phone number on the restaurant business card to discuss before writing this review but no one answered so here it is. Overpriced. Below acceptable quality meals. Terrible service. Ticks all the wrong boxes. Steer clear.

Very expensive. Nice place, nice staff, but way too expansive for what it is.

Disappointing. We wanted to like this restaurant. Great ambience and decor. That's the good parts. Now the bad. Way over priced. $12 for two pieces of Turkish bread with a little oil and garlic smeared on top. I had the king fish with peas. It was a well done dish that tasted well. But it was not a $36 dish. My partner had the porterhouse that had to be sent back because it was way under cooked, which they agreed. Once it came back from the kitchen out was time to enjoy this beautiful piece of meat. Unfortunately it was very tough. The taste wasn't there either. Again, $40 was a crime! Also it came with no sides. These have to be ordered ala carte. The biggest disappointment was getting the bill and seeing that they charged us for the tap water.

Exceeded expectations. The atmosphere was pleasant and the staff were friendly and attentive.<br/>We ate <br/>Tempura vegetables 10/10<br/>Sautéed potatoes 9/10, Corn 7/10<br/>Pork 10/10, Lamb 10/10<br/>Peanut butter ice cream/brownie 9/10<br/>RIce pudding 7/10<br/>WAS PRETTY AMAZING.

Our waitress was rude, the food was over priced, everything was over salted, my steak was served pre cut<br/>The share side plates were small. <br/><br/>Food quality was good but does not match there prices <br/>Combined with a rude and careless waitress I doubt we will return.

Fantastic service and top notch food!. After a disappointing meal at Chris' Restaurant last night, we stumbled upon here for a meal tonight - Very busy and popular but we managed to get a seat by the window which was well worth the wait! The service was only brilliant with alot of care from the super helpful Canadian and Swedish staff, despite being rushed off their feet. The food was delish and the wine suggested for both meals went perfectly with the mains. Many thanks for such a lovely meal guys. Definately worth a visit!! The best around.

Mixed. Design: Good design and detailing, overall bathroom layout and finishes with copper and wood accent well thought out. Dinning room layout was good with good views over the town green. <br/><br/>Food: outstanding seafood soup; pulled lamb pie- great texture but needed a bit more complexity in the flavour and mint would have been a welcome addition to the peas; vegetarians options limited to a soup with undercooked chickpeas; kangaroo burgers needed an element to lift the flavour like plum or a sharp condiment. <br/><br/>Service: needs more attention. When we commented on the undercooked chickpeas the staff member paused and returned retuned with the same soup after consulting with the chef, and told us the chickpeas were full cooked. As a lifelong vegetarian and experienced cook, my companion knew what an undercooked chick pea tasted like. So my lunch companion had no choice but to order a fish soup as there were no other vegetarian options. When the bill came we were charged for the chickpea dish AND overcharged for the kangaroo. When we commented on the discrepancy we were met with resistance and they said they informed us that we would be charged for an undercooked dish we did not consume. We were not informed at any point. We then pointed out the price difference from menu they again were ambivilant. We were not impressed with the lack customer focus.

Complete waste of time and money. Don't bother with this place. Completely underwhelmed by the service and ridiculously long waiting times. Was only a handful of other tables there for lunch at the same time. Waitress was rude and so slow I had to wonder whether this was her first day ( though clearly not judging by other reviews who whose experience was similar to ours ) Had to even remind her twice to bring a beer over after ordering over 15-20 minutes prior. Very haphazard service, and unapologetic about the long wait. Seemed to be no effective communication between kitchen and the restaurant, and unacceptable waiting times for fairly straight forward food. Food was reasonable- however overpriced for what it is. <br/>Would not recommend this place, and would definately not waste my time or money coming back.

Coffee was EXCELLENT! We had a really enjoyable breakfast - wasn't as busy as I expected it to be this time of the year. The decor is new and very tastefully done (even the bathrooms had a wow factor). We'll be back !

La Basic. Cool spot, nice fit out, great view. Staff were friendly, but pretty clueless. Clearly very little coordination between staff and kitchen. Foodwise, I've judged them on same scale any other breakkie joint: scrambled eggs on toast with bacon and avocado. Toast came out more like bread, eggs were runny and tasteless, bacon a bit floppy and fatty, at least they managed the avocado well.<br/><br/>Overpriced, incredibly basic, possible the dinners are better.

These days, staff come from all over the world as were put waiter and waitress tonight, who were friendly and attentive. Food quality was good but expensive, as was the wine list. They'll waitress also forgot to order our side dish. Would we visit again? We would seriously question value for money and would look for alternatives in the area before returning. However, the view and vibe were excellent - but what do you pay for? The food, or the location and atmosphere? Me, ultimately I pay for the food experience. The view and the vibe ate extras.

Expensive ... But not good. Went there this weekend.. Salty soup, soggy greens and some tasteless quail bistia... Didn't want to even try the mains...

Try here for breakfast. Great coffee, good service. Had the Bircher and the avocado and eggs Benedict. All good you should try it,

Food and view were great. But closed on Tuesday and Wesnesday: disappointing. And no sign on the door, just the menu board which always hangs there. Boyfriend and I went in and it was deserted, bumped into the manager? as we left, who said "oh you found out we were closed then?"... How about locking the door if you are closed?!<br/><br/>When we had breakfast there, we paid the male waiter, then my boyfriend came back to the table to collect his photography equipment etc, as we exited, the same person who spoke to us days earlier asked us about paying our bill. When my boyfriend told her and pointed out the person who had taken the payment, there was a suspicious tone to the "ok then".<br/><br/>Waitress (couldn't tell where her accent was from) was very friendly which was great.

Neither here nor there.... The location is the main thing going for them. Breakfast (green pancakes) was quite nice, though their coffee needs some work... Ridiculously they don't open at all on Tuesday or Wednesday. We were disappointed to find the place unlocked and all but deserted, owners/managers were returning as we left and greeted us with "oh you found out we were closed did you", well when you leave your doors unlocked and menus hanging on the downstairs door, there is no obvious indication. Honestly, they can't need/ want to make money if they can afford to close all day on Tuesday/Wednesday....<br/><br/>Finally, my partner paid the bill and came to collect his photography equipment from the table before we left, the woman (manager?) at the door asked if we wanted to pay our bill. Partner pointed out the waiter and said "we already paid him", to which she responded in a suspicious tone, I was about to tell him "just pull out the receipt!"....

Could be good. Nice wait staff<br/>Let down by kitchen time and it was not busy<br/>Maybe ok if you need an extra couple of extra pricey wines <br/>Pricey for what you get, <br/>Maybe I'm getting grumpy !

Great ambiance, lots of potential but falling short on meal waiting time and appropriate lunch options on a hot day. I appreciate that it's Moroccan but when it's 30 degrees the last thing you feel like is seafood soup! Please review your menu in the right context.

Delicious Food. Ive been to La Bimba on several occasions and had great service and food everytime. Unsure whats happened for other customers, but I would recommend for anyone to go!

Mixed results on a cold night. La Bimba had a warm welcoming environment upstairs on a cold evening, which made it appealing for my group of four. The food itself was pretty good, especially the snapper tartare and the seafood soup. However, the service speed was shockingly slow; a number of other tables entered much later than us and were served well before us. Asking what the story led to a response, "it's only another three or four minutes", when it was actually closer to ten more minutes. If they could work out the service issues, this might be a better recommendation. If you're prepared to wait and see others served before you, it's okay.

Nice but way overpriced!. We ordered 1 coffee and 1 slice of cake which cost us a crazy $15. So that was about $10 for a single slice? Lucky for them it was still good service and taste. If you think that price is reasonable, then go.

Travellers from Queensland. After a long day of air and car tavel on a very cold & windy day we arrived at Apollo Bay and looked up La Bimba as it was recommended to us.<br/>True to the recommendation we were very soon warmed up by the cuisine and atmosphere, the calamari on risotto was absolutely delicious so was the fish/potato soup as entries. King fish from the special's board and kangaroo loin on salad followed. All was very enjoyable and the portion size was truly generous.

We had a fantastic dinner on a Saturday night. I had the pork main which I highly recommend.<br/>Decor wasn't great, could do with a refresh but food and service was commendable.

La Bimba La Terrible. A highly recommended over rated establishment ruining a night for people by having ridiculously high prices for meals not fit for KFC or Maccas.<br/><br/>A special entree of local bugs - absolutely smothered in some ghastly oil based garlic infused concoction that I wouldn't give to my dog, and all that for a few mouthfuls of crab. Spent most of the time getting the garlic off the hands. An absolutely atrocious dish.<br/><br/>And then have to wait 1+ hr for a main course consisting of the days special - Red Fin ! It was a special, and a special it was - special rubbish. Tasteless, overcooked, nothing else - 1 out of 10 if that.<br/><br/>So, if you want to go to La Bimba and want to pay a La Fortune, go for it - but you WILL regret it.<br/><br/>I'd say get a new chef, get a new menu, lower the prices and get a grip on reality because the owners are nothing but thieves and if they think they are the shining light and example of the Great Ocean Road and area, then they are sadly mistaken.<br/><br/>I'd go as far as to say they should be closed down and never allowed to operate.<br/><br/>BTW - the bread was ok.<br/><br/>Culinary Expert :)

We went to La Bimba tonight and felt instantly compelled to write a review to inform and warn future visitors to Apollo Bay to stay well clear of this restaurant.... The timing between entree and main is a 50 minute wait (restaurant has roughly 15 tables), with main meals (Chicken dish with Couscous and my wife's dish Lamb with Peas) being mediocre but extravagantly priced. To add further insult the bill arrived with a $50 bottle of red added on top of one glass of red wine my wife and I had each.... Manageress did not appear entirely convinced despite uttering '....we believe you' . Diners beware, this restaurant can single handedly change your perception of Apollo Bay unfortunately.

I came in on a whim after a long cruise down the coast. I had looked at expensive places that didn't really offer much but this place, though a bit pricey delivered! The port fairy bugs were delicious and the snapper was perfectly cooked. The salad was slightly over seasoned and had been dressed a bit too early so it came out a wilted. Otherwise, a very enjoyable meal, recommended!

Visited la bimba on the weekend with three other people. The staff were friendly and accommodating but the food was disappointing. 3 of us ordered the fish and chips. At $ 26 a plate you would expect a decent size serve. The fish and the quantity of chips were so small, it was appalling. Not much can be said about the cos lettuce based salad. very average salad. I had the seafood stew which was presented nicely but lacked any real flavour. What a disappointment. When I went up to pay I was told that there was a surcharge on all cards and when the waitress realised our bill was over $100, the surcharge of $1 something increased to $3 something. This restaurant is clearly focused on skimping on food presented whilst maximising hidden expenses at their customers expense. It delivers very little.

Disappointed. Just had dinner this week the school prawns from merrimbula were tasteless and a medium well done steak was extremely well done the salad was chopped iceberg lettuce with a little underripe to motor. To top it off a $3 charge for using any sort of card to pay for your meal!! <br/>Never again !

We were greeted by the lovely smells from the kitchen and the staff were equally as delightful. We had the snapper fillets with garlic confit, chicken with Israeli couscous and the kids had the calamari. All were absolutely delicious and joined with a perfect wine. The view was perfect, the staff were attentive and our plates were clean! Fantastic birthday dinner.<br/><br/>The only criticism I have is that the kids calamari had a basic side of iceberg lettuce and tomato with salad dressing. Personally I don't know of ANY child that likes salad dressing or lettuce!! Maybe something else more child friendly?

Amazing fresh food and warm and responsive service. Best in Apollo bay

Amazing. Best place in Apollo Bay. Fresh fish. Great local produce.

We were recommended this restaurant by the locals. I wish we had have gone to our first choice. La Bimba has a great ambiance, but it's really hot. It smells great, so we were excited. The tapas plate and salad were excellent, unfortunately the mains were not at all. The menu reads very well, an excellent sales document. The reality was an eye fillet with potato salad and slow cooked lamb on cream cheese and peas. The lamb was so over salted, it was inedible. I started having heart palpitations when they gave me the bill. Extremely over priced for the product. If you are going to charge these prices, you need a menu and product to match. Big Fail la Bimba

Rude Food. Went to La Bimba for a quiet lunch, mid week, with a friend. Only 1 other table was occupied.<br/>Ordered the vegetarian focaccia, but asked if I could have some salami included as well...happy to pay whatever the difference was. Salami was on the menu with other dishes, so it was obviously in the kitchen.<br/>WOULDN'T DO IT. <br/>Such a simple request on a very slow day.<br/>The chef & the owner looked over our way & simply shook their their heads. The waitress tried to be diplomatic. She was very sweet, in what was an embarrassing predicament for her.<br/>RUDE. OBNOXIOUS. INADEQUATE. SMARMY.<br/>My friends spaghetti marinara was drowning in oil. Seafood portion was good, but the calamari was overcooked/rubbery. <br/>We have been holidaying in Apollo Bay for years. This was not the first time this restaurant has completely underwhelmed me, but it will definitely be the last.<br/>A shadow of its' former self.

Absolutely woeful-give it a miss!. Terrible service! Nonchalant staff. Ordered the $79 paella WITHOUT chorizo as we're non-meat eaters. 30 mins later dish comes out WITH chorizo. Dish goes back. 5mins later dish comes out suspiciously like the one we sent back. Question the speed to cook a fresh dish and told that it didn't have chorizo in it. and that it's just the smoky flavour of the paprika - P-lease!!! Point out the offending piece of meat sitting on my plate. Dish goes away again. 30 mins later a 'fresh' one comes out. Key fish pieces overcooked and like rubber - probably re-used from earlier dish. Rice bland and dry. Couldn't eat it so left most of it - no query as to whether we enjoyed it or not. Think they just wanted to get rid of us by now. To add insult to injury when we paid they pull out a plate with chorizo piece and 'supposedly' the piece from our plate which wasn't a piece of meat at all. I point out to the waitress that none of those 'samples' were on our plate. Made to feel like we were being difficult and a nuisance. Have been going there for 12 years and previous owners (I think about 4 years ago) ran a beautiful restaurant. After last bad experience we should have known better. Will NEVER be returning here. <br/>Thing is, we could have forgiven the mistake and waited another 30mins for a fresh dish. But it was the way in which we were questioned and made to feel that we, the paying customer, were the bad guys. Evening was completely spoiled. Walked away very disgruntled. Can't believe that the owner wouldn't even check with us on departure if things were ok. Probably one of the worst dining experiences we've ever had.

Lack of seafood. Have been here a few times, the first time i had the seafood marinara, it was my birthday and it was delicious. Every time i've been back in the last 6 months it has lacked flavour and has little seafood in it, i dont know if its because its not summer (when i fist went) that they limit the amount of seafood in the dish, but they are still charging the same price of $24. Each time i asked for parmesan to add flavour to the dish it seemed like a massive ask. The service is very poor for a 'tourist town' the waitresses are not very friendly at all!

Don't bother. Went for lunch today while passing through Apollo Bay. Firstly on entry, we were warned that food would take a while as it doesn't come out quickly. Fine, we were happy to wait if the food was good. Ordered our food. I had the pie of the day (Otway lamb).. 2 of our group had the seafood marinara, and 1 had the kangaroo burger. No kidding, it was about 1 hour and 20 mins after arriving that our food arrived. Firstly, my pie was chicken and sweetcorn. Apparently they were out of lamb and it had been changed, but the waitress hadn't warned me OR changed the blackboard that was on display for all to see. I wasn't too happy with this, but didn't have time to change it for something else so had to eat it, but it was pretty poor quality. Hardly any chicken and just bland. Similar story with the rest of the food, for $24 the marinara should have been pretty decent. It looked good but taste was lacking. The attitude of the waitress was pretty bad, very ingenuine apology for the mess-up with my pie, disinterested service and leaving empty coffee cups sitting on our table of upwards of an hour. Just not good enough, we will not be back, and will be telling our friends to avoid this place like the plague. Wish I'd checked Urbanspoon before trying this place as I'd never have gone near it if I'd have read some of the appalling reviews.

Awful!. I have been here a few times and each time the service has been AWFUL! The food is average it's not bad and it's not good; just satisfactory. The owner acts like the restaurant is out of this world special... it isn't! The service honestly made the food taste bad. Never returning and I suggest you give this place a miss if you don't want to be treated with disrespect.

Very Poor. Service was the worst I have come across. Sat for 25 mins without acknowledgement, had to get our own menus and ordered our meals from a drinks waiter when he eventually came over (only because we weren't sure when we would have another opportunity). Food was fine, but very overpriced. Wouldn't go back.

Need to improve. The service was suboptimal, we were ordered three entrees, and then after 25mins, the staff told us " oyster already sold out!" . It already wasted our 25mins when we felt hungry. And then we ask staff "please start the main course we are really hungry". Omg,the first meal arrived 45 min after ordering! So terrible.

On arrival we were informed by the waitress (tall blonde) that she couldn't serve us for 15 minutes because she was "so busy". With only 3 other couples having coffee I was perplexed by this remark. After being seated (with no menu) I went and asked for one myself. The waitress rolled her eyes and pointed to the corner of the room where I could get one. Ten minutes later our order was taken and the waitress shared her frustrations about how hard it was for her to do her job on her own. She clearly didn't want to be there and gave us the impression that she didn't want us there either. When our order arrived I received a cappacino instead of the hot chocolate I had asked for. When I informed the waitress she made me feel like I was being difficult and made no effort to apologise. When the hot chocolate came out, it was mostly froth. This was a terrible dining experience. La Bimba is in desperate need of a new waitress!

I should have worn my PJs to dinner. Apollo bay is our winter get away location, however on our last visit we were left disappointed with the service we received whiles dining at La Bimba. The waitress a tall blond who I was informed of later by the locals 'Fiona' was extremely abrupt. Her mannerisms alone made the once cosy eatery rather frostier than the winter breeze from outside the restaurant. Food took a good 1.5hrs to arrive at our table and portions are extremely small for the price you pay for the main meal. We arrived at 7:45 and dinner was served at 9pm... I really should have worn my pjs to dinner as I nearly fell asleep into my soup.

Blah!. While on a business trip to Melbourne, I took a few days off for a quick hide away by the sea and found myself in Apollo Bay. I decided to eat here the location- upstairs and menu looked very inviting. I order their seafood paella which delicious and I could not fault the food, however such a great experience was thrown out by poor service and attitude by one of their staff -Fiona.

We're living it! Mussel Hot pot - yum....good chili, fettuccine marinara very good. Air conditioning not working on this very warm autumn afternoon. Service excellent & quick.

It was horrible! The service was amazing. They tried to feed us off seafood. The chef came out and abused us saying the seafood was fresh although it smelt like off socks. I have been going to this restaurant for the last 4 years and it was great. Now it is disgusting!

Always Memorable. Recent dinner at La Bimba's was again superb! <br/>I make a point of dining at La Bimba's each time I visit Apollo Bay.<br/>I have remembered each and every meal I have eaten there over the last 4 years.<br/>Thank you so much for preparing my favorite oysters and my husband is still talking about the steak.<br/>Well Done.

Nice place, interesting menu but a little slow service

Great breakfast. Fresh, tasty. A little bit pricey. Nice location and ambience.

Tight. Had breakfast recently here. Service was woeful without any of the staff even having a pretence of wanting to be there. My overwhelming opinion on the food was that they were exceedingly tight. One small piece of toast is not enough to go with two eggs! The cereal also came with the smallest splash of yoghurt. This place was good ten years ago, but is a shadow of its former self.

Out of this world pricing but the food not so much. All in all the food was cooked well, the portions were generous and the muscles as a starter delicious. Main as kangaroo cooked perfectly. Two specials of the wagyu with truffle were ok but lost with the mash and rest of the dish. The deserts were tasty but overall the price was in a two hat region but the quality and presentation not quite there. Service was better than some reviews have made out. Ps- all the good food stops here were pricey

Waited over an hour for food. When it arrived, it was 2 poached eggs in a piece of toast with no salad or sides or anything. Very bad quality for the money you pay.

Best breakfast in the Bay. This is THE place to go for breakfast in the Bay. Being above the bakery and a little out of the way means that it is usually not as overrun as the other (less good) cafés on the main street. It also means it has the best views. The vegetarian breakfast is awesome - simple but great quality produce. Have been here for dinner too and it appears that this is one of the few places in Apollo Bay that actually sells fresh local seafood which on its own sets it apart in my view.

Great food. Great service.

Tourism??. The thing with being a tourist is that you don't want to be taken advantage of by local restaurants and feel like you are just revenue for their business. Unfortunately the service and price of the underwhelming food leaves you feeling like this place doesn't care if you enjoy the restaurant, just that you pay the bill.

Eaten here 3 times now. bit hit and miss. terrible starters and well overpriced. But mains in general although expensive are pretty decent. mixed review on the deserts. i had lavender cheescake and honeycomb before and it was dreadful but their chocolate mouse desert is to die for. nice cozy atmosphere.

Amazing fish of the day!! We stopped for lunch during our trip down the Great Ocean Rd. Restaurant was quiet, so we ha a lovely table by the window. We had the peri peri wings and FOD which was a big, fresh and delicious piece of fish. La Bimba is easy to miss if you don't keep your eyes peeled as it is located upstairs on the main street, well worth a try

Fantastic Seafood. We went for dinner and had an amazing meal. The service was great and as we had booked we got a great table at the window. The ambiance is lovely and so warm and relaxing. We ordered the mussels from the specials menu to start and the seafood soup - both were fantastic! We then tried to Kangaroo fillet for main. We weren't overly impressed but this was just personal taste, the accompaniments were great and the meal altogether was wonderful. Excited to visit again soon. Definitely would recommend.

We used to like this place a lot, unfortunately the coffee has gotten progressivly worse over the past 2 years. Used to be the best, now we go to wickens

F'ing shit. Wine selection and champagne was shit. Service was terrible. They forgot my drinks order. Overpriced and lamb was overcooked. The only thing going for it is location and decor.