Review Congress - Collingwood

Really liked this place, the staff were super lovely and the food was fantastic. The snacks are all packed with flavour and made perfectly (recommend the quail egg and the sanga). We also had the new pasta dish, the bbq fish and the beef cheek. I think the fish was cod, so you have to really like it otherwise you might find it overly fishy. Same with the beef cheek, that cut of meat isn’t for everyone but they make it work! The fried brioche dessert was delicious and paired well with a dessert wine they have. Overall, a fantastic place, I love that they are constantly trying out new dishes and changing things up. The staff will let you know if it’s a new dish and ask for your feedback which is a great touch. Highly recommend trying it out!

My second time here and it’s still an excellent fresh menu stacked with good share plates as well as smaller things! Staff are helpful and friendly, and the drinks list is spot on.

We enjoyed the salmon and ravioli dish. The duck sausage is not worth trying. The 2 female staff who served us were uninviting and rude. We don’t feel comfortable to come back.

Wow ! We love every single bite of food we ordered there , The loveage Lasagna was delicious! Staff were lovely and helpful.

This little gem totally exceeded my expectations! I was looking online for a birthday dinner venue and I noticed Congress. The prices were better than comparable restaurants, the food looked amaze and the other reviews were so high. Now I have to add my five stars! The food is incredible. So much thought and care into presentation and as for the flavours...big chef's kiss! The service was perfect. Chilled music. Perfection. Go to Congress!

Some of the best food in Melbourne. I feel for two ordering individual items is a better deal than the menu. Beware of the $11 sparkling water that comes to your table almost automatically!

Love this place, they can do no wrong. The menu is interesting and substantial, and whether you're in the mood for wine or cocktails they deliver; Abbie was a gem of a host. Thank you for a wonderful evening!

I felt a little bit like a fraud. I only wanted a longish coffee while all others were dining. The staff welcomed me beautifully. The coffee was great and the service excellent. A+++ Next a meal with friends. Thank you.

Amazing night! Loved the decor, vibe, food, drinks and the service at this great little Collingwood gem. Caught up with a group of friends for dinner and we had the set menu. Each dish came out of the kitchen beautifully presented and the flavours were incredible. The wines were exceptionally good. Highly recommend Congress, Lagotto and future future!!

I love this beautiful wine bar in Collingwood. It's a luxe atmosphere, but in a simple, understated way. Lots of timber and natural light make it a really enjoyable place for a drink or two. The ambience is buzzing, as it gets quite busy here at night; but it's not too crowded that it gets annoying.<br/><br/>Service is great. The bar stuff know their stuff, and there is a lovely drinks list too. We popped in recently for some wine and dessert. The wine was delicious, and the dessert was fresh and flavourful. The food menu looks really appetising and we plan on coming back for something more substantial. With a sophisticated edge, Congress is a lovely spot for a date night, or a nice catch up with friends.

Excellent, excellent, excellent... an absolute class newly opened diner in Collingwood. Thoroughly enjoyed the experience from start to finish - attentive and knowledgeable staff, good wines and fantastic food. The pigs head croquette was particularly good as was the spelt pasta - not something I would ordinarily pick but so glad I did. <br/>This place should definitely have a chefs hat.

In a nutshell, the food is exceptional, plenty of atmosphere, the staff and service were both perfect. Staff’s knowledge of the menu, food was very impressive. Do yourself a favour and experience the best of Melbourne dining right here.

Food was tasty and had good flavours though a bit salty. Only 3 stars because there was an insect in my glass of wine and the waitress refused to replace with a new glass. She said “oh it happens all the time here. No point giving you a new glass because there will probably be another insect in that one as well. I’ll just scoop this one out”. <br/><br/>I’ve eaten out a lot and this restaurant is the first one I’ve come across with such a persistent insect problem that diners are expected to have one in their drink. We were sitting inside as well.

Enjoyed my dining experience at Congress. Food was very flavoursome. We tried the pigs head sanga, followed by the tomatoes, eggplant, kingfish and trout. I would happily order all dishes again. Oops, I almost forgot the lovely bread with its irresistible butter! Wines by the glass were at very reasonable price point and enjoyable. Service /time between dishes was perhaps a little too long. Will definitely return to try more of the menu.

I have been here twice now- once for dinner as well as organizing an bridal shower in the upstairs mezzanine for 20 guests. On both occasions the food was delicious, wine was fantastic and atmosphere was perfect. I can highly recommend this as a place for a function - all staff were a pleasure to deal with on the day and leading upto the event and were extremely accommodating with regards to dietary requirements. Stand out dishes included the Milawa chicken, eggplant entree, kangaroo pastrami and mascarpone icecream but nothing on the menu could be faulted!

This place is small and hidden away but very modern. Beautiful and modern. The staff are friendly and helpful. Cocktails are amazing. Every dish that came out was delightful as we had their tasting menu. The only negative that I have is that the food came out really quickly and at times we had dishes from a few plates ago on our table. We had to tell them to slow it down. I would definately come back again to try some other dishes!

I recommend Congress for a special occasion that you’re willing to splash a tiny bit of cash for, but end up having a beautifully warm experience with yummy food and first class service. <br/><br/>They’ve got a modern Australian thing going on here, so it’s sort of like small share plates with tasty bits and pieces. The staff are the real stand-outs at this place. They are obviously really passionate about what they do and have a great understanding of the quality of food they serve, along with thoughtful recommendations from the wine list. We had the chef’s set menu which meant we didn’t have to think about how much and what to get. The food COULD be replicated in other places, but it was service really made the night. Four point five out of five 👍

Bit confused by this place but still like it. Firstly, sitting at a table with a window to an apartment foyer is weird, especially watching lots of pizza delivery guys coming and going. Food is excellent. Tried the majority of the menu and all was tasty, especially the ricotta Gnocchi, Brussels and chicken. Apart from the odd location, only beef is the wine list. Whilst there are plenty of varietals on the list, not sure they are the best picks, when you know what you want and staff aren’t particularly familiar with the list. Also not enough by the glass picks for a place calling itself a wine bar. That said, very enjoyable

Great place, nice short sharp drinks list, little but punchy menu and everything I tried was delicious. Friendly service and a comfortable space, tick tick tick

This really is a hidden gem in Collingwood. Walked in without a booking on a Friday night and loved it. Really attentive staff and delicious food, also reasonably priced.

The food was really fun and well executed. There was some interesting combinations to test your dining experience. Our waitress was awkward and slow to pick up on things. The other waitress was very nice and friendly.

A beautiful space and great food.<br/>The service was very personal and knowledgable about the menu and great Australian wines. Make sure you try try the pig sanga and juicy roast chicken. Plenty of veg options too. <br/><br/>My new favourite restaurant!

Great space. Fantastic service. Delicious food and wine. Lots of vegetable dishes. Try the pigs head sanga, the pastrami, the chicken and the spiced cake.

Wow! What a little hidden gem this is! Tucked away in Collingwood a friend took me here because she thought it looked cool. It was more than cool! A truly delicious wine to start the evening - suggested by the waitress and really delivered, followed by a serious of interesting and delicious dishes. Rarely do you go somewhere and struggle to choose what you DON’T want to eat, but this became our problem. Half a dozen oysters started us off smoothly, followed by kangaroo, Brussel sprouts, a delicious pigs head sanga and some potato - and of course a yummy dessert. Everything was served with delicious sauces, creams and accompaniments. Really delicious. Not only that, all the waitstaff were friendly, generous and engaging and really knew what they were serving us. A really lovely evening - we will be back!

The food at congress was delicious, and presented beautifully. The cocktails were very interesting, and tasted great. Service here was fabulous led by the maître d’, will definitely return.

Everything's brilliant in this place. <br/>Every bite of the food we had was amazing! We WOW all the way through our dinner! Very warm service too! Strongly recommended!

Coming here with great expectations and boy it didn’t disappoint! My friend and I selected the chef’s menu ($58), very decently priced especially in Melbourne. But the amazing yet personal service won me over. I will be back, be it for a full dinner or just some snacks. Wish I was living in the apartment above it.

We enjoyed the food and interesting wine we choose but most of all loved the enthusiastic and friendly service. Definitely recommend this bar with above average food.

Had an amazing dinner here on Friday night - we got the 'Feed Me' menu and added the sirloin as a main and I am so glad we did because the sirloin was delicious! The fat was rendered perfectly and it was so juicy and tender.<br/>I also loved the kangaroo pastrami which was very flavoursome. <br/>Our sommelier was also very friendly and knowledgable.<br/>I will definitely be returning and would highly recommend.

We had a great night. We enjoyed the chef’s menu - a curated succession of delightful dishes and we really enjoyed it. The highlights included the kangaroo pastrami and malt cake dessert. The service was impeccable and we will definitely be back.