Beautiful food and excellent service - warm and friendly staff. Highly recommend.
The most delicious food, fine dining service and the best dry gin martini’s in Melbourne!
Seriously the best restaurant in the eastern suburbs. Amazing food that is immaculately presented. An ever changing and well priced wine list and great staff to boot. A must if you live locally in the area or well worth travelling to.
Shared an absolutely amazing dinner with my hubby tonight at Tender Trap. Everything was spot on - food, wine, ambience and service. A beautiful 'date night'! We will be back!! I highly recommend Tender Trap if you want quality fine dining in the 'burbs.
Great service and even better food. The range of wine is fantastic. Hidden gem of Doncaster East
Fantastic fine dinning, service in a relaxed and romantic environment. The wine selection and advice from Chris is amazing. Throughly enjoyable. We will be returning.
Amazing food, extensive wine list, spot on service, very personable. Highly recommended!
Food was fabulous; from entree to dessert, all just to die for!
Great food great wine gotta be one of the better places to eat in the area.
My turn to take our friends out and had heard Tender Trap was good m, well it certainly was the food, wine and service was excellent.
Thank you Chris & Helen, we had a great night and an amazing meal.
Attentive service. Beautiful food. Couldn't fault our evening.
Love the menu and atmosphere. Nothing is too much trouble for Helen, Chris and the team. Food is always amazing.
A fantastic place to take your clients, family or to hold a function. Wide selection of drinks and delicious food. Either order off the menu or select the chefs special set menu. Will not disappoint.
4.5 stars
After three years of wanting to try this place we finally made it!
We were greeted with enthusiasm, the service provided by the two gentlemen was first class; they were attentive and filled the room with their positive energy.
Food came out within a reasonable timeframe and we had ordered:
●Beef carpaccio
●Pressed pork and smoked chicken terrine
●Eye fillet
●Confit duck leg
●Warm bean with persian feta.
The food was delicious and beautifully presented...we were quite impressed.
I felt that carpaccio, eye fillet, and duck were slightly under seasoned for my personal taste but a bit of salt provided solved that issue.
My only feedback is that the sheet of light brown coloured paper on top of the beautiful crisp white table cloth has to go. It cheapens the decor and just remind me of Chinese yum cha.
I have recommended Tender Trap to family and will be back!
Fantastic restaurant. Limited options for vegans but more than happy to accommodate! Will definitely be back very soon! Great wine list!
Loved this place from the moment we walked in. Welcoming friendly staff, an especially welcoming waiter (with French accent) they happily catered to my many allergies with no hesitation! New fav local. Thanks guys keep it up! We will be back!
A place for a special night out. Great food and a truly awsome premium end wine list.
The meals are crafted with care and a high attention to detail that is up there with some of the best in Melbourne.
The deserts are also a speciality here, so leave some room. In my case, two entrees worked well.
If you love wines then the eclectic, but well considered wine list is a real plus, but as these are not your typical Dan Murphy's or BWS brands, be prepared to explore and pay a little more for the experience. Ask the owner if you are not sure.
The service was attentive, engaging and appropriately considered.
Well worth a try.
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On the night of the Royal wedding four traitors to the Monarchy went out for dinner. The culprits being the firstborn, the son-in-law and his stunning mother. Tender Trap is one of those places that if you blink you'll miss it. It's located in my old stomping ground from the 70s and 80s, where the fish shop and milk bar ruled the roost and where the high school kids hung out to smoke and wag school. These days its Asian upon Asian restaurant lining Blackburn Road.
Anyway, enough local history and back to Tender Trap.... Stunning Sue raved about it so we had to try it. Between the 4 of us we managed to have 4 entrees and 4 mains and 1 dessert. Scallops were so fresh and quickly seared that the knife cut through them like butter. The oysters were matched with salmon and a tomato shooter. The quail was delicate with lots of subtle flavours. Calamari was thinly sliced, sprinkled with dukkah and flash fried. Melt in your mouth. Steak was perfection and the duck leg was nestled in a salad of lentil and some surprise pieces of quince. The sides of rocket salad with pear and pecorino and the garlic and flaked almond string beans were on par with the entrees. The dessert of Toffee parfait was their take on a gay time. It was spot on. The smell of the short black indicated that it was time to head home to watch the tailend of the Royal Wedding.
The only complaint is the menu...very confusing with mainly descriptions listing the ingredients. The main part of the dish isn't really showcased.
Well done Tender Trap; the best hidden restaurant in plain sight in East Doncaster.
Apx. $300 4 people.
Service was exceptional and Chris, the owner, was an excellent host. The food was tremendous. Couldn't fault the experience. It is a special occasion place for us, but I believe it is great value. The risotto was the best I've had, the steak divine. And I confess I am difficult to please. Their house Shiraz is to die for. You must give it a try if your budget allows. It is by far the best dinning experience locally.
This was not what I was expecting. There was a long wait for the Indian restaurant next door that we love so we decided to try our luck here. The strip of shops surrounding it are rather casual therefore I hadn’t really anticipated fine dining. The locals clearly knew what they were in for though as it was very busy. This food here is absolutely on par with traditional European cuisine eaten overseas in the country of origin. It’s city restaurant quality in an unassuming location. Not exactly ample parking and hardly budget prices but for the delicious ambiance and opportunity to eat off the exceptional menu I am more than pleased with this discovery
Have been eyeing and keen to come try this restaurant on the shophouse stretch of Blackburn Rd at the junction of George St. Warmly lit ambience, it was a lovely fine dining restaurant neatly decked out with bottles of fine wine on display.
It was running full house on a Saturday night.
The menu looked very enticing with a range of European cuisine. Good selection of house wine by the glass.
Our favourite dishes were the Duck Breast and Blue Eye Fillet, both well prepared and presented on this occasion.
The service staff were polite and accommodating. We enjoyed our meal overall.
Perhaps due to the lack of similar fine dining establishments in this area, they have a niche to be able to command the higher price. It was definitely catered for a special occasion.
🌟🌟🌟Twice Baked Zucchini & Cheese Soufflé
🌟🌟✨Local Mussels
🌟🌟🌟🌟✨Duck Breast
🌟🌟🌟Eye Fillet
🌟🌟🌟✨Blue Eye Fillet *special*
🌟🌟🌟Vine Tomato
🌟🌟🌟Warm Beans
🌟🌟✨Ricotta Donuts
🌟🌟✨Strawberry Semifreddo
🌟🌟🌟🌟 Ambience
Enjoyable experience, I had the scallops for the entree and my wife had the calamari. Both meals were well presented and delicious. We both had the risotto for the main course which was very enjoyable. The service was excellent and ambiance great. We were both surprised at how busy it was on a Wednesday evening. The restaurant was close to full.
Came here for a nice dinner, food and service was brilliant! Very attentive but not hovering, pleasantly helpful explaining dishes and specials. The scallops were our favourite dish! Perfectly cooked and fresh, well balanced with the fig. The seafood spaghettini hit just the right spot and was a very close second. Definitely will be coming back!
Great food, so much flavour and amazing presentation. Staff very helpful and accomodating. The ambiance was amazing with the warmth of candles and soft music. I highly recommend it.
Cosy restaurant with sensational food. The menu has a very good variety to choose from. The ricotta donuts were mouth watering! Thanks for an amazing night!
I celebrated my birthday at Tender Trap and wow what service!!! We were very impressed with food and their knowledge of wine which complements each dish. I enjoyed the ambiance and atmosphere with the small touches being spoilt for my birthday. I would definitely go back again!
The Tender Trap is an old Frank Sinatra movie from the Golden Age of Hollywood and I was expecting some sort of cinematic reference at the Tender Trap but it turned out to be modern contemporary dining. It was a cozy intimate space. I tucked into my char-grilled octopus entree with kumara, crumbled feta and smoked citrus and capers. The salty capers and feta combined beautifully with the sweetness of the kumara. The char-grilled octopus joined smokey-flavoured forces with the smoked citrus. Yum!
This could be found right in the city and compete easily with all those fancy overpriced places.
Yes, we spent $100 per person last night but it was well worth it. Excellent service, outstanding menu and the food was to die for. Even though I learned I won't ever order spatchcock again.
However, give me a litre of the licorice ice cream and I will die of happiness.
If your in the eastern suburbs it's hard to find a restaurant better than this. The 'black my road shops' is not a place you'd expect to find fine dining but the food is of an excellent standard here. Friendly attentive staff and delicious food.
Saw the good reviews here and went with family for TGIF dinner. Had booked a table in advance so we were promptly seated on arrival. The ambience, food, wine -all was fantastic. Food arrived after 45mins so thats the only negative feedback. Can't believe we have a great restaurant close to home. Will definitely return!
The Domestic Traveller
+3.5
There is something to be said about finiding a location in the heart of the suburbs with an unassuming foreground that always tantalizes the imagination. How could a place like this exist so far away from the city centre? And with all it’s exclusivity, you know you’re in for a treat.
Went with family and friends and it had a good atmosphere, quiet and serene for a Wednesday night. The waiter was friendly and talkative. Though it is listed as a french restaurant it seemed to be more of the general European style. Overall still a good experience, however a bit pricey.
Tender Trap is a gem amongst a small shopping strip in the eastern suburbs. The food is a delight and service wonderful! Will definitely come back for special occasions.
Sensational! So great to have a top quality restaurant in the suburbs. Ambiance terrific & the owners very welcoming. Oh & the chef? What do I say.... everything on this menu is top notch. We have gone to this restaurant several times & never disappoints!
The Domestic Traveller
+3.5
There is something to be said about finiding a location in the heart of the suburbs with an unassuming foreground that always tantalizes the imagination. How could a place like this exist so far away from the city centre? And with all it’s exclusivity, you know you’re in for a treat.
Whilst there are many little gems tucked away in shopping centres, next to community libraries and other out of way places these are more often than not Asian, Middle Eastern and the like. Finding good 'modern Australian cuisine' in the suburbs has been a
Tender trap This restaura.... Tender trap
This restaurant is actually very nice with a good ratio quality/price!! The service is very good and the food is quite yummy! The spaghettini with crab are outstanding! Another good positive is the wine list..they have some exceptional sav blanc from NZ!! Must try!!
Outstanding service, great food, one of my favourite restaurants, higher recommend to everyone, feels great to be your customer~~
Fantastic place! At first glance the prices seem a bit expensive but it is well worth it. Food was fantastic, Wine was wonderful.
Amazing service!. I have lived nearby Tender Trap for most of my life and always go by it but have never tried it till my girlfriend forced it upon me, saying it was her favourite restaurant. I now know why. The service here is stellar! From the host welcoming us upon arrival and our waiter taking our drinks to the explanation of the menu, just fantastic!
We shared the special of chicken liver, absolutely phenomenal! Then I had the paella which is a must do! Massive serve full of seafood, quail and chorizo. Barely managed it to finish it. My gf had the rabbit pasta which was chock full of rabbit and nicely made and cooked pasta.
Great price too. Came around to about $120 including drinks. For the quality of service and food, it's an absolute winner!
New favourite restaurant to celebrate special occasions!
Perfect wine, not a huge vegetarian selection but the gnocchi were fantastic! Creative, mouth watering deserts. Overall excellent!
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Monday night - yay. Exemplary service here, and delicious food. My partner and I had a rare night out sans kids, and it was lovely to have a relaxed atmosphere but still feel like we were treating ourselves to something special.
The owner Chris never misses a beat, he's an impeccable host, and in spite of it being our first visit, we felt like regulars from the get-go. Fresh bread and good quality olives to start as we perused the menu a nice touch.
The Hervey Bay Scallops with a delightful savoury topping were magnificent - I didn't order them, but I wish I had. Having said that the fine rings of my Semolina Dusted Calamari came a close second, and I wasn't left disappointed at all. Off to a great start with entrees then.
For mains my partner tucked into his generous serving of Paella - he had been given a tool for cracking something, but nothing required that kind of brute force. There were pipis, mussels, chorizo and quail, with perfectly cooked rice in a smoky tomato (sofrito) base. My steak, a tenderloin with skordalia was perfectly cooked, bleu, but still warm throughout (often bleu steak arrives cold in the centre). Skordalia had just the right amount of garlic to it. Sides are listed at $8.00 each, and we went with some sauteed beans with chilli, garlic and almond flakes. Just delicious with a lovely gentle heat from the beans.
Unfortunately the creme brulee wasn't quite set, but having 'settled' for the Mille Feuille I couldn't have been more pleased. The 'pastry' I think was kataifi, which ensured a very light dessert, and the yoghurt was thick with just a hint of sweetness, offset nicely by the blackberries which were the plumpest I have seen.
The prices here are reasonable I think, given the quality, presentation of food and service provided, a bit of a special night for us, we would absolutely visit again. A bonus for us is that it's open on that dreaded night - Monday, I was pleased to see we weren't the only diners enjoying Tender Trap early in the week.
Absolutely love this place. A hidden gem. Me and my girlfriend went here yesterday and we hade the caprice salad and some ricotta balls for entree and paella and the eye fillet for mains. And desert we had the Verne brûlée with roast banana ice cream and choch brownie. Food was 10 out of 10 and so was the service. And definitely value for money. Highly recommended!!
Been here 4 times now for dinner and very impressed every time with the service and the food. Highly recommend! Great steak, desserts and wine selection.
Could not rate the staff and good highly enough, the atmosphere was impeccable and I would come back with out a doubt. However the food is quite pricey maybe a little to much. But again the staff made my night enjoyable.
Impressive. Returned recently to find exceptional quality, atmosphere, beautiful design and every meal prepared with freshness and attention to detail. Creative and delicious - tender trap would stand up anywhere in the world.. We had a veal cutlet ( generous and delicious ) prawn pasta ( excellent) and paella ( well prepared with lots of flavor but a large meal). .. I don't normally do desserts but the tiramisu was light and perfect and the choc tart one of the best combinations we've ever tasted ( and my Aussie boy has tasted a few) .. Book yourself in for the next special occasion and you'll love it. RR
Lovely place. Don't know why people say its a bit pricey... For the same quality meal in the city you would expect to pay 20% more. Great to have a local fancy restaurant at your doorstep
Tender trap is our favorite local restaurant when we feel like treating ourselves. The service is amazing as is the ambiance. Sure it can be a little pricey but we have never been dissapointed and we go there for a treat. One tip: get the pork crackling! We get it every time- yum!!
We have lived in Doncaster East for six years and tonight was our first visit. Why didn't we go there earlier. Busy for a Monday night. Coffin Bay Oysters...smooth and tasty. Hereford beef tenderloin...perfectly cooked to medium and melted in the mouth. Rigati cooked al dente with minced duck. Chocolate macadamia tart...slightly sweet with no bitterness. Teamed with our byo 2010 Bremerton Old Adams Shiraz...perfect night.
Quality In Every Respect. Without being too disrespectful to the eastern suburbs, short of traveling closer to the city it's not easy finding a restaurant that offers trained staff to a high level, ambience and an outstanding menu of well prepared and presented food. It had been a year or so since my wife & I last went to Tender Trap but we revisited last night apparently after a recent renovation. The ambience is stunning and fresh, the staff were most attentive. I bought along a 94 Elderton Command and the waiter cheerfully decanted the wine and topped up glasses, not bad for BYO! We started with oysters natural and would say they were the most perfect and served at correct temperature. For mains the eye fillet was exact medium rare and my Red Emperor just great. The night was a feel good experience.
Fantastic Service - Great Food.
My partner and I went here for dinner last night. All the food was great, the waiter took the time to make suggestions and explain what was on our plate.
We tried the tapas tasting platter which was fantastic, something for everyone. We shared a paella and had a phenomenal chocolate tart for dessert.
Definitely a bit of class for the Eastern suburbs!!
Love the pork belly and aerated chocolate! Would come back but not so soon due to high price and not much variation to menu often
Awesome Food!!!! 2 thing you gotta try:
The 250g rib eye steak
And the Greek doughnut balls drizzled with honey and pistachio nuts. Seriously do it. Now.
Just OK. We went for a special occasion and while we enjoyed the meal overall it just didn't have the "wow" factor I expect for the price. The tapas platter was great (as you'd expect for $40), but the mains (swordfish and pork rib) were nothing special.
I wouldn't say I didn't like it - I just won't go back but would rather try somewhere new that might be special.
Whitebait = Yum Pork Belly .... Whitebait = Yum
Pork Belly tasted great but skin was not that crispy, the 250g steak was cooked to perfection but would had been a better dish with salad. Overall this is the best restaurant in Maninham area by far.
Anniversary Amazement. My wife and I have just come back from this restaurant for our 1 year wedding anniversary. Suffice to say, the cost is ABSOLUTELY worth it. We had the sardines and pork belly for entrees and were VERY impressed by both of them. We then had the Rib Eye and Paella for mains and the serving sizes were so HUGE we could only finish half of them each. I definitely recommend this restaurant to others for a wonderful and enjoyable dining experience.
Like it. We always select to dine here when visiting friends in the area. Nice food and wine list. Always a good time out. CheersChris
Decent for the suburbs. I've taken family, friends and business acquaintences here several times and rarely have I been disappointed. On the plus side, Chris and his team are friendly & attentive, the setting is comfortable and the food is good. I find the menu could be updated more frequently as I've had most of the dishes available. I also feel the menu is over priced for the suburbs and the lack of accompaniments with the main meals are a disappointment considering the $40.00 price tag. I also think the dishes could be cooked with a bit more flair but maybe that's being a little too fussy. Dessert menu could also be updated.
All in all I enjoy going here because its pretty consistent and its close to home.
Great food & service, very accomodating. Excellent service, varied menu and quality of the food is fantastic. Have been here before and not been disappointed. Wait staff were extremely accommodating with allergies, and even took the time to go through the menu, suggesting omissions or alternatives, and even offering a unique dish off the menu tailored to that diner's requirements. Perhaps a little on the pricey side for the suburbs (mains approaching $40) but considering the quality of the food and service, I think its worth it - this place stacks up well against CBD venues. Highly recommended.
Not sure what Raphael is talking about I ate there the other night and thought it was fantastic. Defiantly go back again.
High standard. Have had a dinner and a lunch here on a few occasions and have always left satisfied. The food is of a high standard and the service is friendly and prompt.
Pork belly!!. Went here for a birthday and there was 7 of us so quite a lot of food was ordered! For entrees we had the prawns, calamari and scallops. All delish, however wouldn't have minded a couple more prawns on the plate! The mains were about 4 serves of the pork belly which is to die for- perfectly cooked and crispy crackling! My sister had the lamb which she devoured and I think two other people had steak which they enjoyed. We also ordered (I think) a pear and rocket salad? Also a necessity as essentially you are just eating a chunk of meat and no extra vegetables if you order the pork. We still had room for dessert..amazingly..and the jam donuts and aerated chocolate as well as a tart were all fantastic. Highly recommend- only gripes are that they ran out of the champagne we were drinking after one bottle and it is very pricey!
Fantastic food and fantastic service! The atmosphere was great and so was the wine selection. The pork rib was cooked to perfection and the tuna special was delicious! Highly recomended!
Amazing food and amazing service. Were more than happy to accommodate for my strange food allergies, really appreciated it! Highly highly reccomend!
Good food, good service. Just a lil bit expensive.
Chelvi Kopinathan-Arunagiri
+4.5
Delicious, rib eye was perfectly cooked. Tender on the inside with a beautiful jus. Felt pricey at $42 for a shopping strip restaurant but you def get what you pay for. Entre and dessert werent so great - scallops tasted fishy and didn't like the cheese/crumbling mixture and the honeycomb in the aerated chocolate tasted burnt. Will be back for the lovely local food!
Love this place!!! The blue swimmer crab spaghetti is absolutely divine! Friendly service with a fine dining feel! A winner!
Romantic and delicious. Best modern cuisine restaurant in the area.
No matter what you have you want more of it.
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Great service and great food, but a bit pricey - particularly the entrees and desserts as the servings are very small. I had the mushroom risotto which was pretty yum, not outstanding or inspirational, but yum. It was nice how it wasn't overall thick and creamy but more light, but then again the depth of flavor wasn't rich. Glad it was very filling otherwise I would have been very disappointed and hungry as my dessert, a vanilla and coconut panna cotta with cherry ice cream and 'chocolate soil' was only the size of a few of bites. My friend has the crab linguini, he was slightly disappointed, but did enjoy the taste of crab that was fully utilized but not many other flavored were there except strong chilli. Does recommend the pork belly entree. That was an outstanding dish. The banana creme brûlée with expressi ice-cream is also worth a try. Overall, was great but not fantastic because of the price, and the food was yum but not really outstanding and we could probably find something cheaper with good just as good or better.
On The Tip Of My Tongue
+4.5
Loved it! Had the tapas entree, delicious main & dessert tasting plate. Amazing. Service impeccable. High-end prices but worth every cent. Will be on top of my 'special occasion' restaurant list.
Superb. You get what you pay for.
Happening place. Tapas selection to start set the scene for the rest of the night. High quality food. Blue swimmer crab spaghetti with garlic and chili was perfectly balanced. The presentation was esquisite. Husband's paella was exceptional, generous seafood, and spicy chirozo sausage in fluffy rice. Nothing stodgy or gluggy here!
The waiter was engaging and had a wonderful sense of humour. Wine list extensive enough.
Nice busy atmosphere, but not too loud. Just the right amount of people to make you feel like you are in a good restaurant.
Very nice food, mains are over $30 each, good service
Great restaurant...great food... Excellent service. Extremely knowledgable and pleasant staff. Very refreshing
Fantastic. The food here is delicious and the service is excellent. Have returned many times and it's always very good!
Fantastic food and service - thoroughly recommend this restaurant
The food is so posh! Definately delivers!
Dined with friends, I had prawn tacos for entree, pork cutlet for main & finished with coconut pannacotta for dessert. I also had a margarita cocktail as my drink. All the food was well presented & super delicious with a great variety of flavours. Service friendly. Will definitely return to try other menu items. A lovely fine dining restaurant in the suburbs.
Coime to Tender Trap for a special meal.
Just had Christmas Lunch, which is now a tradition.
The food and wine was excellent.
Sometimes you go to a restaurant and you try your partners main and think whether you made the better choice... today no doubt both brilliant.
It was our anniversary and we wanted a something special lunch. We found the perfect place for it. It was a fantastic dining experience. One would normally find a place like this inside a 5 star hotel or an up-market dining precinct. Certainly not expected in Doncaster East! Chris took us on a great gourmet journey with stunning oysters, rich aged beef, delicious duck, 4 absolutely fantastic matching wines! Service was superb, knowledgeable and helpful. Thank you for a most memorable experience.
A treasure of a local restaurant with excellent food and a superb wine list. The menu changes are always seasonally thoughtful. The food presentation is divine. The awards for the restaurant are not a surprise and we love dining there for a special occasion as well as with visitors. It never disappoints.
Wish I could give more than just 5 stars,
Sensationally outstanding menu, knowledge, attentive and friendly staff.
Extraordinary wine list.
Chris and the team do a brilliant job.
Food was outstanding
Anyone who gives less than 5 stars hasn’t got a clue about what they’re talking about
Finally Find it nice restaurant near my area,nice food and good service.😋
Beautiful family owned restaurant with lots of attention to detail complimented by friendly attentive service. You will not be disappointed by the cuisine and the 300+ choices of wine. Highly recommend.
BEST EVER DESSERTS. On top of the amazing entrees and mains, it is rare to find a restaurant that finish off with the best desserts. I should just come and have a three course desserts.
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