Review The Grace Darling Hotel - Fitzroy

Great space, the architecture is fantastic thus providing several different atmospheric rooms indoors and outdoors. Chips, eggplant parma etc was good but could be better! The beetroot burger was great. Efficient, helpful and friendly staff. Definitely worth the visit. Also there drinks menu is extensive and nice vibe :)

Lovely Aperol spritzes for the pretty fair price of $15 a pop. There’s also a decent beer and wine selection. It’s good as a bar and just as good as a venue thanks to the large and dynamic space.

Grace Darling is a Smith St Icon. Cozy atmosphere inside. Great simple pub food

The grace darling is a good little venue. The bowl of chips are one of the best in Melbourne - mostly because of the smokey/barbecue tomato dipping sauce. There is plenty of space outside (great for people watching) and inside my favourite place to sit is in the undercover courtyard area. Will continue to be regulars here

Food was delicious. Service was average and the music was way way to loud. You can’t hear each other at the table because it’s so hard to speak over the volume of the speakers. Finally it’s very dark inside - so you can’t even see what you’re eating or read the menu. But I have to say the food was delicious.

I haven’t been back to their steak night for ages .. but it’s still tasty and good. Pretty quick as well considering they were quite busy. The standard is consistent. Definitely recommend to try their steak night. One thing that I need to bring up. They need to offer more desserts on the menu Previous Review: Normally I go here for drinks, but last time we came here for their steak night on Thursday. It was a delicious $18 steak, chips were crunchy and the sauce was tasty. Tonight (Monday) we came here for the lamb shank’s night. $15 with the mash and another $5 with a glass of red. We ordered chips and salads to share. Very good value and outstanding services. Highly recommended

What happened with the food? This used to be one of the best place for steak and parma in the area, but more than disappointing now. Quality is below average. Not even talking about the wait (45min) and the mix up in our order (how is that even possible with the QR code system?!). So overall, it just used to be better

Stumbled across this place on Sunday and I must say it was the most perfect Sunday afternoon spent on a cold winters day! A Fireplace to sit in front of which kept us cosy & warm. And the food was exceptional. Will definitely be back! 🙌🏻

I had the kangaroo fillet with fondant potatoes. Was lovely but portion was extremely small for a main and $30 at that. My partner got the duck ragu with paperdelle - again small portion size and not seasoned quite right, sauce could have been a bit bolder. Cannot fault the service, spot on and venue in terms of ambience is great. Sadly food in terms of portion size and overall value for money let's this place down.

We were looking forward to eating at the Builders Arms, but sadly the menu there both the Chinse and the bar menu were not inspiring. So we wandered to the Grace Darling, took one look at the menu, read "Pork Belly" and nearly knocked each other out getting thru the door. Janice had the Pork belly which looked and was delicious. I had the Beetroot Risotto which was equally delicious. The wine list was great, the ambience superb and delightful, delightful staff. We shared the Brulee which was scrummy and left completely satisfied and happy and looking forward to going back to eat there again. Well recommend a feed at the Grace Darling. Actually when I think about it, its always been a reliable yummy place to eat drink and be happy. I asked the chef to marry me, however he did respectfully decline the offer. I think it was the obvious age gap! No harm in trying eh? 5 stars Grace Darling 5 stars!

Look the decor is beautiful, the staff very friendly BUT at one time there were 6 behind the bar chatting while I was waiting to be served and I'm not sure they all worked there, then a bit later one young person was busily eating (with mouth open) and another two I think were tasting drinks behind the bar! For such a lovely venue perhaps the staff need reminding about a bit of professionalism?

It's a great venue...great staff..great beer..great gig's...Davey Lane last night was amazing. Been here a few times now..never disappoints

Liam and Sara are lovely staff and you know that means a lot coming from a “difficult” and experienced woman like me. They deserve a pay rise. Xx but I am sure you already pay them well. X

great food , friendly staff, will come back again.

Amazing food. Such an amazing dining experience. The new chef there is amazing. The menu is for everyone! Vegan, Vegetarian and Meat Eaters. Food was outstanding. Planning another visit there soon!! Can't get enough !

Staff needs to get their shit together lol. Decent beer if u just want to drink in the pub section... Got told to wait in the dining area for “table service” (lol)... sat there for nearly ten minutes waiting to be served. In the course of that time had four different staff members pass me back and forth, some just ignoring (I was the only one sitting there), chef comes out, equally confused as to why no one was manning that section. Rings bell twice... of the staff that didn’t ignore me and that passed, two literally just stood there when they saw me and stared while I shared eye contact waiting expectantly. Confused as to what to do. The other one staring at me, smiling, and then going off to chat to a mate on the other side of the dining area. I got up to leave, picking up my stuff as she’s chatting to her mate. Walked past her and there were zero fucks given. �. Anyway took my $80 I was gonna spend down to Pabu down the road. I’m a local, but let’s just say I won’t be coming back here for dinner.

Straw free venue...!!!🥤 Good selection of wine and cocktails. Outdoor seating available. Will definitely go back!!

Love this venue and staff. Played here last night and really enjoyed it.

Fantastic atmosphere great friendly and helpful staff...

Stunning pub. Loved the decor and relaxed feel to it. We ordered a steak roll and chicken Parma. Both were very tasty. Will pop in again when we’re in the area. Have heard their sundays roasts are delicious so that’s on my food list.

Lovely venue and always great food. Shame it’s often spoiled by ‘ too cool to serve’ floor staff, not an uncommon occurrence in the inner north. If the bar welcome was a tad more professional would be five star all the way. Will keep trying :-)

3.5/5 <br/>My partner and I called in here for dinner. Thankfully we booked as there was limited table seating. <br/><br/>The service was, well... friendly but maybe a bit new.<br/><br/>I ordered a glass of Shiraz and my partner a Negroni at $21 each. OMGosh that was more than my steak hahahaha <br/><br/>As it was steak night I had a porterhouse steak and it was cooked really well but it had a reasonable amount of gristle unfortunately.<br/><br/>My partner had the eye fillet which was really good, delicious in fact. <br/><br/>We shared a rocket salad which not surprisingly was basically just rocket but seasoned well.<br/><br/>Overall it was alright and very busy.

Normally I go to this bar for a drink. Last time we went there for their steak night on Thursday. It was a delicious $18 steak. Tonight we went for their lamb shank’s night (Monday). $15 the lamb shanks with mash, $20 with a glass of red. We ordered chips and salads to share. We were all happy with our meals. The service was outstanding. Highly recommended

I came here for a 50th which was held in a sweet little space separate from the main area. But to get there at 7pm meant weaving my way through all the patrons. This place is still mentally crazily awesomely busy and has such a great vibe. Despite being winter people still sat outside wining and dining and watching the wonders of Smith Street go by. <br/><br/>The atmosphere was friendly and fun. <br/><br/>Staff are excellent and have fantastic lip reading skills because it can be noisy. The music isn’t intrusive but is loud. <br/><br/>The food was great with the burger and Parma being the most popular. Food portion sizes and reasonable prices. You order at the bar your food and drinks - no table service. <br/><br/>Wheelchair friendly. Kid friendly. Parking isn’t to bad. I so so will return

Good beer selection, great gigs, never tried the food but I'm keen to. How could I not appreciate this local institution? I wish there was more promotion of the cooler craft beers on offer, but maybe there's not enough interest to market that. Either way, loved my sour beer that I can't remember the name of.

Cosy vibe with standard pub menu. Came here for steak night which was really enjoyable. For $25 had the scotch fillet with peppercorn sauce and side salad. Steak was well cooked and the sauce was very tasty. Would happily come back here for a casual meal with friends.

This past weekend it was a split decision ('we don't have any other better options') to walk into Grace Darling whilst we waited to meet up with friends after dinner and I'm glad we did, even if it was for a quick drink. I reckon this place is a 'don't judge a book by it's cover type of place' as I was pleasantly surprised with how nice, dimly lit and rustic the interior was compared to the exterior. <br/><br/>Although we only stopped in for a Vodka-Soda-Lime and a couple of pints, I have left with a great first impression and will be back if I'm ever in the neighbourhood!

It was a last minute decision to drop into Grace Darling for a quick drink. So glad we did though because we discovered a range of Bombay Saphite G&T Twists drinks. G&T is almost a staple drink of mine these days (lost count of the varieties of gin at home) but I loved the additional flavour combinations these twists provided. <br/><br/>The Refreshing Twist came with cucumber, kaffir lime leaf, butters and tonic while my “Holiday” came with Strawberry Mint and Tonic. Not sure if it was the amazing tonic varieties from Fever Tree but these drinks were stunning and should be seriously used as a magical elixir. <br/><br/>As an aside when we came here (Tuesday) it was their parma day until quite late. $15 for fairly good looking parma’s $5 for mash (wonder if I could go in and just order Mash).<br/><br/>Glad we paid them a visit.<br/><br/>

Such delicious food and I really liked the ambiance of this place. For a pub restaurant, they had done a nice job of creating an area that felt intimate but still buzzing. Dinner lit by candle and separated from the main hustle. <br/><br/>In contrast, the guy who asked us if we had a reservation looked like he’d stepped out of a hip hop music video. It seemed really out of place, but also gave the place its surprising character. The inside dining is relatively small. The waiter looked like he should be working in the pub area, but they do table service and he was very attentive. Even recommended dishes and how the steaks should be cooked depending on the cut (for those out there who aren’t steak fiends - including me). <br/><br/>I had a fabulous dish called “pork cotoletta”. I’ll be eating that again if it’s on the menu. It’s got a nice crumb crunch on the outside of a perfectly cooked pork chop. The salad suited very well, although it took me a few bites to realise the orange was under the rest of the salad. I love salad with almost every bite, so ended up adding some of the rocket salad we’d got for the table (which was lucky, because it was a big piece of pork). All together delicious. <br/><br/>We started with the calamari special, which was very lovely but not running back for. It didn’t help that I’d recently had mind blowing squid somewhere else. Tough to beat. <br/><br/>The others had steak and a burger. The steak was close to being up there with the best steak they’d ever had. It looked delicious! The ‘salad’ it comes with is tiny, so best to get a side salad (if you’re into salad... otherwise just enjoy it with the chips). Someone else had the beef burger and was munching away at it saying it was super yummy. <br/><br/>The wine list was great. The prosecco was lovely and I would definitely go back! I was even congratulated at the end for picking the place - I think they were equally surprised that the pub would have a little restaurant area tucked at the back. We were basically the only people in there at 6:30pm, but by 8pm all the tables inside were taken. <br/><br/>

Nice atmosphere, candle lit, warm and classy. The menu is considered and interesting without being over the top. The wine list is relevant with a old world and a few naturals in the cellar list to spice it up.

Went there with my friend , we ordered at the counter & waited for our food after that , because it was very busy when we were there so I kind like this ordering system at least u know u don’t have to wait for their staff to come to you & take your order ,sometime it might take loooong time . I ordered beetroot risotto, very pretty dish i would say , come to the taste , lack of flavours I think , can’t really taste beetroot . I gave 3.5 because my friend ordered slow cooked beef pasta taste better than this unfortunately I didn’t any pic for that dish .

Went for a Scarf dinner (an organisation that helps with employment opportunities for young people). It was $45 per person for 2 courses. We could choose between 3 entrees and 3 mains, and could buy sides and desserts separately. <br/><br/>The service was lovely, although a bit insecure still. The trout in the entree was a bit bland and the portion was small. The corn soup was lovely and they brought us some more bread to go with it (nice bread btw!), also a small portion. We had the mushroom tart and the beef cheek for mains. Beef cheek was a very reasonable portion, the mushroom tart was very very small. Both dishes were flavoursome.<br/><br/>All and all I would say $45 for the dishes we had is on the expensive side, however, considering the money goes back into training these young people is completely acceptable. I was full afterwards, boyfriend not really, maybe I ate more than my share :D<br/><br/>Had a really lovely chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon that were well priced ($9 per glass).<br/><br/>Wouldn't mind going to the next season of Scarf dinners with a new menu and new location!

Swung by The Grace Darling for a pre dinner drink over the weekend. I've actually eaten there a couple of times before as I love that it's steeped in history being Melbourne's second oldest pub and it's a beautiful old building with lovely stained glass windows. The food is not too shabby either but we are in hipsterville so the menu caters to the clientele, think tofu burgers, sustainably sourced fish, vegan this and vegan that. You can still find your traditional pub classics however and in a very relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere

We had a wonderful night here at a Scarf dinner. The food was lovely. My trout for entree and beef cheek for main were very tasty indeed. The latter was just the remedy on a cold wet Melbourne evening. A very hearty dish and a nice generous serve. The service was exceptional here too, from both the trainee and the professionals. They were happy, efficient and attentive. We loved their great work. This was a lovely night. We wandered off to catch the number 86 thinking the world was pretty OK.

Here is a great idea when one decides to manage or run a Pub or restaurant.  Try to learn how to read and take the order that the customers give you.  I should have seen the writing on the wall as soon as I walked in.  The place was busy and loud but that's not a bad thing.  We arrived at 7.15 pm and chose a bottle of wine from the list.  The waiter turns up with the bottle open and goes through the usual facade of pouring a little in my glass to see if the wine was ok.  Given how dark the lighting was, I could barely see the label but immediately realised that the waiter brought a bottle of Syrah instead of the shiraz we ordered.  I told him that it was the wrong wine and he decides to check with the manager who tuned up and gave me some spiel that it was a more expensive bottle but will charge you 20% less if you don't insist on the one you ordered.  Great !!!  OK - not to make any scene, I accepted it reluctantly.  So then we all put our orders in at 7.30 and yes, you guessed right, by 8.35 pm everyone around us (who arrived AFTER us) had progressed to their deserts while we were quickly losing our appetites.  I approached the manager again and explained that no meals had arrived after over one hour waiting.  Now I can accept that we all make mistakes but I draw the line when the same manager looks you in the eye and just lies to my face and says that it is a busy night.  Sure ! then why has every table around us (who arrived after us) had all their meals ??  She went to the cooks and found our order sitting on the front counter close by and not even looked at.  I really hate having my face washed by some one who takes me for a fool.  After all the waiting, the food was pretty average.  And another thing !! Don't bullshit people with that "Is the wine OK sir ?" and then insist on serving it when it is the wrong wine.  It was YOUR mistake and you made the customer feel uncomfortable for simply requesting the bottle that was originally ordered.

The grace darling has a great vibe with delicious food. Food is quite pricey but the quality is there in the food. If you want a great night out with great tunes and trendy environment this place is great!

A friend and I stopped in for a nice hot meal and chose the Sunday roast. The meat was perfectly cooked melt in your mouth delicious. Beautiful roasted veggies and crunchy roast potatoes. Great service and attentive wait staff. Will go back any day!

As much as I love fine dining and eating at fancy schmancy places, you cannot in my mind beat a good pub meal! Maybe it’s the significantly reduced price factor, the more relaxed instead of stuffy vibe, or that for the majority of pubs the food is straightforward. In a good way I mean! Let’s be real; if you’re looking for a parmigiana at a 2 Chefs Hatted restaurant, I say good luck to you sir.

My memory of this place is hazy due to one (five?) too many vinos, however I can vividly recall my chicken parma, because remembering a place's chicken parma is crucially important for future reference. <br/><br/>Three of the four of us had the parma because of the rave reviews of one member of the party. It was very good; not the best I've ever had but close. The downside to it, and I can't believe I am saying this, is the lack of sides the night we went. They must have been running out - we each got one baby potato on our plates and a little bit of soggy salad. I completely expect to eat a Parma and then feel like I never want to eat again, but no, I needed more food after this. <br/><br/>The fourth member of the party had the duck ragu and again, was a little surprised at the small serving. I guess when you order pub food, you expect a huge serve but when you add a hipster element to it, well... I guess they've got to be different somehow. <br/><br/>Having said that, I wouldn't mind coming back (sober) and trying more things on the menu.

The food here is awesome. Sunday lunch with friends is my jam here... meeting up for a fantastic lunch and some very good beers before we get into party mode. Try the lamb cutlets! The staff are friendly and the setting is superb.

Fantastic lunch venue. Vibrant & friendly with the best value best burger in town! I went with a group. My beef pattie was cooked to perfection. Other s has chicken or tofu burgers, all got the thumbs up.

The Grace Darling is one of my favourite pubs in Melbourne. It's well known as a hipster hangout and once you walk in you will see why. Calling it a pub is a little misleading as the food and drinks on offer are top notch and the staff, while usually looking grumpy and bored, are pretty cool and do a decent job.<br/><br/>It's great as a after work drink or catch up spot because of the range of group seating (massive couches or tall tables) and the great $5 pints of Coopers! They do pretty good pub food and always have good music. The pub looks quite nice and fancy, not a dingy old pub. There is wifi that says guest but none of the staff ever know the password so useless. Check the bar out though!

Called into Grace Darling for an impromptu lunch while wandering the nearby streets and I’m so glad we did! We ordered the angus beef burger and the jerk chicken burger and went halves (of course!) to get the best of both worlds. I’m not usually a big burger fan but boy-oh-boy, I've converted! These burgers were melt in your mouth – the angus beef patty a standout, but I can’t not mention the lime and chilli slaw/chipotle salsa combo that the chicken burger had going on. YUM! The chips on the side were also great – rustic, unpeeled, chunky slices of carbie goodness and a tasty (house made?) bbq sauce on the side. I’ll be back!

Built in 1854, the Grace Darling Hotel is Melbourne's second oldest pub and named after an English lighthouse keeper’s daughter famed for her heroic rescue of survivors from the shipwrecked Forfarshire in 1838. As a tribute to the building’s namesake, the modern interior is tastefully features ships and seascapes and retains its original floorboards and leadlight windows.

I came here with a big group (about 9) and everyone's meals were delivered together and in a good time frame. Friendly staff. I commend them on their vegan options, they all sounded incredible. I decided to go with the tofu burger and house made chips which was delicious. To be honest I wasn't hungry as I didn't think to check the menu and ate beforehand. On seeing the options I decided I needed to give one dish a try. To be honest I wasn't hungry at all yet almost finished the entire thing. The bbq sauce was also smokey azzzz and so good! I think everyone enjoyed their meal! At least from what I heard... Heavy pub meals for the win! Would come here again especially with non vegan dining companions.<br/>LOL THIS IS SO POORLY WRITTEN OH MY, excuse that... Must have been too excited haha

We wandered into this masculine bluestone building on a sunny Sunday. Walking past the quiet front bar (Coopers on tap) we found ourselves at the hub where the open kitchen is in clear site of many 20 somethings sitting at large communal tables. Promising. After being given various seating options, we were seated in the “restaurant” section of the pub which, to my great surprise, was a brilliant sundrenched covered courtyard full of atmosphere.<br/><br/>The food menu was impressively comprehensive but the wine list was disappointingly limited (5 reds on offer). After our complimentary bread with olives/olive oil, we ordered starters. Tempura prawns; 3 plump fresh prawns with microherbs and a good dressing. Cheeseburger spring rolls which were just like eating a crispy Big mac and American chicken ribs with chipotle; plenty of tender white meat with good flavor. All washed down with a Melbourne Bitter long neck ($10) which was not as cold as it should have been.<br/><br/>For main a Lamb loin with macadamia crust with quinoa, pomegranate and a yoghurt (?) dressing. Very good flavours. Perfectly cooked lamb. Washed down with a 2015 Head Red Shiraz ($55) which was good. Dining partner ordered a medium rare “sirloin” steak (Porterhouse) which came out looking a little tight like it had not been rested. It was cooked to medium. Served with hand cut chips (excellent) and coleslaw which was a little too “creamy” for my liking. <br/><br/>Service was very attentive and friendly. Waitresses took drink orders immediately on our arrival. Atmosphere was excellent with a good range of ages (20’s – 60’s). tucking into potted roasts with pumpkin, brussel sprouts. A very homely, comfortable room with a great feel. Van Morrison’s greatest hits filling the room up with his cheery tunes. Perfect for a long lazy lunch with friends and family. I’ll be back!

Picked this place based on its proximity to Messina but actually the food was good! Had the jerk chicken Maryland - was lacking a little bit of heat but was still nice and the accompanying grain salad was really good.

<br/>Had an absolutely fantastic birthday dinner here with a big group. I had the sirlpin with pepper sauce, it was perfectly cooked and everything was delicious. Will be going again very soon!

Who transported the entire suburb of Frankston to Smith Street? Clientele aside, overpriced pints of MOR beer and cider, staff that are not especially well mannered or astute and most importantly LACK OF PICKLEBACKS (fun fact: one of the afore mentioned inept staff members didn't know what a pickleback was, and upon being informed of what was involved in said concoction proceeded to respond with the remark that "there's a Coles next door if you want to get some pickles) renders this institution somewhat disappointing. Great potential, however. They need a massive staff overhaul and more rigorous policing of patrons (here's an idea- granting entry to a large number of people who are very obviously under the age of 18 is asking for trouble of the legal variety, so you may want to exercise more discretion.) Sort yourself out, Grace Darling.

It could be described as more of a lady friendly pub- a bit prettier and fancier than most. We sat in the lovely courtyard but didn't stay there long because it stank of wee. We had a much more pleasant afternoon once we relocated inside to enjoy our meals!

One of Melbourne's oldest pubs with a fantastic atmosphere and plenty of character inside and a great outside area too. Very good drinks prices and variety, as well as great pub food for a decent price.

Enjoy coming here on the weekend, catch up with friends and enjoy their burgers. Burgers are expensive but are special, especially with a cold beer. Friends recommend the Sunday roast so I think that might be the next visit to the Darling. Tram outside makes it easy to come home after a boozy night.

Unfortunate lack of service.Booked 3 weeks prior to an event for a party of 20 people in the 'Atrium' after speaking to a lovely young girl at The Grace Darling Hotel.Explained this was a surprise event for a dear friend who had had a very tough year. Explained the idea was to have an 'aperitivo' type spread for all people, champagne etc. (pre-paid) Followed by main meals and dessert which was to be paid by the event attendees.Was told this was 'all booked' in, and what a 'lovely thought' etc. and just to call back when we know what food we want to order for the aperitivo.Have since sent invitations, organised a cake, decorations and friends are visiting from other states.Receive a missed call 2 days ago, returned the call to find out that they had booked out the venue and the only room for us was in a more formal dining environment. I have to admit I was disappointed as the Atrium looked lovely from the photos and it seemed 'all booked it', however I ran with it.What killed the vibe immediately was being told that "I didn't confirm the booking or leave a deposit" by the Manager Morris. Sorry....was not informed this was needed. He also indicated that because I didn't return their call 2 days ago, they assumed we didn't want the booking, and booked others in. I made a booking 3 weeks ago.When I tried to be flexible and said, yes, we can move to the 'kitchen' area, I was told "You just need to make sure that all of your party orders a main meal". I re-explained what I had (supposedly) organised with the young lady 3 weeks prior. and that we were starting with an aperitivo, but if anyone wanted to have dinner it was to be paid by the individual. Once again, I repeat, this was all explained, requested, and agreed to weeks earlier.The response? "Well, we certainly can't have you occupy a space that big and not order mains during our busiest time of the year!". I was gobsmacked. The manager apologised briefly for the 'muck around' but didn't budge. He had booked over our original booking in the Atrium and was now going to force us to spend ex. amount in the kitchen area.Not only is their booking system seriously lacking in order or logic, but no explanation about their terms was made in the initial phone call.We have a party of 20 people (who are making the trip to Melbourne especially) I now need to re organise and rush to find a new venue with 1 week notice. To the management team: You may believe that at least your bookings are spending the 'right' amount as you prefer, but you have missed out on: 20 x entrees as aperitivo, 4 bottles of champagne, at least 15 main meals, dessert for all. I'm not sure the exact amount, but I thought it warranted a little more kindness on your part.What should have been a beautiful evening for a friend that deserved a lovely night has been ruined, and I don't feel that the team at The Grace Darling particularly care either.

The decor is great however we went there for a Sunday roast and the sizes were a little small. I'm not one for large portions (since I'm a tiny little woman) but the size was even too small for me. Meat was a bit tough too.

Lovely, cosy atmosphere and the best happy hour drink specials around. Have had food here a couple of times, their sunday roasts were always ace. Have had hit and miss meals but it was never bad and mostly good. Great gig venue upstairs and down.

Best cocktails. I've always loved the tap beer selection and variety at this pub....last night sampled a few of their cocktails and was so pleasantly surprised. The espresso martini could quite possibly be the best in town!<br/>Delicious bar snacks and snappy service too.<br/>Thanks for a great night guys, will keep on coming back again and again. So glad you are here, this pub is a real gem.<br/>Don't ever change!

After waiting a good few minutes for the bar staff to finish their conversation (no one else was queuing for a drink), they finally decided to serve me even though I was standing right in front of them. I ordered a soda water with fresh lime. Not too complicated. After waiting a few minutes another bar guy tells me that the other bar guy just totally forgot to actually make the drink. I told him to forget it and walked off. What kind of bar staff wait to finish their conversation before serving their customers who are standing right in front of them, then take your order, then forget to actually fulfil the order??? Absolute morons have been employed there. Will never go back when there are so many better bars to choose from with professional staff.

Exceptional Mothers Day lunch. My family took me to lunch at this hotel on Mother's Day.<br/>Just wanted to pass on my thanks to the friendly wait staff and chefs. Food was SOOOO delicious (table next to us thought so as well). Great job on such a busy afternoon. <br/>Look forward to coming back again soon.<br/>Highly recommended

It's good.

We had our wedding reception upstairs at The Grace early April.<br/><br/>I can't begin to say how happy we where. The night was amazing, the staff so easy to deal with. We had to have minimal input into how we wanted everything setup as what they do themselves was perfect anyway. <br/><br/>It was relaxed, the food was delicious and the chefs even cooked one of our own recipes for us. <br/><br/>Honestly, thank you guys for helping make it such a memorable and amazing night.

COME FOR THE PARTY- STAY FOR THE FOOD.. HANDS DOWN MY FAVOURITE PUB in Fitzroy... Heck... IN MELBOURNE. <br/>Atmosphere, killer drinks selection, love the food and a serious sex-factor. Always ends up a rollicking night upon entering those infamous blue-stone walls.. Plenty of seating options and intimate nooks & crannys for whatever mood you're in. The pub fare is at once- distinguished and charmingly rustic. Not for the faint-hearted..! But a guaranteed great night out.

Counter Lunch. 15 bucks for a pot of beer and a burger... Incredibly good.<br/>Exceeded all expectations! Nice one team.

SERIOUSLY GOOD FOOD!. Hats off to the chefs at this pub...have been coming here for a while now and the quality coming out of the kitchen just seems to be getting better and better. The fettuccine broccoli was as good as anything that I have had in any of Melbourne,s best Italian restaurants and the sirloin steak was big, juicy and melt in your mouth tender. Topped off with super friendly and snappy service, a tight little all Victorian wine list and a cozy winter feel, this surely must be the most sought after pub dining in town. <br/>10 out 10 to the Grace

Great Sunday Roast. We had the Sunday roast which was delicious! That combined with the cosy atmosphere and great drinks selection makes The Grace the perfect place to spend a Winter Sunday afternoon. Will definitely be back!

Beautiful winter pub. Thanks to the terrific staff at the grace for a lovely Sunday afternoon lunch. The slow cooked lamb shanks and Sunday roast, washed down with some pretty awesome wines were particular stand outs. <br/>Loved the atmosphere, decor and open fireplaces. Really busy place and well deserved.<br/>One of Melbourne's great winter pubs. Keep up the good work guys

More Faulty than Fawlty Towers and not as funny... With a cold wet Sunday forecast - what could be better than a family Sunday roast in front of a roaring fire? So with a 'Sunday Roast' advertised, we booked a table 'near the fire' at the Grace darling.<br/><br/>- On arrival - no booking noted.... strange<br/>- No table available by a fire.. contrary to what we were told on the phone last night... odd<br/>- Ordered drinks at the bar:<br/>-- Bloody Mary with a warming shot of sherry - out of sherry... disappointing..<br/>-- Aperol spritz - out of Aperol... But its on the drinks board above the bar??!<br/>-- Raspberry lemonade? - No raspberry syrup... hmmm<br/>- Eventually find us a table... not near a fire, but in an atrium... not what we had in mind.. but, oh well, we are here now..<br/>- Wine list? Limited selection made even more limited because we are told they are out of stock of most of the wines listed... OK we'll have what you do have..<br/>- Roast?? No, there is no Roast.... oh, but that's why we are here... alright let's chose something else<br/>- Order entrée ... yeah, edible... but not so great. <br/>- Would you like Tabasco with Oysters - Yes please.... after a while - Sorry, we are all out of Tabasco (So what was that in the Bloody Mary?)<br/>- Mains arrive with the table still fully cluttered with entrée plates and platters... right, so we'll clear some space for the waiter to put main dishes down..<br/>- Three out of four dishes (Pork Belly) delivered, to be told about the fourth dish, they have run out of lamb shanks and a serve of Pork Belly will be provided instead! ....right... so why did we even bother ordering from the menu??<br/>- On a scale of 10 Pork Belly gets a 4 or 5..<br/>Still, we are all having lunch together... so laugh and go with it..<br/>- Desert.. oh, that would be nice with a coffee and maybe a sticky wine... - Sorry, we have no desert wines (not surprising, I guess ... after experience so far..) but then... Sorry, we don't do coffee or Tea.... what??!! really??<br/>- At this stage, we figure it really is a lost cause and go elsewhere to finish our lunch<br/>The waiting staff were apologetic, but could not offer any explanation for everything being out of stock...<br/>Laughable maybe... but really crap contemptuous experience.... And not inexpensive (even considering they did not charge for the undelivered Shanks..) <br/>Just so pleased not to be entertaining out-of-towners showcasing Melbourne as the foodie / coffee capital it is touted to be - would have been sooooo embarrassing<br/><br/>In summary - don't waste precious moments of your life gracing the Grace

Loved it!. My group had a wonderful time at the grace darling. The atmosphere is electric, the food solid and the wine list tidy. The pub is not confused, I love her identity!

DO NOT EAT AT THE GRACE DARLING!!!. I have been going to the Grace Darling for a while now, just for drinks, when I decided to try the food there after hearing it was good. What a mistake that was! The staff there were unbelievably stuck up, acting like it was such an effort to have them do their job and serve me. We ordered dumplings for entrée, some of which came out with the main meals, a side of mash didn't come out at all and my steak was cold! I don't expect the world when eating at a pub but surely basic manners can't be too much of an effort!

Yuuummmm!!. Slow cooked lamb shoulder shepherds pie is probably the best I have ever had!

Waited a HUGE amount of time for our 2 cocktails, to be wrong ! Bar staff danced around during this period leaving customers waiting for service. When we told bar staff that the order was incorrect, they disagred with a very foul attitude.. Will not return !! Get yo staff in check..

From the outside you can't tell what a gem this is... A non descript bluestone building built in 1854 that you could easily not notice on your way down Smith St. But you walk into a wonderful world of renovated excellence and quality décor, lighting, wallpaper and entertaining/dining spaces… One of the best pub renovations and ambient spaces I have ever seen!

Chill out at the Grace Darling Hotel with that glass or wine or beer and catch up with friends in a homely relaxed easy going atmosphere. Gotta love a fireplace when it’s cold and grey outside.

Sunday lunch at a pub - what better way to spend a Sunday afternoon with the lovely companionship of dear friends. And the Grace Darling was a pleasant place to do just that.

For some reason, we stayed at the Grace Darling. Maybe it was because we couldn’t be bothered trawling around for another pub (and we certainly weren’t heading back to the BC). Maybe it was because the Collingwood Football Club came to formation at this v

There was a time when the grungy Grace Darling was the kind of pub which you'd cross the road to avoid. Now the pretty brick and stone building has been given a good clean-up and on a sunny day you'll find the pub full of youngsters spilling out on the pa

Chicken Parma!. Not you typical Parma, but I loved it! Stuffed with gooey tallegio and mortadella, this tasty lil bird was totally satisfying.<br/>I usually have the burger and that is always great!

A very disappointing lunch. I recently dined here for lunch with some colleagues. 3 out of 4 of us ordered the pork belly. It came out and looked disappointing from the outset. As it turned out it was gelatinous, the cracking was almost non-existent, thin and not crispy and generally unenjoyable. I soldiered through this meal trying to find some trace of meat, but found mostly uncooked fat that was inedible. The condiments that went with this were fine, but the hero of the dish was disgusting. If I hadn't cooked pork belly at home many times and eaten it extensively elsewhere, I would be put off this dish for life after this meal. I was unable to eat meat for several days after this meal. Sorry, but never order this dish at this restaurant. The other meal that came out was a hamburger & chips. I noticed that the chips were left uneaten as they were overcooked. Overall, not not an enjoyable meal tab all. I would not dine at this Pub again.

For a $45 set menu dinner I would have expected a lot more! Well over an hour after we had finished the appetizers the mains finally arrived and it was not worth the wait. <br/>You will get service if you get up and seek it out and if you apply a bit more pressure you may even get an apology for their tardiness. <br/>I heard this place used to be good, but I will not be coming back here again - life is too short.

Sustainable!. So good to see a busy pub making a difference by trying the sustainable foods menu, impressive, not to mention delicious.<br/>I had the wallaby and my partner the mornington mussels... Great!

Arrogant staff. Overly loud. Bad food.. The staff are hipsters that treat you as a lesser being because you dont have a top bun, beard, gigantic tunnels or wear 40 year old clothes half eaten by moths. The food is sub par, 1/4 chicken and lettuce is NOT paramegana. The staff are constantly turning up and turning down Third Eye Blind's Greatest Hits and talking is constantly a struggle. The beer list is good and so are the prices but everything else is bad, bad, bad. Next time i come ill be coming with a full stomach, top bun and a pocket watch.

Xmas delight!. My function was co-ordinated beautifully..<br/>from the booking to the food and service.<br/>10/10 from every person in our group

STEAKs. My aged rib eye was cooked to perfection!!!

Why bother booking?. Well, I'd love to comment on the food but can't. How hard is it to record a phone booking? Shipped the kid off to the grandparents and booked a table here for a nice meal with my wife. After a 45 minute drive we walk in to find them with no booking record and no suitable table for us. Given it was Saturday night everywhere else we tried was booked out so... 45 drive home to Thai takeaway. Way to ruin a rare night out. Not much of an apology either.

Had the polenta and caponata and linguini putanesca both very nice and great value

Awkward.. We nipped in to take advantage of the happy hour on Mondays, as travelling Britons we were excited at the prospect of a cheap pint. Which, to be fair, is exactly what we got. However, the lad behind the bar couldn't have been more miserable. Snatching our money from our hands and looking like he'd been slapped in the face with a soggy fish. After some more observation I decided that this man wasn't depressed, just a hipster little knobber that just stood at the bar chatting to his mates. Perhaps that's why he wasn't very accommodating? Having to serve customers an all. <br/>Get rid of this guy and it's actually a nice little place with great deals.

Laid back. Friendly staff..good food!

Don't go for the roast. Don't get me wrong, grace darling has a great athmosphere and helpful staff so if all you want is a drink I would definitely recommend it. However if you're trying to hunt down a good Sunday roast don't go here! Served in a pot, everything becomes soggy. Meat was tough and gravy watery. It also didn't have Yorkshires which is key for me. Pretty expensive for what it is.

Local fav!. Ticks all the boxes. Great pub.

Not a fan. The food was very ordinary, it was too noisy to have a conversation and the staff were rude. All in all a massive fail.

Categorically the most unsatisfying meal of 2014. Pubs put their own spin on classic pub meals which is great, however the GD has managed to butcher a chicken parmigiana beyond recognition. If you're interested in paying and an exorbitant amount of money for a meal that wouldn't feed a 10 year old, then this is the place for you.

Beautiful old pub that under present owners has gone well for quite awhile. This is hipster heartland, the Mecca if you like so by venturing in you have to accept certain things ie no eye contact or smiling and as little chat as possible from staff to patron this is the cool. I think they'd probably prefer you to stand at the bar and text your order. Nevertheless it works the place has average to good meals which can be hit and miss but let's face it this is a busy pub , the beers are nothing extra special but cover the range ok. And I guess it has what heaps would yearn for atmosphere. Worth a night out.

I was just looking for a quick pub meal on a Sunday afternoon. It was on the weekend of their 5 th anniversary weekend. So there was thrash music playing and a lot of people around. I had the scotch fillet and my partner had the free range chicken Parma. The Parma could have been better with a proper side. But other than that, the bar staff are friendly and there is a fire. I'll definetly be back.

Fantastic Mother's Day meal.<br/>Thank you x.

Great value for above average pub food. Had a family lunch on Sunday; a few of us ordered the roast of the day which last Sunday was lamb. Gorgeous, tender, big serves - our lamb came in a cast iron pot with veggies all cooked together. This was delicious and great value for $20 /head. Others had veal cotoletta which had a great herb and parmesan crust - the burger with fat chips looked good too. All in all, everyone was surprised and pleased. Well done to the guys in the kitchen for a great pub lunch.

Feeling let down. So I choose this pub for its looks, prior reviews, interesting beers on tap. It partially delivered...<br/><br/>We arrived (tuesday night) and decided to eat in the pub side as the one waitress looked kinda under the pump and we figured that it was faster to order drinks and food at the bar.<br/><br/>Super cute venue, it was our anniversary and my partner loves craft beer so I thought why not...<br/><br/>He ordered the Grace burger and I ordered the tbone steak with cheesy potatoe gratin.<br/><br/>Apparently he had some difficulty being understood at the bar ordering the food and wine. Not sure why? maybe the music was a little loud? but he wasn't confident the meals would arrive to our table... But they did so it was all good.<br/><br/>His burger was delish! the chutney and flavours were nice, the chips whilst there was only four were actually super fat chips and were tasty and crunchy.<br/><br/>My t-bone. Well it was ordered for medium, it was prob a little under medium but it was so bland. And the cheesy potato gratin. Bland. The broccolini. Overdone and soggybland. The sauce. Bland. I went from a party in my mouth after a bite of his burger to Blandville. <br/><br/>So honestly, I prob wouldn't go back since there are so many places to try. Especially as his tasty burger was $20 compared to my blandville t-bone steak for $28<br/><br/>The beer and the wine though were nice although a true craft pub would have a lot more options on tap (not including coopers). This did have some okay ones but nothing to blow your mind if you are doing a tap tour.... <br/><br/>Now the Gertrude hotel down the road had an amazing selection of beers on tap! mmmm

A lovely venue. Staff are very friendly and happy, food classic and classy, music cool and wonderful. Exceptionally well priced drinks list that looks after the local philosophy. Excellent!

Prawn linguine. Best pasta I've had out for a long while. There was just enough ingredients to make it perfect. My friend had the inside out Parma and rated it amongst her top pub dinners. We were all well impressed.

Candle lit Cellar. Absolutely beautiful evening in the cellar of the Grace Darling Hotel. A lovely escape from the heat and we had the most lovely waiter.

A grand old pub indeed. The food is very good, we all enjoyed our meals. All Victorian wine list is excellent.

Excellent. All our meals absolutely superb. The best pub I have been to in Oz yet.

Surprised. I thought I was going into a pub but apparently I entered a contemporary restaurant taking pub classics with a twist. good

Thank you to all at the for giving us memorable Xmas evening. We all will be frequenting shortly.

Fantastic! I really enjoyed everything, especially the inside out Parma.

I'm not one for writing reviews but I just have to say I was overwhelmed by the whole venue! It was busy, loud, bustling, excellent food and service, bandroom pumping with people, friendly security guard, good drinks! Excellent!

Overalll excellent. Busy, loud, entertaining, service prompt, good food.

Lovely, lovely. We had the perfect Xmas lunch.

Fish and chips. The Monday night fish and chips is really good.<br/>It's the only thing on the menu and it's done to perfection.

My favourite place for a casual Sunday session. They really are doing some good things in the kitchen now.

Exceptionally good food. Not your average pub fare. Service was prompt and not over the top. Very busy place and I was not forgotten about. I'll be back tomorrow.

Very good pub.

Graceful Darling. Wow! A fantastic venue for any occasion. Nice bar at the front and a cool little restaurant out the back. Great pub food.

Fantastic lunch. Honest food is all I need. Excellent selection of boutique beer too.

Steak and eggs. Absolutely beautiful.

Very good food, very good music! My nan was even bopping around. I had the okra and eggplant stew which really was delicious.

Warm spring night out, lovely bubbly prosecco, casual service, great pub food without trying too hard.

Wonderful selection of vegetarian!! Finally a pub that does not discriminate!<br/>Love it!

Omg!! The roast is to die for!

All star cast! Hot guys serving hot drinks! Prawn linguine delicious !

I'm loving the craft beer experience and the inside out Parma at the bar. Great tunes playing too!

Great pub. Pub meals, craft beers on tap and the general vibe is exceptional!

Best steak in town!!

Steak and eggs. Yessss! Great piece of meat.

'the bar is busy'. Returned after a few months as a former regular....given a table, ordered drinks. nothing. waiter arrives for food order. 'can we have our drinks first, please?' <br/>'sorry, yeah, the bar is busy.' returns. 'sorry, I forgot to place your order.'<br/>got up and left. smith street offers so much.

I love this pub for drinks, especially with happy hour every day! The food however, is a joke.

Love at First Pie. Having come here for a number of years to drink, it never occurred to me to try the food. But when a friend and I initially tried the $10 Fish n Chips on a Monday, we were pleasantly surprised. It's hard not to fall in love with $10 barramundi that is perfectly soft with triple-cooked hand cut chips. Incredible value! Then the following week we returned for the Tuesday pie night. AMAZE. From then, it was love. The pie night has since ended, however I've now tried the full menu, and it has honestly never disappointed. Service is always prompt and cordial, and the food is always super tasty and fresh.

Flawless. Came in randomly for a casual lunch and was unexpectedly blown away with a delightful meal and attentive hospitable service. The lamb with Jerusalem artichokes (which I ordinarily loathe) was pleasantly surprising and nothing short of amazing. Game changer. Highly recommend.

I had dinner here Saturday night, the food was lovely though expensive, but the service was terrible from both the bar and dining areas. These staff are obviously more interested in being 'cool' and their appearance than performing a service role. The management here should really have a long hard look at their recruitment process, as it really is unacceptable. I'm happy to pay more for food if the service is good.

Big disappointment. Went to this place with a friend for some lunch on a Saturday. Staff were surly and rude right from the first moment. Asked to have a lemonade glass changed because it had someone's lipstick left on it and got charged $3 for our trouble. Waited an hour for our food and ended up walking off in disgust without a refund to get some lunch elsewhere. It seems almost as if they go out of their way to make people feel unwelcome. Who owns this place - is this how you want your clientele treated?

I don't normally write reviews but I'm making an exception. I went here for a friend's birthday a few weeks ago and we had a mixed night. The food was great but the service was pretty disappointing for the most part. Had wine spilt on myself by one waitress who did apologise, but was also very standoffish and kind of rude. Bad night maybe? And the cocktail that I had was disgusting. Redeeming point of the night was the food and the red haired waitress that went out of her way to make sure we were okay, sorted out a new cocktail for us (that was really nice) and made sure we weren't charged for the wine that ended up all over my dress. When her shift was done she came down and let us know that she was leaving and we were being passed on to the other waitress and wished us a good night and my friend a happy birthday. Needless to say, we left straight away and moved to the bar area where the bar staff were inconsistent as well. Had a guy with slicked back hair that was really nice then ordered from another guy with longer messy hair that was just plain rude. We will go back again and give this place a second chance because the food was really good, but this place really needs to sort out the attitude of its employees - I understand everyone has bad nights but they shouldn't take it out on the customers.

Terrible. Do yourself a favour and do not go here unless you want to be treated like crap. Bar staff turned the music up so loud that we couldn't hear each other speak so that they could have an early night. Does not deserve your money.

Very good value. Best fish n fat chips ive ever had!

Just stopped in for a beer. Just stopped in for a cold beer on a Satuday afternoon and I was pleasantly surprised. The place doesn't look like much on the outside but once I got in I really liked the spaciousness of the place. Friendly bartender, the dining area looked really pleasant and clean. Next time I stop in I will have some food.

Friends and I shared a beautiful meal at the ever-delightful Grace tonight. Food was delicious and vibe was great. Such a reliably good place for a nice meal or a casual drink.

Nope, not that closely. Just live nearby and having been in a couple times, I must say my experiences have been a bit hit & miss, from the bar service to the food. You have a cool place, just needs to be taken more seriously is all. Stop the snotty replies to bad reviews. It's only urbanspoon dude.

Had 2 completely different experiences tonight. We had a really lovely girl seat us and then the girl that served us was standoffish and almost rude in a forced polite way. The red head came back over and refilled our waters, asked us how we were going, made some menu suggestions and was just really nice and appeared to genuinely care about our experience and then we were back to the other girl. The food was surprisingly good, my partner and I almost drove passed the place because it just looked like a dingy pub but the food alone made us glad we didn't. The service was inconsistent though and nearly ruined the night. We will both give this place another shot, the food was good and the chocolate tart was amazing and something I need to eat again. I just hope that the service is better next time.

Overpriced food. Had the penne tonight, which was literally a bowl of pasta with pesto, for $18. My friend had the gnocchi which was a $15 'to share' meal, but turned out to be smaller than the size of your hand palm. Furthermore there are wholes in the floor which are a death trap and we got asked for money (inside the venue) by the same homeless lady twice. So overall: looks fancy but is very disappointing.

Sardines.... We went here for my birthday dinner on a saturday night - the food was not too bad - but there were a few other issues to contend with. We were totally squashed into the dining area which just had too many tables in it. We had to fold ourselves in and, once in, couldnt get up without cooperation from fellow diners and the people on the table behind. Even the waiting staff could not do it and had to pass dishes along. This is far too much, Grace Darling - are you listening? The staff were a bit snobby and hard to catch and the place was so dark and the menu writing so small, it was fortunate that some of us had torches on our mobiles. I had checked that the band noise was not going to impinge on our get-together but the band on the first floor and the crush of people dining made it very difficult to hear conversations on our own table. Perhaps we should just abandon this place to Gen Y - who perhaps dont know any better.

Great pub. Such a suprising venue, very cool and relaxed once you get inside.<br/>The food is fabulous and the bottled beer selection keeps you keen!

We were really looking forward to the Sunday roast but were so disappointed by it. It was overpriced and the chicken was bland and dry...I left feeling hungry and I'm not a massive eater so for me to leave hungry is saying something. It was a shame because we had been planning it all week.

Bloody unreal. Fantastic pub!<br/>We love it, and have been going there for quite a few months now.<br/>We love the lady with the blue hair and only assume that you'd have to be a twit if she didn't like you.<br/>The Mrs and I love the Sunday roast cooked in a skillet!<br/>The beer selection is tops and there is something for everyone.

Firstly the bartender with blue hair was incredibly rude from the moment she opened her mouth. Food is ridiculously overpriced. The slither of a tart was not worth the $14 we paid. Really disappointed.

Perfect place for a cheery Sunday afternoon lunch. I had the risotto with fresh greens and goats cheese, while the rest of the table chose the special - Rock Lobster burger served with a side of large sized fires. They were both scrumptious! The burger patty had so much flavour! ( i had to try a piece!) <br/> They also have a delicious wine list and very friendly accommodating staff.

Lovely night out at The Grace!. Came to the Grace last Friday and just need to mention how impressed my friends and I all are with this venue....fun atmosphere and friendly staff, some of the best pub food we've ever had and all in all a fun night out in a fun place!<br/>Well done, will definately be back

My girlfriend & I returned last night to our first date venue from a few years back. We return every year on our anniversary & the menu has progressively got smaller both in choice & serving size! Our mains came before our entree, I only got 4 chips with my steak (steak was really nice I must admit) & the beer list has changed quite considerably...not in a good way! We were looking forward to sharing a little creatures together as this was our first beer but I had to contend with beers that all tasted like cider!! Bar section much better than dining with a cool crowd & atmosphere but unfortunately the speakers malfunctioned a number of times! We hope it improves before our next anniversary ;;))!

We had dinner here. Great atmosphere and friendly staff. They had a mix up with our mains and we had to wait an hour. A lovely waiter offered a free round of drinks and a desert. Our meals were really good. The way they dealt with mix up made the slight hicup not a problem. Good Customer service can go a long way.

I like this pub it warm cosy good beer, but, the toolets are a disgrace. Filthy, stinky, no locks... Crazy when everything else is so nice.

Great atmosphere and service! My trout was nice but tiny portion for the price! My partners steak was pure gristle! Inedible! So disappointing! Followed by an average apple Charlotte! Small menu needs to be done well!!

Average. 2nd disappointing visit to this place. Both times the service was really lacking, staff looking disinterested and bored. Also, rather unfortunately the mains we ordered were bland and with limited menu choices, there's not much reason to return

Rare thing these days- 1st rate beer, good tunes, personality, live music, good grub, fireplace & did I mention personality!

Reply to your reply. I really appreciate that response, and whilst yes - the meal was not up to scratch - I've retracted my review because I really do like the Grace Darling, and have eaten there before and really enjoyed the meal. Thanks for the offer of the refund, and for taking my (kinda snarky - sorry about that) review on board.

Thanks for the feedback. So glad you enjoyed the food when you dined with us the other night. <br/>Always great to hear such nice comments. <br/>I am quite surprised by that one particular waitress' attitude....she is normally one of our most popular staff members amongst our regular clientele. Our customer feed back is always good to get though and she has been spoken to about this.<br/>Look forward to seeing you here again soon!<br/><br/>The Grace<br/><br/><br/>-----16 Jul, 2013-----<br/><br/>Reply to Tomi. Hi, nice to hear that this was the place you guys met and thanks for your feedback. Totally agree it is most unacceptable that your mains arrived before your entrees...puzzled as to how this could have happened at all with the way we operate our ordering system and am asking staff to see what went wrong.<br/>As far as the chips (or lack of!!) with the steak goes, they are hand cut and quite fat chips. We would usually put at least 6-8 chips on the plate (the equivalent of a large potato).I'm hoping that the waiter/bartender would have rectified this when you made them aware of this?<br/>I'm sorry that you do not like the direction our beer list has taken...we have changed it recently to reflect customer demands and indeed worldwide trends towards craft beer. <br/>Again thanks for your feedback and truly hope to see you back. I am sure your next visit will be more agreeable to your tastes.<br/>GD Management<br/><br/><br/>-----09 May, 2013-----<br/><br/>Reply to Brucey. Im sorry that your meal was not up to standard. We agree the portioning of the rabbit pie was definately too small. I hope you do return to the Grace so we can at least refund you, and hopefully make right of our bad. <br/>kind regards.

Overpriced. Nice atmosphere, staff weren't friendly at all, food was okay but very overpriced. Worth going for a beer, but so many other options in the area for food.

Menus. In my last post I forgot to mention......you can't see the tiny writing on the menus in the dim lighting of the bar....<br/><br/><br/>-----06 Apr, 2013-----<br/><br/>Birthday dinner wasn't a winner. Last night I went to the grace darling for birthday drinks and we ended up partaking of the food.I ordered the bento box with soba noodles and tofu. I was very disappointed with this dish for a number of reasons.<br/>1. It had been refrigerated prior to serving....I've never eaten a completely cold bento box<br/>2. The cold noodles were gelatinous and there only additive I could taste was the overwhelming flavour of too much wasabi. <br/>3. The tofu with sesame seeds was like blancmange....tasteless and wallpaper paste like and cold.<br/>4.The salad was a bunch of tasteless undressed leaves<br/>5. There was a "brick" of cold cooked spinach which was soggy and tasted of nothing except for....well....freezing cold soggy bland spinach.<br/>6.We took great delight trying to guess which vegetables they had pickled. Still can't work it out. I also can't work out what they actually used as a pickling medium....because when i ate them it was like chewing small pices of bicycle tyre, both in flavour and texture.<br/>7. It looked pretty....everything else about it was wrong!<br/><br/>All in all this is one of the worst dishes I've ever eaten. <br/>I don't usually write reviews of the food I've eaten around Melbourne either. However I feel compelled to warn others regarding the disappointment that I paid $26 for.<br/>I took the dish back to the counter and I told them of my disdain for it. I was given a replacement of 4 potato croquettes with ? Cranberry sauce. I picked them because you can't really get a deep fried croquette wrong. <br/><br/>Later a very stressed little man asked me "if I had issues with the food?"<br/>I told him I did and explained my feelings about it. All he could say was"it's supposed to be cold".......not good enough!<br/><br/>I'm just reiterating my opinion in public so he can reread it and understand that he needs to remove that particular dish from the menu. Don't get me wrong....I love Japanese food. I'm also a big fan of green stuff and tofu......but your bento box is seriously letting you menu down.<br/>I won't be eating here again.....ever

Great service. We eat there lots,( it's close to home)<br/>great atmosphere, good service, food sometimes a bit hit or miss depending on what you order, mostly it's very good.Yummy deserts.<br/>Yes I will definitly keep taking my friends there.<br/>Good veg options.

Lift your game Perth... over on holiday from WA we experienced Amazing attentive service for great filling meals. Wait staff re filled our water, regularly checking in often to make sure we where satisfied. ..we where!

Extremely slow, and the food was not worth the wait, dry over cooked steak. Tiny piece of over cooked fish was pathetic, shame on you!

Love it here. Lovely menu made with great quality produce. Staff are friendly and the ambiance is great - especially in the blue stone courtyard area with the pot plants and lights. Some yummy wines and reliably good service & food (I've been here about 15 times). Good prices and relaxed, comfy vibe.

Customer service has a lot to be desired! One bartender was particularly rude to a few people in our group. Since our group was quite large and we spent ALOT of money throughout the night we constantly met with dirty looks and rudeness when at the bar. Staff also did not know their products. When asking for wines on the specials board staff did not know where the wine was and appeared to not know they even stocked it! This is a very big shame as the building is lovely and the atmosphere could be so much better! Not going back due to bad service. I intend to spread this by word of mouth too!

21/12/12 Not Nice. As a local and one-time regular, today did it. Share lunch platter - each time you go, it's different, that's cool, surprises are good - but they've been getting lazier and worse. Today was a shocker - as close as you'll find to a hurried Woolworths Deli buy, but without the taste. Don't slag off at the staff, they're good. Want value? Walk up or down Smith Street, 200 metres in either direction, and get great food cheaper.

Overpriced food. Steaks were so dry and flavourless, Parmesan pancake was advertised different prices on the board and menu.. and only ended up being a piece of dough with sprinkled parmesan.. wayyyyy overpriced food.<br/>Charged $4 just to pay with a Mastercard! wtf?!<br/>not a place either of us will be returning.<br/>The pork belly dishes were the only positive dish my friends enjoyed.

Will never return.... I've eaten at The Grace Darling many times, but since their Head Chef left, their food has gone downhill rapidly. I ordered the "parma" to be served two pieces of burnt chargrilled chicken, a burnt basil leaf, over cold tomato puree and a piece of hard bread with bree....not a parma in my eyes, as they claim. The prices are far too expensive for the food they are producing and the service is terrible (1 barman serving on a Thursday night) even though there seemed to be many other staff lurking (one I noticed checking his phone messages). Poor form Grace Darling...you've lost a customer that used to boast about your hotel.

Great dinner on Saturday night. Busy and buzzing, but with enough staff to keep things flowing smoothly. Delicious share plates to start of rollmops, pressed beef short rib with the most delicious BBQ sauce, zucchini fritters and grilled corn with smoked butter and lime. Followed up by lip smacking pork belly and grilled pineapple. Quality chef-ing from a tiny kitchen. Highly recommended.

Dinner on sat was really good, a great looking venue- a most excellent surprise was when the waiter suggested we have a nightcap in the basement. Wow, down there was a small but really well stocked whisky oasis, cosy and well serviced. We'll be back for sure

Best bloody burger. Had the best burger, big pickle, good meet and a good bun, this babe of a burger filled me up :) love the whiskey bar and the awesome service behind the bar, always filling my glass and kept my hole table happy. Will be dreaming of the burger until next time

A touch over priced and a little to hip

Customer Service. My partner and I have always liked going to the Grace Darling, the atmosphere and attitude of the staff have always left us feeling welcome. However, today was a very disappointing turn around. To pass the time on a nice, lazy Sunday, we walked into the Grace Darling, feeling confident that it would be a nice end to our weekend. Upon walking in, there were very few patrons in the public bar, and we asked the bartender if she knew if they were going to show the rugby final with the Melbourne Storm. Bartender one said she had no idea, which we didn't mind, but the second bartender rudely quipped "Can't you guys go somewhere else, we f*&^%ing hate the footy". First of all, there is absolutely no need to swear at us, we were just asking a question. Her 'holier than thou' attitude has no place in customer service, and is frankly a detriment to good business practices. So my partner and left with a rather sour taste in our mouth, and went up the road to the British Crown, where the staff were friendly and the atmosphere was vibrant and welcoming, and the bar was completely full with people watching the rugby final. Poor form on your team member's part Grace Darling!!!!

Distinctive Style. The Grace Darling Hotel seems to delicately balance a blend of drama & relaxation. The interior boasts some clever design with it's dark paint & wallpaper finishes, medieval bluestone and battered boards. It's has an everyday dining feel with just a hint of glamour & the right amount of 'grunge' to give it some pub authenticity. There are big dark, polished wooden communal tables, candles and plenty of greenery. This, without having had a generic makeover like many of the new 'gastro-pubs' surgent in the area and beyond. Food is tasty and rustic- they hint at quality produce over fussy plating, which I must say, I enjoy. Pasta was served on simple dark earthenware and we had some slow cooked Lamb, both generous and tasty. A small but interesting wine list from local wineries was on offer and a nice touch. It's a busy venue with a lot of activity, I can see from some of the other reviews this may not be a selling point for everyone, but mostly this place looks to appeal to a pretty wide audience, judging from the crowd on the night we dined- young n hip folk cluttered in the main bar (and heading up to a band room upstairs) to a mixture of older and foodie types finding refuge in the restaurant area for a quieter dining experience. This is a great place for a beer, (we caught the tail end of their happy hour) or a meal or to hunker down for a marathon chat, or if you like people watching this is certainly the place for it. The GDH has a wonderfully vibrant atmosphere, and good value for money and polite but easy going service. Recommended

Oh So Disappointing. Visited The Grace Darling with a large group recently, but never again. Loved the look and vibe. But the food was very pricey and very awful. Had the mushroom goulash cost $24 or $26 I cannot be sure for a small bowl of mushrooms in a very ordinary sance and about 1/2 cup mash. All the meals around the table were very small and nothing looked very inviting. Noone said they lick anything. The meatball where full of aniseed and that was not mentioned on menu. Yuck. Sick of paying top dollar for something I would not serve up at home. Will return for a drink maybe oneday but at $9+ of a small wine I will proably try somewhere else. Try somewhere else if in the area.

Just had a terrible $26 burger at the GD. The bun was stale, and the bottom half was burned black. It was as hard as a hockey Puck. The wagyu patty was very tight, and cooked rare, which might have been OK if it was reasonable quality. It was not. The accompanying chips were soggy. There was however a giant pickle...a $26 pickle.

Cosy Basement. First time I've been there, new favorite for the area. Caught a great cosy gig in the basement. Nice beers and atmosphere. Big, with plenty on offer (bands, meals and drinks). When I was there it was busy but navigable. Only complaint would be a few abrasive staff, but where do you find a bar with all personable employees at peak times? Glad I got down there.

Mushrooms and polenta. I ate here on a busy, wet saturday night. both the bar area & restaurant were crammed with people. i will not eat here AGAIN! i ordered a grilled mushroom & polenta dish & a side order of chips. the mushrooms were barely cooked & the polenta was thick and porridgey, not baked as i had hoped. the polenta was flavoured strongly with parmesan and garlic so i alternated between dipppig my chips into it and dipping them into their saucer of aioli. there are too many good pubs in the area which are reasonably priced to waste my time returning to the grace darling for dinner!

NomNom. Without a doubt one of my favorite spots for supper. There's plenty of competition in this area and the food here is the best in my opinion. <br/>Can get super busy so it is worth booking in advance but I've been there when I haven't and the staff were pretty cool about getting us in, she told us we'd have to wait a while but we didn't mind because it's a good atmosphere to hang out in. The food is delicious and the wine list is pretty tasty too.<br/><br/>I occasionally wander elsewhere but this is the one I go back to.<br/><br/>The Raclette and a nice glass of red is a lovely little mid-week treat for winter. Think I just came up with a plan for this evening.

Last nite was my 2nd time at the Grace Darling restaurant and i dont think id go back again to eat. First time I went the food was really nice, friendly staff & the wine was good.<br/>Food was mediocre last nite; my sis-in-law & I both ordered the gnocchi. We both asked what the dish was and it wasn't explained very well.. The dish consisted of I think 7 super large pieces of gnocchi; a dry veggie purée & a bit of cooked parmesan. It was so dry & the gnocchi reminded me of Dutch pancakes. Not enjoyable. Had to ask for napoli sauce to make it edible. Maybe we just picked the wrong dish for our main! Our other guests weren't extremely impressed with their dishes either. The sharing platter for the price is very ordinary. Maybe they were off the mark coz it was busy, I'm not sure. On a bright note our female drink waitress was friendly and the wines were good.

Booked - Waited - No Dinner. Called and arranged a booking. We arrived on time and our booking was not on the list. We were asked to wait whilst they rejigged the table arrangements to fit us in. We waited in the doorway for over half an hour after this conversation with not another mention of when or if we would get a table and with various groups coming and going from the restaurant, our expectations sunk and decided to leave. I had read the previous post about this issue from someone who had booked online and so decided to bypass the online booking system and call. The place looked good inside but am pretty disappointed by this experience and feel that our time was wasted.

I live just around the corner and often call by for a beer or three. The food is good, well priced and the venue is warm and welcoming. Sadly the attentetiveness of the too many of the guys here is lacking hence I am always pretty apprehensive about dining here despite the great food. A few times I have just walked out after standing at the bar waiting and waiting whilst the guys banter with each other behind the stick about obscure bands, beards and Goreman pants. Ben is on the ball and keeps us coming back but the rest of these cats could do with snapping out of the daydream and earning their keep.

Burger heaven. We had such a great night at the Grace Darling.<br/>Awesome decor, lovely wine, excellent service and yummy food! If this wagu burger was to die for then<br/>The chocolate fondant was heaven!

I consider that lucky-coulda been somewhere else. It was the start of something- don't know what- took a chance. Previously listening to 'Let's Go Away For Awhile' by The Beach Boys, was full of whimsy, wanting for warmth & welcome- walked through the doors of The Grace Darling Hotel & threw away all my grits. Why won't they let me go home- whiskey, pies & stars in the view- i was so sure about it. God only knows what I'd do/did without you Grace Darling.... xx

Terrible!. Booked online. Turned up at the restaurant and was told they didn't have my booking. Then told to wait at the bar while they organised a table. Left 45mins later...

I think they've changed chefs recently and this new guy is creating AMAZING food. Wagyu burger is cooked to perfection accompanied by a big juicy gherkin and crunchy, exactly-how-I-like them chips. Sunday roast varies each week... This week the beef was an absolute winner served in a cute pot. We both left very satisfied and meal very reasonably priced despite it being hipster hell. Really looking forward to going back again. Oh and the food came out super dooper quick too. Awesome.

Fabulous Sunday lunch. Yesterday my husband and I and our two boys age 2 and 4 visited the Grace for lunch on our way home from the city. It was absolutely wonderful, it can be challenging going out for lunch with young children, I am always worried about them touching things, spilling things ect but they were just wonderful so accommodating and friendly, giving my 2 year old a stem of flowers to play with so that I didn't have to worry about him touching the one on our table he thought this was wonderful. We had a very relaxing lunch the food was amazing I find it a delight to go somewhere were the food is not " just pub food" they put there own twist on the traditional, I had the Chicken Parma and my husband had the wagu burger, the food was beautiful will defiantly be back to the Grace.

Nice one guys. Came in tonight with a few friends. Had the parma for my meal. Really liked the way the parma was presented. Different twist to a traditional classic. Thought it was a great dish. Keep it up.

Skirt steak was awesome

Full of tossers! Poor, rude service, zero atmosphere, rubbish food. This place is as try hard as you get & there is so much better with much less 'tude in the area. Give it a big, fat miss!

A nice bar with a decent (although small) selection of beer/cider on tap. Unfortunately one of the bar staff was rude when I had to run back in with some take away food. I left my phone behind when I went to get dinner and one of bar staff rudely told me to leave because it 'wasnt a BYO restaurant.' It was a completely unnessary way of letting me know I couldn't bring food into the bar. Because of that, I won't be coming back here again.

They got our order wrong then accused us of being in the wrong. When we finally got our food it was quite average

Don't bother. We ate here a month or so ago and found it overpriced with average-bad service. They made us put down a credit card deposit and guarantee over 10 people when booking for a group - fair enough on a busy day and we were happy to do so. What we weren't happy to do was wait 45 minutes for our orders to be taken, nearly another hour for the meals to arrive (ten people in total at the table) and then 45 minutes after being served our late meals we were booted off the table as they had to "get ready for the dinner service". It was 4pm. We actually stood in the bar and finished our drinks, all the while watching the table sit empty with no one even bothering to reset it. <br/><br/>The standard pub menu prices were on average $5-10 more than what was advertised on the website menu - apparently they've had a 'new menu' lately but don't bother to update the site. Close to $30 for a chicken parma with no chips would be Ok I guess if the chicken wasn't overcooked and tasteless. <br/><br/>In summary, it seems to me as though the Grace Darling has grand designs on being a fine dining restaurant disguised as a pub - yet they can't even get a basic level of food and service right. Head to some of the other exceptional pubs in the area for food that is half the price and twice the quality and atmosphere.

Good spot for a Drink - Eat Elsewhere. The Grace Darling requires a bit of a seeing to. The staff generally appear disinterested and a very slim number of choices for eats in the bar area are delivered slower than watching grass grow. These are not the best options for dining on Smith Street. Accompaniments do not make sense or the choice to serve a whole fish on a wooden cutting board. The price would denote at least an extraordinary level of service and even more special food. Neither are delivered by Grace Darling Hotel.

Perfect wedding. I had my wedding reception at the Grace Darling last month and I can honestly say that it was a perfect evening. The upstairs band room was beautifully decorated with flowers, candles and long tables for our guests. The food was superb, varied and there was heaps of it . Everyone who attended has since raved to me about how much they loved it, including the ex-chef in my family who is notoriously difficult to please. And the staff were just wonderful, providing excellent service and friendly smiles. Especially Cath, who managed everything and bent over backwards to accommodate us in the lead-up and on the day. Many of our guests commented that it was the best wedding they'd been to, and most of this is thanks to the Grace Darling. I will definitely be coming back here to eat as much as I can - I'm just sorry I don't live closer!

Fabulous, funky and friendly. What a great venue the Grace Darling is! We had our Christmas party in the Cellar Room and it was a blast. Once we got down the slightly scary steps, the funky atmosphere of the cellar, the great finger food and the excellent service made our evening truly memorable.<br/>Upstairs, the buzz from the very mixed crowd told us that the meals up there were something to consider for next time. The funky staff were ever helpful and anticiapted our every need.<br/>Thank you, Grace Darling Hotel. We will certainly be back.

Amazing Grace Darling Wedding. Thankyou so much to the fabulous staff at the Grace Darling for my daughter's amazing wedding reception. The venue looked great, the service was faultless and the attention to detail meant that everything worked perfectly. Our guests loved the place and they raved about the food. The lamb in particular was exceptional. Thankyou Grace Darling. Best wedding ever!!

Meh.. The waitstaff were friendly and attentive but the food was a little disappointing. The saganaki was good, however the Kingfisher pie seemed a bit over priced considering it had almost as much egg as seafood in it. I couldn't eat the side salad as it was loaded with salt.<br/><br/>The ambience was nice away from the main bar, but apparently they run different menus depending where you sit, confusing if you aren't aware of this.

LOVED!. I eat here all the time and have never been disappointed, their spaghetti marina and chicken parma are amazing. Was upstairs for a wedding last friday. It was without a doubt the BEST wedding food I'd ever had.

Grace is a darling. The Grace Darling is constantly good in my books! The fit out is clever and comfy, and now they have the tables outside its going to be awesome Yay! bring on gin and tonics on summer eve's... I had the fish the other night which I don't usually eat except if I go to the grace. Always cooked beautifully and the vegetarian dishes are interesting, fresh and yum. The wine list great and well priced. Thanks Grace!!

Peri peri. I took my parents to dinner at the Grace Darling. Dad refused to order the steak even though i was paying. After a joke with the Maitre de, he relaxed and let me order for him. The steak was huge and dad complimented the maitre de saying she was right and that it was cooked to perfection. <br/><br/>mum was so happy that dad (who can be hard to please) had enjoyed himself so much. She has asked me when we are going back twice now.

BAD SERVICE followed by BAD response by Management. Have just logged in and noticed the Right of Reply to my review of this establishment. Let me just say as i did to the manager (who then brushed my comments and my fellow diners comments under that table and then became aggressive with her! saying we had orchestrated the whole thing) THE MAITRE'D was rude, the restaurant was empty for the WHOLE time we were there and her attempt to appease us was pitiful. The food may be good but if you have to sit in an empty restaurant in the walk way of the toilets what's the point?? TERRIBLE SERVICE and the follow up by Management was even more pitiful and disapppointing!! If service is not what you are after then The Grace Darling is your place!!<br/><br/><br/>-----30 Oct, 2011-----<br/><br/>Maitre de Rudeness. The front of house-Maitre de is abusive and rude and will put you in the toilet walk way even though the whole place is empty. And don't complain TO HER AS SHE WHE WILL BE DISMISSIVE AND RUDE. There are plenty of other good establishments that understand quality customer service on Smith St so consider them!<br/>....We sat in an empty restaurant in the walkway and though we asked to move it didn't happen. And when we raised our concern with the maitre de she was dismissive and rude. Sadly the owner too does not recognise that the "customer is always right" especially when were. If you are after SERVICE dont go here!!!

In your face rude staff. I guess I can understand where the staff are coming from - they think they are keeping the place edgy by being rude to us slightly older and apparently less cool patrons. It just gets really tedious. The barstaff downstairs, the waitresses, security and the bar staff upstairs are crazy rude.<br/>*comment removed as the pen is mightier than the sword* sorry Julian Assange I'm not so brave as you.<br/>Anyway, I know the Grace Darling will stay popular and I will keep meeting friends there. The thing is I do like going to this pub and just wish the coolcats who work there would give me a chance... I mean I don't want to be friends, but guys... c'mon guys... (gently weeping). B#$$%#%^... never going back... suckas.<br/>A fish rots from the head down.

Had such potential. Nice space, good menu. But the staff were so rude. We've never experienced anything like it. Bad attitudes abound. We will never go back.

Best pub-hands down. Friends and I had supper here- it's a ripper. tasty & fresh,with some interesting 'pub' selections and specials. Pacy, fun & friendly- great atmosphere is here with some pretty attentive service as well. Local wines and free range chicken a welcome relief from other standard pub parma's. Bar vibe is dark & cosy but bustling- definitely a winner in my book.

Rude staff. I had the roasted salmon, which was very nice (and should have been at almost $25!), and general reports at our table were that the kangaroo and vegetable curry were also enjoyable. But what I don't understand is why working at a trendy pub necessitates rude and pretentious staff?<br/><br/>It became very clear that they had decided that they wanted our (not rowdy, not under-purchasing) group out of the restaurant, particularly when we asked for the desert menu but received the bill instead!

Great pub, great atmosphere. friendly staff. problem was the food was rather bland, my quail was a real let down. well presented but tasted very bland. maybe i made the wrong choice from the menu, i would try it again based on the friendly staff and atmosphere though. my guy feeling is that its a better drinking venue than eating venue.

Do not go here to eat. Chips come between mains & desert, beers come with desert. Mains smothered in salt. Food was average. Decent joint for a drink, but do not eat here.

Mmm poor did not met expectations. When busy the service and food goes down hill a LOT!. I went for dinner on saturday night with 5 others, overall the vibe was good its a cool pub but when it comes to food and service it was poor. The starter platters where great tasty and plenty of them but when it came to mains it all went down hill. One main was delivered before all of the other with everyone else only" 2 mins away," 20 mins later everyone else was yet to receive their meals the and the lone person eating feeling feeling very out of place with their cold meal. When they arrived the meal was so poorly cooked i had to send it back which is a first for me, instead of accepting it was not what we should receive or pay for they said "well half it was ok", mmm well i didn't ask for or expect a half cooked meal, i was expecting what it said on the menu . I would not go back

Good. Had Sunday lunch here recently. Felt like I was in a scene of Offspring (Billy's husband was there). The service was welcoming, the wine list was great (Coombe Farm sparkling!) and the food was good. I had the burger which was tasty but the bun was a little too tough to cut. The only complaint would be the sound system. The music was a bit too loud for Sunday lunch. They did turn it down but every song started out loud so may just be a technical glitch. I'd say its kid friendly too as there was tonnes of them there - including at our table.

Lots of Grace. Did that person really just use the word 'funky'?<br/>Haha. Really. Well if they mean great food & an amazing atmosphere it's certainly got that. Nailed it- decor is a little bit of polish with the right amount of grungeiness (perhaps this is what the other punter describes as 'daggy').<br/>Had a chocolate stout served by a bearded bartender & some rump steak which we shared, which came out nice and pink on a wooden board with sweet potato mash. perfect. recommended

Daggy n Funky. The GD is both daggy n funky, all at the same time. Food is reasonable, a great place for a drink too.

I AGREE - "Maitre'd lets the whole place down". Great decor. Food OK, nothing special. But the most memorable part of the evening was the maitre'd. She was just plain awful. I couldn't understand it cos we were a non-rowdy group of 14, ordering 2 courses with drinks, so bringing in money and she couldn't wait for us to leave! My feeling was weren't cool enough for her restaurant!! Apart from being rude and forgetting our orders, etc, etc, at one stage she told us off for touching the flowers on the table - which I could possibly understand if it weren't for the fact that it was a single tacky carnation!! Kind of amusing now that I think about it, but annoying at the time! I'll never understand why some people work in hospitality!!

Thumbs Up!. I'm impressed! The food was fantastic, the service was great and the drinks lovely. Try the lemon squash - made with real lemons :)

Good food but LONG wait. The food IS good. And there's a good variety. But maaan, the service kinda sucks. We booked for 8 - weren't seated until after 9 !! The waitstaff were fairly attentive but without humour. - Kinda unimportant but after being made to wait more than an hour - we could have done w/ a 'sorry' or 'here's an entree on the house' or something? Probably wont rush back just because there's so much competition in that street where you just don't have to wait like that.

Beautiful Pub. Passed this on to management of the Grace Darling also- I had such a nice time! Stepped in here on Friday night past the unassuming bluestone exterior into a very inviting pub, candlelight and lovely details everywhere. Dined in the restaurant area, which is cosy, it's bustling & busy but has a really fun atmosphere. Food was simple but tasty with nice inclusions of Boar & free range meats. My partnet ate the Ocean Trout and I the Burger. Really tasty. Some delicious red wine from Heathcote and all round a really positive experience. Will be back for sure.

Good food at reasonable cost. Went to the Grace Darling last Sunday after a bit of an absence and must say that I loved the food. It had never been bad but last Sunday's choices were delicious. We went all vegetarian and had the autumn mix of vegies (forget what it was called on the menu), the walnut and lentil burger and because we'd never tasted them before the Jerusalem artichoke tart as a side (it was officially an entree). The medley of vegies had a Middle Eastern influence and were very taste. My other half thought the lentil burger was a bit bland but I thought this was balanced by the toppings. There was a focus on seasonal produce for sure, hence the Jerusalem artichoke tart - which was nice in flavour. Overall good quality food that was tasty. Prices are also good, particularly considering the quality of the food. <br/>The interior is very nice with different areas to sit in this beautiful old style pub, and staff were attentive. Choice of beers on tap is not particularly great though and in a place like the Grace Darling I would have expected a better selection of Victorian micro brewery beers.

Average. We dined at the Grace Darling on Mother's Day. Saddly there were more negatives than positives. The service was hit and miss and the food was average. The worst part was by 2.30pm the waitress was shooing us away from the table so they could get the second seating in, even though we didn't get our mains until 2pm.<br/>Three people in our party ordered the t-bone and all three sent it back to be recooked. it came out blue the first time and rare the second time. there was no apology, just a lame omission by the waitress that the house style was medium rare. a) they weren't asked how they wanted it to be cooked and b) it wasn't medium rare!<br/>I had the roast and it was bland and more like a boil up than a roast.<br/>On the plus side, the decor is nice and the pub section is a great place for a drink. I left feeling angry that i'd spent money on food there.

Great food, mediocre service. Then food is great. The burger is delicious and crispy eye fillet was yummy. Lamb: excellent. Service was a little slow and one waitstaff was a bit rude. Rather noisy when it is busy due to the acoustics. The atmosphere is wonderful- a good place for drinks and a nice meal if you don't mind the service.<br/>Update: one of our dining companions had the opposite impression, i.e., that the food was good but not great, but that the service was very responsive. That said, she picked the lobster linguine, which seemed one of the restaurant's less impressive dishes and lacking a layering of flavors.

Yummmmo! Food was amazing and atmosphere even better. Such a cool place. Recommend the yabbies!

Rad Sunday Roast. Oh my god.... I went to the Grace with my girlfriend on Sunday & had the BEST roast ever, I reckon. Hold the gravox & soggy veg, it came out in an iron pot with a handful of fresh rosemary and a succulent whole piece of tender meat. Wicked! The place looks great, I can't believe I used to walk past this joint & not even notice it existed.<br/>The atrium part of the hotel was my favorite, it's got plants hanging from the glass roof & feels pretty cosy. The music is good as well- thumbs up guys! The only thing I want to know is why aren't you open on Mondays???

Meh.... The roo burger was better than ok, but the chips were average. Try the Parma though :)

Repeat Offender. I have been going to The Grace Darling for the last few months now. I am a Fitzroy local and to be honest those few months ago (before I started going to the Grace) I got so bored of places to go out in, in and around the city.<br/><br/>A friend of mine told me to meet him at 'the grey starling', swear that's what i thought he said, and I have been regularly going ever since, whether it's to dine with friends and family, play some pool, watch a band or begin or end a night. <br/><br/>I have never written a review and probably never will again, but thought I should give a shout out to my local and all the rad staff.<br/><br/>Keep up the good work, darlings!

I used to love this place but on the last 3 occasions staff have been so rude, lose the attitude guys, just not a fun place to go anymore

Was excited about Sunday roast, but got served dry bread with nothing to dip in then waited 20 mins for overpriced roast with no gravy/sauce. Worth $15 not about $25

Food was great, above average pub fare and priced well. The biggest problem is the staff, no attention and at times rude. I don't expect for fine dining but the venue markets as a restaurant and therefore the service falls way short of the mark. Pity because it let's the food down

SO AMAZING. O hai every1<br/>I had dinner at the Grace Darling last night, and it was FANtastic! I had the saganki and a parma. The food was so good I nearly exploded in a sensual eruption of culinary delights, a sensation never before experienced by my digestive system. Our waitress, Jess was SUPERB! She was attentive and super duper friendly, but not so friendly I was creeped out. Perfecto, 10/10, 5 star -an I can't believe it's not butter kind of dining experience. It was a beautiful journey, one my digestive system and I hope to re-encounter in the very near future. xoxo gossip girl

Win some lose some. The Grace won my heart the moment I walked through the door and was met by a cute pup and great music. The food was fantastic too. Found staff a little 'to cool for school' on my second visit and not sure what's going on with the haloumi 'salad' but hey nobody's perfect.

Maitre'd lets the whole place down. Experienced poor and rude service on three separate occasions. Fine for drink but save yourself the humiliation of dining there. Maitre'd is rude, hostile and more than a little unpleasant. Apparently she is a part-owner so should know better.