Review Sageleaf Bistro - Hawthorn

Wonderful attentive service and outstanding faultless meal on my birthday. Chilli beef cigars were tender and delicious. Cauliflower cheese fritters were fluffy and full of flavour. Jerk Chicken, gnocchi and fillet of beef all superb quality and presentation along with perfect wine to match. Highly recommend and will definitely return. Excellent host and beautiful ambience.

It was good the first two times we came. The woman at the counter was really nice and welcoming. Then we kept coming but her attitude turned extremely sour. She didn't even give us any of the serviettes or complimentary bread and butter like the first couple of times we ate. Very disappointed in the service. Food was amazing though. Don't know if we'll eat there again. :(

My family eats here so often and it has become a favourite of ours. The only thing more lovely than Anne greeting you at the start of your meal is the confit duck leg often on the menu.

Our local "go to" restaurant when we want really good food in a quiet, relaxed atmosphere. We have NEVER had a bad meal... the food is always amazing, inventive and good size servings.... cannot recommend Sage Leaf enough.

The Sageleaf menu is limited but all yummy. The vegetarian option of a gnocchi dish was outstanding and exceeded my expectations.

The most awesome food cooked to perfection....Get in before the 25th as closing due to end of lease ....shattered....

Excellent good, great, great service. Very reasonably priced wine list. Put this on your must try list.

Fantastic menu, lovely wine list. Always a great night out.

My aunt took us out for a family treat to this restaurant recently and it was the most exquisite food I have eaten in ages.I can't recommend it highly enough and kept a card for my other Victorian relatives.Only sorry they are not in northern NSW where I actually live.

I had sage leaf catering come to my home and cooked a 3 coarse meal for 20 people staff were amazing and the meal was wonderful everyone full of praises thank you for a wonderful evening.

We've eaten at Sageleaf a few times and every meal has been sensational! Service is brilliant and food to match. Plus, we've had Mark cater for a number of parties and we're always delighted with the food we receive. Thanks!

Went here tnt - one of the best restaurants I have visited in ages, food is out of this world!! Do yourself a favour and eat here ASAP!!

My favourite place to eat. Food to die for, and fabulous hosts. Perfect.

Delicious, friendly,professional service that you would expect from a five star restaurant.

Such a pleasure to deal with Mark and Anne. The food and service were sensational and they helped me stage a very successful surprise 70th Birthday for my husband Brian ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

We went there last night for the first time because it looked small & quiet. We were tired from travel but still wanted to celebrate an event. We also needed vegetarian options. Couldn't have made a better choice. The food was fabulous & the service excellent. It was a really lucky find.

One of my favorite restaurants in Melbourne. Amazing food and great A+++ service. Pretty much the only VIC restaurant I've been to 5 times in a city with so many options. Highly recommended!

This is a little overdue review, so their menu may have changed since we visited them. I drove past this restaurant so often but only finally got to try the food recently😅 we ordered the lamb ribs and the lamb brains for entree. Yes lamb brains! 😁😆. The lamb ribs was beautiful! Crispy on the outside, tasty and well balanced flavour when eaten with that very slight sweetness from the sauce on top. The lamb brain pieces were slightly coated in batter, deep fried and served with some juz that compliments them well. It was served with pea puree seated on a crunchy tart pastry similar texture to meat pie base or a lemon tart. It was topped with crispy pancetta/prosciutto. Overall great entrees. The main were the roast beef with green beans & potato gratin, also a crispy duck with sweet potato mash. The beef was juicy, tender and home feel. Delicious simple dish well cooked. The duck had beautiful texture, but unfortunately too aggressive on the salt on my taste bud. There’s always room for dessert😍, so we ordered 2 desserts. My memory of the title of dessert has largely evaporated, so please excuse my lack of description of them😅🙏🏻. One of them was their creme brulee with raspberry sorbet(? Sageleaf please correct me if i’m wrong) it had beautiful layers of textures. Some crumbles, then smooth and sweet underneath, then you scoop a bit of that sorbet, you get a combination of sweet and sour party in your mouth. Just beautiful! The other dessert is their Tunisian (orange) cake. It was refreshing yet sweet on the cake with some sort of fruit compote on the base and ice cream and frozen yoghurt on top of the cake. It was quite enjoyable, but a little too sweet on the cake itself. Great service by the owner of husband and wife. I was pleasantly surprised by this local gems.

Sageleaf Bistro is a hidden treasure in Hawthorn. Delicious food, friendly and attentive service. Extensive menu and good wines. Great location on Burwood Road. A restaurant where you can talk- relaxed atmosphere. Highly recommend.<br/>

Fantastic food and service. Made a last minute Valentines booking last year and they gave us a great table and service. Recommend to everyone!

Another great meal at Sageleaf! We always make a point of visiting this lovely, family-owned restaurant every time we come to Melbourne. Intimate atmosphere, friendly and attentive staff, scrumptious food...what more could you ask for? Highly recommended!

Had such a lovely night at Sageleaf Bistro! The food was not only absolutely beautiful but also original. I had the tenderloin and my wife had the pan fried gnocchi. Great service also, the hostess/owner was lovely to chat to and a good laugh!

Very disappointed!!!<br/>We booked a large group for my grandpa's 93rd and brought along a birthday cake. We were greeted very rudely from the beginning and told "they don't do cakes" on explaining the situation politely and asking for an exception they very rudely said "are you giving me a sob story" then charged us $5 per head cakeage...<br/>I wish we had walked out! <br/>The food was nice but the way we were treated at the start ruined our night!

I came here tnt for date night with Glenn Poyser.<br/><br/>Came across this quaint little restaurant in Hawthorn on Zomato - had some pretty amazing reviews and awesome menu so booked in for dinner @ 7:30pm.<br/><br/>Greeted by the chefs wife - started with scallops on leek roulette and my partner had pork fritters with pea purée! Wow o wow!!!<br/><br/>Main was braised pork belly with Fennell purée and Glenn had lamb shoulder that melted in your mouth!<br/><br/>Dessert was yummy!!! Chocolate pudding and rhubarb tart with rhubarb compote in a glass.....the pastry was amaze balls!!<br/><br/>This is my first 5.0 on Zomato - you will not be disappointed eating here - the food is absolutely delicioso!!!! The hard choice is deciding on what to eat - will be back, sooner rather than later!!!

Great, intimate. Lovely food and lovely service. Thank you for a wonderful evening. All the food was fantastic. I'm so glad we came, as I've been looking for a place like this for a while.

Looking for a local restaurant who can match it with the best its here and will not disappoint.  We dined here last Saturday evening with friends and from the pan fried scallops for entree and the confit duck leg and tenderloin of beef, all cooked to perfection with beautiful flavours to complement each dish.  You feel like your dining with friends as the atmosphere is relaxing and cosy.  Service is extremely efficient and it all happens with a minimum of fuss.  The BYO option is great as you can enjoy your own favourite wines with the meal.  Dark chocolate mousse was a huge winner and the cheese platter was substantial for two people.  A wonderful night was had by all, will be back and highly recommend.

Had a fantastic dinner! Pan fried snapper-to die for! Superb service!

Absolutely beautiful!!! Such lovely food (we ate the duck and the gnocchi) and great service in a small cozy restaurant. Really enjoyed my coffee too after the meal. Very impressed and will recommend to friends!

A meal to look forward to.. I hope as many people as possible have the opportunity to dine at Sage Leaf. The dishes are superb.

Such a wonderful pace. We thoroughly enjoyed eating here. The food was amazing, the staff were cheerful, friendly, and very good at their jobs. We honestly can't recommend this enough. Simply spectacular

Gorgeous food in a low key environment. I regularly dine here with the family - food is delicious and interesting without trying too hard. And fabulous quality. The maître d and her team are delightful and it almost feels like you're in their home. Totally recommend it, probably better for small groups rather than large ones.

Totally amazing food a definite do not miss experience!

A Little Gem!. A big thank you to all the previous reviewers who brought the pleasures of Sageleaf bistro to this long time local's attention. Nestled discreetly between a fabric supplier and a kebab shop in a busy stretch of Burwood Rd, this delightful little restaurant is a hidden gem. Wonderful dishes, charming service, an understatedly elegant yet cosy setting. What a lovely discovery so close to home!

WONDERFUL a small delightf.... WONDERFUL <br/>a small delightful restaurant with professional, friendly, wait staff!<br/>Food was top notch and prepared perfectly. <br/>Portions were very generous remember to save room fos dessert. <br/>Know the family will be back again.

Wonderful!. Excellent service and amazing food. A Hawthorn favourite for sure. Nothing comes close in the area for this kind of experience.

High standard. We have dined at Sage Leaf several times now and each time our high expectations have always been met. And by our friends! Sooo impressed! Always! Parking easy too!<br/><br/>Trish & Alan

Delightful First Time!. My wife and I visited Sageleaf Bistro tonight and we were both very impressed with the food and the service. My wife says her confit of duck was one of the best she has eaten, although she thought the cous-cous was a little boring. My tenderloin of beef was cooked to perfection and well-presented on a delicious mash with salad and beetroot, and the crispy rosemary and garlic potatoes were a flavoursome side dish. I really enjoyed the main which I followed with the ginger pudding, again delicious! Anne was a very pleasant and friendly host and we will certainly be back! Thank you! Terry and Adrienne.

Just about Perfect. Simply nothing bad about the night - small restaurant that seats 30, attentive and pleasant staff, beautiful mix of dishes that are cooked well and delicious. <br/><br/>Small selection of entrees, mains and desserts but done well, especially the steak which was cooked very well and all meals always come together on the drop of a hat. <br/><br/>3 course meal with wine and drinks came to only $60 a head, not a fuss at all and would gladly return, 95% is NO JOKE.<br/><br/>PS: Awesome Creme Brulee

Great Food, Don't miss the Tasting Plate. We've been here quite a few times now and the food is always terrific, complimented by wonderful hospitality. Don't miss the tasting plate as your first course.<br/>Mark and Lisa

Great service. Very professional. Great food.

Hawthorn's best bistro. Five of us enjoyed the new Autumn menu at Sageleaf Bistro, starting with the excellent tasting plate (chicken liver pate, salmon roulades, pea and ham arancini, a beetroot salad and chorizo wraps) and a plate of deliciously roasted scallops. We sampled four different mains and everyone greatly enjoyed theirs. The seared ox tongue was a rarely seen item on the menu, the pulled shoulder of lamb was succulent and tender, the barramundi was sweet and moist, and the beef tenderloin was, according to a former beef farmer, the best he had tasted in twenty years. Our dessert, of rhubarb custard and a small rhubarb tart, was the perfect finish to a wonderful meal. We were also able bring our own wine. The service was attentive and we were made to feel very welcome from the beginning. We will definitely be returning to this fine restaurant.

Perfect 3 Course Meal. Both my parents went here for dinner last Friday night and haven't stopped raving about it since. The Restaurant was busy yet had attentive and friendly Service. They had Scallops and a Tasting Plate to start and commented on how beautifully the food was presented and the range of flavours was exactly what they wanted to start their meal. For main they had the Braised Shoulder of Lamb and the Pan Roast Beef tenderloin, they found the mains a great size and really enjoyable with beautiful sauces to compliment the meat. For dessert they shared a lemon tart and they described it as delicious. After a tough year for my family with health it was great for both my parents to have an enjoyable night out together with excellent, refined, flavorsome food. They wanted to make special mention of the lady who was running the floor who added to their dining experience being so enjoyable.

Fabulous food! Had a romantic dinner at Sage Leaf Bistro last night. Tasting plate to start, then I had the duck (georgeous) and my partner the beef (gone in 60 seconds), for desert I enjoyed the creme brûlée and my partner the chocolate brownie. The only but I had was that the chocolate brownie would have been better served warm. The service was perfection. First class experience all the way. We will definitely be back- hopefully soon!

Outstanding. Impromptu 'romantic' dinner turned out to be fabulous! Very good value, delicious meals ( tasting plates and snapper mains) well presented food with friendly personal service. Look forward to going back and trying the rest of the tempting menu. This is a lovely place and outshines some big name places.

A Gem. Don't worry about the seats - worry about the food and the service: both excellent. Add a reasonable wine list and a sensible corkage fee for BYO and you have a great little [literally[ restaurant.

Not even slightly disappointed. Our first visit to this restaurant was encouraged by the positive reviews we had read. We were warmly welcomed by friendly staff who made sure we quickly had a menu, water and the offer of a drink before the meal. Three courses later and we were delighted with the quality of the food, the service and the overall ambience. The goat's cheese balls with beetroot salad was delicious as were the scallops. The lamb rump, the barramundi and the vegetarian option on the menu was enjoyed by each member of the group.<br/><br/>The service remained attentive but never intrusive. I have no hesitation in recommending this restaurant.

Disappointed. We had heard a lot about this small bistro so decided to give it a try. Surprised with the small number of tables occupied on the night.<br/>Started with entrees which were well prepared but slightly "over presented" from our point of view - a lot of Chefs over sauce the presentation - good food (and it was) spoilt by additional add on sauces. If the plates is to large reduce size of plate!<br/>Mains - quality food again but presentation over indulged. Quality of food will always out way add ons.<br/>Desserts were great where the add on's are impressive.<br/>Can't question the food in general as it was good and represented good value for price in our opinion. Staff pleasant but wouldn't like to see them on a very busy night- it might get a bit out of hand.<br/>Suggestion if you are to place bread and butter on table it would be nice to butter it on a small plate not on one's hand!<br/>We wish you well as it is a conviently placed with easy parking and the area can do with places like this.

Amazing three course dinner this evening! Beautiful little restaurant with yummy food and decent wine list, capped off by excellent service and intimate atmosphere. I couldn't recommend more highly, you must try it!

Great!. Easy to find, easy to park, straightforward menu, intimate setting, excellent service and, most importantly, great tasting food! I would return, hope to soon... (attended Sat 07/07/12).

Went on the basis of Urbanspoon's rating but without high expectations. Wow. So good - every dish we had. The shared entree was a standout. Wines by the glass were generous. Staff knowledgeable, friendly and invisibly attentive. Yum.

A welcoming and cozy restaurant for our group of six friends,delivering a wonderful atmosphere, great service, food that looked great and tasted even better. The taster plate was delicious, as was the barramundi. Can highly recommend their Dark chocolate, raspberry and almond torte with poached pear and double cream!!!! Will deffinately be one to return to:-)

Great little bistro that is worth a visit. Good value, tasty food and easy parking.

Myself and my wife had dinner at sageleaf tonight. What can I say? Small & warm atmosphere and the food was a standout. Personally I'm a bit of a hard critic but could fault nothing tonight. Started with a tasting plate & I had the lamb for a main which was melt in the mouth. Desert was also fantastic. Simple food done perfectly. Definitely recommend.

Safe choice. Food and service is good<br/>Basic menu but quality <br/>Recommend

Lovely!. Loved this little restuarant! Beautiful food, excellent service and fairly priced. Wanted to head back there for our anniversary recently but were disappointed to see they were closed over January! We will definitely be going back.

Gorgeous little place, beautiful food excellent service. It could do with a little more atmosphere though. Will be back!

Great from start to finish. The confit duck with sage gnocchi were delicious and soft, as was the pumpkin and feta tortellini. An undiscovered & underrated gem worth trying, for it's combination of price and great food. Many thanks

Sage leaf fantastico!. Great decor, the art work is very appropriate for the name... Matches in well... lovely warm and welcoming atmosphere, the attention by the staff considering how busy it was during our visit from pretty damn good- tasting plate was lovely ( chorizo/ eggplant tortilla was simple but really nice.<br/>I had the duck which came with an apple sauce/ red cabbage and home made gnocchi (which wasn't at all like typical glue like substance u normally get in pasta places!) very lite , with of course the duck leg which didn't disappoint.<br/>Clearly we will be going back.

Lovely food, no atmosphere. Absolutely delicious food didn't save this experience for us. On what should have been a bustling Saturday night for them, instead saw us share the restaurant with only 2 other tables. Uncomfortable chairs didn't help the experience either.

1 word YUM!!!

Anonymous. Have discovered a new restaurant in Hawthorn East. Favourite dish so far is the Confit of Pork Belly with orange salad, absolutely delicious! Wine list is very reasonable and service is friendly.

Great food, great service!. Excellent food and great value for money, service is outstanding and certainly one of the best new restaurants around Hawthorn.