Review Coda - Melbourne

W W

It's been awhile since our visit to Coda and had a fabulous birthday lunch here. The seafood dishes were delicious and refreshing, the pork skewers was large enough to share, in comparison, the lamb cutlet was a bit small for $12. Got a candle on the dessert as well for my birthday.

Chuankai Lim

The restaurant is fitted out nicely. Staff are friendly and attentive. The food is excellent, with the only criticism being the tempura bay bug had a very fishy aftertaste. Overall would recommend and would return in the future.

Lindz Bradford

First visit to Coda. Thoroughly enjoyed an absolutely delicious, fun birthday dinner. Top notch food quality and unique flavours - the seafood dishes and Nashi pear pavlova were winners ! 😋 Although we would have preferred a table we still enjoyed our dinner at the bar. Thank you to bartender Phillipe for the birthday cocktail ! 🍹😊

For the Love of Food

Housed off Oliver Lane you’ll find Coda, another venture by Chef Adam D’Sylva, the same guy behind Tonka. Coda offers up Euro-Vietnamese dishes that are intended to be shared. The menu is wide, the drinks list is extensive (and delicious I might add). The venue itself is dimly lit, has gorgeous ceilings, and music pumping through. The star of the show was by far the Kingfish sashimi. The flavours incorporated were sour, spicy, tangy, savoury - we couldn’t get enough of it. And the cuts of fish were a great thickness and size, making for substantial bites. The prawn betel leaves were good, slightly aromatic and made salty with the accompanying soy sauce. Oysters were sour but savoury, tasty albeit being on the smaller side. The tempura bugs were a good size, a lovely light batter, a good amount of juicy meat. However adding both the soy and the chilli salt became too salty so only a small amount is needed of each. The mozzarella was nothing special, again the pesto was on the salty side, but the carrots were beautifully sweet. The pork cutlet was a decent portion for the two of us, the cuts were nice and thick and meat was super tender and not too fatty. The flavour of the pork itself though was underwhelming - the only prominent flavour was the charred crust. The tomatoes had soaked up most of the flavour which, when eaten with the pork in one bite, elevated it. Flavours weren’t mind-blowing, but at least they were there. The fries were good, nicely salted, we would’ve preferred if they were fried for a little longer as some were softer than others and needed a better crunch. Dining on a Saturday night you can expect it to be busy, but we found that the service was quite slow, we noticed the tables around us being made to wait a while, prompting for some diners to raise the issue to staff. Perhaps there was a staffing issue on this night as they appeared to be under the pump. There has to be a degree of mercy given to the hospo industry at the moment. Overall, a great fine-dining restaurant. The sashimi is what blew us out of the park, everything else was tasty and fresh but not incredible. I’m not sure how I feel about putting European and Asian food together on one menu though. Still worth a visit.

Ling Yi Goh

We had a lovely dinner at Coda over the long weekend, service was great and food came out pretty quickly. We really enjoyed the salmon gravlax, duck liver puff and our fave dish, the hot numbing lamb with a side of roti. We ordered the fromage blanc sorbet for dessert and it was light and refreshing, great way to end the meal. For mains, we ordered the pork cutlet and the prawn fried rice, the pork cutlet was cooked really well, tender and juicy but it was quite salty for us and the cut we were served was too fatty in our opinion. The prawn fried rice was tasty but nothing special. Overall, it was a great meal and would definitely come again to try the other mains and desserts!

Phil Horner

Incredible meal with 7 guests at Coda. Every dish was faultless which is rare in a set menu environment like we had. The service was impeccable and staff attentive. A very nice touch was that we had some visitors from Sydney and we were able to call ahead to the restaurant and organise some special bottles off their list to be put aside. Speaking of wine, what a great list! Good combo of top Australian wines with some great French ones mixed in too. I will be back. Delicious.

Angel Astrid AC

You will always enjoy a beautiful balanced meal at Coda, we particularly enjoy the variety and the Asian fusion in some of the dishes 🥂

Debbie Graham

The staff were extremely warm, friendly, informative and welcoming. The food was exceptional giving tastebud explosions. Our waiter even ticked off on the menu what food I could eat as gluten free. Definitely will return to enjoy the experience again.

Bridget

My second dining experience at coda. It’s a lovely venue. Disappointed by the food- portion sizes varied as did the tastes. The zucchini & fritter salad was a highlight, duck starter was also nice, the duck curry was small portion size which was disappointing. The desert was very skilful but the flavours lacked unfortunately. Sadly I feel it’s overpriced.

Mills

Every time in the last couple of years I planned to go to Coda something came up and never allowed me the opportunity to go. Finally I did and secretly I wished I didn’t because it felt short of my expectations. Don’t get me wrong the food wasn’t bad but for the prices listed there are better options. Firstly the salmon gratalax wasn’t that great however the chicken skewers were amazing and the fried noodles with xo sauce was delicious. The steak tartare had too much happening which I wasn’t a fan of. I prefer it to be simple and straight to the point . The Barramundi wasn’t bad and the broccoli side went very well with it . Definitely order rice with it. For dessert we shared the apple bourbon creation and interestingly you could taste each individual flavor separately. The ambience is nice and dark which I like however our first waiter didn’t know how to take an order with dietary requirements which really annoyed us. If you’re not sure don’t interrogate us go and ask the chef 🙄 Before I forget they have a great long wine list with a lot of good by the glass selections.

Kitty Huo

Felt uncomfortable dining there, as waiters were gossiping behind me and my friends. Dishes were overpriced, and took over 40 minutes to arrive, and the quality is average.

Crazzzy

3 of us order 4 dishes, 2 were starter, without any drinks, we paid $46 each, and we were not full at all. The portion was too small.

Aaditya Bajwa

Hit and miss. Great location and staff were very good. Half of our dishes were really good but one dish was undercooked and another just not up to standard compared to other dishes. Heard great things about Coda but was a little Disappointed

Geniebear

Great Melbourne spot. The service was friendly, as we went their for a business dinner they didn't bother us with much smalltalk. The food was pretty good, however the signature duck curry wasn't convincing. Will go back to try more dishes.

SimbaLovesFood

We had such a good meal here. Being Asians, we know our food, the flavours were packed.. unique.. we are already looking forward to our next meal at Coda. Dishes are original, well balanced, good range, prices are reasonable. Only down would be, we did not fancy the 3-4 desserts we had. They were just alright!

Laura Voice

Took my parents here who from New Zealand and we have not stopped raving since. We did not make a reservation but we able to get a table for 4 at 6pm on a friday night. The service and food was outstanding. Definitely recommend the prawn betel leaf, duck spring rolls and the tempura bugs. As well as the ruby chocolate sphere and the pandan lamington for dessert, everything was delicious!

Casey

Went here about three years ago and thought it was absolutely amazing. Then food and flavours were then very unique and not overpriced. Now however it’s a different story. The portions are small and nothing stood out. A lot of fried smalls and everything tasted overly salty. The $25 ruby chocolate sphere dessert raised expectations and although the presentation was nice, it was not worth the money. The espresso martini was probably the highlight of the night (and the company)! Won’t be returning in the future!

M3lissa____

@codamelbourne Mid week pleasures at Melbourne's one hatted restaurant.Tucked away in a basement on Flinders Lane.Had the chili caramelised bug and this had definitely lived up to its reviews.

FoodieInMel

Great service, nice wine paring, sommelier was very professional, the food were interesting and delicious, Vietnamese and French fusion. Had a great experience here.

Aditya Shah

The food was good. Slightly smaller portions for the pricing but the sad part was the service by the staff. They're all so stuck up. Not 1 smile on their face or a polite conversation. Wouldn't go back. There are way better fine dining restaurants in Melbourne with exemplary service.

Petra

We had a booking at midday and the restaurant was still locked so we had to wait outside for 10mins. Not a great start. The service was average, as was the food. The Javanese curry was tasty but the larb came with rice crackers that were thick and hard and near impossible to bite through. Overall, not as good as expected.

Annie Lu

I have been to lots of fine dining restaurants. It is not a must try one. Maybe I have ordered the wrong dishes. For what I paid for, I expect much more, to be honest. That Morning Glory with fermented toufu should NEVER be on your menu, seriously! I can have that in most of the Chinese restaurant w a better price and quality. Take it off your menu please.

Cass Eats

Staff and service was good. No tables so was seated at the bar. Wasn’t a lot on the menu and the stuff was quite small and flavours were sub par. Quite expensive for what it was.

18mh18lv

Its sooooo good!! I had the cauliflower, spatchcock and lamb, it was the right portion for one (lady). Then I had the peanut dessert (recommended by the waiter). Dessert was AMZING!! I had the yuzu one... I just wish there was more!! I will definitely come back! Food here is awesome!

Alex Whitney

Recently dined here and enjoyed a variety of things on their 10th birthday menu, the tempura bugs were a major standout as were the other seafood dishes, the other meats we had, such as the ‘um-mah chicken’, were good and the none Asian influenced dishes were average. Overall hit and miss but stick to the Asian flavours and seafood and you’ll eat well

Birdman

Have been wanting to go here for donkeys and I finally did and it did not disappoint food is an absolute 10/10. We had a couple betel leafs which were very flavoursome, prawn spring rolls excellent, lamb chop very good and a yellow duck curry was so good and highly recommended. Rice and roti both very good. Service amazing changing out 3 plates during the course of the meal. Take off 1 point as it’s absolutely without a doubt so expensive, just like Tonka. Cheapest glass of Rose is $21 and beers from $12-$14... 1 lamb chop was $13 and $11 for a spring roll. Great experience and would definitely come back

Teeks

Love going to Coda for some nibbles and cockfails. We always grab a few dishes to share here The crispy prawn betel leaf is a must, and the scallops, steak tartare are all delicious. There's a nice drinks menu as well. Overall, love the cool vibe that Coda has.

Alan Tse

I had been looking forward to this place, and in summary, the place has excellent food and some very creative drinks. However it’s a bit over priced; good to go there if you’re in the area like we were for a comedy show but I wouldn’t necessarily go out of my way, but I did manage to take away a recipe for a kaffir lime infused gin.

Le Cat & Kate

I have to say that we were slightly underwhelmed by the food at CODA. This is disappointing because we were very excited to dine here, it’s not that the food was bad it was just a bit average and based on such high reviews we were expecting so much more. It’s also a little bit overpriced for what it is, $40+ for a small bowl of duck curry that was tough.... that’s day light robbery!

Robin

Upon opening our doors in 2009, we were thrilled to receive the The Age Good Food Guide's 'HatAward' and have maintained it ever since. Complementing these achievements, we are very proud of Head Sommelier, Travis Howe, who not only won Sommelier of the Year but also picked up the 2013 Wine List of the Year. Nestled in one of Melbourne's iconic laneways (basement Oliver Lane, and Flinders Lane), Coda is located in the busiest and most dynamic culinary precinct the city has to offer. A stone's throw away from the Yarra River, Flinders Street station and Federation Square, the restaurant enjoys hosting a diverse group of diners from frequenting locals who live and work on its doorstep to diners…

Sarah P

I made a zomato account just so i could write a review about how good the scallops were. The service was attentive, charismatic and warm. As a vietnamese fusion restaurant - I could taste so much flavour in some of the dishes that's homage to Vietnamese cuisine such as the beautiful aromatics of fish sauce in combination with the tanginess of lime in the Calamari, green papaya and cucumber salad. The Crystal Bay prawn fried rice with lap yook, edamame and chives was delicious on its own - but for us was, it was 100% enhanced with the Calamari green salad. The Spencer Gulf Kingfish, chrysanthemum, potato and tobiko was a beautiful dish full of light flavours - would have complimented well with the duck in lettuce. The food was good overall but special mentions to the hervey bay scallops with pearl tapioca & salmon cavier - the flavours just oozed in my mouth! The saltiness from the cavier with savoury of the creamy tapioca sauce on top of the slightly charcoal taste of the scallop just complimented each other perfectly. i didn't want the scallops to finish. and also another YUMMMMM special mention dish the crispy tapioca with prawn betel leaves... they were so good we ordered another round of just that!! the Ruby chocolate sphere, with raspberry sorbet was just so much fun to eat and the rasberry flavours just burst in your mouth. The team was even thoughtful enough to put a candle on the plate for my partner's birthday which was a lovely touch! The only dish that didn't give us a wow was the duck in lettuce delight - it was quite salty in my personal opinion - and it would have been nice with one of the salads on top. Overall, I've been looking forward to coming here for a month and it did not disappoint! Thank you for making our night Coda team - i'm already looking forward to coming back.

Kerrie Peck

This place is AMAZING! One of the best experience we have had in Melbourne. All of the food on the menu is to die for, we had several shared dishes and loved all of them! The staff here are fantastic and incredibly friendly, the service was some of the best I’ve ever received. Cocktails were also 10/10 and we never waited for a drink! Absolutely one of the best restaurants myself and my husband have ever been to.

Greatfoodielife

It’s our fourth wedding anniversary and amazing how quick the last four years have flown. My husband chose Coda for our anniversary dinner overriding my preference for Ezard. We have been to Ezard a few times and whilst I have been to Coda quite a few years ago it was his first visit. The times available were limited when booking and we decided to go with super early rather than late knowing in by 6pm and out by 8pm.

Rowland

Excellent food and service! Every dish was fantastic. Food comes out at a good time and you never feel rushed. Veggie curry was amazing! Will definitely return! I wish I had room for desert!

Apoorv Malhotra

Excellent food and fantastic service. The staff are extremely courteous. The food arrived on time. The only downside was that the restaurant's booking service was unavailable on Sunday, so we had to make a reservation through a third party website.

Nomnom

A great place for a drink with extensive drinking list. Food could be hit and miss, although the must order would be fresh oysters and roasted duck curry.

Perry

Went here around 6pm with my friend. We have been told to finish by 7.30pm. Anyway, was a nice place but a bit pricey. I had veg curry 🍛 my friend had her duck curry. Tastes authentic and 😋 the flavour was right on point. Also the service was great 👍🏻

Gourmet Explorer

I feel so lucky that I can get a table for Saturday lunch. All the foods are excellent except the calamari salad. It’s a bit too hot for me. Even the coffee is very good. Definitely I will go back and recommend to my friends

Susan Susan

Great friendly service and pleasant relaxed atmosphere, obviously a very popular place as it filled up quickly while we were there but we didn't feel pressured to move on after finishing our meal. we had a really good night!!!

Dumba

Great restaurant with friendly waiting staff and a fresh innovative menu. Highlights include the crispy skin chicken and the dessert menu. Highly recommended.

Tabi Ei

We went there for a date night. Had some amazing champagne and white wine. The staff helped us pick the best of the menu. We got mostly the small plates to share which was a wise choice I believe. The scallops were to die for, the crispy prawns and the duck lettuce were also amazing. We also tried two deserts, the white chocolate and the ruby chocolate , both heavenly and what a beautiful presentation.

Linda

Yep. Delicious. Not much to fault with this place. A contemporary and creative menu that was nicely balanced. Premium ingredients used which were all fresh. Service was good. Portions were a bit light given the price tag, but otherwise a good fine dining experience.

Kira Dinh

Took my boyfriend here for his birthday last week and it was a wonderful experience! The staff were very helpful and welcoming, and the food was beautifully presented. On top of this, the food was quite nice! I especially enjoyed the beef and crackers dish :)

Donna&Shane

This was a place I had booked us into and WOW didn’t disappoint. What a really nice place to come for dinner. Lovely restaurant and friendly staff. We ordered: Starters: Kingfish - so fresh Coda rolls - yummy spring rolls Then we had a seperate starter each Veg delight -nice Lamb chop-yum Along with the prawn fried rice- absolutely yummy and tasty very delicious For mains we shared the Beijing chicken which was super tender and the cabbage slaw which was very fresh We did manage to share a dessert the ice cream sandwich which actually I could have eaten without sharing -yum.

Tanya

I love the lunch here. Especially sitting up at the bar to eat where you can also get glimpses of the master chefs at work in the kitchen! Really friendly service staff too. They give excellent advice on the most appropriate dishes to order. But really, I’m sure everything is as delicious as what we had - pork hock, barramundi and greens. Perfect!

Tasting Notes Melbourne

Another great gem of Melbourne cbd hidden just off flinders lane in a basement setting. Expect Asian fusion style food but with a kick of french mastery. All products are sourced from the best and the wait staff are always on their game. Somewhere for an occasion, or for taking clients.

Stefan Piritidis

Bartender and waitress who served us were an absolute delight. It was so nice that when we asked which cocktails the waitress recommended, she was able to offer a detailed description on her own personal opinion of each drink. Not only that, but when ordering food she gave us a few options to suit us and minimise waste, such as giving us a half serve of a particular dish. Bartender was a pleasure to speak with also as we sat on the bar. Highly recommend. Food was very impressive.

Deniz

The food really isn’t anything remarkable. It’s average at best, and definitely not deserving of all the hype it has received in my opinion. A lot of the flavours are really overpowering and don’t complement one another. It seems like that in trying to create a ‘fusion’ of flavours, they’ve mostly overcomplicated things. The venue is nice and modern. If I were to stop here I’d say Coda is deserving of 3 stars. But unfortunately the terrible service drags it down another star. The waiters are inattentive, cold and snobby. Newsflash: You work there, you don’t own the place. I understand that they’re probably under the pump and become indifferent after some point, but they’re just plain rude. We were seated at the bar and got up to pay and one waiter condescendingly yelled at us to ‘sit cause you can pay here’ as though this was something we should’ve just known (it was our first time here). My partner decided to take the high ground and was super polite in paying, thanked the waiter and wished him a good day. His response was to furrow his eyes and say nothing. If the food is average, I would’ve at least expected amazing service. Unfortunately there’s no particularly redeeming quality about this place apart from the venue itself. Everything else is below average or average at best. I understand it has a bit of a celebrity status, but my advice is to not buy into it and avoid this place altogether unless plain, overpriced food and terrible service is your thing.

Eat Me!

One of the most interesting menus in Melbourne. Food that is a bit different and excellently executed. Great service and stylish surrounds. Definitely a recommend.

Nadia Loves Food

First time experiencing Coda it wasn’t too bad but wouldn’t highly rate it, wouldn’t recommend others to go there either. Asked the waiter for a sweet cocktail, in which a sour cocktail was brought out to me. Was with a group of girls and even though we ordered many dishes, it took ages for each one to come out. Still hungry after it though as I’m writing this review....

Ling Yuan

Wow! Didn’t know that Vietnamese cuisine can be this fusion and creative in its textures and flavours. Great share plates selections and wine collections. No wonder this place is packed every night.

Harrysingh Rawat

This was an outstanding restaurant experience. We were seated at the bar, which worked well as we could see some of the kitchen work and gain an appreciation of the professionalism and coordination that went into the delivery of the food. The atmosphere would be described as casual/relaxed, and the service was friendly and very attentive at all times. We were not sure what to order, and in the end just asked for a selection of the favorites and signature dishes - we were not disappointed.

Aishath Thuhufa Fikry

We were very excited to go here for my friend’s birthday dinner, especially since we are huge fans of Tonka! Unfortunately the food was very average here. We loved the tapioca and betel leaf starter, and the desserts were great, especially the dark choc cremeux and the pear tarte. The quail and steak tartare were okay, but there was nothing special about the flavours. The duck curry was nice too, but once again very forgettable. The lovely staff did make up for our disappointment in the food, by being very sweet to the birthday girl and making her feel very special. We definitely don’t regret going, but will definitely be going to Tonka next time!

Blefdot

It was funny arriving here midweek with a girlfriend to have a D'N'M over some good food and great wine. Most of the other guests were dressed more formally than us however we still felt very welcome and valued. The food is on point, some of the best seafood I've had in Australia. Loved the sommelier's knowledge and my introduction to Chablis. You have another fan in me guys well done!

JB

Mod Asian with a side of great service. Helped through the menu like an old man hopping out of a bath. Everything was flavorful and spectacular. I can’t wait to get back in this room!

Chippie

We had lunch at Coda today and loved it. We started with the crispy tapioca and prawn betel leaf. It was so crisp and delicious. Next was the Hervey Bay scallop with pearl tapioca and salmon caviar, the steak tartare with quail egg and Melba toast. All delicious. Then we tried the Beijing crispy aromatic chicken with smoked salt and plum and chilli sauce. It was succulent and spicy and delightful. We shared a mango and coconut bombe Alaska and the rum roasted pineapple. All so good. Fantastic food and service. Can’t wait to go back.

Lauren Tyson

Just ate here tonight, writing a review as we are so surprisingly beyond disappointed with the food. Ordered as entrée the prawn betel leaf roll, tofu mushroom san Choi bow, octopus salad & oysters. The only dish in the whole meal that was even close to tasty was the prawn betel leaf roll. The san Choi bow was too bitter and vinegar flavoured with not much other flavours, I didn’t finish it, the oysters were way to salty making them very unappealing, the octopus salad was too spicy to finish with not much flavour other than the taste of chilli & burnt octopus- also unable to finish. For mains we had the chicken & a vegetarian curry. The chicken was just one whole chicken on a plate not overly exciting but my partner ate it. The vegetarian curry however tasted like a bowl of curried sugar with caramelised chickpeas in it. It was so overly sweet and sickly and so far from normal curry flavour after 3 mouthfuls I couldn’t eat it at all, my partner tried it and did not like it at all either. The meal cost $150 I walked out still hungry and we both walked out extremely disappointed. We chose the restaurant based on its ratings and the fact it’s a couple of doors down from chin chins where we eat at regularly and the food there is amazing! Cannot believe it’s so different just a couple of doors down. Unsure how these guys stay in business, extremely uncompetitive food for a business in such an esteemed restaurant area. We will not be returning.

Samantics

We enjoyed a great pre-show meal here early on a Thursday night. We dropped in without a booking and were fortunate enough to get a seat at the bar. The ambiance was dark and broody but became more electric once the tables filled around us. Bec who served us was a star, really friendly and offered some great recommendations. The scallops were a standout dish, the sauce was incredible. Also enjoyed the Beijing chicken and yellow duck curry. We had prime viewing of the kitchen and they work like a well oiled machine. We enjoyed some delicious cocktails too and the bramble was my fave pick. Overall a really good experience and recommend for a special dining experience.

Foodforthought

We found the service and staff lovely and friendly although very slow . It took about 2.5 hours for all the food to come out. The dishes themselves were quite uninspired. We tried the rice paper roll, these are fried and so they don’t taste fresh. We also had the barramundi, which probably would be the only dish I’d recommend. The chicken and duck were very average. Unfortunately overall disappointed and won’t be back. The drinks however were great, from the bartender, to the cocktails and the final product.

Jo

Delicious.. what more can you say. Everything that came out of the kitchen was either delectable (prawn betel leaf) or unique (Thai basil sorbet with rum pineapple). Warm environment with great service too. A new favourite!

Don Djoe

We came here for dinner. Was it cheap? Nope. Was the serving generous? Nope. Was it delicious? Yes, except for one dish. The first dish that came out was papaya salad, it was refreshingly good. The quail was all right too but it was inferior to the lamb ribs. The peanut sauce that came with it deserves a big thumbs up. Next up, fried Thai eggplant. It was supposed to be spicy and pickled. But really for me it was just a super sour, but non spicy pickle. It almost killed my taste buds and we had to order rice to balance it out. We were not a fan of this dish. The final dish we ordered was thankfully tasted great, barramundi fillet. It was just a pity it came in small serving. The tea mocktail ... felt like it was just a diluted Lipton ice tea, we should've ordered something else. The dessert though was magnificent and you should definitely try it.

Fredster64

Wow! Great food, wonderful service and an excellent wine list. Really enjoyed the tuna salad, quail lettuce wrap, squid salad and the tea infused roast chicken. A crispy pork dish was perfectly crunchy. What an assured, professional and superb restaurant.

Occasionalist

“That’s a nice view of the bins,” said my husband as he looked out through the ground-level window. I saw the monochromatic arches of Chanel but he saw the bins placed on the street. That is the “view” from Coda so it’s no doubt people don’t come here to dine for the view, it’s for the food and service. We arrived early for our booking - a good 20 minutes early. The place was busy but not at full capacity on this weekend night. We were promptly seated and handed our drink menus. We ordered Pinot Grigio because I’m all about that Grigio these days. The menu was designed for sharing but it was made clear the “smaller” dishes were not suitable for this arrangement. We had the following: 1. oysters: served at room temperature and a bit on the small side so we have had better elsewhere. 2. Blackened quail: we were told this was marinated in soy sauce and other ingredients before being crisply fried. It’s quite a salty dish but it was beautiful. Would recommend. 3. Wok tossed lamb: this was full of Asian flavours and was really lovely. I think I ate more of this than my husband. 4. Black Angus strip loin: when the plate came, it looked like there was a lot happening and that we might lose the actual flavour of the meat, but it came together beautifully without overpowering each element. 5. Wok tossed morning glory: a more generous portion than expected, especially since morning glory shrinks to a fraction of its size when cooked. Many places overseason as they don’t allow for this shrinkage factor but Coda served this beautifully. Service was very good. They looked after us and all their tables well. I must’ve told them that it was my husband’s birthday so even though we declined a dessert, because we were incredibly full, they brought out a little chocolate tart with a candle. This gesture was much appreciated and thank you to Coda for making this a wonderful dining experience.

Beatrice Michelle

The waiters are so racist... they thought that we are stupid, cos you know . . . “all asians cannot speak english” well..... i didn’t know it was an anti-asian restaurant... so if you’re asian, don’t even bother to go there :)

The Barrister Snob

Celebrated anniversary dinner. We let the restaurant bring us dishes until we were full. It was the same as an $80pp degustation which was superb value. The highlights was the scallops dish, the duck curry and the dessert platter. Very satisfying. Service was friendly and helpful.

Milla Vanilla

Don't usually opt for Vietnamese-inspired but glad I did! Had the tuna salad, palm heart salad, fried eggplant and accidentally ordered steak instead of steak tartare. No regrets though because it was cooked perfectly. Salads were flavoursome and wok fried eggplant very homely albeit a little salty. Quite upset we didn't have room for dessert as everything sounded amazing. Having said that it'll give me an excuse to come back! Service was good but felt surcharge was a bit hefty.

Sweet.connoisseur

Amazing restaurant. Food was delicious and service was fantastic! Favourite dish: Fresh oysters. Rating: 5/5 Service: 4/5 Food: 3.5/5 Ambiance:3/5 Would I come for another visit? Absolutely Would I recommend to family & friends? Absolutely! Tips: they do get quite busy during dinner time so I would recommend you to try and get a table just before 7pm (if you plan to walk in and do no have a reservation) Alternatively you can book online.

Lauren Maree

Whilst we thoroughly enjoyed the food we did leave a tad hungry still, despite spending nearly $200 on food alone. Plus, I believe we made some poor choices with a number of our entrees being deep fried which we were not expecting -it really hid the taste of the food. We were impressed with the service though, and the food came out very quickly. Would go back but make fresher choices.

KnowingMelbourne

Coda is one of Melbourne’s best. What they do they do so well! The service is always impeccable. It’s often described as modern Asian but I’m not sure I’d describe it as that, it’s more fusion euro-Asian I think. With distinct dishes inspired by different cuisines. The menu is split into single items and sharing items. As for singles the quail lettuce delight is wonderful, and the fried rice paper roll will make you smile, and the smoked lamb rib is rich and delicious. In the In-between section the buffalo mozzarella is creamy and heavenly and the pork shoulder is a standout too. As for the bigger dishes, you really can’t go wrong. Depends what you’re in the mood for: curry, a sizzling plate, steak. Choose whatever you stomach desires and it will impress.

Lella Dee

Simply divine! Every single dish was spot on perfection. The service was second to none! The roast chicken & the ocean trout were our favourites! Can't wait to return.

TweeVy Ngo

Another hidden gem within Flinders Lane, Coda offers fine Asian fusion dishes, ranging from something little to nip on, shared plates or bigger plates. Their steak tartare was prepared to perfection, giving a blast of fresh meat and tangy herbs. Their cucumber salad compliments very well with the Beijing chicken and jasmine rice. Ambience of the venue and service provided was top notch.

Willtravelforfood17

Cool basement area where the restaurant is - atmosphere is buzzing. Food is modern Asian Fusion. I ordered the prawn betal leaf which was crispy and full of flavour. The pork shoulder was tender and falling apart. It was so hard to choose the dessert because every dish looked amazing but I had the coconut and mango bomb alaska which was tropical and literally da bomb. I most definitely will return to try their other dishes.

Wine And Food Lovers

Service at Coda was great.. lived up to the expectations! Food was good however scored slight lower because have had more of a flavour explosion at other restaurants & Coda was on the more pricey side. Decor is moody & quite delightful.

Chronicles Of A Foodie

Coda has been an old favourite and it never disappoints, I always get the scallops and lamb cutlets but everything on the menu is lush. The wine is fantastic and the service is professional!

Tina Tran

The place was packed and buzzing when we arrived for our dinner reservation and we enjoyed every dish we ordered. A great spot for date night. One of our favourite haunts is Rice Paper Scissors and Coda was like a fancier version of it.

SamtheEatingMan

Was keen to try this out for ages, but a total disappointment. Entree of scallops was nice, but at almost 10 bucks a scallop they’d want to be. Not too much more flavour than Nan’s cauliflower and cheese sauce. The total let down was the pork as a secondary, like a lump of spam, but tougher, feedback on this was received with empathy but did nothing to the bill. Main of duck curry fit the bill, matched the price they’re asking, not so sure about having to combine it with a salad though. Overall a major disappointment, rather go somewhere half the price twice and be satisfied. Do more.

The Judge

After multiple failed attempts of trying to get a reservation at Coda, I was finally fortunate this week and it's fair to say it lived up to the hype. We sat at a corner table on the couches which was perfect for the two of us. Our waiter for the night was extremely helpful and steered us into the following dishes: ENTRE Crispy prawn beetle leaf Crispy vegetarian beetle leaf (off menu) Ha Noi fried pork rice paper roll Assam lamb rib (a must have) Buffalo mozzarella and zucchini fritters MAIN Roti bread Malaysian veggie curry Baramundi fillet (steal some of the curry sauce and drizzle it on the fillet, you won't regret it) It was an extremely hot night so it was suggested to stay away from the sizzle plate, sound advice and gives me another reason to return. This was all washed down with a crisp refreshing bottle of the TWR Pinot Grigio. Service was exceptional and we loved all of our dishes. If a tennis match was played between Coda and sister restaurant Tonka, it would be a 5 set classic, however Tonka would claim the 5 and deciding set 6-4.

AJ

Came here after booking well in advance for my birthday for 4 people, they stuffed up the booking and had it down as 2 guests so there was obviously a miscommunication which is fine but the way the 2 guys on the door handled the situation blaming us and getting all defensive was completely unprofessional and rude. Instead of trying to sort the problem out, they were already booked and basically told us bad luck and turned us away. It started off condescending but quickly turned sour to the point where one was being aggressive and invasive so unfortunately we had to leave. Thanks for ruining my birthday 👍

Tom Hill

Went here on a Saturday evening without a booking with the two of us and got a seat at the bar which was great. The service of the bar man was exceptional and my glass of water was never a second empty (which was good to accompany the wines). They have an excellent and wide range of wines available. The restaurant is situated underground in a lane way and is dark and cosy. The little starters were ok but generally lacked the wow factor. The entree size 'in between' dishes were simply outstanding and amazing ! We had the calamari salad which was fresh and juicy with the typical Asian sweet sour taste and crunchy anchovies. Also the pork shoulder with pineapple sauce was beautiful. For mains we had half/half of both the yellow duck curry and Malaysian vegetable curry. Duck curry was very strongly flavoured and the duck was succulent. The vegetable curry was absolutely beautiful with a creamy sour taste. As side dish we had the sambal eggplant which also crunchy, juicy and spicy and also one of our favourites. All in all a great experience with nice food and great staff, had a wonderful night and would certainly come back to taste some more dishes !

Neegita Sharma

Oh! I went in with so much expectations since I had seen so many good reviews of this place but it was a huge bubble burst! It's unnecessarily expensive and the serving portion is very small even the large is small (small is just a bite size). Otherwise also even though I had reserved a table I had to wait for nearly 20 mins to get a seat and then I felt the staff was very unfriendly..there were two visiting our table one of which was ok but the second one made me feel very uncomfortable, he acted as if I was forced guest and he was disappointed on my visit, hence making my experience bad and I couldn't wait to get out of that place!

Milktealayer

Went there with a group of frd last week. The seafood there tasted so good, especially the lobster n oyster. The sauce was so good. The soup was silky as well

Sam Tamblyn

Phenomenal. Melbourne’s best for me. Great food, great wine list, great atmosphere. We continue to go back time and time again. Never disappoints. 👍👍

Moetfan

Five stars out of five for every staff member of the Coda team. Sat at the bar, every bar person, wait staff, manager... a credit to the restaurant. Food... 4/5. Everything was spot on except the pork sausage inside the home made pho/school prawn dish.

Lizzie Eats Melbourne

😱Lizzie's first impression: The place is underground and is everything a typical Melburnian asian fusion place should be - dim lights, a bar with talkative staff and music loud enough so you can just hear the person next to you if you talk a little louder than normal. 🍩Lizzie enjoyed: The food was yummy especially the ribs and the duck entree starters. The tuna dish was also very refreshing and had a generous portion. 🍅Lizzie did not enjoy: As compared to many other asian fusion restaurants in Melbourne, not many exciting dishes stood out to me. They were all quite similar and the price was a little higher than the norm. But coming from an asian background, I have tried black fungus or white fungus on many occassions and the blackened noodle dish just didn't do those products justice. 🎖Lizzie rates overall: A great place for date nights and celebrations, but I don't think there was a wow factor for me unfortunately.

Mrs Mark

Was only able to get a late night booking on a Sunday night which I thought was an indication of the quality of this establishment. Unfortunately I was wrong. The service was slow and each main was brought out separately dragging out an already painful meal. The entrees were not memorable and the mains (we had the steak which was bland and the chicken which was at least a bit better) were mediocre at best.

Good Food Good Mood

We went to Coda for lunch yesterday and having dined several times at Tonka we were intrigued to see how Adam D’Sylva’s famed other restaurant stacked up. It didn’t quite hit the dizzying heights of Tonka perfection but it gave it a red hot go. The staff were so beyond lovely you almost forget you are having an expensive meal. Casual and relaxed yet super professional and not a hint of pretentiousness. The venue itself reflects this with its pared back interior and chilled atmosphere. The menu was explained to us most impressively with extensive knowledge not only of the dishes but also ingredient sourcing. We started off with the buffalo mozzarella zucchini fritters. The fritters were perfection I only wish they were larger and more relative to the amount of delicious cheese which was a bit disproportionate. I do however greatly applaud the option to try several of the dishes in half serves which allows you to explore more of the menu. As we are pretty greedy we stuck to full serves! This is probably how we spent over $150 for lunch for two despite drinks involving only one beer and one mocktail. An experience worth having nonetheless. Note the menu is a little out of date on Zomato so worth checking out their website as their are some cracker dishes not listed here including the delicious seared ocean trout with pickled green tomato and mango. Shame I found a couple of bones in it because the flavours were spot on. For the large plate we chose the dry aged steak with pumpkin and peppercorn jus. Knockout presentation, sublimely cooked and pommes frites the ideal accompaniment. We were pretty much bursting but I was assured the mango and coconut Bombe Alaska dessert was light so we indulged in this tasty tropical sensation and weren’t disappointed. A fantastically fruity way to end a meal

Mel

Some really delicate interesting flavours, I preferred the dishes with punchier flavours. Only real disappointment for me was ordering a truffle dish that clearly had zero truffle in it on the dish... oversight maybe but still. Overall enjoyable food

JLK

Had high expectations because of he high ratings and public opinions, however was incredibly disappointed with the experience from the service to the quality of food with an exception to one dish.

Em L

After reading all the overhyped reviews and making a reservation two months in advance, we were very disappointed with our experience at Coda. Many reviews cite great service, however we didn't experience this during our dinner. Our wait staff were quite off standish and made us feel unwelcome as they made no attempt to engage with us, smile or even bother to make much eye contact (especially the main waiter that night) - it seemed as though they were just going through the motions but didn't want to serve us. They seemed much nicer to the table next to us though, even though we had not done anything to prompt such behaviour. We also agree with reviews that mentioned noise levels being too loud to the point where conversation was difficult to engage in. The food itself was average but quite pricey for what it was. There were no stand out dishes except the Beijing chicken, which we quite enjoyed. We ordered an ice cream sandwich for dessert which tasted no better than ones you can get at the supermarket but costed $20 (wtf?!). There are much better Asian fusion restaurants in Melbourne with better service and food for a lower price tag (such as Rice Paper Scissors and Longrain). Overall, we were quite disappointed at our experience and would not recommend Coda to others or return again. It is surprising that the restaurant has received so many rave reviews.

Kirsty Haggerty

Such a great find! My friend and I wanted to try chin chin but there was 2 hour wait, so we left quite quickly... BUT on our way back we found Coda and snapped up the last 2 seats at the bar. The service was impeccable and the food was delicious. We ordered the crispy tapioca and prawn, the chargrilled lobster betel, the duck larb with Vietnamese ride cracker, the barramundi with greens beans and OX sauce on the side. Every single dish was fresh, cooked to perfection and arrived in a timely fashion. The staff were extremely helpful and knew what they were doing. I would highly recommend this place, such a great dining experience.

Sassyfoodqueen

Smaller: Hà Nội style fried rice paper roll with pork, truffle and nuoc cham & Crispy tapioca and prawn betel leaf with kaffir lime and green chilli ⚡️ Bigger: Roasted yellow duck curry ⚡️ On the side: Jasmine Rice & Blistered green beans with pork and XO sauce Such an insane experience @ coda, the quality of food and service was out of this world, despite it being such a 5 star dining experience it was still such a comfortable and relaxed environment which is difficult to find these days. Completely wow’d ! Will definitely be back again, book a table for your next dinner! You won’t regret it!

Donut Kill My Vibe

Dined here last night with girlfriends. We were a little late but they accompanied for us and all the food came out on time! Fantastic service could not fault. Think it's a huge winner here. Cocktails were also great! I had the aviation which had a little kick to it. Highlights of the night were the scallops, lamb ribs, duck larb and barramundi! Green bean salad was also tasty. Of course we also opted for desert, the coconut and mango bombe alaska was well, bomb. Thanks for kicking off our night to a great start and kudos for the 10/10 service!

Acky

After all the hype, I have to admit our Friday night visit booked two months in advance was a little of a disappointment. Music too loud - I don't know how I can tolerate being here on a date. We can hardly hear one another on a cosy table of four. Explanation were completely drown out by the music. Lighting - it's so dark we can't really see what is served. No sight and no sound kinda affect the experience. The food is incredibly nicely made, both in presentation and in style. I recommend ordering your own bite size entree but also sharing some entree and mains. The dessert is the highlight of the night. Their soufflés is unbeatable. It is so light it just melts in the mouth. Overall fantastic food and service but ambience is awful, not good for dates not good for catch up.

Lcche3

Great food & great place....all dishes we ordered are great, balanced flavors.... highly recommend duck larb with cashews, full of flavors. For two people, one smaller dish, three in between dishes and one bigger dish, you may still have room to share deserts. No point to order side dishes such as roti and rice, you rather save room for other delicious dishes if you still hungry after eating all that.... highly recommend this place. If you are going Friday or Saturday night make sure you book ahead.

Food Junkie

Great Modern Asian cuisine. There's a mixture of Asian and western food, not so much fusion but as a seperate dish for example we had duck curry with roti, also steak and chips. They are beautiful with interesting twists. Music slightly too loud to have a normal conversation in. We had a late booking at 8.30pm on a Friday night, not by choice but that's all there is available. The restaurant is still packed at that time is a testament of the quality of food produced.

ITomx

Very nice place. Very good service. Food is good, the entrée was the best, duck from the main course was really nice. Very hard to get a table; requires some planning/booking. Otherwise you get seated at the non-booking area which are high chair tables and they can get uncomfortable. But worth visiting.

AmyEats

I had a really good time here. Food was very full flavoured and an excellent pace. We sat up on the bar where there was a good view of the kitchen, but though it was busy, there could have been more activity in front of us. Wines were delicious. Very small producers, leans towards natural. Beverage sales was a bit too "omnipresent".

Ramskil Thomas

Service like the food always great efficient clean and well trained a true reflection of high standards, love the bettel leaf and the scallops

Kat

Absolutely love this place, my favourite restaurant in Melbourne. I've been a number of times and have never been disappointed, great for an intimate and fancy date!

Guzzling

The underground location definitely adds to the modern, intimate vibe of the restaurant. Service was fantastic and food was up there. Portions aren't huge though and we were a little disappointed with the betel leaf as the prawn got lost in the flavours. For the prices charged we were expecting a little more. Desserts were the standout so don't forget to save space!

Colleen Eljari

We came her for our anniversary dinner and it did not disappoint. The setting and décor was lovely, with soft lighting and the seating was comfortable. Great for a date night. We had the rice paper rolls with pork and truffle and the quail in a lettuce cup, then the Kingfish and the Yellow fin tuna. All were standouts, the flavours were sensational and the dishes were perfectly seasoned. We then had the Pistachio parfait and Guava sorbet dishes for dessert. The sorbet and accompaniments were very sweet, but overall good. Our waiters were professional, knowledgeable and friendly, and the sommelier recommended some great wines to accompany the dishes. Really good! Will definitely return. Colleen Doncaster East

Two Sheds

A nice restaurant. Another excellent Melbourne modern Asian spot. Came here with old friends and had a lovely time. My opening negroni set the night up most satisfactorily. I didn't concentrate as much as I should have on the names of the dishes we had, but they were all very tasty. The highlight was a calamari dish that was strikingly fine. The Alsace riesling we enjoyed was as good a riesling as I've ever had. A recommended Pinot noir blend wasn't quite as well received. Service was excellent overall from our greeting on entry right through the meal to exit. Pleasingly, we weren't hurried on at any stage as there appeared to be no formal second sitting. Not a cheap night, but certainly that we enjoyed immensely.

Stretts

Quality melbourne venue. All dishes were very good - Steak tartare, duck curry, calamari, kingfish. Pinot from central Otago even better. Service good and matched to guests style. Well worth it.

Louise

Came here on a monday night and it was still busy and full of atmosphere which was great! food was delightful and service topped off my whole experience! Such lovely waiters and bar staff! Would definitely come back

Mysy

Cannot fault customer service. Top notch staff!! Felt completely at ease. Ordered several small dishes as I was by myself. But each dish was bursting with flavours (pictures speak a thousand words) Would definitely come back to try the bigger dishes with friends :) this is one of those places where fusion cuisine is completely taken to a level higher than expected. It is no wonder it was rated so high and i am so glad i decided to brave it and taste the menu without companions. Even more grateful I had the privilege to do so without a booking and they were completely booked that night!

Veronica Lin

Had lunch here today. The dishes were quite small, even the main course. But they all taste pretty good. I was going to order the roast duck curry but was told that it's a bit spicy. I can't eat any spicy food, so had to pick another and I picked the wagyu flank. It was nice, just a bit salty.

Phoebe Rothfield

10/10 evening. Came here for an anniversary dinner and the service, restaurant, drinks, food and staff in general were fantastic. Restaurant: beautiful, dark and very romantic. Staff: Knew every item of food on that menu and what drinks paired with which food Food: I still dream about it. For starters, we order the Crispy Tapioca & Prawn Betel Leaf which had a nice little kick to it. We followed that with the Ha Noi Style Fried Race Paper Roll (warning: YUM, prepare for your hands to get really messy). In between we had the Calamari which was both fresh, salty, spicy and just downright delicious and the Steak Tartare to break up the palette before indulging in our Mains. The hero of the night... Roasted Yellow Duck Curry.. surprisingly salty, flavoursome and seriously filling .. had some rice to accompany and chips because why not really. For dessert: the Peanut Butter Parfait - knock out. Overall, it was just such a special night and I can't wait to go back.

P R

Coda for me is massively overrated! I just don't get it. I'm not sure if we just went in on a bad day in the kitchen or what, but we didn't have as good a time as we expected to. We were greeted really well at the door but the waitress who served us at our table didn't look too happy to have us or talk to us. The oysters had tiny broken pieces of shell in them! For a restaurant that considers itself premium, that is appalling! The duck curry was a bit too salty and overpowering in flavour although the duck was cooked really well. The Wagyu was cooked right as well but again, we just expected the dish to be so much better! Dessert- an ice cream sandwich and a peanut butter parfait, was the best part of the meal!

Steph Giles

Went here with a group of 4 after having it on the "to try" list for a few months. The service was impeccable, attentive without being overbearing and the atmosphere was lovely - would also be perfect for date night. We got 2 bottles of red wine suggested by the sommelier both of which were delicious, and chose a few core dishes to share with the rest of the selection chosen by our waiter. Stand out dishes for me were the kingfish ceviche and the guava sorbet dessert, my boyfriend liked the rice paper rolls and the zucchini fritters with buffalo mozzarella and mint. Finished the meal pleasantly full without being overly stuffed.

Lisa Giles

Really lovely dining experience! The atmosphere of Coda is delightful, would be a great date night setting. Four of us went to try some of the shared Vietnamese-French fusion dishes. We got a couple of bottles of wine, recommended to us by the friendly wine expert. Then we got the waiter to order us some dishes to share, adding in a few must haves ourselves! Every dish was amazing! The standouts were the Kingfish with wasabi sorbet, the yellow duck curry and the lamb ribs!! We also ordered a few of the desserts and I loved the guava sorbet with marshmallow lemon curd, plus the cucumber pannacotta (amazingly refreshing!). The wait staff were all friendly and attentive. And constantly filled up our water glasses. Would one hundred percent return!

Dugie@Moon

Excellent king fish dish and great Shiraz on glass. Duck was well cooked but king fish is definitely the best out of 5 dishes we tried! Will comeback to try more.

Jamie

Went with a friend without a booking and we were lucky to get the last seats at the bar. After being seated by a host, rather than wait staff, it was the bar man who took care of us from behind the bar. Took our orders, served food, made sure our wine glasses were topped up. I really liked this. The service was relaxed but professional and friendly. We ordered two smaller dishes and two larger dishes with a side. Everything was delicious. Could not fault anything and perfect for sharing. After our third dish, the bar man realised we were struggling. He politely indicated that our last plate was on hold and could be cancelled. We gratefully accepted this offer. Overall a great experience.

Kimberley Leggett

Took my partner here for his birthday as it was high up on his list of places to go on Flinders Lane. This place had great ambience and atmosphere. We were instantly impressed by the level of F&B knowledge of the staff who were a great help. Sharing plates were delicious, tasty and infallible. It has been some time since I've been there so I can't recall exactly what we had but I remember it was all tasty with great wines to match. A great place to go for dinner along this super competitive lane of first class finds in Melbourne Food scene.

Olidai

Had meal Sun evening. I had pork which was superb. My partner had squid main. No mention of chilli on menu or from staff. My partner simply could not eat the dish. It was so spicy hot. The waiting staff behind the bar was very good and arranged another dish of my partner's choice and we assumed it would not go on the bill. Well we got that wrong. The uneaten dish was on the bill PLUS the replacement dish. By all means we pay for one but both? Surely a dish on the menu with hot chilli should described as such or at least the staff should tell customers. If you go to Coda and can't or don't like chilli you better say so or you may end up paying for 2 meals if they replace one you simply can't eat. For us, we won't be going there again. Customer service in this regard was unacceptable.

Hangry Horace

We had wanted to dine at Coda for the longest time but it was always fully booked. We managed to secure a booking via the website three weeks in advance. The whole experience at Coda was enjoyable. We ordered a number to plates to share. My favourite dish was the sizzling octopus with black noodles. The octopus was tender and the black noodles had the perfect texture. The sauce that came with it was an umami bomb. We also ordered half a portion of the duck curry and it did not disappoint. The curry was packed full of flavour and the duck was cooked well. For dessert, we had the cucumber pannacotta and peanut butter parfait. I wished the pannacotta had more of a wobble. The pannacotta on its own was a little bland. It was my least favourite dish of the night. On the other hand, the peanut butter parfait was more-ish and the flavours worked well together. Service was excellent. We had a wonderful night and will definitely be back again.

Dilys Yeak

Came in early at about 6:30 and was lucky enough ti score a seat at the bar. People that came later than us wete unfortunately turned down! During my visit, service was casual but professional. The smoked duck special with stingy nettle and the cone bay barramundi were faultless dishes! Interesting, delicious, well sized and well balanced. Prawn betel leaf with kaffir lime leaves also left an impression. Octopus was a meh dish with flavours that were bland and monotonous, would not order that!

Sneha Arora

Great atmosphere, just off Flinders Lane. Because it was lunch and a business meeting we were pressed for time, service infallible but didn't feel rushed. Sharing plates were delicious, tasty and slow cooked lamb ribs a favourite. Something for everyone's palate on this balanced menu. Another first class Melbourne find.

Foodandwinefan

My friend treated me to a night at Coda for my birthday, the food was great could not fault it, and majority of the service was fantastic - the main waiter was full of attitude but the maitre de, wine waiter and runners were all lovely. Would definitely recommend.

Lyn

We cannot recommend this place enough, we were even more happy at the fact that you can make a reservation (no lining up - hooray ! :)). Highly suggest ordering the lamb ribs (melted in your mouth and fell off the bone), asian greens & palm sugar meringue, young coconut, passionfruit and lemongrass. Apologies we didn't catch our waiters name (Asian background), he was exceptional and friendly. He recommend us drinks and what dishes we should order together... he recommended the dessert. Can get a bit loud and dark, but a great after work dinner stop.

Kady

For me it was hit and miss. Some dishes were delicious and others I'd be happy to not have again. The scallops, lamb ribs, steak and buffalo mozzarella with zucchini fritters dishes were amazing! All cooked and tasted perfect! The other dishes were ordinary and not to my liking. The staff here WOW! They were fantastic, knowledgeable and present just the right amount. Hats off to all the staff they really make this place a fantastic dining experience. And why I'm giving coda such a high score.

Brunswick Foodlover

Sure the food is nice but seriously if you are going to charge such exuberant prices back it up with excellent service. Not too stuffy (cause that's not necessary) but I thought the staff were really too casual for a 'fine dining' experience. Oh you're not fine dining? Well let's talk about prices!

Just Jamie

A Birthday Dinner Done Perfectly Coda A Modern Asian in the Heart of Melbourne, and a super yum one too! A wide Menu to please everyone, Looking amazing Tasting better. Each dish was delivered perfectly, Starting with Oysters as these are one of my favourite sea foods! The Pork belly was the one I was dreading as it was Matts Birthday it was his choice, to my surprise it was pretty yummy soft and mouth melting. Maybe I have just had other bad Pork belly experiences. The Pork loin was equally yummy with so much flavour and texture. With a side of Asian greens and even they were Morrish. Lamb being my favourite meat we decided on the ribs and the melted in my mouth! No chewing required. Calamari, green papaya and cucumber salad, with nahm jim, peanuts and crispy anchovies! Wow crunch yum Wow! Flavours just exploded through my mouth! We both agreed it was the most interesting dish of the day. The Final main dish we had was the prawn crackers so fresh a full of life sweet and savoury with a Big Crunch. Time for the Sweet Dish, we were both so full so we opted to share one Palm sugar meringue, young coconut, passionfruit and lemongrass and I think that covers it melt in the mouth yummy crunchy light WOW! This was all washed down with a great bottle of Fresh and crisp Sauvignon Blanc and faultless service, constant glasses toped up and a smile served with every dish. Restaurant Type: Contemporary Dining

Nodame

Hidden away in the basement, a delightful place to explore. Delicious fusion Asian food with awesome presentation. A place suitable for friends, family and lovers. Service was great at the time we were there for lunch.

Eatdrinkbe_merry

Went for a little stroll down Flinders Lane while waiting for our table at Chin Chin. Coda was extremely enticing from the lane so we thought we might go in for a drink whilst waiting for our text. Fully booked but found a space at the bar and ordered wine, prawn betel leaves, scallops. Light, fresh and delicious! Waiters very chatty and inclusive. Back to Chin Chin for our mains! Next time will come here for the full experience. Looked amazing!

Simone

Great vibes, delicious food, impeccable service. There was quite a wait between each dish, but our waiter noticed this and notified the kitchen. Flavours were exciting and fresh, with top notched ingredients.

Valerie L Jovee

Coda was okay. I preferred tonka over coda but I think my friends and I should have followed our gut and selected the right dishes. The lady who recommended the dishes did not do a great job as we felt the combination was a bit random. The flavours were not memorable but the setting and comfort did stand out. My friends and I felt a bit rushed at exactly 2 hours and we were pretty much shoo-ed out the door. We were about to leave but the waitress was stressed out. Despite that experience, I hope to have another excuse to go back and try it all again.

Kate Dougherty

Been to Coda a couple of times now. Very sleek interior and immaculate service. Great sharing style menu combing both Asian and Mediterranean influences. We had a 6pm booking and were supposed to be out by 8pm but I was impressed that they didn't unceremoniously kick us out at 8pm on the dot. We ordered a variety of dishes. We started with the prawn betel leaves and calamari salad. Then we went onto the lamb cutlets and steak tartare. For mains we shared the duck curry and the Moreton bay bugs and muscles in xo sauce. We also shared the pear and cos salad and the kimchi cauliflower. We then finished off with the peanut parfait for dessert. Everything was genuinely superb. I particularly loved the tartare, the duck curry and the cauliflower. So unique and tasty.

FoodingAroundMelbourne

Came here for my husbands birthday. We had a booking and getting in was no fuss. It is located off a one of Melbournes beautiful laneway of cobblestone. Inside the decor is inviting and cool * great on a hot day* and staff are very welcoming and friendly. Service was quick and the food the same. We tried the crab and prawn rice paper roll and pork belly for starters. For main we had the duck leg curry with jasmine rice and wombok salad. Then for desert we ate the icecream sandwich and peanut butter parfait. Everything was delicious and filling. Wine selection was vast without being over the top. Would certainly come again.

Reem A Ch

Tasty , great experience indeed .. I like that you have the option to order as many pieces as you like , which is good as you can try more dishes from the menu . The staff are very friendly ! Recommended

Jane B

Service was excellent, venue is very intimate and romantic in my opinion! Food was great, Asian French fussion, my highlight was roast yellow duck curry, blackened quail and. Calamari papaya salad r beautiful.

The New Fave

After my previous flawless dining experience with Coda, this Asian inspired restaurant quickly became one of my 'New Faves' in Melbourne. Unfortunately, on this occasion of dining, the same praise of 'flawlessness' could not be said. Situated in the foodie precinct at 141 Flinders Lane, and sister to Tonka and Oter, Coda is a Melbourne institution. On this occasion we ordered the calamari, green papaya and cucumber salad with nahm jim, peanuts and crispy anchovies, the sizzling plate of Moreton Bay bugs, mussels and XO sauce, the roasted yellow duck curry and the buffalo mozzarella zucchini frittera with mint and pea salad.

MelbourneVita

So there’s this little ol restaurant serving up cuisine that’s best described as French – Asian fusion in a basement on iconic Flinders Lane. Know the one I’m talking about? Yep, it’s Adam D’Sylva’s super popular Coda. Walk past on any night of the week and it’ll be packed full of dinners, just the way it’s been for years and no doubt it’ll remain that way for many more to come. Dark, moody and cosy, it’s the perfect spot to enjoy a drink and great food with friends or that someone special and clearly most of Melbourne agrees.

Munchkinmichie

Been years since I've been back here again, and definitely worth the revisit ! Food was spectacular, and so was service. :) don't skip out on all the delicious little nibbles on the entree menu!

FoodFoodFood

Interesting is the best way to sum it up. An asian style menu with touches of classic French. Walked into a dark dining room with a great buzz. We shared several starters and a few main between us and enjoyed most of them. Never seem to see the owner/ chef in the kitchen anymore. Only one i have seen in ages at his or her pass is Philippe Mouchel. Anyway All round great experience

Anna

My friend and I had dinner with Coda a day or so ago and it was pretty much the best dining experience I've had in Melbourne. The food was excellent and flavours were super balanced (fusion Viet and French - I'm Viet myself!). The service was what really topped up the whole experience. The blonde guy at the bar served us and was so attentive and had excellent etiquette, always clearing plates in a timely manner, wiping the bench regularly (something no restaurant does even!), changing over to clean cutlery in the middle of service, made conversation with us (just the right amount as to not feel as though we were interrupted at any point), always repouring water and asking how we were doing and if we needed anything else. He also chose the menu for us because we had no idea where to even begin because everything looked so delicious. Wow! I think that this may be my new favourite restaurant in Melbourne!! :)

SynVisions

Easily the best food and service I've had in my time in Melbourne so far. I had the duck curry which was excellent, and finished with a salted caramel ice cream sandwich which was AMAZING! Highly recommended!

CAM

Lovely setting down a side lane off Flinders. Very helpful staff who were friendly and attentive. However be prepared to pay $9 for one small scallop! Overall, the dishes were small and I left feeling hungry.

Charlotte Rose Nicholson

This place never fails to disappoint, it's amazing, the staff are lovely and would strongly recommend. I have yet to have something I didn't like on the menu!

Aussie Meets World

There is certainly no shortage of Asian fusion restaurants in Melbourne and five year old Coda has been one of the most acclaimed. Hiding on a basement level on the corner of Flinders Lane and Oliver Lane, it offers a modern Vietnamese cuisine, with some French influences. Coda has an industrial yet minimalist fit out with it’s dimmed lighting, from a mixture of exposed light bulbs and lights with mesh shades, and concrete walls providing an intimate dining affair. Seating is split on either side of the centrepiece bar. Although reservations are usually required, seating at the bar was available when I visited on a Saturday night.

FoodieAboutTown

How have I never been to Coda? It’s definitely now up there with my favorites. So confession time, I’m not 21 anymore but I’m sure it’s still to early for dimensia to be setting in and yet I managed to book my special Coda birthday treat lunch for the wrong day! So they were fully booked but really lovely and sympathetic to my fragile mental state and got us a spot at the bar. A big menu full of grazing options and a fabulous wine list and we started with a beautiful WINE that I am just in love with. And before we could say Oysters the loveliest of the Coda team had organized a table for us as long as we didn’t mind sitting next to the potential next round for The Real Housewives of Melbourne!! They promise to be rowdy – I’m already three drinks in front so bring it on!!!

Patchy

Fantastic. Delicious food, great wait staff and sommelier was perfect with a recommendation for wine. The meringue dessert was a winner! The restaurant was pretty full after the races but plenty of room and didn't feel crowded at all.

LoveFOOD Hate BADservice ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ

Love love love the food. Service is pretty good and personal. Unfortunately, we over ordered and didn't have enough space for desserts. What a shame!

Kathleen

I can understand why we had to book this place 2-3 months in advance, because it was amazing! Highly recommend the bay bugs, scotch and the meringue dessert. One downfall was the yellow duck curry, which was too heavy and salty.

Julie

Had really high expectations for Coda and booked 3 weeks in advance. Great atmosphere and attentive service. Overall the food was average but nothing extraordinary, food was a hit and miss. Enjoyed the smaller dishes over the mains. Tuna salad was my favourite, flavoursome with delicious textures. Crispy prawn betel leaf was recommended by the waiter but was a let down, couldn't taste the prawn and it was extremely salty. Scotch was overcooked, although the mushrooms were succulent there wasn't enough miso sauce and it was quite bland.

Lime N Coconut

Coda's dishes were a bit of a hit and miss. The Morton Bay bugs were very small and it was hard to tell what they were. The duck larb and the sirloin were really yummy. This place is always buzzing and need to book early. It is very pricey for the portion size..

Sophia Bellamont

The food was disappointing. It was bland and the chicken and duck tasted the same, overpowered with the same sauce. I couldn't taste any bug in the beetle leaf with bug and pineapple. Very small portions, felt like the waiters were more into selling the alcohol then the food. Felt like a bar up-selling expensive food. The two waitstaff we had were completely pretentious and slimey. Attentive whilst ordering drinks, but once we stopped ordering alcohol, we were completely ignored. We weren't even offered a dessert menu.

Greg G

We always love this place.. great food, staff are awesome and attentive.. The door guy Trav was very hospitable.. see you very soon coda.

Brunching

Mixed feelings about this place, it's not 'that' great. The food was Asian French fusion, very small plates to share. So you need to order pretty much all on the menu to be close to full. Mains were nothing too different, it tasted more like bangpop, the Asian restaurant than anything else. Dessert was however yummy, peanut butter parfait and White choc dessert was very good. Overall it was a bit 'meh'. Our waiter however was very good, and so friendly.

The Tastebud

I looked forward to attending this Melbourne dining institution. I had heard great things about this joint. Our waitress and the sommelier was super attentive and friendly. The atmosphere of the restaurant was moody due to it being subterranean. Food was excellent. We shared the meals: Calamari green papaya and cucumber salad with nah jim, peanuts and crispy anchovies. Main course we dined on: (wisely suggested half portion) of Roasted yellow duck curry; O'connor scotch, garlic emulsion, wild mushrooms, smoked chestnuts and white miso butter ...with some pommel frites on the side. Dessert: we ate an amazing cheese selection (enough for 2) and the peanut butter parfait, graham cracker crunch, dark chocolate and marshmellow. The sweet dessert was the only let down. It was pretty average and for $20 for that one dessert, I expect an AMAZING dessert. I look forward to trying TONKA next.

Susie Tran

Really loved this place. Food, drinks, service, all big ticks from me. My favourite dessert here would be the s'mores parfait. DELICIOUS!!!! Highly recommend!

Shannon Fox

Excellent food, excellent wine pairing. Service was great and we were made to feel very welcome. Even though I am a pescetarian and my partner a meat eater, we let the server select our meals. Wonderful experience.

Missy Mahony

Enjoyed our lunch here. Starters were fabulous. So fresh and tasty. Mains were lovely, again very tasty flavors, however my partner did say that the sirloin was not the best piece of beef. The ice-cream sandwich was disappointing. Flavours were meant to be rhubarb and pear but we could not taste either of those flavours, only tasted the cream/condensed milk. Service was ok - they seemed a bit unnecessarily stressed, should lighten up a bit!

Orkedia

Must be one of my favourites in Melbourne! Had to wait for 2 months to get a table booked but it was well worth the wait. Food is amazing! The star of the night is definitely the duck curry - being a curry connoisseur I almost dismissed it but sooo glad I didn't. Duck was cooked to perfection and the curry was really flavoursome with a good kick of chilli. The service is fantastic - well paced, the staff were really attentive and friendly without being in-your -face.

FoodN

Never disappoints. Service is spot on- attentive without being pushy. Food is also consistently good: blackened quail, lettuce delights, duck larb and brussel sprouts were delicious. If only it was easier to secure a table!

The Epicurean

Excellent dining experience. Set underground in an alley off Flinders lane. Always buzzing French-Vietnamese inspired contemporary cuisine. Food was well-presented. Would highly recommend the fantastic Duck larb and the Peanut Butter Parfait. Great service 4/5

K

Went back to Coda for the first time in years & sadly left feeling a little underwhelmed. The setting is still great & the service is good, however the food was lacking. The smaller plates offered more flavor than the mains, but the stand out dish of the night was a dessert. Wouldn't rush back.

Ms. Foodie

Hmm. I have to say my overall experience wasn't as good as I was hoping for. My partner & I was there to celebrate my birthday. We ordered 3 small plates and two mains. We didn't find the service warm or welcoming. We ordered Moreton bay bug, scallops, quail lettuce delight to start with. For the mains devilled prawns & steak. While we were ordering the waitress told us we were ordering too much! I was surprised and told her to hold off on the steak until we start. Then once the small plates arrived we realised they are pretty small as expected so we asked the waitress can we still order the steak! To my surprise she is like "I already ordered that for you" - which we decided to hold off as she advised we are ordering to much! She also didn’t ask how we want our steak to be done. Again, we prompted her & told her I want the steak to be well done as I am pregnant. She came back after few minutes asking if it's OK if they cook it medium - no, just told you I am pregnant & i want it to be well done! So not sure what was going on there! Other than the service experience over all food experience was good. Favourite dishes were scallop & steak. But not a restaurant I will go back to!!

Just Another Foodie

Had high expectations for Coda with its high rating and its Hat Awards. Having to also book weeks in advance set the bar high up. Unfortunately I felt let down by the food. The dishes were expensive considering the portion size and taste wise it was pretty ordinary. For example the Moreton Bay Bug on Betal Leaf was tiny, just mainly vegetables and I hardly saw or taste any bug. The roasted yellow duck curry tasted quite bland. The Kung Pao corn fed chicken had nice flavour but unfortunately my piece hadn't been fully cooked and was still pink in the middle. I think the only dish that really impressed me was the Black Onyx Sirloin, the sauce tasted amazing and the meat was done perfectly.

Sheridan Honey

Hard to know where to start. Loved, loved, loved it. Waited two months for a booking and it was worth every minute. Industrial feel without trying too hard, genuinely nice waitstaff who were the perfect blend of ready knowledge and recommendations and blending into the background. But the food. Oh my, the food. Clean, sophisticated, absolutely delicious and without the wank factor that paralyses venues these days.

J.zee

The food was okay with some hit and misses. Tuna tartare - seemed like a plate of shredded vegetables with minimal tuna. Disappointed. Morton bay bug - Couldn't taste the bug. I think it's because the flavour from the other ingredients were too overpowering. But for 7 bucks each, I'd expect to taste more than pineapple and vegetables.. Crispy prawn - I liked this one. It had interesting taste and texture. Quail lettuce delight - I liked this too but it didn't stand out from a normal San Choi Bao to be honest. Barramundi - not bad, I could tell the fillet was really fresh from its delicate texture. Sirloin - MY FAVOURITE! Juicy and tender yum!

Jonnoyeo111

After seeing all the reviews we though we would enjoy a birthday celebration here. However not a fan at all. The food whilst not terrible, we found nothing amazing especially for the price. The food simply seems like 'fancy' Vietnamese/Asian food with no thought or originality behind it. Take your money down to Victoria street/Footscray or Springvale. Also being told two different things by the waiters, one saying that they do not do a feed me menu, then another saying that they do?!

Mesmaty

Thoroughly enjoyed our evening at Coda last night. Delicious cuisine with some dishes I'll definitely come back for. The kung pao chicken and the rice paper spring rolls were memorable. Thanks for a fabulous below ground date night!

JR

Mixed emotions about coda. I was seated at a table by a not so friendly waitress and asked her where our corner table was as that's what we had asked for. She did then come back and move us to a corner table. Never did she inform us the table was actually booked at 8:45. At 8:30 we were asked if we felt like dessert because they had the table booked at 8:45 which we were only then informed. We hadn't even finished our second bottle of wine or our main meals!! I was still eating my chicken when the waitress came over picked up our glasses of water and said if you would like to bring your wine I'll take you to the bar. I was so disappointed i sculled my beautiful wine and said forget it we will go. Leaving without even being able to finish my dinner. I will take my $350 for two people elsewhere next time.

Pippa Skinner

We had the most wonderful dinner at Coda last week - everything was perfect! Cocktails and wine were fantastic, and the food was EXCEPTIONAL. Everything was delicious... but the stand out dishes were the Eggplant and Tofu Lettuce Delight, Buffalo Mozzarella & Zucchini Fritters, Twice Cooked Pork Hock and the Sizzling Plate of Prawns and Mussels. We were looked after beautifully by Tom and Meg - thank you guys, we will be back again soon!

Gee

Back for another round and very underwhelmed. Amateur wait staff with high end-ish prices. Leave our bottles of drink on the table or pay attention with the refills. Tonka is much more refined. Avoid from now on. The duck larb - this dish was good! A decent sized serving and just delicious. The zucchini fritters with mozzarella were also divine but so small. Very disappointed with the 'legendary' yellow duck curry. Sort of Chin Chin-ish but a little wankier.

Fortheloveoffood

Delicious dishes with yummy wines to match. These guys know what they're doing. Combined with a great vibe and comfortable space, a winning combination. Wine was great, dessert wine even better. Top meal was the duck larb. Espresso martinis are also great. Will definitely be back. Highly recommended.

Kenneth Seymour

Had dinner here recently on a whim. Had no booking and just walked in off the street. No table was free at the time however we were told if we were happy to wait they would find something for us asap. 20 minutes later we were seated at a high top table and started looking at the menu. I enjoyed a beer whilst talking to the somm about trying to select a wine to match our food selections. The wait staff even went to the trouble of moving us to a seated table in the dining room once something became available. All in all one of the best dining experiences I have had in Melbourne in recent times. Wine selection was perfect and the food from start to finish was simply amazing. Highly recommended, I know I will be back soon.

Croissant Lady 91

Their big share plates are much better than starters. Sizzling seafood was the best. Bigger on flavor and size but food took a while to come and service was slow. Wait staff seemed oblivious to our table.

David Food Leasing

DO: If you're in a group of 8 or more, do the set dinner menu. No thinking involved. If not, do the crispy prawn, moreton bay bug, quail, twice pork hock, yellow fin tuna, duck curry and black sirlion (OMG). DON'T: Forget dessert, try the ice cream sandwich or white chocolate and roasted rice ice cream or candpopcorn. TIP: Have a drink at GoGo bar down the street whilst waiting for your table. Hitting two birds one stone.

Jerzgrl

Another special evening at Coda where our waiter took us on an amazing journey. As usual we let him choose the dishes which we shared around the table. I do not remember their exact dish names but we loved the scallops, steak tartare, the ham hock, the duck and peanut butter parfait. This is the third time in four years that we have dined st Cods and it is worth the forward booking required and expense. Gets better every time.

XiaoHui Teo

Been wanting to come here for the longest time ever and we had to make bookings one month in advance for a table for 3! Their menu is really interesting and we couldn't really decide what we wanna get. So we just decided to go for the menu that they put up for us. Not knowing what we were getting definitely added some excitements to the dining experience here. It didn't take long for the food to come and they are really delicious! My favourite food for the night is definitely the morton bay bug on lime betel leaves which is really refreshing and the roasted chilli inside gave the extra punch needed to complete the dish!

LaFussPot

Located off one of Melbourne’s cool hipster cobblestone lanes (ladies think hard about your shoes if you know you’re heading to this place). Coda, is very welcoming with smallest size dishes. They make a mean-impressive cocktail, so I would recommend this place for your next girls night out.

North Fitzroy Food Addict

Exceptional! This place just blew us away. From the moment you walk in you are greeted with a smile. The ambiance and decor of Coda is cozy, fresh and crisp. The restaurant is built below street level which creates a really nice view to the outside. Every dish was delicate and packed full of flavour. I couldn't fault a thing here. ✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️. For all dishes ..... Crispy prawn and tapioca beetle leaf Moreton bay bug Quail lettuce delight Roasted yellow duck curry Cone Bay Barramundi Please please please leave room for desert. I highly recommend the Peanut Butter Parfait & Toasted Meringue vanilla sponge My mouth is watering writing this review.

Julie Cassie

Had a great little lunch today , oysters were great nice and creamy , the bugs on betel leaf was so good . Aperol smoked trout yum and the pork hock was great . Nice to see Adam in the kitchen so calm and quiet ( unlike me ) . Will be back for the duck larlb, Also had dessert was great tasted like a snicker bar

Melbourne Explorer

Great spot, incredible food and great wine. Coda is a great place to go with a few friends, try lots of tasting plates on the menu and enjoy some great wine. Highly recommend the twice cooked pork hock, coconut vinegar, spring onion and Sriracha peanut praline! Find me on Instagram: @melbourne_explorer.

Matt

One of the best modern Asian fusion restaurants in Melbourne. The menu and the food is always inventive, creative and absolutely delicious. Outstanding.

Onlymidrare

Service was very stiff until we order a very expensive bottle of wine and suddenly the service became super attentive. I hated that. Food was ok had better asian fusion in more recent time in a more relaxed setting. Was hoping for a lot more.

J88

Melbourne's 1 hat top restaurant - Coda is renowned for its modern Thai/Vietnamese fusion menu. Love the small dishes created by chef Adam D'Sylva, my fav was the pork hock, Hervey Bay scallop and their desserts!! I will come back for just the desserts, well presented and tasted awesome!

TT

Good fusion-Asian cuisine, lovely staff, chef came to our table to take photo with us. I love their use of different herbs & nuts in almost all their dishes which give it extra depth & texture.

Nithya Nagarajan

Popped my Coda cherry last night, and boy I'm glad I did. It was like gastronomical healing. The French Vietnamese cuisine was nothing like I've ever experienced before, and probably never will again, as Coda ensured the food would be a tough standard to beat. Between the three of us, we placed an order for a handful of smaller dishes, a couple entrees, one main and two sides, followed by a dessert to share and their signature cheese board. Each item, heck each ingredient, was absolutely divine. Get down in that basement as quick as you can. Coda belongs in the brand of restaurants that will once and for all alter your relationship with good food.

Leon Thomas

Celebrating a 1 year anniversary means there's a lot of pressure on dinner location. Having to book a couple of months out adds even more ... Luckily, Coda has this dinner thing covered (and then some). The starters of the Morton bay bug, rice paper rolls and lamb chops were extremely tasty, though I'd prob skip the rolls and get a second helping of the lamb chops. But we're talking swapping good for great ... So nitpicking to be honest. As for the duck ... Wow. The flavours, the curry .... Win win!! Only recommendation would be to go the full duck. They say it's for 4 but it's so good that you can do it with 2! The desserts (peanut butter parfait and toasted meringue) were solid and couldn't be faulted. All in all, an almost 5 star experience! But this is just one person's view, not necessarily the baseline!

Vivi

Beautiful food, great wine and service. Price is on the high but it is to be expected from fine dining. Very impressive experience...we felt like we were looked after well through out the night. Tips: - Book as early as you can, it gets really busy! - For 1st timer, ask your waitstaff to recommend some dishes or let him/her take control of your food order...it is a great way to experience Coda with your companies. ;)

Chia Yuen Chong

Ambience and serving were amazing. Food choices plenty. Taste good too. I recommend their mozzarella balls, duck curry and crispy betel. Desserts was actually very average. Nothing much to highlight. Entree small serving size. Overall we paid close to 300 for 4 person. Think maybe a bit overpriced for the food we had. Unlikely to return.

Tina N

I would definitely recommend Coda. Majority of the dishes are full of flavour! The crispy Ha Noi rice paper rolls were cooked to perfection and the dipping sauce was even balanced with sweetness, saltiness and chilliness. The Hervey Bay scallops were silky and delicate, a little seasoning would've made it a top dish. The yellow fin tuna was fresh with a pinch of citrus. The calamari papaya salad was my least favourite dish as the taste of anchovies was too strong, overriding the flavour of the calamari. As for the oysters, they weren't as fresh as I had expected. The dish that definitely was a winner was Black Oynx sirloin, cooked medium well, the meat was juicy, tender and everything you can imagine. The coquettes complimented the meat beautifully, there wasn't enough on the plate.

MariaPia

Amazing tasting food using the freshest ingredients. Highly recommended especially if you want to eat food that you wouldn't replicate yourself. Great service and surrounding. Will visit again

Finger Lickin

Took me a long time to come out and check it out and I wish I did it sooner. Te service is faultless. The menu has something for everyone but the waiters will point out the signature dishes. The wine list has some really good selections at the top end and the moderate price points. The cocktails were very tasty. All in all what's not to love.

JBlog

Coda did not live up to the hype. The food was nice but nothing to write home about and was not justified for the price or reputation, the calamari was rubbery and a little burnt. The wait staff were plain rude and arrogant, taking plates from the table before others had finished, not putting enough cutlery on the table or even acknowledging a thank-you when I thanked several of them for clearing our plates. However, no one could have matched the attitude of that of the sommelier who insulted us for looking at the wine list first, when they had put it down first and then didn't even give us the option of ordering anything. I would never recommend this place to anyone and was left very disappointed.

Mz_J

Summary Review: A+++ in my restaurant books! This fine dining restaurant offers a modern contemporary Asian and Australian dishes. It is on a little expensive side and small-medium servings however unique modern dishes and high quality ingredients are used. Dine here twiced already and never been dissapointed. Great customer service and great food what more could you ask for? 8/10 rating.

Food Affair

Amazing food!! Went here for lunch with my friend, the food was really good. We had ocean trout, lamb chop, scallop as an appetiser and shared beef as main with cauliflower salad. We had a desert in the end. Between two of us out bill was $160 for lunch (no drinks). Service is alright. Will go back for food!

Hung Dong Long

I've tried to like this place each time I've visited but just don't see the attraction. Don't get me wrong, the foods decent and dishes like the duck curry are very tasty, but just feel that everything falls a little short. Service can be friendly but far from polished. Wine list is decent but could have better By the glass options. Menu prices and wine markups just aren't deserved. On a positive note, maybe the exhaust has been upgraded as I didn't leave smelling like I'd been deep fried this time.

Uqui

Went for a birthday and it was lovely. The staff were great and the food was great! I highly recommend Coda for the causal, yet attentive service and good atmosphere. It's a nicely spaced restaurant so you don't feel like you are a sardine in a tin, as you do with some of the other restaurants in the area. The staff were really understanding when one of our party got stuck in bad traffic so that just made the experience all the more enjoyable. We shared quite a few dishes including pork hock, a special which was a lamb cutlet, and the calamari, green papaya and cucumber salad but we saved most of the eating for the mains! Which, we half shared so that everyone could get a taste. We had the mussels, prawns and minced pork, the roasted yellow duck curry and the black onyx sirloin and they were all delicious. The steak was perfectly cooked, and the curry had enough tang without being overly spicy. We had one side which was the fried cauliflower. This was perhaps the only disappointment of the lunch as we expected it to be crispy and it was soft. It still tasted great but not quite what was expected. Then we had dessert, which was perhaps the high point. Toasted meringue was great, just sweet enough to tingle the tongue but with enough accompaniments that it wasn’t just sugar. There was also the passionfruit cassonade which was rich and creamy without being too tart and another special of the day which was soufflé. Fluffy is all I can say about that. Overall, the experience was enjoyable, and I’d go to Coda again simply because it was a friendly atmosphere where nothing was too much trouble for the staff.

Steve Levon

Beautiful food with a beautiful setting. Was very impressed with the flavours and would definitely go back but there are just so many good restaurants to choose from we just haven't had the chance.

Fanny Khoe

The price is average for fusion restaurant like this however, i am a bit disappointed wit the service. It tookes 30mins and so to main menu come out. Dishes that i had: Entree: oysters, crispy quail with salad Main: sizzling clams and prawn Sides: cauliflower. For my point of view, this place is not that good as i expected or maybe i jst order the wrong dishes.

Daniel Vo

Was plesntly enjoying the meal for a friend's bday but then turned sour. The manager hastly asked to leave and was shown the bill after she shared a small piece for her cake that she baked and was told not to eat. Staff giggled about the vouchers that were used to pay the bill. Best experience if you want to be disrespected and like the feeling of being kicked out on your bday.

Simplicity By Sarah

How good is Melbourne! Literally spoilt for options in this amazing city! We had such a good experience at Coda.. All the food was absolutely phenomenal! Everything came out very quickly, staff are all very friendly and the food is extremely flavoursome! Loved it and would definitely recommend!

Kamo First

Hard to get in on any night. We struck a fluke on a Tuesday and let them surprise us. We didn't choose a thing other than the wine and unlike some restaurants where the menu tour is explained upfront, we were surprised at each course arrival. Seriously good place when the service is switched on.

Lucky Star

Quite a busy place. Nice atmosphere. Tapas was nice, especially the prawn, scallop and rice paper rolls. The duck curry was average, though the actual duck was tender. Would come back to try the remaining dishes.

GiGi MV

This is Melbourne's latest IT laneway restaurant dishing up upscale Vietnamese fusion cuisine. My friends enjoyed Coda on the last occasion and insisted to take me there. We just walk-in and was able to get a table straight away. The place certainly looked cozy and swanky with its dark interior. The open kitchen allowed us to watch the chefs preparing the meal. The menu looked good and the price certainly reflected the current trendiness. We ordered a few entrees to share. The flavours was good but the portion was very dainty petite. My friends ordered the blackened quails because they had it last time, unfortunately, the quails were too blackened on this occasion. The lamb cutlet, on the other hand, was very juicy and succulent. We ordered some sides to go with our mains, and the pomme frites looked awfully like mecca's french fries. Perhaps it was fried in duck fat, hence the $8 price tag.

Will Power

Quite a nice underground style bar/restaurant. Very impressed with vego options! The maître d' was not friendly at all, zip points there! The wait staff were very pleasant. The standout dishes were the cauliflower, mushroom/lettuce. Extra dishes chips, coleslaw, chips, mozzarella pea dish, from memory.

Corpie Foodie

My best meal all year! Great location, cool fit out (special mention for the lights over the bar) and excellent food and service. I'm a sharer so sampled a large cross section of menu items. Stand out was the fried prawns severed with tapioca and betel leaf and calamari and green mango salad. Wine list is also very good. Excellent restaurant for that special date night or a birthday celebration, as mine was!!

Patrickctully@gmail.com

Coda has always been fantastic. I always try and sit at the bar if it's just the two of us. We managed to get seated without having to wait. We enjoyed two expertly made martinis followed by a rather extravagant bottle of Puling-Montrachet. The wine list is definitely tailored towards the premium end of the spectrum. We just asked the waiter to 'bring food'. I hate ordering if I can avoid it and his choices were spot on. I'd recommend Coda for a special night out or as a way to impress clients.

G Train

Wow, this place was amazing. The food was perfectly seasoned, and bursting with flavor. We left the dish selection to the waiter, and he did not disappoint. The service was also superb, the wait staff were attentive and described the dishes well. Highly recommended and will be returning sooner rather than later.

Theo Walcott

Great food and service, also well priced. I don't like set sittings though, I felt pressured the whole time to keep eating and ordering quickly etc. It was obvious too at ten to 8 that we were being pushed along. But otherwise great.

Codaholic

Can it get any better? This is, without doubt, the best restaurant in Melbourne. Service is superb. All staff know the menu thoroughly and are able to ensure quantities and pairings are correct. The sommelier is world class, probably without peer in Melbourne. The staff remember regulars and ensure they are greeted with an extra friendly touch. The old classics remain superb- the scallops are the best I've ever had, and I'm a diver who regularly eats hen fresh from the water. The duck curry is slow cooked and full of flavour. The recent changes to the menu are fantastic. The brisket is a new core staple. This place cannot be beaten.

C

Upmarket modern dining choice with strong Asian influences that has remained of a high standard since opening. Great fitout, buzzing vibe, food ranges from good to excellent. Excellent and complementary range of dishes, and a menu that changes frequently enough to keep most diners happy. This quality comes at something of a price premium, and it can be hard to get a table at busy periods. Run by serious food professionals, with service as expected. Great location in the centre of the food district around Flinders Lane, below street level - very Melbourne, and a great place to take visitors given the proximity to Federation Square and other landmarks. Will be interesting to see what happens with their new venue right across the laneway in the old Yu-U.

Michelle Martin

Amazing! Food was incredible, walked in without reservations and service could not have been better. Excellent choice for an impromptu date night with the hubby.

Alisha Murphy

4 stars for food, 5 for service and ambiance. Walked into Coda randomly and was pleasantly surprised by a fantastic meal and super friendly staff. They helped us navigate the menu and served it in a recommended and complimentary sequence. Would love to go back to try more dishes tho, so good! Highly recommend and in a really great location.

Jason Griffin

Best food joint in Melbourne by far. Hidden away at the back ally's of the Grand Hyatt this place is a gem. You can only do a tastings menu if you have a group of 8 or more but the friendly staff happy let me set a budget per person and with there choice they brought out an amazing feast of food. Nothing disappointed. Been there 3 times so far and can't wait to go back again. Amazing staff.

Katieppie

LOVE this place. I have been here three times now and every time it has been really amazing. My favourites on the menu are the Yellow Fin tuna salad, Buffalo Mozzarella zucchini fritters. There was also this really amazing chicken dish on the 'bigger' menu which I loved the first time I dined here but it is no longer on the menu :( . I would also like to be able to book for two people next time but for some reason this restaurant only takes booking for more than 4 which is a shame. Overall every time I have been here the food has been great, the atmosphere sitting at the bar is great and the service is very good. Will be back again for sure :)

Waleed Talj

Being a restaurateur myself, Coda is one of not the absolute favourite. I own the iconic Dunyazad Restaurant and I can testify that Coda has excellent service, excellent staff and excellent food all round my rating of the chef and the venue is a perfect 5 star. My daughter booked a table and told the receptionists of her allergies. The chef bent backwards to make sure everything is A OK and every one took care of her and she left as happy as can be. Thank you chef and staff. The only negative thing about Coda is the difficulty of obtaining a booking. In our restaurant business we cannot plan ahead and so sometimes we can't get in. We have to plan way ahead to get a table. On the other hand it is worth the effort and wait. Once again brilliant chef.

Gisele84_69

Prices at Coda. Starters ave price $20, mains $40, sides $10, desserts $20

Liz

wow so I was really excited to try this place all of our friends rave about it.. Il keep this short 6.15 booking seated on arrival offered drinks..lovely As our entrees came out I started of very happy the tuna & apple salad was so great but the lamb chops at $10 each were bland and not worth it at all. Next was the beef brisket which was burnt and so dry I drenched it in the yummy sauce in order to eat it.. There were several other entrees very sub par.. On to the mains we ordered the eye fillet comes out Rare nothing exciting but the barramundi was tasty.. Followed by desserts they were by far the best we ordered all of them equally delicious. Overall I wanted to write an honest review because as I drive home I feel underwhelmed and disappointed at what I was told would be a delightful culinary experience... It's pricey very small portions and nothing you haven't tried before.. It saddens me to write tbh

Gillian Fulton

I really liked Coda. It was a little frustrating not being able to book, but the waiter gave us a side table and some free entrées as other guests were take ages to leave! We had some great food, and wine (with some much needed assistance from the Sommelier). Above all, the dessert was just amazing! We had a passion fruit dessert and a chocolate dessert, which were both amazing! I'd go back more for the dessert than the other dishes.

ToMaZo

Came here for my wife and I's anniversary. Absolutely brilliant. Great food and the service was faultless. Highly recommend the yellow duck curry, just wow!

Andrea Zhu Yunjia

A really nice place. The dessert is my favorite, the wagyu brisket is nice as well. And the curry duck is very very tasty. I will definitely come again

4chillies

The restaurant was fully booked on Thursday night but we needed to eat early before the theatre so we took our chances with a walk in and were promptly seated at the bar which was nice as we could watch the kitchen and check our the dishes coming out. All dishes were great - we worked our way through a fair chunk of the menu. Excellent service.

B. Spencer

Scallop (entree) and eye fillet (main) was quite good. Service was great. Quail (entree), rice paper roll (entree) and fish (main) was decent - but being used to great authentic Asian food - I didn't find rhese fushion dishes amazing. P.S. Something was wrong with their website and they didn't have our booking. But they had us seated in minutes.

Jay

Was very keen to come after dining at tonka and coda did not disappoint. Firstly we had the scallops. I thought that it was nice but nothing special, it was honestly my least favourite meal and everything after the scallop was great, it was quite cheesy and not what I was expecting. The beef brisket and lamb cutlet were absolutely phenomenal. The meet on the duck just fell off the bone and the flavours were beautiful. The beef was cooked perfectly and the textures from the peanuts and subtle chilli flavours were great. Dessert and wine were great. Service was ok, the waitress looking after us was polite but would have probably expected better service for this kind of establishment. The other waiters who carried food and drinks were great though. Overall had an enjoyable experience and would definitely be back

SN

Simple and fresh flavours. Asian twists thru the modern Asian / Australian menu. Great service and wines. Always a brilliant evening ......

Comment Mike

Dropped into Coda for a quick bite. Wow is all I can say. They blew me away. The basement environment was very comfortable and interesting. The service exceptional. The food tasty fresh and innovative. The wine was really well serviced by a excellent sommelier who listened to my taste and hit the nail on the head without busting the wallet. I haven't given a 5 because it was lunch and not dinner. So many places to visit it will need to be next trip. But I just know it's going to become a favourite. Unlike Tonka the sister restaurant which I found disappointing.

M. T.

We had really high expectations given the reviews and personally great experiences at sister restaurant Tonka but was met with disappointment. I ordered the ocean trout and every second piece had a bone, so was eating in both fear and displeasure. My plate was then removed from behind without opportunity to express how terrible the dish was but I didn't want to make a scene so only contacted the restaurant after arriving home. Contact has not been returned by the restaurant, further adding to the disappointment. For a 200$ meal, we expected much more.

The Pierced Palate

Exciting food, great wine list, friendly staff & great ambiance. Not pretentious & fake and not one dish came out that made us feel like it was normal or mediocre. Flavors that excited me so much that I wrote how I felt for every dish on a piece of paper & by the end of the night, passed it to the kitchen staff. Sometimes, thank you is all you can say to express how good their food is. THANK YOU!

AH

Outstanding food! Could not find one fault in any of the dishes we ordered! The presentation was gorgeous as well, and the flavours were so bold, yet balanced. Will definitely be back to sample other things from this delicious menu!

Hhunni

Great food, ambiance and service. Stick to the amazing entrées and you won't be disappointed. Each dish is so flavoursome and you'll want to try everything on the menu. I didn't find the mains to be as tasty hence the recommendation to stick to entrees.

Teebo

We decided to have an after dinner desert flight on a Monday night. We walked into Coda which has a lengthy wait list and managed to sit at the bar. Love the room and the dark ambience. Service is friendly and knowledgable. We had a glass of wine and ordered our deserts. The banana soufflé with peanut butter ice cream was soft as air with a lovely nutty ice cream. With a matched sticky wine it was bang on. Desert number 2 was a dark chocolate delise with mandarin. It was decedent and gorgeous. Best desert we have had in Melbourne so far. Everything about coda was bangin and we will definitely return for dinner next time.

Mariposa

Am I in Paris? Or am I in Hanoi? Simple humble Vietnamese dishes with complex Vietnamese flavors influenced by the sophistication of French cuisine. These two Nations go way back historically and thank goodness for this food-match-made-in-heaven!!.. Every dish on the menu is a pleasure to sample. Favorites of the entrée/small dishes were: fried rice paper rolls, tempura shell fish (stunning), scallops and quail. The duck curry as a main was outstanding- fall off the bone duck meat in velvety curry sauce.... And the soufflé for desserts- what a love affair!!! Must also mention the interior modern decor under ground location, love the lights hanging at the bar and the high windows to watch the passers by along Flinders Lane. Service was also fantastic, the waiters are extremely professional and efficient... Can't wait to return xxx

Hee Young Shin

Loved their savoury dishes more than their famous souffle Try steak tartare ! Also scallop dish tasted wonderful too Just a little annoyed that staff indirectly kicks you out after 2 hours

6ixty

My dining group was fortunate enough to get a booking here at short notice, but I think if I had booked this place months in advance I would have been pretty disappointed. The restaurant fit out is nice and intelligently thought out, using the ambient street lighting to achieve a great sense of intimacy. When it came to the food though, unfortunately I found the entrees and mains to be fairly unremarkable - even the renowned duck curry. Desserts on the other hand were great and as the last impression, probably explain why people look back on Coda so fondly. Service wise, Coda was a bit slow and brusque. Despite having a two hour allotment, our mains did not arrive until quite late. When they finally did, we were advised to order dessert straight away. This (on our server's reckoning) only left us about 15 minutes to eat our mains before dessert arrived. Then after all this fuss about having to leave promptly, we were left waiting and had to ask two different waiters for our bill then and then our coats. I guess we didn't look like the type to tip and for that kind of service, they were right.

Fiona

Ate here a couple of weeks ago I a group of four. Had meaning to come for years and the timing never worked out with bookings. It was worth the wait. The wait staff were all friendly and helpful and we opted to let them choose the dishes to bring us to share. Our waitress said she would work with the sommelier to bring us food that would match the wine we had chosen. No idea if this actually happened but the food was all delicious. A really interesting mix of French and Vietnamese. The Aperol cured ocean trout and the steak tartare were absolute standouts. But all the food was delicious. I cannot wait to go back to try some more dishes. Great food and service.

The Other Jess Tuck

Order most of the menu? Tick. Fantastic service and delicious food? Tick. A rambling about my portion control issues at Coda? Yes indeed! Spectacular evening at Coda a couple of weeks ago. Rambles and drool worthy snaps on the blog.

Mz_J

Great fusion restaurant. Loved loved loved their desserts, decadent, refreshing, not overly sweet. Excellent and efficient service, Staff are helpful and friendly and have great recommendations if your a first time diner at their restaurant. I am yet to try their sister restaurant called Tonka, but overall very pleased with Coda and will come back again. I must say it is very hard to get a booking over the weekend so I recommend to allow plenty of time (at least months) to book if dining over a Fri night or Sat lunch & dinner.

Vikrant Chaudhary

Great food and service. The seating is below the street which gives it a cosy dungeons feel. The food is great - tried almost everything on offer over a few dinners and wasn't disappointed.

Kevin Jung Hak Yun

Came here for my birthday and it was awesome. Good atmosphere and the food was spot on. Would highly recommend this place for a birthday or even for a date night as the lighting and everything inside is lovely

Steven L.

Fabulous food with beautiful flavours and presentation. Must have the plate of sizzling prawns to start, followed by Yellow Roast Duck Curry and a side of slaw. If you can fit it in, the Souffle. Amazing!

IamHungry

It's one of the fine dining that you would think about going back again. It's priced correctly in terms of quality, quantity and service. Wagyu beef brisket was done in such a way that's so crispy that it looked burnt but when you eat it. It just melts in your mouth without the burn smell. Looks can be deceiving. Entrees, mains and desserts definitely intrigues my palate. It brings the joy of finding so many interesting flavour in a bite. Waitress explains very detail on the dishes and one of them is so attentive that he could even remember what outfit you wear in specific when the place is filled with patrons.

Frogfoodventure

As a fan of a hipster Asian cuisine, it is time to go back to the original one – Coda. Surrounded by Chin Chin and Lucy Liu and meatball and Co, this is one of the one hat restaurant where you can actually book. Hooray, no more waiting around for 1.5 hour and by the time you get to a table you are either half tipsy or utterly starving mode.

CoutureChef

Coda is a nice restaurant, bit of a weird entrance from the lane way yet not hard to find, service was fantastic! with great suggestions for both food & wine pairings, it is definitely seems to have a bit of a fusion influence but overall this place does make really great food! I do think that this place takes themselves a bit seriously with the atmosphere of the place, needs to be relaxed a bit but overall this small little criticism takes nothing away for a great meal.

Out & About

It's okay. It isn't in the league it likes to think it is, but the foods good, the service is great when you get it but if you aren't who your waiter wants in there section or you don't look like you will tip the service is non exsistent. I really like just going & sitting at the bar. Get drunk & eat the lovely food. leave the restaurant dining experience to somewhere else.

Jkkelly

Absolutely delicious. Food was great and so was the service. Wait staff very attentive. Had a lovely experience. Will definitely be going back soon.

Sajina Mathew

Written in retrospect of a visit from over a year ago , went for lunch in a group of 8 and the waitress helped us order ,amazing food and service on the day .I was vegetarian on the day and was able to get yum food while the rest of the group could share and also did well with a person in the group who was on a low food map diet.All left full and wanting to retrun.

Redcat

Such an amazing dining experience at Coda. The food was of a very high quality, we enjoyed every dish we ordered. You get what you pay for, which is great food. Stand out dishes were the scallops, the steak tartare, the yellow duck curry, the crab betel leaf and the brisket. Service was thorough and attentive. Only criticism is that we felt hugely rushed for the whole night, as they wanted to turn over our table. Despite being hugely rushed, we still had a good night.

Skyemaree12

Great food, great service. The bar tender especially made the experience terrific as he drew a map for us on how to get to a bar we wanted to go to afterwards. Will definitely be back!

Doran

Excellent ambience for an intimate dinner. The food quality was high but the prices were even higher. I would say this place is not the best value for money. Tried the duck curry after hearing so much about it, it was good but not fantastic which was disappointing given the $40 price tag. I would come here again, as long as someone else is paying :)

MalvernCustomer

Wonderful evening of exceptional food and great intuitive service. We came in without a booking but were well managed until one became available. They made sure we had some snacks to tide us over until seated and even managed my fussy vegetarian needs. Wait staff could not have been nicer and we had a top night. We will be back with friends. Well done!

Shinners

Didnt live up to rep. My husband and I came here for our anniversary. on arrival the staff were attentive and our table was in a great spot. We did the feed me option as recommended by the staff. The food was nice but not amazing, I felt the chef(s)played it very safe and most dishes lacked some spice and heat and depth in flavour. The beef brisket was really tasty. I wouldnt go running back there though, was a bit disappointed.

Dirty Hobo

Fantastic. The staff are amazing and on the ball. No detail was missed. The waiter picked out a selection of dishes and they were all incredible. The cured trout with creme fraiche sorbet was the standout dish, followed by the desserts: Chiboust and toasted meringue. I can't rave about this place enough.

Kim Susanne Gordon

Great place for a group lunch. I didn't bother to review our experience but I just read the previous review about the service , so I feel I need to... We enjoyed a group lunch with 8 of us . The service was superb !!!! The waitress picked our dishes for us ,doing a banquet style meal catering to all our individual tastes ... The food was divine We had the best lunch .. Ignore the haters ... We eat at a lot of restaurants in melbourne. This was one of the best !!!

MJ

A letter to Coda... Read your reviews and get rid of rude waitstaff!. Dear Coda, I was planning on treating my partner for a milestone birthday at your restaurant with a bunch of our friends. However, after reading more than a handful of bad reviews about the service I have reconsidered. A tip - read your Urbanspoon reviews, respond to your unhappy customers, and most importantly, train your staff that they are in the business of customer service. Attitude and rudeness gets you nowhere... Nobody wants or deserves to be treated with rudeness/impatience/disrespect when they are paying good money to have a nice meal, so sort it out! I'll spend my money elsewhere. Goodbye.

Tbooth_98

Good service confused overpriced fusion - read a sample people either enjoy and would come back and not bother. Well my sister and niece shouted me a meal here as we were staying in the Medina.Its' their favourite resturant and I can understand why they both like, fresh ingredients, very attentive waitress; mood lighting a trendy buzzy atmosphere, the chance to sample a number of different flavours, bite size pieces, but for me some combinations were a little puzzling, I grow my own vegies and sell plants for a living, I was happy to see radish as part of dish and was beautifully paired with finely grated carrot etc and a light dressing, for my own personal taste this is a side taste not something to be eaten as a stand alone dish awaiting the next one. As people have alluded to in other reviews, I think better balanced better value food is surely available, I was left feeling because it won awards I should be agreeing it was simply fantastic. I now feel ungrateful but confused people are conned into thinking something that is award winning must be good by definition. I was very happy with the freshness and the inventiveness but very underwhelmed by the result. People seem to be either fans or like me agree its is very poor value over rated and ultimately confused. The waitress was very helpful and attentive, and we followed her suggestions as that was the successful approach.last time. Based on their menu I thought she did a good job I just find this eclectic approach and fusion leaves me cold. I think people need to decide if a fusion approach suits them and if a degustation like price is reasonable. Luckily Flinders lane has a great range of choice, I am glad to have tried it but would never go again? Perhaps I will change my mind but having read other people's comments I am glad I am not alone in querying this approach.

Gianluca

Duck rice paper rolls were phenomenal

LimeSoda

Coda has been a favourite of mine since I first went there about 5 years ago. Saying that, I hadn't been for 18 months or so and was looking forward to going back the other night. Unfortunately I was so disappointed I now can't imagine returning. The food was good, but the experience was reduced by a massive attitude problem from one of the male wait staff (pony tail) and a similar (more moderate) one from two others (also guys). All other staff (the male maitre D, all the girls) were great and of a standard you'd expect of good dining in Melbourne. Management needs to sort out the problem with that small few however because their impact is strong. It was embarrassing behaviour actually and so evident it resulted in this, my first ever negative review on Urbanspoon - and I'm someone who typically dines out 3-4 nights per week.

Anmarg

Nice to try something new and turns out so lovely.. As soon as we entered Coda for a special birthday we were so comfortable. Staff a eye for detail and attended to us so well. Once inside so interesting, loved the open kitchen and a sight to see the place was a real buzz. The food was simply scrumptious. PS great wines.

Eamcc3

Beautiful. Had my 21st birthday dinner here and it was so lovely. Great, friendly staff and incredible food, every dish which we shared was just beautiful. Also loved the fact that they use Melbourne Gin for the G&T's, a nice touch. Will certainly be back.

Karma Clarke

Anniversaries. Anniversary dinners. Aren’t they swell? Well, Alice and I had ours the other day and she surprised me with a booking at Coda. I have wanted to go to Coda for a while. I often walk up and down Flinder’s lane, looking down at the basement space and its diners with envy. Ha! Now I was going to be one! To get into Coda you have to head down another cobblestoned lane way (not so handy when you are wearing heels) and walk down some stairs. We got in, were shown to our seats by a lovely waiter and then ordered some drinks. The place had a glam-dungeon feel. The lights were dimmed, everything was moody and atmospheric. There was a nice buzz of people, without it being too loud. We decided to order some mocktails – I said I wanted an apple inspired one and Alice wanted something ginger inspired. They definitely delivered those flavours. These were refreshing and delicious. When informed about our nut and seafood allergies, the waiter ‘edited’ our menu, crossing out what we could

Olive Sundays

Coda is an amazing restaurant tucked beneath the hustle and bustle of the city. In a basement off Flinders lane, this hidden gem has a sensational menu and provides a memorable eating experience. The food is inventive, inspiring and undeniably delicious.

Apple3green

...for my latest catch-up dinner with my high school friends, I thought of Coda , which housed Modern Thai cuisine. I’ve heard some good reviews about it and knowing that my girlfriends are quite game to try new places, I decided to put aside my bias...

A Food Fable

Overall, I have to say the service at CODA is very good and the food is interesting to try. There’s a wide range in the menu and you can try a lot due to the many small plates.

Jenny MFV

CODA serves modern French/South East Asian fusion fare with a focus on tapas style share plates. We ordered 2 entrees (12 hour beef ribs with radish kimchi $13.5,Crispy bugs with caramelised chilli $17), one main (>Roasted yellow duck curry $38) with jasmine rice, and a side (Coda slaw, wombok, carrot, hot mint and red cabbage $8). This proved to be just enough for the two of us, but I suspected we would have wanted another entree if we weren’t both a bit unwell.

Burp Appetit

The place looks like an abandoned warehouse from the outside. The interior is none-the-less classy, dimly lit (not romantic but ‘funky cool’ dark) with cosy dining room and a tabletop bar that can sit up to 40 people. The one page menu was easy to browse ranging from small dishes to bigger ones and ends with sweet stuff. We were advised by the eager waitress that the dishes are for sharing so that means we will need to order double of each item in the small section. The spanner crab on betel leaves clearly evoked an explosion of South East Asian flavours. The juiciness of the spanner crab combined with zesty lime, aromatic roasted chilli and a sprinkle of pomelo is very mouth popping.

Millie Catherine

If you get stuck, the staff are both knowledgable and proficient. The menu separates itself into single piece finger food, smaller dishes and larger: all designed to share. It was the single serves that really had me impressed: blackened quail, spanner crab on a betel leaf, Vietnamese rice paper rolls (both fresh and fried).

Daisy Yum (daisyumblog)

You cannot book this place, it is always packed. On a Friday night, after waiting for almost two hours, a table was ready for us. The ambience was superb. Too many choices to choose from, so the chef decided to put together a menu for all of us to share. Large range of French wines to choose from, but on a higher price range.

De-brief Me

Coda is a one hatted restaurant, tucked away along Flinders Lane on the corner of Oliver Lane. Its food is known as French-Vietnamese or ‘Modern Australian’. We stopped there for lunch a couple of weeks ago and were impressed by their fun, flirtatious basement vibe, spacious interiors and fresh flavour combinations.

50 First Dates Melbourne

Coda is another Modern Asian bar & restaurant that takes bookings, however they reserve the bar for walk-ins. So if your date still has one or two more drinks in them after leaving dinner, duck downstairs to Coda and saddle up at the bar for a night cap.

Thegrazingpanda

We started off with the Spanner Crab in Betel Leaf which we were told to use our hands to eat – simply wrap the Betel leaf around the contents and eat away. There was also additional grapefruit pieces which added for an extra zang and burst of flavour (literally), together with the crab and chilli it was a memorable dish.

FoodMeUpScotty

I didn't have much time to lament not ordering half a dozen of the quail before the soft shell crab rice paper roll with Mr Vo’s special sauce was placed in front of us. After my first bit of the crab dipped in the lovely Mr Vo's special sauce my idea of ordering so many of the quail seemed silly.... I should have ordered a dozen of the soft shell crab!

Epicurean Of Southbank

There was a small furore in the press in May 2012 about Coda. Interestingly enough a happy couple presented themselves at the restaurant without a booking and asked if the restaurant could accommodate their hunger and provide a level of hospitality on the dark and cold Melbourne night.

Cee Dee

I had dined there half a decade ago so I though it was high time I returned to this chic culinary haven, nestled in typical Melbourne underground style in the gorgeous Flinders Lane...

Dan From Melbourne

Coda is a hidden little restaurant located in the basement of 141 Flinders lane, corner of Oliver Lane. As you can see above, it’s a bit hard to spot but tracking it down is definitely worthwhile once you’re inside. Coda serves mostly asian seafood, and I feel I need to add a disclosure here: I am allergic to most forms of seafood. I had read the menu beforehand and saw there were a few non-seafood options however discussing our options with the waiter revealed that most of those still had some of fish/oyster sauce. The waiter was very helpful, and eventually we decided on our shared dinner, but I was still a bit nervous. First up was the quail lettuce delight, with shitake mushroom, coriander and water chestnuts. It had a lot of greens, and was a really refreshing start to our meal. I couldn’t remember the last time that I had tried quail so I was surprised at just how tender it was. If you’re not familiar with the dish, you eat it similar to a burrito, using the lettuce like a tortil

LK

It is a very beautiful looking restaurant, with a long bar, fine furnishings, ambient lighting, a semi-open kitchen. The service was impeccable- the waiters were attentive without hovering and honest about which dishes they preferred, one waitress even spending 5-10 minutes discussing our main choices with us. The sommelier was helpful and friendly, and we really enjoyed our bottle of French Pinot Noir.

One Fat Cow

It was a typical Friday night in the city and I was meeting someone for dinner. Originally we had planned to go to Chin Chin but got there just after 6pm was told by the arrogant male host that it would be a 2 hour wait - not even a 'hello', just a straight out 'no' with a smirk on his face. So we went across to Coda which is where we should've gone to first and was warmly greeted and immediately seated up at the bar. Travis Howe the well known wine sommelier knew my dinner date and we left it to his expertise to bring out food and wines to match.

Foodinfocusz

Excellent food, flavours, service, company and fit out .. oh yes, the beer and wine also!!

RaDfooD

Herb crumbed lamb chops made up our red meat portion for the evening. Two very cute (can you use that word with food?) frenched lamp chops sat mouth-wateringly in front of us. And as much as I love Asian cuisine, I couldn't wait to sink my teeth into a bit of red meat. The lamb itself was juicy and pink, totally tender. And was beautifully complimented by a herby, slightly vinegar 'dressing'. I loved it. Tegan's chop, however, had slightly more dressing on it and she found the vinegar flavour a tad over-powering.

Dining Nirvana

And now this is where things unravelled ...this one little experience has sadly put a bit of a taint on my feelings about Coda. That one pour of wine came across as being incredibly stingy. When I go out for dinner, what I’m looking for is that sense of being nurtured and looked after. In this case, I felt a little cheated and a tad offended.

The World Loves Melbourne

Coda is an exciting chic hatted restaurant just off Flinders Lane in a groovy basement that serves up innovative sharing style with Asian influences. Walk down into the basement and grab a stool at the bar and watch the culinary team at work. Or grab a table in the various dining spaces. Funky lighting (wire covering is a talking point), cool art and large windows welcome natural light and a view of the bustling CBD above. Head chef and co-owner Adam D'Sylva's menu dances all over fusion with Asian and European influences. Sometimes Vietnamese. Sometimes Korean. But a cacophony of styles and tastes and combinations that excite!

KYYL

Coda absolutely epitomises Melbourne’s laneway culture. Located in the basement level on the corner of Flinders and Oliver Lane, narrow windows at street level offer a glimpse into the trendy dining room, cleverly styled in monochromatic tones of black, charcoal and steely grey, lit by the warm glow of bulbs under mesh shades. The restaurant is divided into a dining area which allows for reservations, as well as a walk-in bar, which is by far the most exciting, allowing you to catch all the action in the kitchen through the a metal mesh divider screen. Designed for sharing, Chef Adam D’Sylva’s menu is full of punchy Asian flavours, with nods to classic French favourites. It’s quite an odd menu to navigate, with Vietnamese rice paper rolls and Thai-style betel leaf starters appearing alongside steak tartare and charcuterie. However, both styles are presented well and there are some real gems amongst the small plates. Prawn mince wrapped in betel leaf is battered and fried tempura-s

Popcornandtoast

I adore the tapas style concept at Coda. Tiny bite-sized morsels. Coda is always booked out most Friday and Saturday nights. Brimming with people and the bar is cosy intimate and perfect for a drink and a bite.

Jack_lister

Anyway, not many negatives about this place at all. Amazing fit out and location, great menu, good music, and a waitress who won me over at the start with an above average serving of Kewpie! Woman after my own heart…

Theycallmemaggie

There was a lot of WAM, BAM, KABLAM in this dish. In other words, a lot of flavour.

Let Me Feed You

One of the "must try" dishes of the joint were the betel leaves piled with spanner crab, galangal, roasted chilli and lime. These were sensational, I loved the fresh and sour taste of the grapefruit contrasted with the sweet pieces of crab meat. Recommendation #1.

NiCNAC

I love their creativity in creating each dish by marrying different cuisines together and obtain each creation. They seem to take a concept of "feed your eyes" and implementing it in each of their dish.

MoMo And Coco ~ Dessert Correspondents

the coconut panna cotta/pudding with tapioca; also the modern-Asian desserts seasonally available.

Nic Cril

Poor old Coda. Having spent three months travelling through Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos we tried this upmarket restaurant that, from all reviews, should be able to pull off this simple yet tasty cuisine. Sadly this is another place we tried and tried again, but each time it was never able to raise to the occasion. And there’s Chin Chin almost next door pulling off a similar cuisine with far better results and change for $50.

Jenster

Not your ordinary salami, which generally taste mostly of salt and chilli, this one was delicate and had a hint of smokiness. Went very nicely with the bread sticks.

Julie M

In the end the bill came up to nearly $150, it’s not too bad but I do think the prices are quite steep but the overall menu was enjoyable except for the tuna. We were bit still a bit hungry afterwards but we find this usual since we both hungry monsters. Would I return? Definitely but sadly not anytime soon it’s quite pricey for our pockets

Georgia B

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Coda. It is very "Melbourne" - tucked away in a lane, understated and minimalist. It doesn't need to be any more than that. The refined cooking, affable staff and great location make this place (pardon my basketball analogy) a "triple threat"!

Minda Barley

The duck curry was amazing. It was creamy, comforting and radiated warmth through peppercorns rather than chilli so it was a mellow kind of heat

Minda Barley

My lychee martini was delicious and certainly helped me calm down and face the weekend. We decided to order a selection of the small tapas dishes before deciding on main courses.

Dave

A spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down...medicine go down...medicine go down. Well, I'll let you figure that part out. But onto Coda. I tried making reservations earlier in the week but they were fully booked but encouraged us to arrive early and

MissPiggyEats

The Boy has had a life long love affair with meringue so went with the toasted meringue, vanilla chiffon cake, passionfruit curd, coconut and mango sorbet ($16.00). This was a life altering moment for him (seriously, not joking) as there were declarations of this being the THE BEST dessert he's ever had, EVER (and he's had A LOT folks)! He says he finally understands what people are talking about when they bang on bout texture, smells, flavours etc all coming together for a "party in the mouth". So there you go Coda - you changed somebodies life with your little meringue dessert.

Angel Khong

Menu-wise, Coda was also similar enough to its competitors, offering 'smaller' and 'bigger' plates. Smaller plates were pretty much entree/appetizer and most were designed only for one person so we had to order two of the same thing if we both wanted to have the same entree. There were not that many options for bigger plates -designed for sharing- with some daily specials available.

Al' The Picky EAter

The savoury menu is dotted with delightful renditions, whilst the sweet section swings completely into French territory. I can’t say I can fault the light fluffy vanilla soufflé, nor the toasted meringue with strawberry sorbet. In fact they are ...

Nis

I love the food -- yellow fin tuna my favourite! The venue is really nice and the wine list fantastic! The service could do with some improvement though - staff are not as attentive as they should be. Supernormal still my favourite!

Kieran Barns-Jenkins

High class fusion. A mate an I recently dined at Coda - We normally like to order a degustation or tasting menu to have what the House believes are their best dishes. There wasn't such an option on the menu but our helpful waiter said the Chef would be happy to put together a Chef's choice. This consisted of a number of starters - an excellent beetle-leaf the highlight, some smaller dishes - steak tartar and the scallops best followed by the delicious duck curry main. We matched with a German Riesling and fished off with the Cheese platter - a really nice meal, I really enjoyed the French/Asian fusion, ambience and service both very good.

Amanda

I ate at Coda several years ago and from that day, it became one of my favourite eating experiences and I couldn't wait to go back. Today I did. Unfortunately, the food did not meet our expectations. We asked them to feed us with the most popular dishes, which they did, however we did not like the taste of most. Even the raved about yellow duck curry was not pleasant to all 4 of us. Overly concentrated, grainy and the serve is certainly not generous (if the taste had have been something we wanted more of). Apart from the crispy prawn and tapioca betel leaf, yellow fin tuna salad, and soufflé, the other flavours were either bland or not overly exciting. Apart from all this, the wine pour was hardly fair at $16 a glass. Be lucky to have been 150ml and with no markers on the glasses, not a lot of consistency across the table. The sommelier was great however and we couldn't fault the staff. Lovely, attentive and knowledgeable. However, given the amazing food Melbourne has to offer, at half the price, none of us would go back.

Tasteofpassion123

Terrific. We had a great time at Coda on our last visit. The food was so beautiful and well balance. The service was impeccable. One of the top hatted restaurants.....well deserved. Thanks for a great dining experience.

Food 2 Run

Magic spot downstairs and such an amazing selection of food... Star service was magic really impressed with the set up and service such a a great vibe and well worth it

Mel Robertson

Outstanding service. Came here for my birthday dinner and was impressed with the food but even more impressed with the service. Wait staff were attentive but not pushy, and gave great guidance with the menu. Special mention to our waiter who, after hearing that it was my birthday, brought out my dessert with a lit birthday candle in it. A small gesture but it's those unexpected extras that helpe contribute to a positive experience overall. We will be back.

Porkie Pig

I got it on a bad day, then a good day, so I am confused. I really didnt pay attention to the menu the first time and came away a little underwhelmed, however, the second time the waiter was magnificent and in consultation and admittedly a more intimate group, it shot the light out. Worthy of visiting from out of town

Facebook User

Omg the duck. Had to go 2 serves on the yellow duck curry :)

Biancca

Delicious food and a great evening.. Loved our dinner last evening. Been here a few times, the food and staff are fantastic. What makes a perfect evening is the relaxed environment, delicious food, attentive service and good conversation. Many a restaurants in the CBD make you feel unwelcome when you begin to talk, rather than eat/order...and get your bill going. Coda, is quite the opposite. Enjoy your food as well as your space and they know that you are going to aim for the entire menu (what do you expect with a delicious menu!). Thank you to the entire team (since we had our eyes perched on the kitchen, from the bar) for a lovely evening.

Sheehana

Awesome great food and staff. We found it by chance. The food was fantastic and Will our waiter was so helpful. As all the staff. Great wine selection. The menu had something for everyone. Strongly recommend.

Claire Lillian

Coda was recommended by a friend, and was a remarkable experience. Although difficult to book last minute, I managed to get a lunch reservation (a booking I wouldn't normally make). Coda as an establishment was not pretentious, but a balance of smart and laid-back vibes, with a choice of seating appropriate to intimacy and numbers. Service was casual, friendly and efficient. All waiting staff made it a very personal experience, providing appropriate dish planning advice. I couldn't fault any dish and would highly recommend the seafood dishes. Scallops were divine and barramundi tender and flavoursome. Over all, the menu provides for an eclectic modern palate.

Robertbalmer

Enjoy this place.. The first time my wife and I attended at Coda it was a Saturday night. The place was packed and we had no booking. The staff were very friendly and after a few enquiry's and they indicated that they could fit us in at the bar. The food that came out was fantastic and so was the Barman who was serving us most the night.

Karma Clarke

Beautiful food.. Had my anniversary dinner here. We loved it. The trout, lamb, spanner crab and mozzarella are the star dishes. We also enjoyed the souffle. Everything is gorgeously plated and there is a great atmosphere. The place is buzzing. We hope to visit again soon.

Jamie Cant

Fantastic place. Second time I've been here and this time I chose to sit at the bar. Staff are great, food and wine equally as impressive. Tough to go past the tartar and scallops! Will be back for sure.

Dooey

Their tapas entree (not the singular ones) were all very well balanced and full of flavour, as what you would expect with Asian cruisine. Mains were not so good, had the duck and the prawns but both were overseasoned, extremely salty even with rice. Service was excellent. As for whether I would pay that much for tapas when there are heaps of other excellent cheap Asian eats around in melbourne, I would think twice - maybe to come back and try their dessert menu as was too full this time.

Merryland415

Hmmm not too bad but nothing amazing

Hailey Chau

Horrible service and food was just alright, nothing particularly amazing

ChrisR

Perfect balance?. The food is great with the flavours in close to perfect balance. We ate a truly memorable Tuna(raw) daikon salad exceptional Morton bay bug tempura and sublime scallops. Main was a very good but straight forward Jungle duck curry. Dessert an excellent souffle with earl grey ice cream. The sommeliers wine choices very good so my advice is to go with his recommendationsThe wait staff exceptionally competent and friendly..Not inexpensive but definitely worth it....

Speccy

Full of flavour. From service to food this restaurant has spunk. The duck curry was AMAZING, as were the appetizers, salad and dessert. I will definitely be back!

Jade

Wow!. Went to Coda last night. What a beautiful fusion menu. Stand outs were the Aperol cured oceean trout, quail lettuce delight and the list goes on. Every dish was stunning. Service was impeccable as well. Waiter was very friendly and honest with menu choices. Cannot wait to go back and try the rest of the menu.

Stefi

Enjoyed everything we had. We shared lots of plates so we had a good sample of a lot of dishes on offer. I recommend doing. This as well. Great service!

Sharon Fantarella

Pompous staff. Unfortunately food never passed our lips due to the unavailability of a table. Well, there was a table but we weren't allowed to sit at it as we were 'just a two', and had to wait for a spot at the bar to become vacant. Tables were unavailable to twos! There was a delightful younger couple also waiting in line in front of us. We started up a conversation with them and suggested to the female staff member in charge of seating patrons that we share the available table. What?!! Quelle horreur!! But we don't KNOW each other, and the bill would have to be split and......The female staff member had to go and seek permission for us to sit together. The answer? A resounding 'No, you are not allowed!'.The exact words used! By this time my partner and I had decided the whole thing was a ridiculous joke and that we would go elsewhere. The young couple, who had obviously warmed to us, persuaded us to stay and wait for a bar seat, which we did. Dan and Rita were seated, and we were told we were next. Duly, another 'bar couple' departed. We waited several minutes for staff to seat us but impatience overtook us and we sat down next to our new friends. An aggressive barman then rudely informed us 'you can't sit there!. You have to wait to be seated! ' We had waited. Too long! We said our goodbyes to Dan and Rita and promptly left. Coda, you may have lots of hats, but it is a long time since I have come across such pompous and condescending treatment by restaurant staff anywhere. Sure, we didn't have a booking, but at least we were friendly and respectful towards you! You take yourself too seriously and are obviously beginning to believe your own press. We would have loved to have eaten at your premises, but all you did was manage to alienate us. We will never darken your door again. No loss to you, I am sure, but give me relaxed and smiling staff any day. When we departed, there were 4 places empty at the bar, and the empty table was still empty! Dan and Rita, I hope you had a fabulous night. Meeting you was the one good thing that came from an otherwise horrible experience!!

Bc4774

Brilliant! Take a bow Adam D'Sylva & co!. Coda has everything I want when I go out to eat. A cloakroom for a start! Friendly, warm welcome, prompt delivery of menus for cocktails/drinks. Discreet service. And a whole lot of fun! It's a great place to come with at least a 4 people so you can share lots of food. We were shown to our table and our waiter came over to introduce himself to us immediately with a bright smile and lots of energy (so nice dealing with people who are happy where they work). Will was knowledgeable and happy to make suggestions for our group. The sommelier was knowledgeable and could offer a lot when it came to choosing wines. The food! Oh the food!!! Wow! We had 6 of the small plates, and the yellow duck curry with the cauliflower side. Could not complain about any of the choices we made - quail sang choy bau, tempura bugs, the trout was probably the standout!! I had the hazelnut praline with salted chocolate for dessert and that was exceptional. Can't wait to come back! THANK YOU!

A.burgess

Love this place. Coda continually impresses me! Every time I visit this cracking little restaurant it's aways abuzz! Last visit I was running very late due to the terrible Melbourne traffic. Despite not having a booking, they made the one guest we were meeting more than comfortable and had a fantastic table waiting for us upon arrival. The service is always attentive and informative and the menu just keeps on giving! Every time I eat there I attempt to try as many new dishes as I can while still revisiting old favourites. The cocktails and wine service is exceptional as well! Can't get enough CODA!

Ann

Always amazing. Coda is one of my favourite Melbourne restaurants! Always satisfied after every meal, I don't recall a dish that I've had that I didn't like. Actually, I lie. I didn't fancy their spring rolls. But other than that, I love it all! Myabsolute favourites are their raw tuna and daikon salad, the spanner crab betel leaf thingy that you can just pop into your mouth in one go, the san choi bao, the steak tartare and most amazing of all, their desserts! The only thing that annoys me is I'll order one of their "dessert specials" which will totally amaze me and then the next time I go there, it's not there anymore :( The service is always excellent.

John

Devine Experience. What an experience. All staff were brilliant. The food was amazing, flavours and textures of each dish made us wanting more. The beef lard to die for. Light flavourful and the vietnamese rice crackers yum. Make room for the sweet stuff. The sweet corn parfait had us guessing but once we tatsed the combination with the caramal popcorn, passionfruit, strawberry and white chocolate......divine. thanks for a pleasureable evening. We will be back to taste the rest of the menu.

Foodie13

We went to Coda last night and had a combination of small/tapas dishes and bigger dishes as well as dessert. All the food was very tasty, fresh and inventive. The stand out was the yellow duck curry. The food was a 7/10 and service 6/10. Took a while to get seated and then a while to recieve the food menues and have our food orders taken. Then service was great with the small dishes however, there was too big a wait before the bigger dishes were served.

HungryBoy

Awesome!. Coda delivers on all levels. The restaurant itself is stylish with a grungy basement feel, and a seductive and classy ambience. Food and service are great! Helpful and knowledgeable staff call for a well-rounded dining experience. Dine here at least once when you're in Melbourne.

Manmar

Exceptional!. Was a little wary given recent negative reviews. However, we walked in without a booking early on a Saturday afternoon, and the restaurant was fully booked. We were initially were advised we would have to sit at the bar (they have HOOKS under the bar for your handbag - nice touch) The waiter then came back, as he had split a table for 4 into two separate tables for two, and we were seated. Our waitress was charming & professional & very knowledgeable about the menu. She made a point of asking what our plans were for the rest of the day & when we advised we were going to a show, told us she would make sure we would be finished on time. The menu is mostly tapas & designed to share. The food was sublime. We will definitely back!

Verveleha

Sunday Lunch. What a wonderful lunch. Friendly, happy & attentive staff and food to match. Interesting wine, good options by the glass. The steak tartare, yellow fin tuna, calamari, bugs, spanner crab, oysters, scallops were all lovely, with an excellent Helm Riesling. Sitting with a view into the kitchen was a little mesmerising. Everything was light, balanced and packed with so many textures and flavours - yum. Finished off with the petit fours and a great espresso, wow great stuff!

Kara G.

Visited Coda around a year and a half ago. It was spectacular, I raved and recommended it to everyone. Returned again today for a special occasion. Wow, had things changed. Firstly, the male staff member was lovely, however, the female staff members were rude, pretentious and did not have time for professional service. The food was not exciting - especially since the staff just slammed the plates on the table, explained the dish in 5 seconds and ran off before you could ask for anything. Disappointing. Probably won't be back for awhile.

Bobbywong11

A little on the expensive side and service hit and miss but did great

Mark Anderson

First time Coda diners but definitely won't be the last. Sitting at the bar cheerful and extremely helpful wait staff help navigate the menu and put together a taste sensation menu for us. Fresh Asian flavours and a good if limited by the glass wine list compliment wonderful food. Highlight was the seared Scotch Fillet served with fried cauliflower. Pricey but extremely enjoyable. Great friendly waitstaff and a great ambience. Recommended.

Alicia

Such an amazing meal.. We especially loved the crispy pork spring rolls! Order lots of little dishes- you won't be disappointed! A fantastic atmosphere, staff really know their stuff- and you absolutely cannot miss dessert. Beautiful flavours and fresh food. We will be back for more!

Sheza13

Delicious. Had a great night. No reservation and they got us in. Staff were friendly and attentive but not pushy or in your face. Even suggested a half portion with our main instead of paying for full dish and wasting it. Highly recommend it. Food was amazing. Had 3 courses. Loved it all.

Jowolff

Always Great. Took my 21 yr old niece today and as always it was amazing I leave the staff to decide the menu and the sommelier knows and recommended the most amazing Pinot Staff friendly and so professional one of the best in Melbourne

Haveabeerwithdave

Five Star Customer Service. Nothing was too much trouble for these guys!! It is so refreshing to get such fantastic customer service matched with such AMAZING food. My family had dinner here a few days ago and raved about the food and service. I live in London and knew that trying to arrange a surprise bottle of champagne on arrival for their celebrations was going to be difficult. Nothing could have been further from the truth. Emma and her team were exceptionally helpful and got back to every email and request I sent straight away (even with the 10hr time difference) A massive thank you to Emma and the staff at Coda for going the extra mile and making complicated arrangements seem effortless. I will be recommending Coda to everyone. Well done!!

Claire.e.sanders

Loved it!. We've been to Coda three times now. Every time the service has been great, unobtrusive and thoughtful; sure last time I was there they forgot my wine but quickly returned with it when reminded. The food is always delicious. Highly recommended.

Le Paradis

Still good. Good food even better wine list Curry and a bottle of Barolo

Bryandmartin64

Tasteless. I was expecting great things from this restaurant, but unfortunately the food was tasteless and overpriced. The food was presented well but lacked any depth of flavour. I advise anyone to save their money and visit Richmond

Facebook User

Just Wonderful. First time and just fabulous. We had never heard of the restaurant, but I was drawn to the decor and buzz the restaurant had. Apparently you need to book, but they squeezed us in the bar. We found the menu a little overwhelming, then the wonderful man at the bar offered to order a selection for us. It was amazing, every dish was packed full of beautiful fresh flavours, and the service was fantastic. It may be a little more on the pricy side.... but absolutely amazing and definitely worth it. | spinifex wine | raw tuna | crab cold rolls | moreton bay bugs | quail | lettuce cups | scallops | lemon grass spring roll |

Jet Tranter

Common Asian flavors. Over priced for what it is. Go to a good Vietnamese restaurant for half the price & get the same flavors. They need to be more inventive for a modern fine dining restaurant.

Geoff The Chef

I have been to Coda a few times and every time it has been different. The service can be inconsistent from very friendly and helpful to downright rude. The food is nice. I don't like set dining times and will always do the later. I guess if profitability is their main concern.

Delish 27

Great service. Great food. Nice fresh flavours

Pokey

Condescending, righteous and moody staff. Average food. Won't be coming back. Don't waste your money coming here.

The White Rabbit

Pleasant atmosphere, but underwhelming food for the price. So after my partner and I had been turned away from 2 restaurants, due to them being fully booked, we were very happy to get the two last seats at the bar. We already knew that Coda wasn't the cheapest place to go eat, but we were prepared to be impressed by their food. Sadly, the food was quite underwhelming. At the bar we were greeted by a friendly staff who topped our water glasses throughout the night. We decided to order the quail lettuce delight, the soft shell crab rice paper roll and the tempura bugs. We decided to only order three dishes in case it would be too much. What a laugh that was. Looking around, we tried to find who our waitress/waiter was since we were seated and given water by two different staff. Finally we were able to order from the friendly man at the bar. To our surprise, the dishes that came out were the tiniest servings we've ever been served at a restaurant for that price. That said, the quail lettuce was nice and the flavours of the lap cheong, shitake mushroom and water chestnuts worked very well. However, I could barely find any quail in the dish since it wasn't a whole quail, but pieces mixed into the mixture. There were only miniscule amounts that I had to hunt around with my fork for. The most underwhelming dish for me, though, was the soft shell crab rice paper roll. Having eaten rice paper rolls throughout the entirety of my life, both the flavour and amount was disappointing. At least I could find the crab in the dish this time. The roll was, however, smaller than the span of my hand (and I have tiny hands) and thus each of us had an even smaller amount when we shared it. The flavour of the paper roll was 'meh' and bland. There was nothing special about it. However, I did like the 'Mr Vo's special sauce' that came with it and so I covered by roll in it to give it more flavour. I believe it was a mix of hoi sin sauce, chilli and some other things. After finishing those two dishes we had to wait awhile for the bugs to come out. It was an unexpectedly long wait considering they should have come out with the other two dishes. When they finally came, I was a bit more excited about them since they looked pretty good and there were two pieces on the plate, which was just that bit more than the other two dishes. Overall, I did enjoy them with the caramelized chilli (which packed quite a punch, but I love my hot food). And there was enough bug in them to satisfy my tastebuds. Going to Coda certainly was an experience in terms of paying heaps for very little. I don't believe the flavours were able to justify the price ($37). For someone who has eaten Vietnamese food her entire life and is familiar with Footscray and Richmond, both the food and price was underwhelming.

I Love Food

Great food. Dined here recently prior to watching a comedy festival show at The Forum - great venue to go but better if you allow more time to relax and enjoy the food as we were rushed. Sharing plates were all tasty. Staff mixed bag, a couple that seemed experienced and another couple that seemed like they were just visiting on tourist visa's. One of the inexperienced tourist visa waiters got our lettuce cups mixed up (even when we specifically asked which was which when delivered to our table) which was disappointing as I was really looking forward to the vego one and got the quail one, but apart from that, everything else was great!

Anon

I loved the food & atmosphere, so delicious! Highly recommend it!

AlwaysNew

Customer? What customer?. What a terrible display I witnessed of what cannot remotely be called customer service. Coda staff aggressively asking a table of ladies to "just pay and leave" after what was easily overheard to be a simple bill query. I had watched the group laughing and enjoying each other's company throughout the night, not unruly at all. The male staff member was particularly rude. Left a very bad taste in my mouth and I hope the owners sort that guy out, not a good look for any establishment. Definitely won't be back, I'd rather go hungry than witness that again.

Gabbs

Worst 'customer' service experience. I was shocked and embarassed for the other Coda staff last night when I witnessed the most unprofessional and inappropriate display of 'customer service' from 2 members of the wait staff. The manner in which they spoke to customers was like nothing I've ever heard in the hospitality industry, and ruined an otherwise pleasant evening. A black mark on Melbourne's wonderful 'foodie' experience - don't waste your time or your money here.

Miss Congeniality

Lovely food, shame about the service. Went last night with a group of friends and had the set menu. One member of our group had special dietary requirements (gluten free) & was given alternative menu items. When the bill came, she was charged over $120 compared to the $60 set menu. We politely queried the bill as at no point did staff mention her alternatives were from an a la carte menu. We were abused by staff who were extremely rude and told us to 'get out & don't talk to them'. A simple misunderstanding which could have been solved became the most disappointing customer service at any restaurant I have ever been to. Definitely won't be going back as many other Melbourne restaurants with equally, if not better good minus the attitude!

Alanajoy73

Better out there. Went to Coda last night with a small group of friends. To be honest I'm not a fan of the set dining times; either you have to rush to get out of there by 8:30 or it's a very late start to dinner (particularly mid week!). Nevertheless my friend had booked it so I was hardly going to kick up a fuss. A couple of friends shared a few tapas whilst me and another person had mains. To be honest the selection of mains was very restricted and if would probably be best to avoid these altogether. I felt the price and value for money wasn't there given the food wasn't particularly spectacular and the portions small. The desserts however were probably the best aspect although the waiter did take down the wrong order for one of our desserts! In terms of service, they were attentive to detail, filling our empty water and wine glasses, however having so many different waiters left a sense of anonymity. The first waiter who gave us drinks menus when we arrived was almost condescending when I asked after about 10-15 minutes from being seated whether we could have dining menus not just the wine list! (His response was to the effect that that would eventuate once we had ordered drinks!). I wouldn't go back given there are so many better places in Melbourne when looking for either quality, quantity or both!

Jgalvez

Impressive on all fronts - you'll go back again and again. Booking - easy and friendly service that always try and fit you in - very welcoming at the front door. Atmosphere - the sounds and smells from the kitchen make you hungry and wanting to get started! Wine - fantastic selection of local and offfshore labels at fair prices. Food - great tasty selection whether you're super hungry or just want a quick bite. Favourite dish - the betel leaves are a great start - both hot and cold varieties. The tempura bugs with chili sauce are amazing as is the green mango salad you get to cut through the chil that they serve on the size. And to t finish the duck curry is always a winner. Then there is dessert - souffle - yum no need to say more! Worst dish - no worst dish stands out though biggest issue is when you go there the first time and try things because they are so tasty you tend to keep ordering the same things so I highly recommend you fight the urge to go safe and try something you didn't have the last time you were there. Other - you will go back time and time again Seating - the restaurant is nice though I prefer sitting up at the high tables. Staff - fantastic and somewhere I'd take a loved one as well as important clients anyday! Value: you can get away with an alcohol free lunch/dinner for two for bang on $100 and feel complete - or indulge in a total A-Z meal, wine, dessert and basically double the cost and walk away thinking gret value!

Shar

Lovely eveerything. Came here for a birthday lunch and loved it. The wait staff were really helpful and pointed us to some dishes we may not have considered but were really glad we did in the end. The sommelier is awesome, didn't just try to sell us the most expensive wine on the list, but gave us some great ones that we really enjoyed. One of my friend's kids came by as we were having desert, and the staff were great, moved us to a bigger table and the kids had desert as well. I will be back.

Louisaholly1

Best desserts ever!. The desserts here are amazing. I have never had better desserts anywhere else. YUM.

Melanie Henley

Delicious solo dining experience. From the moment I stepped in until the moment I left, every bite was more delicious than the previous. I was in Melbourne on business by myself and had intended on going to another restaurant down Flinders Lane that I had heard was good for 'solo dining'. There was going to be a 30 minute wait and it was already 8:30pm and, with an early start the next day combined with the 'time difference', I didn't really want to wait around. On my way I had noticed a busy restaurant below street level just three or so doors down - Coda. Ducking in I snagged the last seat at the bar, which is a god-send for those travelling alone. Immediately, I was greeted by the man behind the bar with a really pleasant and welcoming grin. I didn't even read the menu. The attentive bar man recommended a number of small plates for dinner, an amazing wine and the most mouth-watering dessert known. I'm not going to say what I ordered because quite frankly it was all amazing, and from discussions with the waitstaff the menu changes. All I can say is go in and let the people who know best order for you.

The Crow

Cool or Cold. Beautiful food no question, is it just me or is the cool aloof waiter virus taking hold in all Melbourne restaurants that have a "reputation". I have eaten at Coda on a few occasions and I must say the experience in the main has been positive but not this night. We had a great sommelier who was extremely helpful and boy did he stand out. We decided to let the kitchen choose the dishes and the sommelier to match the wines and as stated earlier no issue. As they were selecting it was important when the dishes were delivered we had an explanation but at best we got staccato delivery as the waiter backed away, so much so that in the end we had to insist they repeat themselves. Waiters shouldn't be robots and I am happy with cool, aloof, affable, kooky etc. but the one constant has to be service!

Antoinette

' Exceptional dining experience' is probably the best way to describe eating at Coda. It was simply sensational. Everything on the menu works so well and it's all so delicious! I will definitely be going back, time and time again.

T

Best dining experience I have had in a long time! We had the option where they bring out the chefs recommendations - great idea as everything was perfect! We were very full and extremely content by the end! The berry soufflé is a must for dessert too!

KMat

Average food. We had a selection of 3 Entree and one main for lunch. The food was very average and something which you can find at any restaurant in Chinatown. The Pork belly main was so salty that it couldn't have been eaten without rice. Overall, a very average joint and we won't be returning.

Bellefood

Fabulous. A brilliant sub lane way dining vault is Coda. Casual yet highly attentive and professional service is matched by excellent, inventive interpretations of modern Asian dishes and an impressive world trip of wines. For a special occasion, Coda provided a special experience.

Carl The Truth

I expected so much more than I received. Bland, overpriced dishes. Soooo many better options arond for your money.

GarbageGuts

The most magnificent meal I have had for yonks!! Not just a meal but an experience !! Compliments to the chefs, compliments to the bar staff. Magnifique.

Jo

The food was amazing but the service was disappointing, for the price you pay one would expect much better service! We felt rushed and were even given our bill whilst we had food in our mouths!

Rachee Baybee

This little goldmine hidden down in the basement off flinders lane is a fantastic restaurant to dine at,with not only delicious food but fantastic decor. This is the perfect place to take a date, share an anniversary, take your parents or in laws or have a business lunch (as long as you ans your guests enjoy eating delicious food in a beautiful place). The vibe here definitely gives of a be social and share experience. We feasted on some share plates of the lamb cutlet wiyh harissa, blackened quail with daikon salad, the hanoi rice paper roll and my definite favourite, the cauliflower with pomegranate side. This was an abaolutely stunning dish. Service was efficient and thorough with the specials, very descriptive and they really know their product. The only thing I could really point out is the lack of eye contact between our table and the waiter which sometimes may come accross as impersonal and not attentive. Overall experience 8.5/10

Lindahaynes.f

If i've gained weight- it's coda's fault. This place is delicious. It's a must try, once or twice or ten times!

Purple Bear

Nothing Spesh. I wouldn't recommend Coda if you grew up eating Asian food in your household. You will find the food very ordinary and something you can probably find in Richmond or Footscray (sans funky hipster style of course). It is also horrendously overpriced with poor service. For entrees we had the scallops, spring rolls & tempura and while they were flavoursome, they were tiny and in no elegant words, a RIP OFF. Each tiny piece was about $7. You can find it elsewhere for cheaper. For main, we shared the pork belly and was really disappointed here. It tasted nice, but again something that could be found in Richmond or Footscray for at least half the price. The decor while funky came with sour staff who had a bit of an attitude. Not very welcoming or caring at all. Would really not recommend. Save your money.

Matt

Great food. Wouldn't say it was spectacular, but what they do do, they do very well. Crispy prawn betel leaf, Hervey Bay scallops, tempura bugs, lamb cutlet with harissa, yellow duck curry were all very good. Service was helpful whilst ordering, maybe a little too attentive at times throughout the meal, but better that than not attentive enough. Would happily recommend Coda and have no reservations about returning.

Don Valentine

A Melbourne must-do, Coda is a safe bet. Recent visits have disappointed, with FOH too cool for school and lacking enthusiasm, and food a step behind the daring flavours of its litany of mod-Asian rivals. I would still gladly return and recommend Coda. Star Dish: fried prawn beetel leaf.

Aus Open 2014

Work lunch #1. The social club organized a set menu. The spanner crab, pork belly and ice-cream was memorable. The service was great.

Vernicapaolo

Everything was outstanding food and services. Great choice of wines. good stuff

Mistermister

Degustation was amazing. Definitely will come back.

Nathan Gurarie

Absolutely brilliant. Huzzah !!!

Corbossa

Great start to an evening of dining; brilliant entrees!. My wife and I decided to hit up Coda and Tonka on the same night, and kicked things off with entrees at Coda. The service was great from start to finish. We informed the staff that we had a booking at Tonka soon and asked whether we could be served entrees within half an hour. The waiter followed this up with the kitchen and we were served promptly. Each dish was explained without any kind of arrogance or condescension and any questions we offered up were answered in a similarly respectful manner (I write this because I have read reviews of such restaurants where people lament the attitude of waiting staff). The food itself; wowser!!! Flippin delicious! We ordered the oysters, the spanner crab, the blackened quail and the chargrilled lamb cutlet (the lamb was the favourite). The flavour combinations were fantastic and worked well. A great experience overall, and we will definitely be back to try the mains and desserts. Thanks Coda!

Issie

Loved it. Ate here yesterday with a few friends. Buzzing atmosphere, knowledgeable service, efficient. The menu had lots of great choices and we ended up having a variety of small and big starters and a main to share. The prawns in betel leaf were fab as were the bugs, eggplant and tofu, and cured trout. To finish we opted for the soufflé and a chocolate dessert. All wonderful. Thoroughly enjoyed it and will be back here again. Recommend it!

Lance

Probably one of my favourite restaurants in melb. Great mix of very exciting flavors and amazing staff. Atmosphere is very cool and great for partying with friends.

Tk2

Quintessential Melbourne. Great food lots of smaller dishes are filling highlights being the lamb cutlets, slow roasted ribs and pork and prawn rice paper rolls. Tuna salad lovely too. Dessert very tasty popcorn parfait and the passion fruit soufflé delicious. Great service friendly and knowledgable. Atmosphere and layout beautiful remains on trend and I have say quintessentially Melbourne. -----12 Oct, 2013----- Quintessential Melbourne

Gregmather

One of the best!. Afterwork drinks and some light food no better way to spend a cold windy Wednesday night. Always love it here at Coda.

Helen Lai

12 Hour Ribs - Delish!. Visited Coda for lunch on a Sunday. They weren't booked out, so enjoyed a 3 hour relaxing lunch. Very attentive staff. Started off with 4 small plates, the standout being the 12 hour ribs, they were fall off the bone delish! Then shared half serves of the yellow duck curry and diablo chicken, both layered with flavour. Then finished off with the chocolate plate and ice cream sandwich, perfect endings to our long lunch.

K

Pricey but delicious. Cool set up with very friendly staff. The food is amazing, I love the soft asian / french combination. Good wines. Food isn't cheap but definitely worth it (for the most part), though I have to question $11 for a rice paper roll, wasn't really anything above what you can buy in any old Vietnamese place. Others were great, favorites would have to be the spanner crab, ribs and lamb cutlets. Would love to go back and try the other things on the menu next time I am in Melbourne.

MissMoo

I dined at Coda last week and am still undecided as to whether 'I like' or 'I don't like'...I had tried a few years ago before they took bookings to go there, and now after being two years away I was so excited to have finally made a booking. The atmosphere was a good mixture of busy but not overcrowded for mid-week... service = good. Food = good. But $300 for just good?? Not sure if it is on par with the likes of other high end establishments who charge about the same. Maybe ill come back one more time to decide and they wow me then.

Brendan Roby

Great food, the service wasn't excellent but still quite good. Staff were attentive and somiliar was great, suggested some really tasty wines... The prawn main dish was delicious as was the desserts. Little pricey but we will be back

Christie W

Coda had definately lost its game face. In the past the food has been outstanding. Last night the staff had attitude problems, the service was sub standard and the food seemed considerably overpriced for what you actually get. Next time i'm heading to chin chin

100degrees

About on par with its sister Tonka up the road. Great friendly (good-looking) staff, but the quality of food was just not there. The Morton bay bug special just tasted like batter, the leaf wrap seemed as though it only had fried shallots in it. The main of prawns was ok, but $40 something dollars for 5-6 prawns? Highlight was the cognac cocktail, the wombok side and the barman.

Lily

Expensive Asian inspired food that didn't taste anything special. Pick up your game coda! There are plenty of amazing Asian fusion restaurants in Melbourne for much cheaper!

Jonathan Shrapnel

Fusion bliss! Absolutely delicious food, expertly prepared, sensational flavours and fresh ingredients. We wholly recommend, in order, the 12 hour beef rib (so good!), the king fish (amazing!), the pork roll and buffalo mozzarella. If only we had time for dessert!

Kerrie Jonas

WORST HOSPITALITY! We ha.... WORST HOSPITALITY! We had a table for four and asked that a friend who showed up last minute join us. The staff told us that we had to "lose one of the group or we'll give you your bill right now". Whilst we were still deciding our bill was placed in front of us (to only pay for drinks). We never dreamed that an establishment with such a reputation would treat us with such disrespect. We will never return.

Angie

We ordered about 7 different sharing dishes which the waiter assured would be sufficient. Our booking was at 6pm and they needed the table back at 7:45 which was fine however food took quite long to come out with the last dish being served at 7:30 and we were no where near satisfied so we went next door to chin chin which is always mind blowing. Should have gone there from the start, the food is incomparable !

Bittersweet

Terrible welcome when we walked in the door. My husband and I told the hostess we were meeting friends for dinner in 15 mins but we were hoping to have a drink at the bar first. She told me they were full and asked if we had a booking for dinner which we did. She then said 'really' and checked the surname and told us there was no booking. She then said 'are u sure it was Coda u booked?' Then spelt out Coda, C-O-D-A! I couldn't believe how rude she was. After checked the name again, surprise she found the booking. Perhaps I should have spelt it for her!! Once seated it took 50 mins to get our drinks only after we asked twice. Waitress was friendly compared to the hostess at least. Entrees were overpriced and lacking flavour. Expensive rice paper roll considering the prawn and pork was one prawn sliced into two slithers and the pork was mince. Cheap! The dipping sauce was tastier. Main prawn dish had 6 prawns in total so for $41 was a rip off. Venue is very industrial style which is cool but lacks lustre especially when the toilet is off the main dining room and is a disabled toilet with some Aesop soap to jazz it up. Overall not the best experience. I would not recommend it and would not go back.

Lorelle Cooney

Lovin' the refreshingly good service. Food is looking good.

Ryan P

Legend manager!. Tommy is the man!

Vicky

Really?. Beautiful atmosphere, excellent design and location, wonderful food - happy to sit at bar or faraway corner table. Loved the quail and cocktails.

Dean

Everything was outstanding from the food to the service. Five stars. Well done guys great job.

Hollytd

I like this place enough as food & wine was excellent but let's face it - it's jazzed up Vietnamese food designed for western tastebuds. $11 for one rice paper roll with standard fillings is NOT value for money. Chin chin or Ms Chu's a much better alternative.

Damian

Disappointing experience. Last night four of us went to Coda for a special occasion. I found the booking process easy to do and service over the phone excellent. After reading some good reviews we were expecting a special experience and great food. Upon arrival we were greeted warmly and taken to our table. However, from that point onwards the experience was somewhat disappointing. We had a waitress and waiter attending our table. Our main waiter was friendly enough, although not that attentive and sometimes a bit vague. However, the other waitress attending our table didn't speak a word to us all night, and she didn't need to, as her actions spoke louder than any words possibly could. She was extremely rude, surly and very much gave us the impression she didn't want us in the restaurant. Seriously, management, if you have someone waiting tables with that kind of attitude it won't take long to turn many more customers away. The food was nice, with some good flavours and variety. However, for the price we paid, we have found many other options nearby which provide better quality and value for money (try Chin Chin or Maha). For example, I didn't find the main course of Prawns in XO sauce good value, which for $41, I would expect more than 4 prawns in the dish. Despite the fact that it was my partners 30th birthday and I had made special mention of this over the phone and was assured a small cake and candle would come out, nothing happened after we finished our meal. We walked out of the restaurant feeling slightly let down. Overall a disappointing experience, I won't be going back nor recommending Coda to anyone I know.

Lovetoeat

Perfect! a must to eat!!

Andrew

Perfect. Loved every bite , great service at the bar , fantastic menu and a well run kitchen . Looking forward to going back !

Keithm

Great meals and drinks. Called in off the street. the tables were all booked out but the staff said we could eat at the bar. fantastic night. dallas (bartender) ordered for us and the food was superb. tried out new beers and had a bourbon that was to die for. wife and i would thoroughly recommend.

Jeff Cassar

What a fantastic time at Coda a must to eat at food staff price great

Mark From Melbourne

On the fence. Atmosphere/venue were great, food was very good to excellent, service was pretty good - went missing from time to time eg no one paid attention to our wine and had to ask twice for guests to have their glasses topped up. Plus we were asked to be seated at 7.15pm which we duly did, but didn't finish until getting on to 11pm . That wasnt so much of a problem but a few too many gaps... So why am I on the fence?? In one word - price. Whilst we enjoyed ourselves $250 per couple was over the top for what we got. Wine list was a contributor - not much in reds of interest below say $80. In fact not much "not of interest" either...

Foodjunkie

Best restaurant I have been to in Melbourne! Everything was perfect..from the table set up, staff, food and ambience. I came for a special occasion and I was so impressed with the quality of food and flavours.

Sanjee

Excellent food. Beautiful restaurant, excellent front of house staff, very friendly and informative. the food was so delicious and very well presented. highly recommend this restaurant, it has something for everyone.... yum yum!!

Natroxstar

Simply delicious. Yum yum yum!! Great food, service and wine.

Jennyk

Always good. Very consistent been many times food is always pretty good and the room is nice

Travis MacLachlan

Love it..... 8 of us went through to eat here. It was on the expensive side of things but the food and the experience was great in my view. The waitress explained the menu to us and then offered to let her pick and surprise us.....an option we were not upset with! The food kept coming, enough for everyone to have some and then onto the next dish. Was a brilliant way to sample the restaurant. Cant wait to get back there for a meal!

Hannah C

Incredibly Impressed. My friend invitied me to dine here and as I'm vegan I normally check the menu before hand to see if there are any options I can eat, however this time I forgot. So imagine my dismay to arrive and reailsed there was literally nothing vegan on the menu. I thought I was in for another evening of bread and olive oil but I was very pleasently suprised. Our very helpful waitress disappeared into the kitchen for a couple of minutes and came back with a whole selection of things the kitchen could modify for me. Everything was incredible decilicuous and the totall bill was still under $80 for 3 courses each! Will definitly be back!

A And T-Patts

Brilliant!. The duck curry was to die for. Plus the lamb cutlets were amazing. Very enjoyable meal.

Carl

Overpriced, arrogant service, very mediocre food. Style over substance! I took a chef friend from the UK to Coda a while back. He was told that it was one of the modern Asian places to try in Melbourne. For a start we were given the look up and down by the waiter as soon as we entered (obviously we weren't wearing enough black). The specials were arrogantly explained, as if we had no idea about Asian food. We ordered a dish with pork belly in xo sauce - the pork belly wasn't cooked well - tough and bland. We also ordered some small mouthful sized items for beginning - all poorly seasoned, bad flavour balance. The bun with lamb was quite insipid (although it was the best thing we tasted during the whole meal) - if you want a great bun with pork or lamb, please try David's off Chapel st. To sum things up, if you have no taste for fine Asian food, and are looking for a place that looks really cool and exclusive, wear the right clothes and are very concerned with being seen in the right place by "people in the know", plus enjoy flushing money down the toilet just to show perfect strangers that you're rich, this is the perfect place for you! [two diners - $70 a head with no alcohol]

Somebodyfabulous

My favourite place to eat in Melbourne. This is my favourite restaurant. The food is always amazing, the decor is funky and the wait staff are pretty good. If you get Dallas as your waiter, then you are on a winner. It's not cheap, but it is delicious. Great for a romantic night (book well in advance if you want to go on a weekend) or for a wine and tasty snack at the bar. There's a strong south east asian influence with some middle eastern style dishes appearing of late. A lot of seafood and the desserts are all out of this world. I would eat here every week if I could!

Jools Gardiner

The good is consistently gre.... The food is consistently great. I think I've eaten my way through the menu by now. Good wine list. The staff are always welcoming and if they are full will always recommend somewhere in tge area to suit your 'taste'. Generosity of spirit that! A girl can pop in solo for a drink and a bite and feel totally at home!

Bigeater

Small dishes & Dessert. Next time I go, I wouldn't order the mains, as I don't think they were worth it.. had 3 of the smaller dishes and they were quite good... and dessert was yum too... Service was great :)

Hungrypanda

Food ok but average service. Went for a casual dinner, and was looking forward to a good night with some friends and some good food. While the food was ok, the night was a disappointing experience with very average service to say the least. Was abrupt when answering questions about the menu, went through the specials like a million miles an hour, and the bottom line we just were not made to feel welcoming (a smile wouldn't have hurt). Lettuce cups were nice, and the chicken main dish had decent flavours but the duck curry was way too salty for me. Overall I like the venue, food was acceptable but the service just ruined the experience for me.

PuMan

Good experience. Nice staff Nice set-up Not too noisy (went on a sunday night) Good and interesting food. Very handy to share $80 pp including drinks Will come back

Penny

This is my favorite restaurant. Great vibe, the most delicious food and great reasonable wine list. Love going here such a treat.

Catherine Mahony

Delicious. Great service at Coda - quick and plenty of smiles. The food was delicious, my favourites: spanner crab & betel leaf, sugar cane prawn and the hervey bay scallop. I loved the atmosphere and sitting up at the small bar at the back was just perfect. The drawback was the wine list; I was disappointed - there wasn't a great choice and it was definitely overpriced.

Richard

Contender. Loved the room and the feel of the place. The bar looks like a fabulous spot to while away a few hours and the edgy buzz of everything gets you excited for the meal. As others have mentioned, the menu is in the grazing style, lots of bites to share. It is also very long, one of those menus that you look at with a sense of dread "How am I going to work all this out". In the end we left it in the hands of our waitress and were delivered a series of house favourites. The squid with ponzu sauce and the spanner crab on betel leaf were the highlights but everything was tasty and well presented. It was hard for me not to compare this place with Gingerboy. My complaint about Gingerboy (and it is minor) is that at the end of the meal everything starts to taste about the same. Here, the flavors are more varied and the menu far wider ranging but individual dishes do not have the punch that the dishes at Gingerboy have. Overall I would definitely go back.

Mish

Sit at the bar. Took my daughter here on Saturday night and we came away very satisfied. Beautiful food, excellent service and staff had just right balance of being friendly, familiar and helpful but not TOO familiar. Scallops were standout and my daughter couldn't decide which prawn dish was better - on betel leaf or sugar cane. Calamari salad was huge - delicious but we couldn't finish. No room for dessert but previously loved. My best nights here are at the bar with just one friend which makes for an intimate and fun occasion.

Pkerr

Ho Hum. Coda is not worth the hype. Booked weeks ago and was so looking forward to it. The food was just ok. We shared 4 entrees a mid sized Tuna (not bad) and the chicken (just ok, bland). The $15 glass of wine with the contents of an average winery tasting is ridiculous. I am actually embarrassed for Coda who must be really hard up or have no idea on what a glass is. This is not a degustation evening or menu.. Place was packed so I think I may be in the minority with this, but won't be back. If you want this type of food, however much better and a full glass of wine, just go a few doors up. I won't mention the name. You will find it.

Anon

Really good service! From everybody.

Eilish

I have been SO looking forward to dining at Coda, so perhaps my expectations were too high. Noisy, hot, crowded, over-priced..but on the positive side, the service is quick and attentive. Generally very nice food, but avoid the calamari, which had so much chilli we couldn't eat it. Maybe I shouldn't have come on a busy Saturday night...?

Natasha Shannon

Amazing!. I could happily never eat again after dining at Coda. Every morsel was amazing! The waiter that served us was absolutely sensational, a perfect mix of friendly and professional. I entered expecting the restaurant and staff to be very pretentious and left hoping to return again very soon. Definitely one of my favourite restaurants in Melbourne. First class!

Gin

Another amaaazing dinner at Coda last night -STICKY PORK BUNS are to die for! Attentive and extremely professional sevice from both our wait staff and sommelier Loove it!

Daisy Yum (daisyumblog)

You cannot book this place, it is always packed. On a Friday night, after waiting for just over an hour, a table was ready for us. Too many choices to choose from, so the chef decided to put together a menu for all of us to share. Large range of French wines to choose from, but on a higher price range. Food was a mixture of Viet, French, European and Japanese. Lamb cutlets were cooked to perfection, the individual dishes tasted great but not sure when you put all of them together... Still worth a try.

Shanelucas46

Fantastic!. Man this is a great place, One of the more professionally run places in Melb. awesome food, great wine list, attentive and really nice service, nothing is too much trouble. Always have a great time here. Keep it up guys, you are on a winner!

PoleDancer

Just Lovely. I had a beautiful dinner here at the bar with a friend (we didn't book but the bar option was fun right beside the kitchen where we could watch the action). Staff were attentive and the food was delicious as we worked our way through the tiny morsels. Cocktails were also beautiful and lovingly made for our enjoyment. I would happily come back here again but as it's on the more expensive side it would be for a particular occasion that matched the calm ambience.

Cheezles

Well Polished But Pricing if You Come Hungry. Fusion food has never sat well with me but I decided to bite the bullet and visit Coda on recommendation last Sunday. Our table of 5 were greeted by friendly and accommodating wait staff who I cannot fault throughout the entire meal. Food came out at a consistent pace and glasses were never empty regardless of what we were drinking. As for the food, most dishes were excellent with table favourites including the crispy pork rice paper rolls, spanner crab in betel leaf, lamb cutlets with yogurt and the rich yellow duck curry. There were a few so-so dishes such as the quail san choi bow and the whole (very) baby barramundi but all in all a very pleasing meal. Like most tapas/sharing experiences in Melbourne, our party ordered far too much and I was dreading the expected bill which came to roughly $90 per head, no surprise given we went gung-ho on the menu. In this situation I would probably not return however, I would be more than happy to revisit to sit at the bar with a friend, enjoy a few drinks and order dish by dish and eat tapas as it is indented.

Pamela.P

Ack. So I was going to go with my parents to Yu-u, turns out it was closed, so across from there there was Coda, I went in, nice place, and we each ordered a meal, I got the korean chicken with like a million things done to it (exaggerating, not a million) and when the food came, I tried it, and Holy CRAP IT WAS SALTY! And waaaaay too spicy. I had 20 glasses of water, literally. Then came my desert, my soufflé it was tiny in a tiny pan thingy, It was sour and gross. My mum got a really tiny portion of desert, just a tiny icecream thing with sauce and those hard gelatin things, but that's it. And it wasn't worth it for that much money. My mum had the prawns and the beans, and the beans were in alot of oil, I don't know WHY they would serve it in oil, and it wasn't nice at all. A 0 from me, never going there again.

Gary Charman

Friendly staff. Great service. I found the food Imaginative and tasty. We tried Most dishes on the menu. Will be back. Thoroughly recommend.

Andrea Mayers

Third visit and I won't be back, food still good but quite rude waitress delivering meals with barely restrained contempt. i think resting on its laurels has ruined this restaurant.. They should certainly sort out staffing issues.

Mili

Excellent find. We dined at CODA during the spring racing carnival .we sat at the bar. Staff friendly and helpful. The food is fantastic. Unfortunately our eyes were bigger than our stomachs . Zucchini fritters delicious. Fremantle octopus salad superb . Yellow duck curry was the high light. We shared a salted Carmel marshmallow parfait type dessert -wow. Pity we live on the west coast Visited November 2012

Tardar Sauce

I have never felt more publicly embarrassed in my life. Was spoken to like a child for eating a cupcake that my friend had bought for my birthday and brought into the restaurant. Asking about corkage wasn't something that came to mind as it was a gift. A simple "sorry ladies, you cannot eat the cupcakes in here" would have sufficed. "I WON'T HAVE THIS!!!!! I WON'T HAVE THIS!!!!!" Felt like I was a 5yr old being told off for acting like a naughty little child. I will NEVER go to this restaurant again.

Sharon H

Just the best. I have dined at Coda at least half a dozen times and have never walked away disappointed. Last sitting was over lunch and had there been a spare table for dinner..would have stayed on. The food, service and atmosphere are fantastic. Highly recommended!!!

Ganaman

The food's not bad. Very poor service. Tried to rush us out with no justification at all. Dumb buggers. It did make a great impression. So much for being there the 6th time. Sure Adam D'Sylva wants it this way.

Brendan Hunt

Amazing people behind the bar, who care about your order and are genuinely nice. We got so full we couldn't eat sweets, def going back as they looked brilliant.

Pasta Please

It's a must. Hands down one of Melbourne's best restaurants! Amazing food, consistently good service & great ambience.

Clay Latta

I was excited about this dinner especially after all the hype. While the food live itself was great, it is the staff that let this restaurant fail. General rudeness and lack of care in there work really showed. This was not the case for all staff. Their sommelier was spot on with all his comments and the speed and quality of the chefs was great. But the floor staff made this evening unenjoyable. The food itself was great. Highly recommend the steak tartare and yellow duck curry. And the tempura morton bay bugs we're perfect with the soy and chilli. Unforetunately Comments and attitude really put a dampener on the evening. Most notably, After making a booking a month we were informed that we needed to be out of our table within 1hr45. A reasonable request for a popular restaurant. But with 25 mins still to go before the time limit was up our waitress refused to serve us. Openly saying that "you do not have time to have anything else". With 25mins remaining there is easily enough time for coffees another wine or even dessert. I feel that for a dinner costing more than $500 for 5pax there is a expectation that staff should not be the reason you walk away unsatisfied.

Grazia Prochilo

Sensational from start to finish ! A hidden gem in Melbourne's lane ways !

EatingGuy

Excellent from start to finish, steak tartare and the fried prawn in betel leaf were superb, friendly and knowledgable waitstaff and a dangerously well pitched wine list, would go back in a second.

Harry McGoldrick

Can't wait to come back!. Went for a business lunch after hearing great things about it and wasn't disappointed. Service staff were some of the best I've ever encountered, very friendly, knew their stuff and worked like clockwork. Asked the staff to pick dishes for us and we enjoyed every one. We agreed it was one of the best lunches we've had in the city. Have been advocating others to go ever since.

NomNoms

Yum!!! I went here with a group of 6, we had the $80 set menu and it was delicious! The starters consisted of beautiful little morsels such as scallops, prawns, quail lettuce cups & rice paper rolls to name a few. Albeit small, they were quiet filling and by the time the main sharing dishes were shared out we were quite full. Luckily I have a second stomach for dessert as there French influenced deserter were devine!it would have been nice to have individual portions for the deserter, but this would be my only criticism, and wasn't a deal breaker by anymeans. The staff were fantastic, very knowledgable and attentive without being patronising or overbearing, they were friendly and happily accommodated the pregnant women in our group. The whole evening was a culinary delight and I highly recommend this place - we will be back! :)

Pinkender

A great city spot. I need to visit Coda at least once a month, even if it's just for a glass of bubbles and a chat with the amazing host of staff there. I say one glass but often it turns into 2 and then a couple of light dishes as well. Particularly the lamb cutlet, the zucchini fritter and buffalo mozzarella salad and/or the incredible scallop experience. Wow, I could also list the blackened quail in there but then the list would just continue. Definitely pop into this place, bookings are essential but if you time it just right they may fit you onto the bar. That's where the action is anyway; with a full view of the working kitchen. Delicious.

Angela

Absolutely fabulous. Love the food, staff and atmosphere. Everything is always fresh and tasty. Will be back again!

Wellhealth1111

Great place. The best restaurant in Melbourne!!! Loved Loved Loved it!!!

CAM

A disappointing banquet. We booked their $60 dollar banquet and had to wait 45 minutes before any food came out. The portion sizes were a joke.1 bite size pork belly per person is not very generous and the pork was not memorable at all as was the betel leaf spanner crab. The zucchini fritters and duck were tasty but we would have liked to have seen more of it. The waiting staff were very good and friendly. We left the place feeling very disappointed and underfed. None us would go back and certainly wouldn't recommend it to our foodie friends.

PsychoDana

Good, but pricey. The decor was derelict chic done well, service was good, got a bit noisy when full, food was nice, but I found it very pricey for what it was. Had a nice experience, but could get the same quality of food elsewhere without the price tag. It wasn't bad, but I'n not likely to be back.

Studiolive

Downstairs lovely lovely. They just have it soo sorted -from teh moment you peer down into the dim glow and have waited for your table, its just lovely

Renée Gee

Really Disappointed. It's been on my list for some time to visit this very cool looking place. It was so cool, I was freezing inside while we ordered 3 entrees to share at the bar with a very surly english barman who wasn't very friendly at all. The bar stools weren't very comfortable and this concrete NYC style basement was a bit of a scam. The tepanyaki bugs were lovely, the liver parfait slightly fatty and not the best i've had and the steak tartare was lovely also, however the 'duck' yellow curry we were told was 'huge' barely touched the sides for 2 people. all in all for this and a few glasses of champagne, not worth $230. Service was a little dire and the atmosphere had the feeling of 'it's had it's day' - already. considering the atmosphere and 'feed me' options at other places in the CBD, this was a total rip off.

Foodie

Luv it!. Went there for business lunch. Love it! Can't wait to be back with friend :)

Rachel Jones

Worth waiting for. It took me 3 weeks to book in for a Friday night... It was worth it!!!! Polished up, stylish, delicious, different and worth every cent! Absolutely can't wait to go back

LilBrownGirl

OK, but for good food, go to Chin Chins instead. Firstly, the head waiter was awesome - friendly, but not in your face, funny and accommodating. Nice surrounds, sat at the bar which was fine and overall the service was great. But, if you're looking for flavoursome, unique and interesting cuisine, then Coda misses the mark. Food was good, but the duck in the curry was tough, the spanner crab was lost in chilli and the panacotta was tasteless. The artichoke though was delicious. Not worth the price unfortunately.

Rebecca

Lovely Time Had. My friends and I had a wonderful lunch. We tried quite a few of the dishes. The Sugar cane prawn with sweet chilli sauce was amazing as was the roasted yellow curry duck.

Nacho

Not only was the food just fabolous! But the service was just excellent! They look after you here! Not to mention how amazing the cocktail flavours were.

Perth Foodie

No dessert.... We had to remind the kitchen about one of our entrees, waited again for our mains and were then told we couldn't have dessert as our time was up. Before even finishing our drink we were presented with the bill and told to vacate the table! At these prices I expect more. Never again. Don't go there unless you want to be rushed and asked to leave before you can even eat your dinner...

Food Enthusiast

Perfect.. My night out at Coda was the best dining experience I've ever had in Melbourne, and I eat out often. The vibe, the food, the drinks, the staff. Love it.

Iloveveggies

Worth it. Excellent food, helpful and friendly staff, several vegetarian/veg-modifiable dishes. One of Melbourne's best.

Tim Burdeu

Wonderful experience. My wife and I went on our date night to coda. We didn't book but the lovely waitress went out of her way to accommodate us. We ate at the bar which was a great experience - chatting to the bar staff and seeing the kitchen in action. Michael's service, along with all staff, was impeccable, and we loved sampling the range of tapas style asian dishes. Great food, excellent wine list, and a great experience overall. Highly recommended.

Sxv_666

Been to Coda a couple of times & had mixed experiences. We drove 23km on a public holiday night once (as they don't pick up the phone during dinner hours. I.e. goes straight to message bank), got there at 9 & was told that they couldn't accommodate us as the place us full & the kitchen will close soon. Strange as the website state that the closing time is 10:30 and the bar wasnt filled. Went there again for a quick pre -theatre dinner. Sampled about 4-5 entrees & most of it was quite salty or very sour (spanner crab) & main wasnt all that. We've found that overall the service is abit on the arrogant side & seems to be getting worse. If u want great food, better atmosphere & even better service try Chin Chin instead. It's just 5 steps away.

Claire Worthington

Underwhelmed. I'd reserved a table for two almost 6 weeks in advance and had heard lots of good things but overall felt very let down by the whole experience. Love the decor and ambience and we were seated almost straight away with our drinks order taken, however we were left without menus. We were then given menus but the waiter disappered so fast we had no chance to ask his advice on how much to order and no explanations of the dishes was volunteered (uhma chicken?) so we had to wait for our waiter to reappear. Once he did reappear he was more than happy to explain everything so then we could get down to the business of making our choices - we decided to choose ourselves rather than have them choose for us. My husband's beer appeared pretty rapidly but we'd already had our oysters by the time my glass of cava arrived. Oysters, lamb bun, crispy rice roll and tuna rice roll were all rather bland and average - the only thing that stood out was the chilli jam with the lamb bun. The spanner crab betel leaves were nice, but not as good as Red Spice Road's. We did like the Moreton Bay bugs which were were beautifully crispy on the outside and tender and light on the inside and presented with the shell on the side. Then came the roast yellow duck curry with jasmine rice......allegedly. The meat was definitely duck but I suspect they had run out of yellow curry and served ours with the peppercorn sauce which was supposed to go with the steak dish. The sauce was dark brown and very very peppery - perfect for a good fillet, not ideal when you are expecting yellow curry. Whilst we didn't necessarily feel rushed, the dishes came out very rapidly and we had to request one dish back as the waiter picked it up and had it halfway back to the kitchen before we could stop him to say we hadn't finished it. We were in there just over an hour and at $140 I definitely don't think it was worth the money. So, all in all, quite underwhelming.

Geoxmel

Amazing food and service to match. My partner and I booked Coda for our anniversary so we were hoping for something special, and we were not disappointed. We opted for the waiter's selection, whereby we could just relax and enjoy the evening, whilst the waiter selected dishes to showcase the various highlights of the menu. Each dish was beautifully assembled and tasted amazing. Our waitress was an absolute delight, and we felt well looked after. Would definitely go again and would highly recommend.

Uroldoc

I like it. A lot of hype but entirely justified.slick service ,innovative food and never a sense of being rushed.my tip would be to avoid mains and focus on lots of starters. Recent visit after a long hiatus. Not much has changed. Non obtrusive excellent service, asian themed beautifully cooked food. However competition has increased over the years... Still as busy as ever but perhaps needs to update menu and push boundaries again like in the early years?

Chicken Soup

Betel mania.. Spanner crab filled explosions of birdy numm numm.

Stuart Neil

Had yet another amazing dinner at Coda! We left our food choices to Kate and Michael and as usual they used their expertise to deliver the best showcase of the menu; oysters with a dressing that included finger limes (amazing!), Morton Bay bugs in a delicate tempura batter with Kim Chi, quail San Choi Bao and on and on until we finished with a perfectly cooked apple crumble dressed with rhubarb and ginger ice cream. Our wine choices were guided skillfully by the somm and things were refilled, cleared and delivered with a sense of timing and grace that should be the benchmark for modern dining. The venue was (as always) full, but we were treated like we were the only people in the room. A truly first class experience and easily the first for Asian fusion cuisine in Fliders Lane. Do yourself the favour.

Bne-eats

Steak Tatare. Can't stop thinking about this steak tatare! Coda makes a simple dish taste better than anybody else. Perfect!

Ninja

Would go back just for the banana monkey fritters. To die for. Great staff and service too.

Greg Willmott

Love it love it please open Coda in perth

Lily

DELIGHTFUL DINING. There are few places in Melbourne that tick all the boxes for a great dining experience. CODA definitely is up there with great food,great wine, great service, great atmosphere and great value. We left ourselves in the hands of a great waiter "Gavin" to design a menu for us accompanied with his choice in wines. Every dish was tasty and satisfying. Trying to distinguish the flavours and the ingredients kept us entertained and challenged. The menu sounded amazing but it was much easier leaving it up to the very capable staff to design a menu to our taste. I highly recommend doing that because you get to enjoy dishes that you may have overlooked otherwise. Thank you Coda for a fabulous evening.We will be back soon. Cheers Vicki

Street Cred

Superb. I've wanted to dine at Coda for a number of years now. I was not disappointed, My better half and I had so much fun ripping through this menu, it was an undiluted pleasure. First off we didn't have a booking, and had been given the " 2 hours" treatment by a cpl of big names from around the area ( which is totally justifiable given we were winging it), No big deal, Lets try CODA... The greeting we recieved from the Matre' de on our arrival set the tone for what was a memorable experience. Nothing seemed to hard for our new friend and she went out of her way to find us a nice spot at the bar, and make us feel at home, nice glass of Burgundy, lets have it, atmosphere cracking, good tunes, kitchen pumping, Melbourne at its best.... These kind of Tapas / Shared plate experiences are for me, best experienced on a bar stool so that's what we did, we gave the waiters free reign in choosing the food and it was all A Grade. The crispy prawn in tapioca betel leaf, the scallops, blackened quail, lamb chops with chimi churri, Zuccini fritters and bufallo mozzarella salad, spanner crab, galangal and roast chilli, all winners, winners, winners. Dessert was the Ice cream sandwich and the Chocolate fondant ( Best one we've ever eaten). Everything hit the mark, staff brilliant, food superb, wine list was great, would not hesitate to go back and finish off what we missed on the menu. Worth it.

Connie75

Simply..... ...amazing. Not many places impress me enough to give me a sense of longing to go back, but Coda does. After failing to get an actual booking, we played it by ear and walked in getting a small bar bench seat. Staff were great and we feasted on several dishes, the fish of the day being a real stand out. Not liking spicy food, I was pleasantly surprised that nothing was too much for me! it's not a cheap night out, but it's worth every cent. I can't wait to get back

#LivForFood

Good food to share...I recommend all the smaller plates to share. the tartare is a must try with the oysters. not too sure what the fuss is with the zucchini fritters, I could not taste or see it only a generous serve of buffalo cheese. Floor staff were helpful and pleasant to deal with and make sure you get in early!!

Ivan Ross

Exceptional service - from entry to wait staff to wine service - friendly, attentive and proactive without being overbearing. Great food too. Quite loud - maybe needs some acoustic paneling on the walls as well - then it would be perfect.

Kirk

Great fresh and tasty menu. Excellent service. Desserts to die for!

Jase

Delicious

Pancho

Great place to have some nibbles and some drinks before you head off out. the food is tasty, exciting and well exicuted .think i might become a regular thanks coda

John

Fries anyone ?. The food and service is good but the fact i need to shower when i get home and have all my clothes dry cleaned as they smell like i am a potato chip ??? This was given a hat ???? The good food guide that wrong but they love Adam even if he is never there ?? Its a no from me

Alimex

Impressive. Had a lovely time at Coda last night, food, atmosphere and service are all top notch, with some of the most professional staff ive come across in awhile. Once we navigated the slightly confusing menu (trying to figure out if we would share or not) we settled on some individual entrees and then some "bigger" meals to share. Stand outs for me were the Zuchini fritters (& the accompanying salad they came served with), the scallops and the yellow fin tuna salad. The steak was also very tasty. We had tried to find a recommended "prawn in a nest" on the menu to start with but failed, then right when we were paying our bill we saw a plate of the amazingly presented Sugar Cane Prawns and the food envy began. Ah well, next time.

J.Ding

Had heard a lot of good things about Coda so I was looking forward to trying it. It was a complete let down. We ordered four entrees and two mains betweent the four of us and every single dish had way too much salt or soy. However, of the dishes weren't excessively salty then they wouldn't have tastes like anything at all (apart from the duck curry which would have just tastes like cumin). Very disappointed. Did not enjoy any of the dishes and will not be returning anytime soon.

Lauralee

Just go!. I have been multiple times and despite my expectations increasing each time, they somehow surpass them. Food incredible (the left side of the menu especially, but any duck they do makes me need a moment to myself) but it is the staff that really sets this place apart. Have been there in big and small groups, booked table or up at the bar and it is always a brilliant night. If you are weighing up where to go for a special night, this has to be a top contender as I just cannot imagine being disappointed.

Me

Perfection. Have now been to coda a couple of times and am counting down the days 'till i can come back for more! the zucchini fritters are my favourite. i was mildly disappointed by the octopus salad, but all other dishes i've had there (hanoi rice paper rolls, spanner crab betel leaf, crispy prawn betel leaf, scallop, and the black forest "chocolate bar") MORE than make up for it. love the vibe of the place too... impossibly relaxed but cool at the same time.

Simon B

After wandering in on a saturday night at 7:30 we were asked to wait 20mins. While waiting for 30 mins we had a very attentive service telling us how far the table was. After being seated, table service was very fast, from drinks to food. Didn't wait long at all. As far as prices and food are concerned, some may find it pricey, but the yellow fin tuna and scotch fillet steak aren't the typical flavors you'd expect. Very much an experience eating here and seems to somehow fit all age groups with a mature setting yet with a young and up beat service team and music give the place a warming feel.

FoodieUS

Fantastic food, service and ambience. Get there!!

Stacey

Good fun. Was there for lunch on Saturday...great service!! Really helpful waiters (who were also very cute haha). Food portions were quite small but tasty. Wicked spot too.

CindyMichelle

Absolutely fantastic. I've been to Coda twice now and I think it is fantastic. The only problem is that everyone else thinks the same because both times I've strolled in for dinner I've had to sit at the bar. Which is not really a bad thing at all - watching their kitchen work is to admire a well oiled machine. (clearly I should book!) The staff are outstanding. Very friendly and welcoming which seems to be becoming a rarity. The food is very different but each little dish excites me very much! I am always encouraged by the waitors to branch out with the menu and I'm always very impressed. The wine list is extensive and will have you frothing at the mouth. A very well done restaurant.

Sam S

Have been several times and always had a great experience. Food is top notch with both delicate and intense flavors and the drinks are delish! Wait staff have always been lovely. A fave when we want to splash out.

Northsider

Always surprises me. Coda is a gem. Every time i remember to eat at Coda, I leave the place astounded by how enjoyable the food is. Its open on a monday, all the staff seem to genuinely enjoy the place and each other, To me, its a winner.

ASH

Food was good, but the restaurant needs better ventilation. Comes out smelling like food.

Lisa McDang

Spoilt!. The scallops in the tapioca are simply divine!

Warch

A date with your wife is always going to be wonderful and Coda was a great place to enjoy a night without the kids. We absolutely loved it. The culture amongst the staff is wonderful to see. Chefs and wait staff converse easily with a great sense of fun in the air. The wait staff could not have been more helpful and all were ready for a chat and laugh despite them being very busy. Even the head chef personally delivered some meals. We sat at the bar with a great bottle of wine which was recommended by our attentive waiter. Food was supberb and liked the concept. We will definitely be back.

Sweetcheeks

Take it or leave it... its my second time at Coda and it was good, just good though. Staff were friendly and service was good but for what it is there are plenty more places around that will deliver a much bigger flavour sensation and mouthwatering experience.... like the great Dandelion in Elwood or Gingerboy not far away... as i said yeah its good but in Melbourne, good is sometimes not good enough when youre paying above average.

Raw Meat

Along with the service and atmosphere the food was very interesting and I would defenitly go back. The duck liver parfait was magnificent!!

Big Eyes For A Big Tummy

Service attentive, yummy asian fusion food without going overboard, portions right and wasn't as expensive as I had expected for a restaurant like this!

StyleS

Coda was everything I expected. Our Waiter was fabulous recommended everything for us to try and drink and was very attentive. The food and flavours were amazing and ambience fantastic. Looking forward to going back.

Nikkit_84

Did not live up to the expectations :(. I have been hanging to try this place for months and unfortunately I was disappointed. The wait staff were pretty bad, one girl appeared to be high and for a restaurant of this quality i think the staff should be at a high class standard. Food was ok however there was not a dish on there that I would rave about. I would not say I hated coda, food was nice but definitely am not in a rush to head back.

Foodluvvah

Comforting to see we're not the only ones disappointed. Tried really hard to like it, really wanted to like it, but fell short in too many small ways. Food was not horrible, but lacked care for the complexity of flavours described on the menu. For the price point and the pretense you want the food to be on song everytime . Head Chef needs to taste his dishes more. Staff efficient but not attentive - pleease when i ask about a dish DONT tell me it's delicious... yeah? And I suppose the wine is noice? The Place smacked of early stages of peaked, too much laurel resting not enough care. sad but true.

Gunther

From succulent lamb cutlets with chimi churri sauce to a stunning yellowfin tuna salad, the quaint Coda restaurant in a cool and under-stated basement off Flinders Lane is a must in the Melbourne dining circuit.

Oyster

Goodness. After finally getting a booking with Coda by booking a month in advance for a weekday dinner seating, the food still exceeded by high anticipation for the place. Small bite-full plates are the way to go, my favourite was the spanner crab, juicy and perfect blend of Asian herbs & spices. The oysters came second, they were absolutely huge and melted in my mouth! Oooh and the desserts were interesting and not overly sweet, I really liked the mango pannacotta with mixed fruits mmmm! Floor staff have a lot of personality, that's not necessarily bad but I felt a distinct conflict of personality against mine :P They could also be slightly more attentive when taking orders. I want to be back at Coda to try their other nice dishes, but booking is almost impossible :Q

Shany

Fantastic!. Tasty, tasty food! We dined here before a show so our time was limited.The staff were fantastic, especially our waitress, Alice! Alice made great wine and food suggestions and we finished our meal in plenty of time to get to the Tennis Centre for the show.We will definitely return for a more leisurely dinner!

John Dory

Not happy jan. Truly disappointed, floor staff were rock and roll and arrogant, and the food was poor. Little bit tired of this casual food trend in melbourne. Blackened quail. was a quail cut in half marinated and i presume deep fried till overcooked and crispy. no skill involved in the food. Sorry i dont enjoy slagging peoples livelyhood off, but when im getting overcharged for things i didnt order i have an excuse. makes me wonder who's pockets are getting lined to gain a chefs hat from the agfg. Will not return, and will spread the word

RobG

Best service in Melbourne?. It's taken us over 2 years to get to Coda for various reasons and now I can't believe we waiting that long. The stand outs for us was the service - every single person working on a very busy Friday night was friendly and the quality of service was sensational - spot on, but still casual at the same time. We left the ordering up to our waitress, with some basic guidance as to which direction we would like to be steered (more seafood and less meat) and that worked really well. I was also impressed with the way that the sommelier worked with the kitchen to do some advance planning for our meal. We drank an albarino and a very crisp marsanne and then a glass of Cote de Rhone with the duck curry - something none of us would normally order, but it worked really well. We particularly also enjoyed the vegetable dishes (my number one was the buffalo mozzarella salad with pickled zucchini and peas). Lastly the spacing between tables was great, despite the restaurant being full, noise level was fine at our table. I can understand why the Coda crew has such a good reputation now.

Ginababina

Regulars. When my husband and i visit Melbourne to see the fam, we always make room to visit coda also. Our romantic night out here has always been a delight. The zucchini fritters are a winner. By no means cheap, but definitely worth a night out. I recommend coda!

Ilovefood

Very content :). I had the loveliest dining experience at Coda recently. The service was exceptional. I found all the staff to be friendly, helpful and very knowledgable about the food and drink. I have to say, very well trained staff! We ordered quite a lot of dishes from the menu to share, and they were all absolutely delicious! It ended up being an expensive meal, but well worth it. I need to go back again soon!

Greeneggsandham

My favourite. Just so great! hardest bit is choosing what not to have!

Iheartduck

Better Places to Go. I ate here recently with friends. We ordered lots to share. Nothing stood out. Not one dish. It was all fine, but I really think there are better places to go in Melbourne. (Chin Chin, Gingerboy, Cumulus, Golden Fields, MoVida) where you can have a similar experience with better value and more delicious food. I ate at Coda a year ago as well and was also diappointed. I thought I'd give them the benefit of the doubt, but my dislike for this place is now confirmed.

Diner

Consistent Performer. Really worth a look but the buzz has worn off now, can get a table most nights. Smart asian food with a great vibe.

Suedy

Wow - worth the price tag. I'm always wary of expensive restaurants with a reputation that outweighs their value. I was pleasantly surprised, however, that Coda really gave you bang for your buck. As a vegetarian, their heavily seafood and meat laden menu worried me quite a bit. There were only a couple of little things on the menu that I could eat, so I thought I'd sit there mainly drinking and watching my friends eat delicious food. I was wrong. The waiter was incredibly helpful and asked our table immediately if we had any dietary requirements. When he found out I was a vego, he pointed out a whole bunch of dishes that could be made specially for me with tofu replacing the meat. How wonderful! The zucchini fritters with buffalo mozzarella were crisp, creamy, and delicious, with the mozzarella and fresh minted peas proving to be a lovely accompaniment both in texture and taste. The eggplant and tofu lettuce delight was crunchy and packed with flavour. I loved the mix of textures in this delicious morsel. They did a lovely tofu version of their sizzling plate, and the veggies were fresh and bursting with flavour. The tofu was smooth, and covered with a delightfully crisp tempura batter. The cucumber, mint and lemon salad was tangy and fresh, and a zesty accompaniment to the rather rich meal. My friends really enjoyed their meaty dishes too! Dessert was something else - the ice cream sandwich comprised of two scoops of rich creamy ice cream - one chocolate with crispy chocolate chips, and the other a smooth vanilla. The waffle pieces on top and bottom were crispy and light. We also scored the last of their dessert special of the day - a delicious crisp almond basket filled with a tangy mandarin cream and a brandy soaked cake, drizzled with salted caramel. This was my absolute favourite with its mix of nutty, sweet, salty and tangy flavours. Add to that very attentive and thoughtful service, a great wine list, and a very cosy atmosphere and you have a great little restaurant on your hands. It is expensive, but a very worthwhile dining experience.

Madam Boots

When we 3 friends found ourselves in a queue of over 1 hour at one trendy "no reservation" restaurant, we just couldn't stave of hunger long enough to be seated so headed out to less popular pastures and found ourselves without any bookings at Coda, who were more than accommating to our hungry tums and despite being a full house, gave us a nice little table and quickly brought us much needed beveridges. Coda: 1, trendy new joint: 0. Service was exceptional and friendly without being intrusive, the venue was buzzy without being too noisy and we could easily chat and not be drowned out by background noise. The food was good if but a tad pricey for what it is. We ordered the spanner crab on betel leaf, delicious but at $6 a pop, it was one very expensive mouthful. The scallops were perfectly cooked and again pricey. The octopus salad with green mango was awesome and easily shared. The eggplant and tofu sang choi bao thingymebob was tasty but a bit greasy and awkward to eat. The zuchini fritters had just the right crunh and flufy centre and well seasoned and perfectly matched wig the buffalo mozzarella and pea salad, whilst the Kung pao chicken was tender and juicy but oh so so spicily hot! But oh so so awesomely good. Now, dessert.... Mmmmmmmm yummmmmmmmzzz coconut pannacotta was ah-maz-ing! And the dessert special was a brandy basket with sponge cake soaked in a blood orange syrup/ soup with light apple foam was bloody good. Expensive, yes. And food was good although not great however, the great service made it a wonderful experience and I would recommend.

Jane H

Great decor, warm & friendly atmosphere ... Need to learn how to make good cocktail! It's not that hard!

Kenneth Lee

Good, not great.. After hearing so much about Coda, we finally managed to get a spot there after three days of trying (or so). Service was good and responsive, but the food was good but not great. Some favorites are the duck San Choy Bao and sugar cane prawn fritters.

Gracefully Grazing...

Contemporary Coda. We expected a lot from this young chef and he delivered. Coda is a hot. Great urban decor off Flinders Lane. Its busy, always, often we have trouble getting in bit when we do its worth it. Lots of great little dishes matched pefectly with the vino. A great times had, lots of fun.

Shane Parkinson

Well after a few attemptes to get in to other "we dont take bookings" restaurants (what is is with the approach! Very frustrating when you know where you want to go) we happened across Coda. Wow! When one of your party is not a red meat lover, the variety of choice was excellent and the bug tempura was stunning! The staff were unpretentious (really refreshingly so), helpful and attentive! The atmosphere combined with the staffs affable approachfullness made this nights dinner a highly recommended estsblishment for a relaxing evening drink and dinner.

Peet

Went for my wedding anniversary last night and had a fabulous dinner. Staff were professional yet casual and the food was delicious. Crispy pork belly special was a highlight, as were the Hanoi style crispy rice paper rolls. Would definitely recommend!

Kiss And Eat Up

Subtle and delicate flavours. After trying to book this place unsuccessfully for 2 months, I decided to just walk in on a saturday night during the Mlebourne comedy festival and try my luck... low and behold they sat us within 5 minutes. With the way the sharing menu is set out, we were able to taste 8 dishes which were simply devine... the betel leaves were a real winner. The wine list will not dissapoint and the service was attentive. if you feel like splurging, this is the place to do it.

Flick

Best dish is the steak tartare, could have lived without the rest. Wait staff more into self entertainment then service.

Seasoned

Average. I had high hopes for this place going on what I have read/heard but I found it a bit hit and miss. The Fremantle octopus and quail were excellent but the pork belly had absolutely no flavour and the minute steak was awful. The Service was excellent, the wine list was very good, the prices were very reasonable and I found the noise bearable. The menu was interesting with a couple of really nice dishes but given the range of excellent restaurants in Melbourne providing a constantly high standard of dining I don't think I would go back to Coda.

Feigy Simpson

Not bad. The desserts were to die for

Michael Rose

One of the best. Fantastic food, and a great wine list. Will definitely go back :)

Rohan Cooke

Always kind.. I've been here 3 times now and have had a memorable time on each visit. have always been stocked with the sommelier, paying close attention and great insight.

Whitepony

Too Salty. Everything was over salted especially the red duck curry was a huge disappointment.

RitaP

Can't wait to return!. Fantastic dinning experience. Food was so fresh, best quality ingredients. A little bit pricey but definitely worth it. We sat at the bar and the staff were really friendly.

❤️

Cool location. Underground. Open kitchen so you see all the action. Cute waiters. Yummy scallops. But a tad expensive.

Stefan

Overpriced for what you get. We paid over $50 for 2 Tiger beers and 2 glasses of basic sparkling wine that they deliberately pour less than half a glass for $16 a glass so that you spend more and drink less. I can't stand that sort of attitude at a restaurant. It clearly shows that the experience is less about the food/wine and more about making money. That said the food was good but the mains at $40 each are just far too pricey for something you can get at many other restaurants in Melbourne at half the price

LePetitGastronome

Go easy on the soy sauce please. After hearing great things about Coda, my friend and I decided to go there to have dinner. It was a very underwhelming and overpriced experience. The food took so long to come out that I had almost forgotten what I'd ordered. It turned out that I had ordered the prawns which had too much soy sauce. The prawns were so salty and difficult to eat that I ordered a bowl of rice to make the dish more palatable. On the positive side, the staff were very friendly and the ambience was perfect for a cosy dinner. Personally, I would not come back to Coda because I don't think that the experience is justified by the price.

Crack Brownie

Average. Went with high expectations left feeling disappointed . When we arrived it seemed all the staff were standing around eating behind the bar and one of them was using the bar as a mobile office with pens , handbag,shirts just strewn around. Food seemed to be missing essential tastes (just bland) Was nothing special at all

Kelly Belly

Pleasant surprise. Stumbled in here when it first opened. A few first time jitters, but nothing too unforgivable. Overall, good service and decent food - not mindblowing, but that's OK. Fun times were had.

Joe Rudolph

Very good food. The steak tartare is fantastic. Wine a bit over priced but food is great!

Hungry Ronin

Young guns comes out blazing .. but still got lots to learn. Yeah, the food was OK. The decor was oh-so-cool laid back yet modern feel, and I can't fault the service .. although I felt a little bit rushed doing a sitting at 6:15 and asked to have our dessert and coffee at the bar since there was another 830 sitting. BUT, like many of the reviews I've read here, the good, solid food just doesn't a) merit the price and b) was too small of portions, mostly anyway. The black quail was as good as I've ever tasted, the sugarcane prawn playful and the bone marrow springroll was great .. BUT, and this is a big BUT, it's just not something to RAVE about. Meehh. Ho-hum. Yawn. But perhaps it's because I am Asian (read: always looking for value, lol) and have had these food at home and in my travels. I've had better in Hanoi, in Yogjakarta, or in Vientiane...and yes, all together now, at a fraction of the price. So with stiff competition in the tapas - asian-fusion whatever in Melbourne, this restaurant will run into problems if something doesn't give or change. I just can't see it getting a repeat customer and big STEADY Cliente base. I am not one.

Daniani

An experience. Sometimes you find a restaurant that makes eating an experience and that's what Coda was to me. I was excited to come here after reading so many good reviews and was definitely not disappointed. Firstly, the staff were very professional and easy-going. They explained how to eat some of the more difficult items (like the spanner crab in betel leaf) and didn't get annoyed when we didn't order any drinks but water. Onto the food. It's the typical sort of "small plate" restaurant but in French/Vietnamese fusion. I'm not telling you anything you don't know there. The "small" plates are tiny, you'd have no hope in sharing them between two people. If you figure out how much you're going to need to eat to be full (the wait staff actually helped out, and they didn't lie and get us to order an unnecessary amount of food either, we ended up with the exact right amount), the bill ends up quite hefty. However, I can hardly even pick out a standout meal. Every single dish was spectacular. We had the spanner crab, the smoked trout fritter, the sugar cane prawn, the blackened quail, the Coda roll, the crispy prawn and the steak tartare. The least impressive dish was probably the Coda roll, which I'd give a miss next time, but there is no way I could miss out on having anything else again. We shared dessert and ordered the ice cream sandwich and the Coda fried ice cream. That fried ice cream was the single most amazing thing I have ever eaten: vanilla bean ice cream with lemon-curd inside and saffron. I can't wait to come back here again. I think it'll be something I only limit to the more special occassions, but I can see myself redefining "special occassions" just to justify a return visit very soon.

Fat_kid

Did not live up to the hype. After waiting a whole year or so to finally make the phone call and get a booking i was pleased with Coda, but not amazed. The resteraunt is very little, so its easy to see why they are always booked out in advance. Ordered an assortment of most things that sounded woth trying on the menu. Alot of thai, vietnamese and chinese flavours. Presentation was nice....the flavours were good but i have had much better asian infused food at other melbourne establishments. Id write down details but nothing is coming to mind atm and that just proves that the dishes were not memorable. I'd come back here for maybe drinks and a few dishes but thats it. At least i can cross this one off the list and move onto the next :)

S And M

Just go!. We've eaten here twice now and both times were fabulous. The food is divine and the service brilliant, even the first time when we just turned up without a booking and sat at the bar (we could still have the same menu.)

Foodmeo

Supermarket food. I have been trying to find something positive to say about this place for the last half an hour but still there is nothing so I thought I will just tell it how it is: The food was ordinary at best- the 7 spice cuttlefish had flour, salt and pepper, there was still 4 spices missing so unfortunately that is a bit of misleading advertising here. You'll be better off buying Chinese Five Spiece and marinate it yourself- at least there'll be five spices! The coda roll was tasteless and dull and at $10+ a piece, it is an absolute joke. You will find better rolls of all kinds in your supermarket frozen section, The curry we had on the night was like gravy with pepper and a tonne of sugar, you will find better from a Lee Kum Kee bottle or can. There really is nothing positive to say about this place, from the unprofessional chefs sipping cocktails and tasting food in the open kitchen to the food that taste worse than your average supermarlet product. If this is what Melbourne calls one of its 'it' places, then we have truly lost our way. Don't waste your money, you will be much more satisfied at china town or buying from your supermarket.

Juju

Strange menu. I thought the point of fusion was to combine flavours not have European and Asian dishes on the menu. Octopus/ mango salad spectacular, betle leaf spanner crab amazing, everything else we had was ok and we were underwhelmedby the sizzling beef. I figured a fancy restaurant would take a simple basic to the next level of gastronomy but alas, no. Pepper crab was quite delicious. Staff were great, wine list was impressive and fit out is worth seeing. Isn't spectacular though.

Mike B

Adam d'Sylva rules OK? Ate at Tonka and Coda in the space of a few days. Formulaic to a certain extent ( trendy, a tad noisy , plates for sharing and of course the ubiquitous Betel leaf. ) But...the food is very good to occasional excellent. The service friendly, efficient and knowledgable. Not cheap but good value.

Donelle Coates

Sit At The Bar. The best place at Coda is sitting at the bar. You can have fantastic food and great wine whilst watching all the action in the kitchen. It's like masterchef !

Hooter66

Emperor's new clothes... After reading all the fantasitc reviews, and having a look at the menu, I was really excited to try Coda. We had an early sitting (6pm) and were instructed that we had to be out by 7.30, which was fine by us as we had a theatre booking at 8pm. The warm welcome when we arrived was probably the best thing I had all night. All the food I ordered was soaked in an oil slick. The side order of broccoli was completely over cooked to the point of mush, my wine failed to arrive and had to be asked for several times before it finally appeared ( just befpre the end of the meal), the springroll tasted of cardboard. It was YUCK!!!! why would anyone go hear when they could go to Longrain, and have so much better food, is beyond me..never again..

Mars

Awsome. Went for diner here last week and had the Crispy prawn and tapioca betel leaf and these were awesome and the Blackened quail was very good.The cuttle fish was nothing special. The sugar caned prawn was good. would come back here for a drink (services was really good we where sitting at the bar) and some tapas

Wally542

Coda!!!!. The food here is definately the best asian in melbourne. sublime

Orkie

"Up those portion sizes!!" I was waiting for the new restaurant hype to be over before I ventured to Coda, I had high expectation from what I'd heard. The fitout was great, service was relaxed but slightly snooty. A friend was over from Beijing, she's vegetarian, the menu had a good amount to choose from.The only food criticism was the size of the portions for the price.

Bb

Great food, bit quirky but great service!! Very enjoyable experience

Dr Oyvind

Can't Understand the Criticism. I really can't. Perhaps I was there on a good day. Perhaps I am not as critical of price. What I can say though, is that I value the taste of what arrives on my plate, and the way it gets there (the ordering through to the cleaning away). and I found it spot on. Intelligent staff with personality and the sommelier a complete champion able to pique us into something we might never have tried otherwise. Highly recommended.

Hungry Brunette

Close call. The waitress was a bit rude but manager helped to sort it out. The food was very nice. 50/50

Lisa Keenan

Ridiculously overpriced!. Like a lot of others, Coda has been on my wish list for months, and I finally went there on Thursday night with high expectations. I couldn't fault the friendly service or the mellow atmosphere. What I could fault was the laughingly overpriced food that reeked of "try too hard". We ordered a few of the smaller dishes (lamb cutlets were good, both prawn dishes overflavoured with lemongrass). We then ordered the fish of the day, which was marron. I kid you not, we both had 4 mouthfuls of this each and the dish was gone - there was nothing else with it. The fish was okay, but then the bill came and it was 42 BUCKS! Admittedly, we should have asked the price before ordering, but I don't think even Gordon Ramsay can get away with that kind of price for so little, and he's a Michelin Star chef. Certainly won't be going back and will stick to Movida for tapas in future.

Ange

A few hits and a few misses. At last I can tick Coda off my Wishlist! The overall atmosphere is great. They have done a good job of converting the old Mini into a cosy and inviting basement space. The service is excellent. The food overall is very good but not amazing. The hits included the oysters and the desserts. The misses included the Coda rolls. And it's not that cheap. So I won't be hurrying back before I've ticked others of my Wishlist.

Emma B

Loved loved loved it!! I had tried in vain to book a table for what felt like months to no avail, and when I tried ( and failed yet again) to get a seat at mamasita we trekked down the hill to coda; just on the off chance and lo and behold got a table. We were told by the wait staff that this is the best thing to do, and I'll definately be doing it again. Great drinks, great service ( hello Gavin) and ok food but one he'll of a night out, all things considered. Go.

Andy

Went for lunch and wasn't inspired at all. Food was good, but not outstanding. And with the prices they charge it should have been outstanding. Great and attentive service. Ultimately I won't be hurrying back.

Cher.cl

Not that original - more overpriced Asian. The whole Asian fusion thing is getting a little old - Gingerboy, Pearl, Longrain and now even St Ali for dinner - all feature nicely presented food, smart service and slick surroundings, but the food itself is really not that exciting if you have been to Asia where you can get the same flavours for a fraction of the price.

Angus Dawson

Coda! Fantastic! Really cool atmosphere with food and service to match. The service is right there without being in your face. Confident and knowledgable staff add to the experience. The food! Great! Beautifully presented, interesting combinations are wonderful. Loved the steak tartare, crispy prawn betel leaf parcels and the rice paper rolls. Can't wait to go back and do the rest of the menu! We called on a Saturday afternoon. No tables that night but they said we coul eat in the bar. So glad we did. The bar was more comfortable than some dining rooms. Coda ticks all the boxes!

Kieranb

Loved it. Sat at the bar and got the lowdown on the food as it was being served to us and others. Brilliant food and great service at a reasonable price. Highly recommend.

Michelle Gore

Impressive. Let me start by saying I love Coda. Have dined there a few times for lunch, dinner and nibbles with drinks on a Friday night and always more than satisfied. The menu changes with seasonal produce and features a range of smaller 'bites', larger share plates and sides to cater for all tastes. The betel leaves are amazing and packed full of flavour, scallops with pearl tapioca - beautiful and the three different types of lettuce delight (san choi bao) are simply sensational. The service is attentive, personable and never intrusive. The wait staff are always happy to make recommendations and the Sommellier Travis definitely knows his stuff, so it pays to take up his advice with matching wines to your food choices. The desserts at Coda are as impressive as the rest of their offering. If nothing else, go for the taste plate with the lemon tart and Valrhona chocolate custard pot with pumpkin foam - it's divine. Coda definitely gets my vote. If you're looking for a great night out, good atmosphere, fantastic food, excellent service and a well thought out wine list, it's the place to be.

Aussiefoodstory

Aussiefoodstory. Coda - where u get really spoilt...finger bowl rules...hot water, wedge of lemon. shovel of ice cubes, tap water. Why? Hot water takes of grease, cold water refreshes fingers.

Alice Fleming

Coda is good but not the immaculate beacon of dining that the hype might suggest. A recent lunch visit included overly long waits between the small dishes, a hot dining room and some middling food. However, it also included some excellent food and an ambitious feeling to the menu. The marks of a restaurant still finding its feet even if the reservations and reviews suggest that it's already found them.

Agogo Lee

Refreshing Asian flavours that Are unique and pleasing yo the palate. I enjoyed all of my meal except the duck curry. The rawness of the curry really stood out and the flavours in the dish just did not amalgamate. The soufflé is a must.

Matthew Carlo Donazzan

Coda is about the food, every dish is unique and special. The kitchen staff care about their creations: fresh produce, bold combinations and simple presentation. Sit at the bar, order some expertly crafted cocktails, and let the friendly waiting staff help you choose the dishes. Ow...and the fish cooked in plastic bag is must try.

Lisa

Like it but the food was a bit hit & miss. Did dinner at Coda on a recent Sunday, Sunday is a good day to go if you are into wine as the sommelier opens a special/interesting bottle and offers it by the glass. A lot of what I like about Coda is wine related, the list and the sommelier are highlights. Some of the food is great too. I like that you can order as many or as few of each dish as suits the group you are in (no "entrees only come in four pieces" rules here). Signature dish of sugarcane prawns a let down,but the sweet potato & Clarence River prawn fritter was so good we all had to have seconds. The scallops were great too. This is a really easy place to like, with great service and a buzzy feel to the room.

Christie

No doubting The chefs talent however he should stick to doing what he does best not French, Duck Curry great. Service and Somm?? Maybe it's to early to judge.

The Pantsless Chef

Coda opened around this time last year. With a lot of hype surrounding the restaurant as Adam D'Sylva former young chef of the year, was opening his first restaurant with fellow industry veterans from MoVida and Taxi. The location was an unusual subterran

Melbourne Glutton

We popped by one Saturday afternoon for a quick casual lunch. We were reluctantly seated at the bar and some dude with a ‘tude threw some menus towards us. Hmnn, not the usual Coda welcome that either of us was accustomed to, but with a hangover to cure and work waiting for me back at the office, I didn’t have the capacity to care. We were still reeling from the aftereffects of a potent bottle of red and skipped the drinks menu. For food, we ordered a number of things to share including favorites like the zucchini flower fritters with Buffalo mozzarella and the fried cauliflower with goats cheese dressing. These were so flavorful and ever so satisfying. The lamb chop was expertly cooked, and the two kinds of lettuce cups were equally as well made. I preferred the eggplant and tofu mixture and only because the quail version was less gamey that I would have expected. The only dish we didn’t want to finish was the Hanoi roll, which is essentially a rice paper roll, battered and fried - it

Libby Margo

When I first heard that acclaimed chef Adam D’Sylva was to open up a bar-slash-restaurant and call it ‘Coda’ I thought the term, familiar to those who studied music, was fitting.

Emily And Saskia

Coda serves Asian and French (!?!) food and is situated in a basement space just off Flinders Lane, which was previously home to somewhat hit and miss Greek restaurant Mini.

Tubbymistress

Coda is sleek, stylish and uber-cool. If you’d like a table in the restaurant section, it’s necessary to book in advance. Otherwise, grab a seat at the bar.

Food Lover

Coda is one of those hard-to-find-lane-way-hidden-in-a-basement Melbourne restaurants. From the outside, it doesn't look much. When you go in, however, the place looks pretty cool and trendy - it had a great atmosphere for dinner and/or drinks.

Anthony P

In music, a Coda is a passage that brings the song to a conclusion. My experience of Coda Bar and Resturaunt was surprising - in a good way - and very satisfying. I ordered vegetarian versions of the following items listed on the menu : Spanner crab, gala

Oohlookbel

Coda Restaurant and Bar was the only place that I'd booked at on our Melbourne tour. When I phoned a week earlier, they said they had a table from 6pm, but we had to be out by 8pm. No probs, we were in!

Greedy Diva

The recommended pork belly special was a huge disappointment - boring, slimy texture, no rich porky flavour and no crackling. NO CRACKLING! Big fail. The Scotch fillet may have been cooked straight from the fridge - still slightly cold in the middle and lacking that full sublime flavour of the fabulous steaks I had in the King Valley this weekend (more later). The banana fritters had a raw doughy flabbiness about them.

Master Radish

The first time I heard about Coda, was actually by being told about it by a chef at another restaurant. I was sitting at the bar at Cumulus Inc, which fronts onto the kitchen. I was sittin

Eating Melbourne

Yeah, yeah, so I'm probably the last blogger in Melbourne to finally review Coda. It only opened a couple of months ago but is already So Hot Right Now that it's next to impossible to get into. I booked dinner for 3 on a Sunday evening, about three weeks

I Ate My Way Through

There's something really likeable about eating lots of small dishes. From Chinese yum cha to Spanish tapas, the experience of sharing small plates of delectable morsels with friends and family is always an enjoyable one.

PatInOz

Chef Adam D’Sylva, The Age Good Food Guide's 2008 Young Chef of the Year, was formerly at Pearl and Longrain. He opened this venture in June with ex MoVida manager Mykal Bartholomew and Kate Calder, former floor manager at Taxi. Within weeks of serving hi

Iron Chef Shellie

It’s below street level, and has a great vibe as soon as you walk through the door. The windows allow you to see people’s feet shuffle on by, as you emerse yourself in the great fusion food. I couldn’t fault the service, our waitress was great at recommending dishes, and when we couldn’t decide on which mains to eat, she suggested we just get half serves so we could try as much as possible. Genius idea! It was hard narrowing down what to eat as I really wanted to try everything on the menu…. no I’m serious.. absolutely everything, including ALL the desserts. Crispy prawn and tapioca betel leaf $5.8ea Crispy Hà Nôi style rice paper roll with pork, taro and nuoc mam dipping sauce $6.8ea Sugar ca

Gourmet Chick

Go to Coda for the buzz and for some genuinely exciting dishes. However sometimes the result of all that creativity is dissonance rather than harmony. I think nearby Chin Chin is a better option for a fusion style restaurant with share plates.