Review Blondie Bar - Melbourne

Fantastic position, love the outdoor seating and the bibimbap was so delicious with unusual femented soy dressing. Coffee unfortunately was a bit disappointing.

A great spot for a quick bite or a meal before or after a show! 🍴Food was great. They were very accommodating for a quick bite before a show with food coming out quickly. The spring rolls were so good! 💰 Price was reasonable 🤵 Staff were friendly and welcoming 🚻 Amenities inside ------------- 🔄 Repeatability: will definitely be back to try out some more menu items!

Yum yum chicken was so juicy& crunch very authentic Korean but not spicy& generous in portion!(would've been better if coleslaw portion was a bit larger) Pizza was simple yet the best in Southbank. Drinks are reasonably priced! Loved Friday jazz tonight. Staffs are friendly!

We enjoyed a delicious meal with friends prior to an evening show at the nearby Recital Centre. Food is of a consistently high standard, delivered promptly with a smile. The menu is somewhat limited but everything is delicious. This is a perfect venue for pre-theatre dining when time is of the essence, but less ideal if you like to linger over your meal.

You can’t beat this place after a concert at the MRC. If you have a concert to see book this place for afters. So good. Great choice of dishes and wine. Love it

We tried the pizza from Miss Dough (the pop-up pizza restaurant they currently have on Thu, Fri and Sat) and it was just amazing. Tasty, colorful and the dough was cooked to perfection! Definitely one of the best wood-fired pizzas in town!! Apparently, Miss Dough caters also for private events so you could also hire her for your next function. Oh and the Jazz live music was a treat!

A great little place for food and cocktails. Their patè is amazing and is made in house. A great little vibe and atmosphere. Staff were friendly and helpful. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed if you add this place to your list to visit.

Great little eating spot next to the Melbourne Recital Centre. Reasonably priced. Tasty food.

Great place to catch up with some friends before/after seeing a show nearby! I was impressed with the beer selection AND those fries were delicious. Service was friendly too. Super busy when I went with a good vibe ;)

Been here lots, food is great however dark haired waitress needs to put some appropriate clothes on. Full red bra (including discoloured label) on display, in a ratty holey backless falling off top, yuck. I can't imagine the older crowd from the theatre find it professional. You are serving food please have a dress code. Very off putting.

kay, so we are looking for a bite to eat after being at a symposium at ACCA and find this place open. As a vegetarian not always easy to find something quick but tasty. Well this place blew us away. The food was simple but absolutely gorgeous. Had veg dumplings, fried halumi in bao buns and sichuan eggplant. Staff were super engaged, very happy and talkative. All up great expeirence. Blown away really as seriosuly did not expect to be this impresssed.

This place is a great place for a quick lunch. Service is okay and is quite fast. The fries and dumplings are nicely cooked. A bit noisy with traffic outside, but inside is good.

A great relaxing cafe bar atmosphere! Had a simple but fantastic grilled ham cheese and tomato sandwich which was piping hot and delicious!! Very well done! A haven for people who want a place to relax in the afternoon :)

I like this place for a quick sandwich and coffee. Unfortunately received pretty substandard service where a waiter pushed us out of the door because the inside area was full...we were well aware and just wanted to grab a menu. Nevertheless, the guy at the till is lovely.

What a great find! Share plates before MacBeth which relaxes you immediately as the meal comes out in an unstructured way but always well ahead of your schedule.<br/><br/>A few interesting beers on tap and a tight wine list. The meal was fun with a range of Asian influenced dishes with lamb, tuna, eggplant and calamari as highlights.<br/><br/>Great service with good advice and attentive staff.

As a pre-show spot, this cafe needs to look at its processes and speed them up. The window for ordering food and drink outside has one server and she is walking backwards and forwards from a till 3 m from that one window. The number of keys she needs to press each cash drink order also seems extraordinary. The queue is growing. The service is slowing. This doesn't work.

Just had a bagget with avocado and chirizo fir 7$. So bad that I suggested them to take it off from the counter. Sorry guys!<br/>Also ordered this this average chips for 7 dolars so i spent $14,50 in the worse possible way<br/><br/>

Bar restaurant outside Melbourne recital centre. Order both drinks and food at the bar, then it's delivered to your table when it's ready. I shared an eggplant dish, which was tasty, a plate of steamed greens, and a haloumi bao, which was disappointing as It cost $8 and was not warm all the way through. Serving sizes are quite small. My pal and I also had a cider each, which was about $11 per drink. We were happy with our shared meal, but it was a bit expensive given how quickly we got hungry again.

Went there for a birthday dinner but this is no special occasion dining. It's a drop in kind of place and there is no care for the customer that want to stay. Got served a random wine and not the one we ordered and beware of the promise to serve meals as they are made as its random and fast even with three requests to take their time. The food is over priced and ordinary.<br/>Drop in for a coffee before the show but do not go if you want to stay a while.

Was pretty disappointed, my prawn dumplings were cold inside and undercooked, euww. And hilariously, the dipping sauce was served in a little narrow china cup so you couldn't actually immerse the dumpling properly without turning it on all angles to get each end in - what genius came up with that. I remember some people in our group enjoyed their meals and others weren't so impressed. We were also confused about how/where to order. This just seems to be perhaps a tourist joint in a fab location with maybe not much substance.

Came here last night by accident as we had booked Script bar next door but for some bizarre reason they had to close, so we were offered a dinner reservation at Blondie. We arrived to every single table on the street being absolutely covered with dirty plates and glasses, and they remained that way for a good 20 minutes after we got there. Not so offending, I don't really care but it's a bad look when there was only one other table in the restaurant occupied. The staff seemed to not view this as a priority at all. The food was overwhelmingly unimpressive and ridiculously overpriced, I got the tuna tartare which had pretty presentation but did not taste particularly fresh, another member of the group ordered the kingfish sashimi and for $18 got a measly 4-5 strips of fish (that was supposed to be his main meal - I warned him it was probably entrée size but it was laughable when the waitress put it in front of him). I got the haloumi bao which for a single serve was $8... OK. And my partner got the vegetarian green Thai curry soup. This was by far the only dish that would fill a human for dinner - and such a cheap meal to make.$20. It tasted far too sweet. Nothing made me want to come back, for such a prime location Blondie really missed the mark. It felt like they were exploiting their location, just because you are located in the Art's centre, doesn't mean you can get away with sub-par food which is a total rip off. Won't be back.

Ordered the smoked duck breast. Paid $39 assuming there would be something on the plate besides a duck breast. Not really so. 3 tiny strips of eggplant, 1 duck breast and some sickly mandarin sauces smeared on the plate. Expensive and unimpressive. Then ordered chips to fill up. They took forever and were greasy and not quite cooked through.

My mum and I always have dinner here before going to the theatre and love it! Really nice selection of sharing platters and the wait staff are very knowledgeable and friendly! (I don't agree with the low ratings on here at all). The flowerpot dessert is a MUST try... It's delicious!

Honestly these people should not be running a restaurant next to a theatre - they can't do a quick meal before a concert? Not even a snack? Or a coffee???????? 'Sorry, we're backed up at the moment..'??????? What a surprise when a concert is scheduled for months? similarly after a concert the kitchen is closed for meals ???? So Recital Centre, give the lease to someone else whose business model is based on servicing your patrons .... 'World class' ??????? <br/>Don't think so

For a place that relies on patrons of the Melbourne Recital Centre next door, they have a very relaxed approach to service! The menu is arty farty and over-priced, service slow and "casual". I won't be going back.

Stopped in for a quick coffee recently, my latte was pleasant but a little bit on the cold side. I would also recommend clearer signage as I wasn't sure where exactly to order from.

Perfect spot adjoining the Recital Centre and just round the corner from the NGV International and Arts Centre. Daytime is restricted to outside tables (at least in the summer months) and the fusion of Asian and European - snacks and larger meals - hugely appealing. But larger meals are pricey, so be warned.<br/><br/>A 3.30pm snack of thyme -sea salted fries along with prawn dumplings (6) sounded perfect for the two of us. Shop purchased string fries barely hot with a hint of salt and I found two minute slithers of thyme. Unimpressed. And even less so when the six steamed dumplings were delivered and, barely warm, were actually still frozen on the inside. Replacements were tasty, but should have known better to fork out $13.50 for 6 dumplings when just on the other side of the river, a plateful is virtually half the price.

Blondies Bar is a strange little spot, just a short walk away from town and with the National Gallery, the Art’s Centre and the Recital Centre just close by they will have a guaranteed traffic dropping by for a quick drink before a show and the snack menu is an interesting mix of Asian influences with dishes such as wagyu kim chi burger, chai smoked duck and sweet soy lamb as well as dumplings, fritters and sashimi.

Visited on the 30th October for the first time and it will definitely be the last. The list of bad service is too long to write out here but one of the finest examples was when I had to leave the table to go and find some plates to eat our food off! At every encounter the wait staff were rude and dismissive so much so that I ended up asking to speak to the manager - who naturally was the rudest person we had encountered the whole time.<br/>She simply answered my suggestion that sending out a plate of Asian greens to our table 20 minutes after the main's was a little late with a 'oh well' and a shoulder shrug before turning her back on me.. I guess they think greens are a dessert!<br/>You can do so much better for food and drinks in the area so my advice would be stay clear !

Food was yum and there was plenty for our group- though the salmon dish had vine ripened tomatoes as a garnish?! A little basic but the salmon was deliciously cooked. <br/>Service left a little to be desired. Our group opted to order drinks at the bar and the first time we went up to order our first drinks we waited at the least 7 minutes and there was 3 staff serving the one other person standing at the bar. No one cleared our table until we asked which was a significant amount of time after the last dish. No glass clearing until they called last drinks and wanted us out.

Easy eats before a show or concert in the Arts precinct, they are used to deadlines and do a great job of getting you to the show on time. A little tardy with water glasses and keeping them topped up. Great cocktails named after staff

We popped in an hour before our concert at the Recital Centre, without having made a booking- poor decision!  Even at 5:30pm it was a full house, with people braving the cold in the outdoor seating.  However, at the last minute the waitress offered us a table inside as long as we were out by 6:30pm- perfect!  The atmosphere is perhaps a little too lively at time, but I do love the little touches such as the paper cranes hanging from the ceiling!  Lots of delicious sounding dishes of various sizes on the menu, but we went for the vegetarian dumplings and zucchini and bean salad.  Both were good, full of flavours!  Special thanks to the team for getting our food out to us with haste, without compromising on the quality.  Friendly and helpful staff, though there was a little mishap with the bill, but I'll put that down to it being a busy evening.

My recent visit to Blondies reminded me why I enjoy eating there. The food was sublime. Service not so much, I ordered a gin which never turned up and this has happened before on previous visits.

Lied to by staff. I had 30 minutes before a show and asked the staff for a seat inside. I told them I would be 20minutes only. They told me (despite all tables being empty) that the restaurant was fully booked. I asked them if it was actually booked with reservations or just expectation - a senior staffer interrupted the waitress who was half way through admitting it was not actually reserved to say yes sir of course it's fully booked with reservations. Obviously it was not and as I sat outside for the next 20 minutes absolutely no one showed. I ended up not going to my show for other reasons and so sat outside for another 20 minutes during which a further NO ONE turned up or was seated inside. On top of this indignity the food was pedestrian. And further more despite there being only 12 customers all seated outside and thus no strain on the overstaffed establishment when my food was brought it they didn't bring cutlery and when I said to the waiter can I please have cutlery they pointed at the cutlery back at the bar and told me to et it myself- which may well be policy but in a near empty, overstaffed restaurant when you're already lying to me was the straw that broke the camels back. WILL NOT BE RETURNING.

Had 15 mins before a show at the Recital centre next door. Asked for a table inside and were told we should've made a reservation if we wanted to sit inside. So we sat outside in the freezing cold while tables remained empty inside. Not going back.

We went here last night before a play at MTC. Enjoyed both the ambience and the lovely effervescence of Anna the waitress. Loved the pulled pork buns and the squid and the green salad. All delicious. Great customer service. I'll be back Blondie. P

Delicious food and amazing staff!. I was greeted with a smile and looked after so incredibly well. The food was delicious and really fast (the crispy chicken is amazing). They always make sure you get to your show on time and the wait staff are just delightful. I'll definitely come back here. Often a live jazz band plays outside and the atmosphere is just beautiful. Try and go here when it isn't absolutely insanely busy though. Also they had extra food made which they gave to us for free! A lovely dinner, thank you Blondie.

Please someone else, take this place over!. Blondie combines a good concept and location with awful customer service and uncertain hours. Given its location you would expect many of its patrons to be heading into plays or concerts? Good luck with that! Food appears when it appears, which is usually just when you have to leave after mistakenly thinking 40 minutes was plenty of time for some dumplings. Or maybe it doesn't, twice I have had to cancel orders after at least 30 minutes. Not to worry, nobody cares.

The customer is not always right, in fact, probably never right. Tasting plates will come in any order, so small plates may come last, greens will come unaccompanied, not with large platters.<br/>If you have coffee spilt right down your front, it is your fault as you trued to help the waiter<br/>If you asked for some consideration re the coffee incident, they will not charge you for the coffee, (even though replacement coffee was not served)<br/>If you ask why the manager on the night did not come to the table to apologise, he was too busy at the time.<br/>If you claim that the endamame beans were cold (actually had visible ice crystals on them), you will be told that they were warm.<br/>If you say that you were not treated fairly after all the above incidents, you will be told that the staff were traumatised by the way you swore at them, when in fact not one swear word was uttered, no abuse was given, just a suggestion that they may pay for the drycleaning bill for the 2 people with coffee down their clothes. This request was refused on the night, but agreed to the next day after the defamatory accusation that we sworn at the staff. Interesting approach to customer service.<br/>Notice that other people have commented on rude staff on websites.

Better service than Vue de Monde and Collins Kitchen at the Hyatt. The food is great, the customer service is sublime.<br/>We cannot fault this restaurant . 15/10 !!!!!

Great food. Love this place, nick the manager is super awesome, his customer service brings us back here time and time again even though we travel far to get to this restaurant . Nick makes this restaurant a very special place to come experience. You must try this restaurant .

Good food, lame service. Always been happy with my food and drink orders here; but I've NEVER been more disappointed with service. Staff are vain, flakey and inattentive. Consistently.

This is my first negative review on Urban Spoon but after what was a terribly disappointing experience I feel I have to. Me and my husband stopped in for an early dinner and settled on a Laksa and prawn dumplings. With drinks (juice and pot of beer) the bill came to 40 bucks. The prawn dumplings came first and we're pretty ordinary. No sauce made them slightly dry and for 12.5 for four pieces you would really wish for more. The laksa, however, took the cake. 18 bucks and you'd need a magnifying glass to find the actual veggies and noodles that we're promised. I had scooped up the solid part of this meal in 3 spoons, and left was a sour soup of coconut milk that I was only mildly interested in attempting to finish. So $40 later I had to hit IGA for a banana and a yoghurt to take me though the night. Be warned.

This restaurant made me finally sign up to Urbanspoon so I could save you the bother of trying to eat here. Rude staff and inefficient systems have you chasing after them to order, pay, collect your food and collect your drinks. I will not bother again.

Great food. So fresh and amazing flavours. Best to go when it's not too busy though as it's not always the best service when there are a lot of people in there.

Was hoping to try this place out having seen it in passing. Stopped for a coffee and having waited over 10 minutes just to take an order it took another 15 to 20 minutes to get my order!! Witnessing another patron wait over 10 minutes standing at the counter it was not surprising that the place wasn't full. Based on the owner not being attentive and staff not managed properly I can only imagine how terrible the food would be. My advice don't bother.

We arrived as a group of four with one on the way, we told the staff we were just stopping for a drink and a snack. The staff seemed put out by our presence. One staff member acted like it was too difficult to find us a table and told is it would take five minutes to clean and put together a table when it was already empty. When we were seated we were given three glasses for five people, our order was taken quickly and then no one approached us for the rest of the night. We were even ignored when one of us accidentally spilled a drink. They watched from afar after we asked for a sponge and left us to clean it up ourselves. Overall Blondies is a pretentious, snobby restaurant with rude staff and a sub-par wine list.

Melbournes best service. I am a frequent diner at Blondie (among a number of other cafe's across Melbourne) and whilst not big on social media / writing reviews etc. I really wanted to post a message on behalf of this café and in particular, the incredible service offered up by Annie.<br/>From the first time I stepped into this café, Annie greeted myself and my colleagues with the best service I have come to know in Melbourne. Whilst being a regular over the past 10-12 months, Annie's personality and attention to her customers will keep me coming back time and time again. <br/>I've been fortunate to travel the world and have experienced extraordinary service however most times, this comes with a hefty tip. Here at Blondie, Annie let's her personality do the talking and it is a pleasure to spend time at this café. <br/>The food and coffee are sensational as well but it is the extraordinary customer service of Annie that sets this place apart.<br/>Thanks Annie & Co. keep up the great work<br/>JH

This place is good. Sometimes I wish the staff would be more interested in giving great customer service than being cool with their friends, but I guess that's the standard curse of hipsters in hospitality. Except for one, the coffee is usually good.

Best customer service! Love the coffee! Love the foods! Love the drinks! Love the vibes!

Never again. Having arrived for a drink before a performance at the Recital Centre, we sat inside at a free unset table. Half a g & t later (approx. 10 mins) the waitress asked us to move to anywhere else as 4 women had entered and wanted a table. Granted there were only 2 of us at a table for 4 , as there were 2 men at the adjoining table for 4, one of whom was a well known satirist. They were not approached. When we said OK in 5 minutes or when the drink was finished she persisted and embarrassed and enraged everyone involved. I skulled my drink and left in a huff with a nasty taste in my mouth.<br/>They pride themselves on "amazing staff". Seems they were not rostered on March 17th.<br/>Artsy, no. Sophisticated, no. Inviting, no.<br/>Food, don't know, don't care, will never ever try.<br/>They pride

The most horrible restaurant experience of my life. I went to this place for their Saturday breakfast, my husband and i ordered pancakes , on the menu it said pancakes with berries and maple syrup and cream, they brought our coffees right away and it was cold and not very pleasant , 40 minutes later they finally gave us our pancakes and there was 2 very small burnt pancakes with honey on them, a bit of sour yogurt and a couple of blueberries nothing like what it said on the menu , i am allergic to honey and it was good that i realized its honey and not maple syrup and i told them and they said oh we ran out of maple syrup , 20 minutes later i got 2 burnt tiny pancakes with nothing on them but sour yogurt , it was disgusting and terrible , When you describe something on your menu its your responsibility to give the exact same thing to your customer , when you run out of something send some one to buy it or close down your restaurant , oh and i should add they charges us 30 $, 15 $ each for those horrible pancakes. who ever runs this place knows nothing about hospitality and the staff are extremely non motivated and not happy to be there and their cook should find something else to do since clearly they cant even make a decent pancake.

The wait staff are incredibly friendly and helpful, I had the chickpea fritters - DELICIOUS and a big serving! Also happy hour in the sun made for a fun and cheap afternoon!! Thanks Blondie ;)

Did I mention the bombe alaska?. The truffle fries are a decadent snack - perfect skinny crisp fries with an all-over truffle aroma, creamy aioli. The bombe alaska breaks a few rules - the filling is cake instead of icecream (chocolate brownie the night I had it) but the soft meringue shell is luscious and perfect, and the flambeed amaretto sauce is a show-stopper. <br/><br/>Service is usually pretty good given how busy they are when there's a show in in the Recital Centre or MTC. The choice for vego or GF is limited but the dishes are good. I've never had the coffee that other reviewers have complained about so bitterly - no time for coffee when the wine list is good and there is always a tangy new cocktail to sample.

Horrible coffee. This place used to have nice coffee but recently their coffee is just the worst , i mean it tastes very bitter so bitter that even a kilo of sugar wont make it better and its cold , i mean cant they just give you a hot coffee? the location is great and its a shame that they cant give the customer a decent cup of coffee.

Its okay. Coffee was decent, meal wasn't great. The presentation of the squid was poor. The oil or whatever it was made the dish look wet. The squid itself didn't taste fresh. I feel neutral about the whole affair. Would come again if i was stuck in this area and needed somewhere to sit.

This place is ideally situated for a pre-theatre meal, but that being the case, they need to step up the early-evening service to accommodate punters on a timetable.

I just went in for a pre show coffee and it was easily the worst cappuccino I've had in Melbourne, it tasted like hot milky water and they had thrown a heap of chocolate on the top of non existent froth. It was very quiet when I went in and no one asked me how it was or provided any table water. Terrible experience.

Captive audience, few other options other than Script Bar next door. Weird ill thought out menu, kitchen couldn't cope with all those captive the night I came, had to buy packet chips next door and watch the lucky ones eat the food that I had on another captive night that same week... What can I say? Don't order the fennel salad, the cook has clearly not tasted it when they thought it out on paper. Tuna too heavy on soy & wasabi. Come on, how hard is it to get this right? We are all here for the show & just want ok food on time. Script Bar has much better discipline, ok food, fair prices & easy to prep & plate up. Less fuss more speed.

Oh Dear! The starter chicken. Unfortunately we ordered a starter of fried chicken and the two of us had a spontaneous reaction. It certainly looked unattractive, but that wasn't the problem. It was inedible. The taste of strong biting vinegar lingered long enough to spoil the rest of the evening and into the night. We needed toothpaste to remove the sting on the pallete and the tongue. A pity to report this as the place has an 'interetsing' menu and they offered us sorbet and a replacement meal. But, be careul. Taste before eating.

Great After-Show Meal. We ate at Blondie after a show at the Malthouse on Saturday night. Despite making a booking and being there from about 9:30pm, the service and food was still as lovely as it would be at a regular dinner time. Thumbs up for the Pork Belly starter and the Beef Cheek main. Absolute melt-in-your-mouth!<br/><br/>Recommended for after Malthouse Theatre shows - easy to walk to, beautiful food and good service for late nights.

We made a reservation and they asked us if we were seeing a show and what time the show started. Although they didn't have any beer on tap available (due to a problem) and we couldn't have our first choice of main (the menu is being changed) we received excellent and efficient service and the food was fresh and very tasty.

OMG!!!!!!!!!. Have been meaning to write something up for a few weeks here.<br/>Blonde Bar menu is insanely awesome. I haven't eaten seafood this gooood since we were living in Sydney.<br/>Have been here about 3 times and they hit the mark every time.<br/>Different style to next door Script Bar which is also super good.<br/>Best menu item at Blondie? The large fried snapper!!<br/>Last week my wife tried the Tuna. OMFG!! Crazy stuff

Tortellini. Was hungry and I was dreaming of a big plate of pasta, so I ordered the tortellini, it arrived and much to my amazement, there were 4 tortellini on the plate, for thirty something dollars, beautifully arranged, not like large ravioli, but 4...small.....tortellini....I asked the waitress if it was a main course, she advised that it is a very labour intensive dish...I stared at it and asked for the Manager....the Manager advised me that there were 5 not 4 and because it was filled with pumpkin puree it was very filling, but would give me some truffle infused french fries complimentary, they were good fries, but 'truffle' I could not detect, nor could I taste any of the gorgonzola butter which was meant to be on the tortellini....Unlike other posts here, I found the service to be ok, but they obviously have a captive audience here for patrons of the Melb Recital Centre but they are clearly having a lend of people serving up FIVE tortellini as a main course, I don't care if they were hand made by Tibetan monks and rolled on the thighs of virgins - they are clearly having a lend of punters and I would not return.

Tortellini. I had the tortellini as it was the only vegetarian main, costing me $32- which roughly turned out to be about $5 a piece! The accompaniments- gorgonzola butter, butternut pumpkin puree and red wine shallots were nice but the potato filling was bland and lumpy (I had to add salt to eat it). <br/><br/>The service and atmosphere were nice.

Had a great night at Blondie. Lovely staff and great food and drinks. The truffle fries are like crack!!! Have to give a mention to Jimmy behind the bar. Such a nice guy with genuine hospitality that is so rare to find. Well done

Thank god there is somewhere that doesn't just cater for the babyboomers!<br/>Went to dinner the other night before a show. Had a quick bite to eat and a drink. Great! Music was great, atmos was great, staff were efficient and friendly. Bar man was cheeky. Place was very busy and we were told not to order mains. But the starters were dilish! As someone in their thirties it great to have a place that doesn't just cater to the stifling never satisfied with anything babyboomers! Looks like they ate still working the kinks but its a great place to have a drink and nibble before the show. Nice to know that the more adventurous arts lovers are catered for!

Food is overpriced, coffee is poor. Used to love going here for good and friendly service, but unfortunately the standards have lowered with a change over of waiters and now they are rude and dismissive. Used to be a regular. Never going back!

What type of customers are they expecting?. Had dinner at Blondie last week because Script was booked out. Never again! I'm not sure who the target audience is but it wasn't us, and it wasn't just the food. As per other reviews they had run out of some dishes but hadn't changed the blackboard until everyone started ordering them. Service was woeful. Few competent staff and it took a major effort to get anyone's attention. One of our mains came out 15 mins after the other three mains and it was only soup! Down-market tables & benches with no backs, however the prices were for a much higher standard fitout restaurant. A limited, weird and pretentious menu with dishes from all over the place as if they couldn't decide on a theme. Equally pretentious dishware which was difficult to eat out of. None of this gelled with the setting, and appeared to be totally wrong for the demographic eating there. We've been to the Melbourne Recital Centre many times and it's fair to say that most of the attendees are not 20-30's hipsters out for a night on the tiles... This is why Script does so well - it's not cutting edge but it appeals to the majority of MTC/MRC visitors, and the food and service is of good quality. It speaks volumes that Script was booked out 5 days in advance but Blondie had tables available, and we only tried Blondie because the employee we spoke to at Script recommended it. There is nowhere else immediately close to eat so the "captive audience" rule applies somewhat, but that's still not a good enough reason to return. To cap our evening off, even after things had quietened down as one of the shows next door had started, we still couldn't get an offer of a dessert menu, with some staff standing around chatting... We were very glad to leave.

Interesting menu. Quite a few interesting dishes on offer at reasonable prices. The tuna was delicious and plated up very nicely. Crispy sesame shell and tender succulent tuna inside. However, the soft shell crab was a little disappointing - too oily/moist as opposed to crunchy and crisp.

Great for destressing after work before your show. Stopped in for a quick bite before a show. Formerly My Mexican Cousin, Blondie was pumping and with plenty of experience dealing with the pre-show Performing Arts Centre punters, the team was efficient and friendly. We were fed in plenty of time, despite being a bit short of it...<br/><br/>From the concise but appealing outdoor menu we ordered soft shell crab, prawn laksa and a fantastic deconstructed sushi roll. The small but very tasty dishes are made for sharing and washing down with Riesling and Cava, which of course we did.<br/><br/>Would like to check out the full menu inside when there's more time and also some space inside.

Great food... Shocking service...

Had a post theatre desert and wine. Worst desert I've had in years. Take the walk to Southbank instead.

Ergh, the coffee. The coffee is absolutely terrible. $3.80 and it tastes burnt, perhaps the grind isn't right, but it's god awful.<br/><br/>I rarely throw away coffee (usually just add more sugar), but I did today.<br/><br/><br/>-----03 Jun, 2013-----<br/><br/>The better choice of 2. I went to Blondie for the first time the other night. The place was packed, service was excellent, the food was good but some things were just a little off.<br/><br/>There were several items they were out of (and it was only 6:30pm), dishes seemed to come out haphazardly (entree rice paper rolls came out after all the other dishes) and some of the dishes were not quite as good as they could be. A delicious chocolate fondant comes with icecream, obviously, but my tastebuds were interrupted by a sea of tangy champange foam. The tempura calamari comes in a heavy batter that is nothing like tempura and needs a more acidic dressing to cut through the oiliness.<br/><br/>In my opinion Blondie is still the better option when compared to Script - it's menu in particular is more exciting - but there's still room for improvement.

Excellent night at Blondie. I have been to Blondie several times and always loved it, tonight after Karl Hyde concert was exceptional - superb wine list and lamb ribs are the best. <br/>The music superb - suits every occassion, staff wonderful and the best chips in town. Just loved tonight - excellent company, lovely ambiance and felt completely at home. Highly recommend. Perfect if going to a concert at Melbourne Recital Centre or MTC.

Just Wonderful!. Having just seen a show at the MTC we were feeling a bit peckish but not like dinner so we thought we would check out Blondie Bar for their desserts. Oh my goodness the menu was AMAZING!! They had great options to choose from - a brulee, a chocolate fondant, a pannacotta and the classic but delicious apple crumble!<br/><br/>I had the popcorn brulee which was DIVINE! The sugar on top was perfectly caramelised without tasting burnt and the popcorn flavour was delicious! My friend opted for the panacotta and was not dissapointed, it came out and looked like a beautiful garden of delightful treats! <br/><br/>We will definitely be back to sample more delights from this wonderful bar!

Needs major improvements - overpriced: underdelivered. I find the positive reviews listed here in complete contrast to our experience.<br/><br/>As a group of regular diners and theatre goers we naturally decided to give Blondie a try, hoping to add it to our list of regular pre-theatre haunts.<br/>But alas, the best laid plans...<br/><br/>Issues:<br/>- our booking, we were told I had a booking the following night despite having made the booking myself and received an SMS confirmation<br/>- first bottle of wine ordered, incorrect wine delivered, had to be sent back<br/>- number of glasses incorrect, needed more<br/>- fries arrived on their own before our meals (odd)<br/>- second bottle of wine ordered, incorrect wine delivered, had to be sent back<br/>- our mains arrived, three out of five were incorrect, they were entree dishes, unfortunately after the long we didn't have time to wait for what we ordered (to their credit they did not charge us for these meals)<br/>- the fennel salad had cheese in it (odd)<br/>- staff seemed totally out of control and didn't seem to have any assigned tables<br/>- the kitchen also seemed out of control, confusion reigned throughout<br/>- customers were moved from one table to another several times during our long wait for mains<br/>- not one of our group enjoyed the food, especially the three of us who received entree instead of main orders, my lamb ribs were 90% fat and a waste of time - I was still hungry when I left, to add insult to injury, the waiter who delivered mine told me to be happy <br/>- the slow cooked beef special my friend ordered was an eclectic collection of food on a plate which she said was very oily<br/>- the ocean trout was ok but not as described on the menu.<br/><br/>Positives:<br/>- after 1hr 45mins of dinner disasters, we got to the show on time :)<br/><br/>Overall, everything was a screw up from the moment we walked in to the moment we left. We were all very disappointed and I personally felt that the comp for the wrong meals was not enough to balance such a bad experience.<br/><br/>I much preferred the predecessor, My Mexican Cousin, smart, tasty, and good service.

Worst restaurant I've been to in years. They stuffed up our booking - both when they confirmed over the phone and when we arrived at the restaurant. They had us waiting to be seated, even though the restaurant was empty. Everybody's meals came out 5 - 10 minutes apart. The food was average at best. And they forgot to bring out a drink that we ordered, but still charged us for it on the bill.<br/><br/>Don't waste your time with this one.

Didn't live up to the hype. I was really looking forward to trying this place after reading all of the reviews below. Upon arrival staff came across as flustered and this only progressed as the night went on. My partner and I ordered olive and almonds for starters along with the lamb ribs. The olives were a half-hearted attempt at an entrée. The lamb ribs were tasty and it was quite a decent serving.<br/><br/>As the restaurant started to fill up with people staff started to look more and more flustered - the supervisor dropping the F bomb a total of 3 times while we were seated near the point of sale. <br/><br/>For mains we ordered the lamb ballotine, truffle fries & melted leeks to share. The truffle fries and melted leeks sat under the heat lamp for almost 5 minutes until the lamb was ready to be served. The truffle fries came out lukewarm. The melted leeks were luckily cooked and served in a frypan which kept them hot. The lamb ballotine was well presented. Unfortunately the only thing on the plate that was decent enough for its price was the lamb, the potatoes were undercooked and the sauce was ‘funky’. <br/><br/>I really enjoy fine dining and don’t mind spending the money. The place seems to be having a little bit of an identity crisis – the interior and atmosphere doesn’t match the fine dining experience they are attempting to provide. A real shame.

Late Night Dining. We had previously dined at My Mexican Cousin once and did not bother to return. Tonight we attend a Malthouse play, but as their kitchen doesn't stay open after a show, we wandered back past the Melb Recital Centre to see if Blondie was still serving dinner at 9:30pm. Their menu offered gluten free options, so we opted for an olive/almond combo while we waited for the twice cooked duck (20 mins) and lamb shoulder/cutlet combo. The olives rested in warm olive oil that tasted like heaven (made by an old Italian guy who hand cold presses the olives) and with the almonds, made for a great intro to the rest of the meal. My partner had the duck with a lovely rose', followed by the green veg granita to cleanse the palate. I had the well cooked (fell apart) lamb shoulder with lentil puree, the lamb cutlets that were cooked to perfection and were so tasty, along with a thinly sliced potato stack, accompanied by garlic aioli. I finished with an aromatic green salad with sesame. No room for dessert, but some options look good for those without food sensitivities. I declared my love for the men in the kitchen and am looking forward to a return visit to have the same meal - I just want to rave about it! I left very happy, as waiting staff were all very helpful and pleasant. Highly recommended.

What can I say, Fantastic restaurant :-) <br/>Great service, Nice Location and Awesome food, reminds me of the European cuisine I had while traveling, definitely will be returning again soon! <br/>Thankyou Adam

I just finished having dinner here and I am stuffed! Food was very nice, a hundred times better than the previous owner. I shared the Kingfish Sashimi, Lb Ribs, Crispy Squid & Chicken Liver Parfait, followed by Popcorn Brûlée. All was delicious and while there are a few things to fine tune with service, I would easily come back here again.

Old school hospitality!. I popped in for a quick dinner before a show at Melbourne Recital Centre this week. The food and service were so good, I returned after the show with a bunch of friends, and we stayed until stumps!<br/><br/>We ordered the special, which was a chicken roulade, wrapped in prosciutto and surrounded by delicately placed, perfectly steamed brussels sprouts pieces and lightly fried goats cheese. Sublime. <br/><br/>Oh and the popcorn creme brulee was out of this world!

Just popped in for a bite and couldn't help but try 4 dishes. Great menu, food and service. And they know how to make a good martini. Think I will be a regular.

Very good. Dinned on Saturday before a show great food fast service all you could ask for before a show so we returned after the show for desserts and a night cap be back for sure

Wow! What a great spot, the food is exelent, and the beers are various. A great neighborhood gem

So much better. This place has changed ownership and man can you tell the service is first class now food is great my partner and I dinned last night and had the duck which came with a numbing duck breast but to top it off they serve a cucumber ice to freshen your palette great dish very thought out and my partner had the lamb was very good and desserts are out of this world be be back lots more

Not as good as predecessor but may improve.

Blondie. Went in for dessert after a show at the theatre, the popcorn creme brulee was incredible! Great staff (we followed their recommendations) and great food. Will definitely be coming back to sample the dinner menu soon!

Food was AMAZING!. Can not speak highly enough about the food. I struggled to decide what to choose! We did the full sharing experience and went with the suggestions of the wait staff and it was all amazing. especially the slow cooked lamb and the beef wellington. <br/>Absolutely recommend it!

Amazing lamb ribs. Dined with a friend at Blondie last week, a new restaurant in the recital centre, and we had a great experience. The menu is designed to share, and share we did! We had such a good time that we ordered 8 dishes and spent 3.5 hours at dinner! If you are in the Southbank area, I would definitely recommend this place. Our favourite menu items of the night? Well it would have to be a toss up between the lamb ribs and the chocolate fondant.

Dined at Blondie on Friday night. It is a new venue and while there are a couple of kinks that need ironing out it is looking very promising! Service was wonderful with attentive and friendly wait staff, and the food... AMAZING. I tried the squid and beef Wellington which were both divine, my dining partner said the lamb ribs were the best thing he's ever put in his mouth.<br/>Dessert was popcorn brûlée and chocolate fondant. Yum! Good selection of wines too.<br/>Food did take some time to get to the table so if you are dining here then allow for that, but well worth the wait.

My Mexican Cousin has left the building and in it’s place is Blondie – offering a quick and simple bar menu outside and a more extensive menu inside this is a great spot for something fast and yummy before a show. It feels like everyone is still finding their feet, wrong menus, missing tabs and missing plates, cutlery etc but roll with it and the reward at the end is overall pleasant! The arancini were delicious – could eat a bucket of them! The Chicken Liver Pate was gorgeous, smooth flavourful though it did look like someone had stuck their thumb in ours!! Could have done with a bit more bread and some of this was a bit too grilled or I did wonder if it has been deep friend quickly. But it was all yum and the chutney was fabo! Calamari was delish, hubby struggled a bit with his piece with the outer skin bit still attached and stretching out as he bit into it! The little relish with it was just gorgeous with red onion, coriander, peanut and chilli – will be trying to replicate that on