This is well run establishment with fantastic service, great food and beautiful wine list. Bought my now fiance here for our first meeting and proposed to her one year later on Valentines day. It will always have a special place in our hearts.
Beautiful food, great service and relaxed vibe. Geoff Lindsay brings the best of Pearl Restaurant back. Beyond great!
The new menu is awesome guys... thank you!! We had the octopus salad and heirloom tomato salad, and both were delicious!! Lamaro's is back on my favourite South Melbourne pub list again!!
Great atmosphere, good crowd.. happy to recommend for drinks after work or a big night out.
So much more than a hotel. Modern takes and variations on boring menu items seen elsewhere yet moderately and fairly priced. Staff all acted like owners and needed no direction. They teased and enjoyed engaging us which made them, the etiquette and food a must to reward. Well done and special note of thanks to Roberta...... graci Bella, ciao from Eileen, Sharon, Rick and Bill. See you again very soon.
Had a lovely quiet dinner here with a friend. The food was delicious and the wine was great. The staff are super friendly, attentive and polite. Great space as well. I will be coming back again!
What a fabulous lunch yesterday! Super service and amazing food and vino, we will be back, thank you Paul and your crew ���
Amazing Medium Eye Fillet and Bestest Ocean trout ever
In these COVID-19 times it is a great pleasure to be welcomed by champion people at a champion venue.
Take away food - great quality things to cook from scratch and pre-cooked stuff that needs only a re-heat for a best-chef-in-town Geoff Lindsay’s magic at home.
Paul Dimmatina’s front-of-house warmth and love of his venue shows in his wine selection - now available take away for iso
Mamacita Foodie And Hola Con Lola
+5
Schnitzel veal Saturday lunch!!!!
Love it
Super delish
We went to have lunch with a few friends
Drinks are good too ;)
Recommended
Had our Christmas function in one of their private rooms. Great food and service, and plenty of parking outside made it an excellent evening. Prices were reasonable.
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AFl Grand Final lunch at Lamaro’s. Definitely deserving of 5 stars. Friendly service on hand, good atmosphere and most importantly the food was fantastic. Oysters were spot on with the shallot mignonette, definitely order these, whilst the calamari was fresh and tasted lovely. Didn’t want to overeat with a steak, so opted for the the wilderness beef burger. It was spot on, vastly superior to a burger I had at a specialist burger shop recently. Beef patty was tender and could tell the meat was of a good quality. French fries are French fries, but they did the job. Whilst the dessert I thought was beautifully presented, but most importantly delicious. The rose petal and Turkish delight ice cream was sensational, accompanied by Persian fairy floss and candied ginger added texture - a must have dessert. If you like whites, opt for the 2018 Frankland River Estate Riesling; very good drinking. I will be back soon to try more on the menu, in particular the Rib-Eye. This establishment I would highly recommend to anyone for any occasion.
We went to Lamaro’s last night for the first time for the Crab Club night!! WOW!!! The food and service was excellent and to a very high standard... as keen and avid crab eaters all the crab dishes and sauces were delicious... the atmosphere had a great
vibe to it and the all waiters/ service staff were awesome! Also had the pleasure of meeting the owner DIMMA, who was a very genuine hospitable host and gentlemen! Thanks for a great night DIMMA and team at Lamaro’s.. we will definitely be back soon!!!👏👏👏👏👌👌👌👌👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿😃😃😃
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This restaurant has been our standing place for a group get together for some time and after this evenings fabulous dining experience we agreed to keep it going.
The staff are friendly and knowledgeable on wines and on the meals on offer. We had a great recommendation for a red wine which originally we were going to order in a shiraz but in the end the waiter suggested we go for the Merlot, I cant remember the name but we all thought it was extremely delicious, so good in fact we even ordered a second bottle.
We dined on a range of veal schnitzels, steamed chicken Vietnamese salad, red duck curry and the daily special of mussels in green curry sauce. We pimped up the Vietnamese salad and the mussels from entre size to main. Whilst everyone thoroughly enjoyed their meals, I only tried my dish of the mussels. I found the portion size for the main way to generous as the mussels themselves were unbelievably large, they were extremely plump, in fact the largest I have ever seen. They were just fantastic in the green curry sauce, one of my favourite ways to eat them, especially when I got a chili hit in a mouthful, yum.
Despite the fact we were all full, we shared a few desserts, I shared the dark chocolate tart with a delightful pastry, it was very rich and decadent.
We then retired to the bar for a night cap, a great way to finish a fantastic meal and a fabulous evening.
KD
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Previous Review
We came back to Lamaros Hotel for a catch up with old mates.
We all partook in some red wines this evening, there was an extensive wine list and we were not disappointed with the Sangiovese we chose.
The popular mains within the group included the mixed grill which came with a red wine and cracked pepper sausage, lamb cutlet pork belly and steak. The other most popular choice was a steak with various toppings. While I didn’t partake in these meaty dishes, the comments were plentiful around the tenderness and tastiness of these meals, the following days later there was still plenty of talk of how great the steaks are.
My dish of choice was the whole baby barramundi which came with a biryani rice and 3 sauces. My dish was lovely and tasty and gratefully not a bone in sight which made for a very enjoyable experience. We shared a variety of salads, chips and roasted vegies across the table, all prepared with delicious combinations of flavours that I thought worked really well.
For dessert we had the poached pear with a hazelnut crumbled biscuit and orange curd. The pear was well poached so cutting into was easy.
We also had the chocolate pudding with white chocolate ice cream and decadent chocolate sauce. I’m so glad we ordered this dish as the menu indicated it takes extra time to prepare so we nearly didn’t.
KD
We went there o a Friday night for some nibbles and drinks. Had Pol Roger to start with. And had the sashimi plate, the scallops and the wild mushroom agnolotti(amazing) which were all delicious and beautiful. Great staff and service. Very cosy decor.
Iconic South Melbourne pub Lamaro’s Executive Chef Geoff Lindsay has recently launched a new Spring/Summer menu, which includes a few of his old favourites from his days at Pearl in Richmond.
Our top picks from the new menu include the stunning entrée of Wild mushroom agnolotti served with Manjimup Truffles. This is one luxurious and decadent dish that is expertly prepared and leave you wanting more.
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Had dinner at Lamaro's last night, the place is a little gem of a higher-end pub / almost fine dining bistro in the heart of South Melbourne. The surroundings are quiet, but inside the pub and restaurant was buzzing on a Friday night. They have an intensive drinks menu, plenty of amazing wines to choose from. Decent selection of cocktails. The food was surprisingly incredible. The grilled scallops with pork belly was a definite highlight, followed very closely by the kingfish sashimi. As for main, we went with the ribs and that glaze on the ribs was just finger-licking delicious! I kinda wished the glaze/bbq sauce on those ribs came in a jar so I can have ribs that taste like that at home...
Finished with a coconut pavlova for dessert, opted for the fresh tasting one as the others sounded a bit more rich and we were already so full at this stage we almost just needed a refreshing palate cleanser. Great decision. The passionfruit curd inside the coconut pav was pretty intense.. and pretty amazing.
Overall, the ambience is pleasant and cosy with a fireplace in the corner. Lovely dinner, thank you to the friendly staff at Lamaro's for a delightful evening.
What a great place for a meal or social drink. Pub classics with a twist with a mix of chef “signature dishes”. All of our party were delighted with their dishes. Highly recommend.
Lamaro’s has become our ‘go to’ for special family occasions, and today was no exception. The main dining room has a lovely and warm ambience, and the service was attentive and welcoming. We all enjoyed our meal - with calamari, veal saltimboca, and authentic spaghetti carbonara the standouts.
It was wonderful to enjoy our wine and conversation in a space that wasn’t overcrowded or noisy like many restaurants are these days. The service staff graciously dealt with all of our special requests with a minimum of fuss, and the 2yo in the party felt especially welcomed. Thank you Lamaro’s - we’re already looking forward to our return visit!
Note - the Italian ‘winter special’ lunch (M-F) looks especially good value!
Gastropub food served in a plush modern venue. Having eaten here once before returned for another casual night out. Both times I’ve eaten here the food has been great. Started off with a dozen oysters which were fresh and served the way an oyster should be served. Main was a perfectly cooked to order fillet steak. Service was good and attentive. Definitely recommend for a casual night out with mates
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A mate recommended going there to catch up, to be honest I did not have high expectations when I saw the place, given that it's a local hotel with down stairs bar, and I never had any expectations for pub food. But to my surprise, it had a separate almost fine dining-like area with a more expensive menu.
We sat down and were immediately greeted with friendly staff, who bought us the drinks menu. I was thirsty for some wine and asked for her recommendation. As was I was trying to decide which bottle to choose, she offered me a couple to try. I settled on the first one I tried.
I got the scallop for entree, scotch fillet for mains plus rocket pear salad as side dish. I asked for medium rare steak, half expecting it to be over cooked just like many other restaurants I have been to. So it was a very pleasant surprise to be greeted with a perfectly cooked medium rare steak, juicy red in the centre, crispy charcoal black on the outside. Every bite was amazing, I finished it so quickly and almost ordered a second one! Instead I got the peanut semifreddo dessert, which was not a smart move on my part, as the cream was too much after finishing a fatty steak, I felt I was over-eating at this point.
Overall this place sure knows how to cook a steak, and I will definitely be going back.
Food: 4.5
Service: 4
Ambiance: 4
Price: 3
I can’t believe it’s taken us this long to visit Lamaro’s! This cosy hotel has the charm of a country pub but the sophistication of a Melbourne eatery. The service was wonderful and the food left us excited to come back for more! Menu highlights were the spanner crab betel leaves and the scallop & pork belly for entree. Main favourites were the veal schnitzel and the seared yellowfin tuna.
Headed out for a spontaneous Sunday night dinner & vino with the lovely lady and was fortunate enough to stumble across Lamaro’s. First time that we’ve been here & we’ll certainly be back. Scallops & Pork Belly was the entree highlight, while we couldn’t split the difference between the delicious one-side-seared Yellowfin Tuna and the tender crumbed Veal Schnitzel. Wine list was deep enough to appease even the snobbiest wine connoisseur.
I love this place ..happily eat the scallops every night for dinner..fantastic, clever combination.
The bar staff are friendly and knowledgeable had the best expresso martini’s I can remember.
So good my colleague booked the private dining room for a special birthday in a few months.
All I can say is wow what a fantastic lunch we had. We came in for a table of 12 “feed me” menu and the food was just Devine! The service was fantastic and everyone was so attentive to our needs. We ended up staying for drinks well into the night because the bar was so welcoming! Thankyou for hosting our work event- will come again !
Duck Curry is amazing!! Sensational food and even better service. The bar staff are out of this world!! Highly recommend .. unmissable!!!!!!
Popular local with bar menu and more expensive dining room menu. The bar menu could do with a couple of hot dishes (croquettes, hamburgers maybe?) but it's a pleasant and laid-back spot. Good and detailed wine list - not cheap (about three times retail prices)
Special mention of Dan - very efficient and courteous. Can recommend with confidence
Exquisite is just one of the words that I'd use to describe South Melbourne's hidden treasure Lamaro's. Tucked away on Cecil Street, Lamaro's dining room is the place to go to if you're after fine dining with a local touch - there won't be a glimmer of pretentiousness or snobbery whilst your being served up your French champagne and oysters - just a friendly smile and a 'how else can we help'.
I had read so much about the this place and the exciting new change of management/chef, so was excited to have a meal there. Lamaro's a great place to relax and the staff are superfriendly. The meals were nice but not outstanding. The food was simple, flavoursome and comforting . However the menu was abit stodgy in light of the heat and summer coming up.
A great venue with a friendly welcoming atmosphere. I've eaten in both the restaurant and the bar. In the restaurant the famous duck curry lives up to its reputation. When in the bar I recommend the sliders. As always, accompanied by a great range of beer and wine.
Recently visited from Sydney and had an awesome time. The staff were incredibly helpful, suggesting wine pairings with our meals etc. The food is a cut above the rest - redefining casual pub cuisine. Definitely gives the more pricier, more pretentious venues a run for their money. Would happily recommend to anyone that asks (and even those that don't!)
Went there recently on Sat night, great food the scallop are really excellent as well as the Yellow tuna.
We all were happy with the meals we chose. The only negative point would be that it was really noisy, hard to talk.
I'm not sure I'd rate this one as 'casual' dining. It seems to attract the more well-heeled citizens of Albert Park and surrounds. There was an air of cashmere and tweed. After some initial confusion about whether two walk-ins could be accommodated in a nearly-empty dining room, we were shown to a table under the window. The decor is neat and unfussy. The lighting and noise attenuation are spot on. The service was a little indifferent (my companion was not offered a second glass as her empty was whisked away). The food was really, really good. Seared tuna ($38) a highlight, sitting on a perfectly balanced salad. It's not cheap pub grub, as dinner for two added up to $135, but as a step up from schnitty, this place is good. It's the kind of place you take your Dad when he's insisting on paying.
Celebrated our anniversary at this amazing gastro pub in South Melbourne, that has recently been taken over by chef Geoff Lindsay. Started our meal with freshly shuck oysters from Coffin Bay and seared scallops with roasted pork belly, followed by the one side only seared yellow fin tuna and the infamous red duck curry (from the old Pearl restaurant!). We concluded our lunch with the decadent Turkish delight ice cream served in rose petals with Persian fairy floss. The food was delicious and packed with flavours, which makes you want to come back for more.
Fantastic atmosphere and service! The selection of beers is good, the food is great and the venue is warm, with open fire places, lively in the bar and yet still suitable for a more intimate dinner in the restaurant.
Was looking forward to dining here with a colleague since the Paul Dimattina / Geoff Lindsay take over.
Firstly had a couple of drinks in the warm bar area - good selection of beer on tap.
Moved into the restaurant, and was greeted with very friendly service.
I advised my colleague (visitor from Sydney) to have the famous Red Duck Curry, and I went for a Scotch Fillet.
Along with a very nice bottle or reasonably priced red, it was a great winters night meal.
100% going back.
DO: The pork belly scallop entree, the steak for Main and the salted caramel for dessert.
DON'T: You dare leave without ordering the famous red duck curry.
TIP: Great Little spot for date night ... try and sit near the fireplace.
Excellent ambiance... great service. Tucked away in Cecil St ..Lamaro's is a must visit.. Start with a nice cold chilled Cider ... then make your way to the Restaurant.. for a truly sumptuous meal... Great menu... with choices for everyones palate...
Service with a smile and a good sense of humour makes this a terrific night out... Recommend highly
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Gone may be the Spanish share plates, but the new menu is far from “typical” when it comes to hotel fare. Owners Colonial Leisure Group have maintained their focus on local produce, supporting their other venture Greenvale Farms and various local suppliers concentrating on virtuous practice. While the restaurant was quiet during our visit (a Thursday lunch), the lack of atmosphere that undoubtedly exists of an evening or Friday lunch, was certainly made up for by the kitchen. Starting with the beef tartare, burrata and grilled octopus, the clear winner was the beef. Served with oyster mayo and bread and butter pickles with corn tostadas to give a crunchy edge, this dish stamped some authority on tartare as far as Hotel cuisine goes.
The ethically farmed eye fillet for main was the perfect cut and cooked to perfection. A red wine jus with four accompanying mustards was everything this simple steak lover could ask for. Crab and chilli pasta rounded out the mains at our table, excellent suggestions from staff who were attentive and jovial throughout lunch.
Full (and probably funnier) review on the blog now, link in bio :)
This place is nice for all sorts of occasions- an intimate date for two, friends catch up or a family dinner. There are multiple areas to be seated (at the bar, on high stools and tables, private dining room, or a couple of different seated table arrangements). The service is friendly, mostly efficient (although initially none of the waiters realized we didn't have menus so in the end we signaled a waiter over to get us some) and once our menus were in hand, they seemed attentive to our needs. The food is really tasty, fresh, and comes out hot from the kitchen as it should be. The waffle chips are a hit. My crab pasta dish was nice but a tad too salty and oily for my liking, but the pear and cos salad was delicious and so was my husbands pork dish.
Lamaro’s Hotel is the newest incarnation of this classic South Melbourne watering hole, which has adopted its former name after a short stint as the Spanish inspired Lamaro’s Bodgea. Thankfully that old interior remains, with only a few changes being made to the cozy pub like space.
I had a work Christmas function at Lamaro's this past weekend.
Like other reviews on here, the staff were incredibly welcoming, and took care of us from start to finish. The only criticism is that they were a little too over eager to re-fill half full wine glasses. While in general that is not a bad thing, it does make it hard to track exactly how many glasses of wine you have.
Onto the food, there was a lot of it, which in general was great. No complaints on the quality, was incredibly delicious. The suckling pig was amazing, while the lamb was succulent and juicy. The chicken was probably the weakest part of the meal, while the flavours were great, the meat was slightly dry... but that's really splitting hairs.
No real issues, would love to go back for a quiet meal sometime that's not part of a big group to sample more of their extensive menu.
I have heard about this place and had to give it a try. Warmly greeted and made to feel very welcome. The young lady that looked after us asked if this was out first time and it was. She described how the menu works with the share plates and had a great knowledge on what was on offer. They have a great selection of wines. We started with the Bodego plate which was great with freshly cooked sourdough bread with olive oil. We ordered the Flinders Island salt grass lamb shoulder to share between two. We were advised that it takes a while. This was fine as we were grazing and it came to us in around an hour which was good as we were getting full. Now the lamb came out and there was no need for a knife. It was actually pulled apart with a spoon. I will say it fell apart. It was awesome and I am salivating writing about it. You can share between four and order something else. All in all it was a great dining experience and one I will do again.
Perfect winter night's food. The best lamb ribs, pork belly and beets then a perfect roast chicken with Jerusalem artichokes. Service was polite, friendly and welcoming. We enjoyed every part. The decor is great with a big open fire.
Extremely helpful and accommodating staff. We popped by for a working lunch and while they didn't open till 12 on a weekday kindly let us in at 11am and set us up by the fire for our meeting before we then dined for lunch. The entrees were the oh so popular share style (but how you share lamb ribs stuck together was a bit of a challenge). Fish was tender and delicious and meat a little stringy but still nicely cooked. Their Spanish style version of a creme brûlée was citrusy and yummalicious. FYI Definitely on the pricier (and fancier) side of a gastro pub meal.
Just went to have lunch at Lamaro on Sunday. It was very quiet lunch. We had the bar menu, that was like tapas menu, it was a small menu, and not many dishes to choose from. Food was average, but the steak was cooked perfectly. The service and staff were very good, restaurant atmosphere was nice and clean, the music was not too loud! Food price was reasonable!
Much better than your average pub lunch - but then priced accordingly. The schnitzel is the house specialty and well worth ordering. It comes with a dollop of house made slaw and fries and didn't disappoint.
Enjoyed a nice meal that organised a set menu thru a coupon . Service and meal was nice, roast chicken was very plain but steak was small but sauce was amazing.
dessert was lovely
would go again to try something different
If ever there was a new fad to hit the foodie market, ‘sustainable dining’ is it. And thank goodness it’s a trend that does some good for the world. While politicians mindlessly debate about whether global warming is real, the effects are already felt from our farms to the ‘frontline’ of restaurants and cafes.
The World Loves Melbourne
+4
For 10 years this gastropub has been a favourite for locals and in its first face lift, has taken on a Spanish/South American vibe. The re-launched Lamaro’s is a different direction for the restaurant but one that seems to be welcomed by most. The World Loves Melbourne was invited along to experience the transformation. (We had visited also during the previous incarnation).
The 'Paddock to plate' philosophy holds true for Lamaro's Bodega. Reinvigorated from a pub, the venue now serves as a Spanish-influenced restaurant and bar. An ode to the Spanish way of life, there's plenty of vino and comida served in a Bodega setting, where smoky, sultry flavours are served amongst aged barrels and cellar wine. Landscape paintings extend the length of the private dining room, embraced by the comfort of dark timber facades, soothing diners before entering the realm of Spanish feasting. Lamaro's is all about the locality of fresh produce and ethically raised meats. There's melt in the mouth charcuterie platters sourced from Greenvale Farm, Flinders Island lamb, fresh seafood from the crashing waves of the Victorian coastline. Lamaro's own farm in Cape Schanck breeds lambs and Black Angus cows. The produce-driven menu representing Victoria at its best.
A wonderful lunch at Lamaro’s Friday very busy couldn’t get inside but the outdoor marquee is set up well and warm with heating. Very popular you need to book and I know why… my lobster tail pasta was sensational I’m still memory tasting. Wonderful service very attentive friendly staff. The veal schnitzel is a favourite here served with slaw. Plenty of wine and beers on offer.
We went here impromptu Easter Sunday and are we glad we did! I had a craving for steak and I had been wanting to try this gastropub pit for a while so we got a booking.
We sat outside and Frankie looked after us, he was the best waiter I've had in a long time, no fuss, just great service! We got the wine list, water and bread first (nice touch!) and then we ordered. The halloumi starter was yum and the steak was sooo good - the black pepper sauce to die for! The Diane sauce was good too but go peppercorn if you only pick one!
Nice wine selection, amazing service and good quality food. The only thing maybe try dimming the outside lightning in the dining area, you have a great spot - you could make it super cosy outside.
Either way, we'll be back!
Delicious meal has here today! We had the lamb sliders, steak sandwich & dessert. Food was incredible and staff were so friendly, would definitely recommend :)
The food was amazing. I had the prawn and lobster tail pasta and it was one of the best I've ever eaten. My husband had the steak and it was cooked perfectly and full of flavour. The ambiance is nice and the staff were very friendly and helpful, even though they were run off their feet due to staff shortages. There is a great wine list and lots of other options too. I can't wait to go back again soon.
Very nice dining experience. Robert our waiter was brilliant, very friendly and accomadating. Food was well presented and very tasty. The scallops and duck curry were delicious. The strawberry cheesecake was amazing. We'll be back. Highly recommend.
We have eaten here a few times now and we also partook in their takeaway menu during Covid which was exceptional. The menu has great choices and the steaks are Sublime, services is professional, attentive and knowledgeable without being intrusive. A nice selection of wines and now that they’ve got the outdoor sitting area as well as the indoor dining it’s really lovely to visit particularly given the weather we have been having lately. We didn’t make a booking on the weekend and managed to get in it was an excellent afternoon. Highly recommend
Went here and ordered the burger and fries as my main followed by chocolate cake and ice cream for dessert. Had a lemon, lime and bitters to drink - one of the better ones out there. The fries were also great, would recommend getting a meal that includes them.
The burger was definitely my least favourite part. Cooked well on the inside, but very charred on the inside. Also not a fan of the sauce. However, the dessert was flawless.
Definitely give this place a try, but if I were you I’d give the burger a miss.
Had a great long lunch today with four patrons. Food was sensational, scallops and pork belly for entree are a must and we all had a steak for main which was awesome, service was fantastic and great to see a packed establishment with lots of smiles. Great variety on the drinks list and variety for food. Would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a great meal. Thank you
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