We had a great function with magnificent food and great service from all the staff highly recommend
Perfect place for breakfast, lunch and coffee. I recommend this place.
We've become regulars here since our son started attending VCASS. It has become our go to place when he has performances. The staff are wonderful and very attentive and obliging. The food is always amazing. It is far and away one of our favourite places to eat.
Best food, wine & service on the southside of town! A must do if you live or stay in Southbank. Such a great team and friendly vibe : )
Been here a few times for the roast, first time trying breakfast today and it was AMAZING!! Thanks chef and thanks to the lovely staff especially Rachel ��
Food was amazing! Staff were attentive, helpful & very friendly. Local friend recommended here & we will def be back xxx
Absolutely fantastic. A class act, all the way. Staff are awesome and the food is spot on!
The food, the service and the atmosphere at Downstairs is great. Keep up the great work guys
Been back at Downstairs again. For lunch this time. Excellent food, great service and the perfect atmosphere for a relaxed business lunch. See you soon again, Downstairs team!
Excellent service , great ambience and easy parking on Sunday morning 😊
Great Food ,Delicious Expresso Martinis ,friendly staff and a fantastic atmosphere .
Great meal, great prices, atmosphere and service was excellent (just wish I'd had time to try one of the amazing looking desserts)
Thank you Miles and Lucy for opening the front door early, coffee and muffins were gorgeous, great start to the day!!
Bloody yummy, korean chicken omg..
thanks 3aw
Louise Catherine Thomson
+5
Been twice in recent weeks. Good service and food with prices being very reasonable.
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After a somewhat lacklustre experience at Downstairs we were invited back by the manager who truly made amends and wowed us with their new menu. I had the smashed avocado with Persian feta and added poached eggs and a hash brown which was absolutely delicious. I also enjoyed a seriously yummy chai latte so good I swiftly ordered a second. The food definitely impressed so I hope the consistency of service stays strong for future visits.
Update
I ventured to Downstairs again with my team and was quite disappointed. It was chosen for the proximity to our workplace but given how long it took we possibly could have been to another suburb and back quicker. We were told there was only one chef on but considering we had made a reservation for 8 people and only 6 showed up and we were practically the only table I’m not sure why that would be such an issue.
We have experienced this problem with slowness in the past and it’s commented on in my earlier review. This time however there was a real misunderstanding with my colleague’s dish whereby he ordered chocolate orange pancakes and was given a chocolate terrine with orange sorbet. The guy serving us had assumed he wanted that dish from the dessert menu when he heard choc orange despite us not even being given a dessert menu and it clearly being 9am.
He claimed there wasn’t such pancakes on the breakfast menu but when he referred to it soon realised there was. The dish then took an eon to arrive post this misunderstanding and while it was given complimentary I almost feel as they though they should have offered us the dessert that they have already made considering how long we had to wait (both times). It’s a shame as the menu is quite good and it’s so convenient but I doubt we will be back
Original review
I've been here a couple of times for dinner as it is a short walk from my office and a good post work option to catch up with friends who also work nearby. The layout is very welcoming with couches surrounding a burning fire for a more relaxed dinner or an outdoor terrace if you prefer some drinks in the sun. We sat in the bistro and enjoyed the $10 cocktails during happy hour. They usually have a daily special going which was taco night on our latest visit $22 with a beer or wine.
I opted for a steak instead which was perfectly accompanied by a creamy bernaise and crispy shoestring fries. We also shared a garlic pizza as a starter which was delicious. The only downside is the service is a tad slow which is generally fine when you are a normal person engaging in conversation with your friends but I am always hungry and impatient for the food to arrive, the salmon I've had on another occasion but it was too well done for my liking
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Love love the engaging service here. They're super friendly and down for a laugh - and a cheeky little banter
Ordered:
Char-grilled corn (v) (gf): Burnt butter, parmesan, chipotle mayo ($6.00)
Smoked Pork Ribs (gf): One kilo of smoked pork ribs, BBQ glaze, slaw, lime ($63.50)
Lamb Tzatziki Pizza: Napoli, mozzarella, slow roasted lamb, hierloom tomato, red onion, tzatziki ($19.50)
Baked Gnocchi: Potato gnocchi, tomato, asparagus tips, parmesan and black truffle ($40.50)
Review:
Loved loved loved the corn. You can never go wrong with the classic combination of grilled corn with parmesan, and the delicious sweetness and hit of chipotle mayo.
Lamb Tzatziki was also a good call - an excellent choice of something new and away from the traditional setting of pizzas. You can't go wrong with the second classic combo off tzatziki and slow roasted lamb.
Baked Gnocchi also great!! Delicious, spongy gnocchiwith crunchy asparagus always make for a fun meal.
The low light would probably be the smoked pork ribs. Although delicious in its own right, and smoothly falls off the bone - the sweetness becomes a little too much. Even with the slaw which could afford to be more interesting (maybe with nuts?).
Atmosphere is open, chairs a little uncomfortable and can be a little squished. However, they happily suggested to move us once they realised we ordered a LOT of food between the four to a more suitably larger table.
Such a cosy place!! I love hidden gem type places and this feels like one of them! Look at that fireplace! I wanna sit there and have a coffee!! The mocha coffee i had here was so delicious! So chocolatey 😋 And the pizza my friend had was a really nice level of spicey :)
Nice little cafe unexpected at the bottom of a building, serves selection of pasta and pizza and we tried the tomato risotto which was delightful. Their coffees were surprisingly good! Little gem in southbank i would say
Good pub food, very nice decoration and good location, walking distance to city or a short tram ride. The mains do not come with big sides so if you are hungry order sides repeatedly. We waited a bit long for the food but maybe because they want to serve all 6 of us at the same time.
Downstairs is a hidden little gem, in a random location (it didn’t look like any other restaurants were around). I liked the modern and warm interior with the dim lighting. Steak was on special for the night with a glass of wine which we all ordered for dinner. All 4 of us had our steak cooked differently and were all happy with the way it was cooked. One steak was cooked rare and it was mentioned it was cold when brought out (maybe because the rare steak was waiting while the well done steak was cooekd). Apart from that we found the food delicious, friendly customer service (we asked for a photo and they turned on the lights) and a really nice atmosphere. I liked the outdoor seating so next time I come if it is a nice night it will be lovely to sit outside. I think if you are in the area it is worth coming here for food.
I had the prawn linguine was very nice, unfortunately it's not always on the menu.
But the other day I ordered a mushroom pizza with truffle oil, it was very dry just like those frozen products from supermarket, very disappointed about it. Next time should try the sandwiches there.
Had a quick dinner at Downstairs last Saturday night with Mr B. We booked in advance, for a 6:30pm seating, which seemed to be a good idea as the restaurant filled up before we left.
We were brought the Happy Hour menu, which included a range of snacks, pizzas and drinks at $10 each. We thought it was pretty decent value! We started with a hummus and flatbread entree, a standard favourite of mine! This was followed by a pizza each, mushroom for me; lamb for Mr B, accompanied by two mocktails! The food brought out was nice, but nothing fancy. The pizza's suffered from a slight overload of tomato paste for my liking, otherwise they were pretty good.
Overall, it was a pleasant dining experience. Decor, staff and ambience all pretty good too. Not a bad place for a good value, good quality, pub style meal in a slightly more upmarket dining space.
This is my and my partner's new favourite date night spot. The atmosphere here is lovely, very cozy, intimate, and romantic. The decor is mostly rustic with a hint of modernity, the staff are super friendly and accommodating, and the food is superb, not to mention quite reasonably priced. My partner and I split an entree, we both had generous mains, split a dessert, and each had an alcoholic drink. The whole night cost us less than $75 dollars (not including the tip we left them for their excellent service).
I would highly recommend the lemon curd + blood orange sorbet dessert. Reasonably priced, the ingredients were obviously high quality, and the flavours were so perfect together. Could very well be the best dessert I've ever had.
If you're a fan of sourdough bread, I would also suggest trying the soup of the day entree, which comes with some fantastic sourdough. Delicious.
Can't wait to come back.
Wonderful lively spot with excellent service! Dishes were varied and all good, nice wine as well. Pumpkin risotto as a can't-miss, as well as the Lasagna!
Staff where friendly, welcoming and very helpful. even after we had both lunch and dinner there. Atmosphere was really warm and comfortable. The food was full of flavour and great portion sizes. If you are lucky enough to be there on a day when they have the Italian chef on shift then I would recommend any of the pizzas as they are awesome. In regards to drinks, they have a good selection, also If you are going with kids between the ages of 10 and up then I would recommend ordering one of the mocktails they have on offer. Food and drink was reasonably priced for the amount we ordered. Will be going back.
When in Melbourne, Downstairs is a must for me always. Excellent fresh food, great service and a very relaxing environment. Really nice wine menu as well. I´ll be back soon!
Been here four times before - all pretty full on and not enjoyable. Something about a lump of meat and wine and noisy folk pretending to eat drink and be merry. However, fifth time a charm. Order light and enjoy the night :)
A carpaccio - delicious! Prawn and steak skewer - just enough! Brilliant steamed greens (would have been better done in butter than oil) and an amazing apple turnover - more like an apple version of a Spring roll. Worth going again just for that.
Finally, menu to go back for. I will.
Can't fault this restaurant ,the food great good wine list and great service. If I take friends out I'll always pick this place knowing I will impress .
Very friendly staff there, he knew I was looking for some sugar, lol, then presented the fantastic chocolate dessert to us. The atmosphere is awesome, relax, neighbouring, location is good, I shall revisit it if I travel Melb again
Great little place, we really enjoyed our dinner. Prices are very fair, and quite the bargain when you use the entertainment book (25% off). The fries with aioli were a bit of a let-down - the fries definitely needed more time cooking. But the mains were sensational - tender steak cooked perfectly with a great crust, thick-cut chips and jus; and a lovely piece of fish with a delicious salsa verde and a light lemon flavoured sauce that worked so well. Drinks were reasonably priced, and service was really friendly. Definitely recommended.
What a great hidden gem. A warm atmosphere with soft music and a beautiful fire for those cold winter nights. The service exceptional and the food is just amazing. Whether it's the Malaysian curry or the big parma with the fries and salad or the amazing crispy calamari, the garlic pizza just divine either meals were delicious. Great selection of kids meals too caters for everyone's likings. Can't go by not trying that chocolate cake just amazing and a great coffee to finish it off. Truly a great place highly recommend.
Meatballs are delish!! I highly recommend them. I also really enjoy the set up and vibe of the place. It's great for cosy date nights, catching up with friends, drinks with colleagues, and it also manages to be family friendly at the same time.
I do like Downstairs Bistro, but last week we had dinner and both salads we ordered had twice as much dressing as needed. Calamari very good.🍴
I've tried most things on the menu (breakie/lunch/dinner) and everything is tasty! Service is also great, friendly staff. There is only one problem which I don't think should happen...a few times I've had to turn back my poached eggs for being overdone. They have immediately rectified and replaced one with two, but please just get it right the first time.
Totally surprised at how good the food is here. Gnocchi was plump little clouds of deliciousness. I never even knew this place was here, thought I drive down Sturt St at least once a week. It's quiet enough that you can have a conversation without yelling, the food is great and not too expensive. Happy customer.
This place really doesn't get the business it deserves, but it works great for us as we can always walk in and get a table!
What's great is the friendly staff, fast service, classy atmosphere and the food... I highly recommend the Salmon or the Pork Chop, or both! I've loved every meal I've had here; been about 10x now
Very nice place. Excellent food. Love the couch area.
We had the steak (well, steak night) at medium. For a medium steak, it is a little bit well done, but the sauce has made it even. Tender & juicy fish. Tapas of the day is just to die for. Must try the fried soft crab.
The waitress is a little bit not attend to details, but maybe due to the heat.
Love this place! I go there all the time for breakfast or brunch. Must try the baked eggs. The ambience of this place is wonderful. It's got great cocktails and tapas is a no-fail option for dinner.
It's s great hidden gem in the area.
Love the warm, cosy atmosphere and the friendly waiting stuff . Good selection of crafted beer! We ordered their pizza and hand cut chips they are delicious !
Nothing beats a great pint of beer and yummy pizza while sitting outside listening to great music!
Staff are really friendly. We love their breakfast there. The first time our food tool forever but it was worth the wait. The baked eggs and chorizo are so good. A little heavy but their breakfast are big portion. Coffee are not too bad
The menu and food at this place is excellent. They have live music in the background which I find a little loud on occasion. However the quality of the food, the location to home and service does tend to outway the musical volume from the bar.
Dropped in for a quick lunch. Ordered the margarita pizza ($15). The small was a good size. was a good pizza, nice thin crust. The basil on top was a nice touch.
Food took a little bit to come out considering there wasn’t that many people there.
Been here many times. Great value, smart and attentive staff. Highly recommend for anything from business lunch to romantic date. Live music on Fridays for after work drinks.
Went on a Tuesday night, nice and quiet. Quick service and great staff. Deal on Tues is steak, chips, drink and Salad for $18.50. So yummy. Dessert menu is small but recommend the homemade ice cream. Comes in 3 flavors and with 3 textured toppings (the popping candy was my husbands favourite). Parma deals on Thursday and Sunday roast special at dinner. $5 night parking opp the restaurant. We will be coming again
Really friendly staff. Delicious food and good menu selection. Nice atmosphere but a little empty for a Saturday night, so come on guys and get your act together- would highly recommend for a yummy dinner.
Visited for the second time on a Friday night for dinner and was extremely pleased with the overall quality of the food and service.
We shared 4 dishes plus entrées and each item brought to our table was delicious and perfectly prepared. The staff was very attentive and provided great service. The price we paid for the quality of the food served was excellent. I'm not a big fan of live music during dinner but also it was quite loud it didn't last for too long so didn't bother me too much. Will return for sure!
Great reliable food, staff are attentive and weekday specials make it worth going back regularly. My only issue is their website as it's hard to remember what day the different specials are on so I end up calling.
Amazing coffee, friendly staff, tasty pizzas and a nice sunny terrace. What more could you ask for? Glad this is within walking distance for me!
We were off to a gig nearby and settled on checking out Downstairs Bistro and Lounge first. It occupies the ground floor of a mid-rise tower block towards the southern end of Southbank on Sturt Street, and if you aren't looking carefully would be fairly easy to miss. There is a large covered terrace area out the front, which was busy on the late Autumn Friday evening when we visited. Inside there is a bar area which was hosting a guitarist and chanteuse with an opening through to the simple and elegant dining area.
The menu is simple – with choices for entree and “larger plates”. There are also pizza and pasta for the easy breezy diners. I was immediately attracted to the scallops – I love scallops! When seared perfectly, scallops keep its wonderful flavors and with one bite – the flavors burst right into your mouth…And that’s what this dish delivers! The cauliflower puree adds texture to the dish. Love it!
Amazing service, amazing food, amazing atmosphere, incredible coffee, could not speak more highly of the place!
Pork Belly. Love it. Little in size, big on flavour!
The team at Downstairs are friendly and personable. always feel at home when I visit!
thumbs up!!
Tempura Soft Shell Crab Burger. Hmmmm Yum! That's all I could say as I munched down this exotic treat. Soft shell crab lightly cooked in tempura with a spiced little asian salad. A cheeky "dirty Granny" washed it down a treat.
Loved seeing this restaurant revamped from when I visited frequently years ago. Loved the interior- looks great. Service was great, food was amazing. The tiramisu served as a pot plant; fabulous idea and absolutely devine! I shared the tapas board, again amazing food- I will definitely be going back!
Downstairs Bistro & Lounge are great!. We were fortunate enough to have won a 3AW voucher for the Downstairs Bistro. We went to make a booking and found it had expired. We have called them and they have agreed to still honor it. How great is that!!
Tops. Ate here Saturday 14th June 2014..
great location, great atmosphere, great service and amazing food.
the tapas board, garlic prawn pizza & sticky pork pizza - just AMAZING! sticky pork pizza is my new all time favorite!
Also wanted to compliment our waitress (did not get her name) very helpful, and so friendly. Made our night. If we could afford it, we would have tipped her highly - please put a big tick next to her name on the roster :)
will be back.
One of the best ceasar salad going around.. great service and fresh food.
Went here with a groupon and had a fantastic evening. The staff were lovely and the food was outstanding. Really impressed
Delicious and excellent service. My boyfriend and I went here at the weekend on the Groupon voucher and we were so glad we did. It is a little out of the way but on walking in it is warm and welcoming with a big fire. The staff were attentive and friendly the whole evening and made it a pleasant experience. We had the sharing platter to start which was really yummy and already filled us up considerably. We also got a bottle of lovely spanish wine. We had the pork belly pizza which was so caramelly and with apple too so it was almost like a dessert! We really enjoyed our meal here and would definitely recommend it.
Tasty. Downstairs offered a very reasonable Groupon deal, which we took up. The tapas plate was amazing - especially the calamari and the pork belly, but everything else was interesting too. We ordered the BBQ chicken pizza which was delicious and everything was washed down with a rather generous offer of a whole bottle of wine. Atmosphere was wonderful and service was perfect. I'd come back again for sure!
Great coffee & the breakfast omelet is delicious! A Great South Melbourne favorite
Entree of perfection!. Used the ol' Groupon voucher (2 Course dinner with bottle of wine for two). For entree, we had a mix of Pork belly, Prawns, Chorizo, Squid and crispy Asian inspired Salad. and wow what a way to start! The squid was orgasmic. Not one thing was a let down, everything blended well together and was cooked to perfection! The wine slipped down real well. Sadly the pizza was a little average. Still lovely flavours, pork and pear, an interesting take on how to serve Pork on a Pizza. The restaurant was cosy and just the right amount of Swank. Service added that extra bit of delightful-ness needed. 8.5/10 Bear-a-liscious!
The food was good. A platter of entrees (it's been a while, I've forgotten exactly what) and a lovely broccoli pizza. The stand out item for most in our group was the Toffee Apple Martini. That alone would make a return visit worthwhile.
Wow what a great place. $10 share plates on a Friday night was fantastic we tried them all. The sliders and the Pork Belly were amazing!! We will definitely be back!!!
One of the best menu's in Melbourne. Spoiled for choice. Relaxed vibe. Great service. Food was excellent. A place you will habe to come back to.
Great food, Chic ambience. Been there several times for lunchnand lunch. Tables well spaced with a chic warm ambience. Great food and excellent pizzas. Everything on the breakky Menu is fantastic and well priced. Coffee is also on the mark, which to me is a sign of staff who care
Friendly staff, good food. Went here with a voucher which gave us a tasting plate and a cocktail each but, given that the food and the service was good, we ended up ordering another 2 plates to share. Everything was fresh and tasty and the place had a really nice feel about it. Great location in relation to nearby theatres so I'm pretty sure we'll be back.
We eat there on Friday night with deal voucher I didn't excepted such a nice food and lovey service , very proffesional staff member served us I don't remember her name but she is Israeli (: we will definitely go back it's was a lovely experience !!
What a pleasant surprise. I visit Downstairs last night with a friend who had a voucher. Normally sceptical of vouchers I wasn't expecting much at all but what a pleasant surprise this was. Yes the location isn't anything special (at the bottom of an apartment complex in a development area) but the interior was beautiful and warm and instantly it didn't matter. The host had impeccable manners and the staff were very attentive. We were treated to welcome cocktails, a tapas plate, two mains and a shared dessert with this voucher and every dish was divine. The cocktails were light and tangy, the board was plentiful; we had the duck breast and lamb rump both superbly cooked and cooked to order self saucing fondant. Then when my taxi didn't show up for 40 minutes I was offered a drink on the house while I wait.
It's very rare to get such great service AND such great food these days so I'll definitely be back.
Love this place, one of the best espresso martinis in Melbourne. Food and service is excellent! Can't wait to come back!
Great food, drinks & atmosphere. Been on a Friday night, love the area around the fire place for pre drinks & live music in the background. The dining area gives you a different feel & would recommend for an intimate dinner occasion. Definitely come back again!
Had dinner here using a voucher, having done so as well on my first visit. The food is consistently good and the shared tapas platter was a delicious mix of prawns, calamari, pork belly and a small salad. Great sampler of their appetisers. The medium rare strip loin was flavourful though care was taken not to smother it in sauce. The hand cut chips were crisp and certainly addictive. My guest who ordered the chicken pesto pizza thought it was excellent. Dessert which was a chocolate fondant with vanilla bean ice cream was well worth the wait. The service was pleasant and most attentive but it was the waiting time in between courses that was disappointing. The chef would do well to lift his game. It was an enjoyable evening so a big thank you to all the service staff.
Excellent fresh food for a good price. Loved my sandwich! Nice and professional staff. Comfy, relaxing, modern and friendly environment. Defo come again.
Who am I? I might be a bar, or I might be a restaurant...? The young groovers at one end are funking out to live AFL, interspersed by a sweet girl playing guitar and singing...So, are we in a sports bar or a lounge bar..? Meanwhile, the diners are down the other end enjoying a lovely meal while watching 1960s Audrey Hepburn movies...nice...But sigh, as a patron...I'm not sure where I should be sitting, or what is fashionable to be enjoying..? Overall, great food, but go easier on the chili in future. Maybe I just need to get more funky....sigh.
Excellent food. First time there this evening with my husband, shared the pumpkin beet salad as entree, then had the angus beef and the duck for main (we shared 1/2 each) with a side of the beans - everything was beautifully cooked and the flavour combinations excellent, my husband will be recommending them to his boss for their next working lunch.
Mmmm Nom!. Delightful! Had such a nice evening!
My husband had the steak - he says it's one of the best steaks he's had, better than some of the steak houses he has been to.
Asparagus and prawn risotto - not bad at all, tasty.
The chocolate fondant cake - omg, to die for!
Service - impeccable! Very recommended!
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Wonderful experience. Friday night with a voucher for 2 1/2 courses (shared dessert).
Venue was nicely decorated with a fire place. plenty of parking in front and around.
Seated facing toilets which wasn't pleasant as saw the toilet each time the door was opened and only one toilet each. But the toilets were quite elegant. black tiles with candles and rolled up hand towels. A partition or another door would've helped separate and block. Lucky there were only two of us on a table for four so I was able to move.
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Wine was included and was surprised to be offered five choices - three white and two reds. No house wines here, all well known and good quality.
Entree - 1 x small prawn n rocket pizza, 1 x small ham hock pizza. Both delicious and fresh. Their "small" was more like a medium so we were nearly full after just having entree.
Main took a very long time to come out as the restaurant was now full inside and out. We didn't mind bec we were still digesting our large entree.
Main - i had duck breast and hubby had eye fillet The fillet was cooked perfectly - med rare. Duck breast was also cooked perfectly - pink tinge - yet was a little chewy and needed more sauce. Both serves of meat was generous.
Shared Dessert - vanilla pannacotta with orange granita. Presented in a glass with chunks of granita on top, and they were literally chunks, not fine shavings. The orange flavour was quite strong but fresh. The generous serving of fresh berries cut through the sweetness. A lovely light dessert to finish.
We ordered coffee and hot choc. Hot choc was lukewarm but very very chocolatey..yummy!
Service was professional - they folded your serviette when it wasn't in use. Service faulted a little when the restaurant became full. Water was delayed when requested and we had trouble catching eye of waitress to order coffee. But it was only a very minor fault.
Would recommend and would return even without voucher. A very enjoyable night.
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