Reviews The Cliveden Bar & Dining

Great friendly staff. Can’t do enough to ensure you have a great experience. Beautiful variety of food. Spotless. Lovely setting , not crowded. Lovely night out.

Sure has changed since earlier in the year The update looks fantastic yet the service and food quality remain first class Have dinner here before a football game at AAMI Park Food is no comparison to that offended at the ground and surprisingly there isn’t much of s price difference Special thanks to the Dutch chap who looked after us

Great spot for meetings or a G&T with friends. Love the branding feeling and inspiration from their Instagram. Would highly recommend you try this gem out.

Friday night/arvo drinks.. what a spot. Such a cool bar, lots of little nooks & spots to sit back and enjoy a vino.
Good wine list. Didnt try any food this time but this wont be the last visit.
Service excellent.

The Best Kept Secret in Melbourne
At the risk of losing my EASY and trouble-free access to what must be the best value, highest quality lunch deal going in Melbourne, I am going to write and spruike about this amazing offer and restaurant.

IT IS ONE OF THE BEST KEPT SECRETS in Melbourne and surrounds.

The Cliveden Bar & Restaurant used to be a posh, stuffy, "Melbourne Club" style, collared shirt, jacket & tie sort of place with high prices to match, while owned and run by the Hilton Group.

In its original incarnation,The Cliveden emitted an air of exclusivity and old English grace and style and upper class.

The location is important. It is built on the city fringe in East Melbourne, abutting the Fitzroy Gardens. Convenient, without the hustle and bustle of the city chaos.

It is located across the road from the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) - the seminal heart & home of the Melbourne sport, hosting events such as 1956 Melbourne Olympics, Aussie Rules Football and Cricket and a few other disparate events [American Evangelist Billy Graham attracted a crowd of 143K + in 1959 and overseas music artists including: Bowie, U2, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Elton John, Billy Joel, Guns n Roses etc.]

Recently, this hotel has been sold, re-branded and has a new "soul".

It is part of the Accor Group of Hotels under the Pullman brand.

For those of you not familiar with Pullman, it an upmarket hotel, geared for busy business people for both work and leisure but with the proviso of 5* top quality and standard.

There are terrific business meeting and conference facilities.

All Pullmans are uber cool.

The Cliveden has stolen my favourite Chef from Pullman Albert Park's Windows restaurant - Mr David Albert.

Confession, the Pullman Albert Park's twice monthly, seafood buffet is my favourite culinary experience. It happens on the 2nd Friday & Saturday of every month.

My "hero" dish is a baked salmon encrusted in truffle lined pastry with a champagne source. I cannot even describe how delicious and sublime the flavours of this amazing dish are combined with other similarly amazing fresh salads, assorted breads, cold meats, canapes, cold fish and seafood and other amazing hot dishes... As if that is not enough [always overindulge] the desserts are in another realm!

There are usually a dozen different choices of bite-size European style desserts, finely crafted, a chocolate fountain, yummy fresh fruit salad, a hot dish, Nutella doughnuts, an ice-cream bar with excellent quality sorbets and creams and a choice of barista-made coffees and teas...

Back to The Cliveden Bar & Dining LUNCH: For $39.50, one has the opportunity to revel in a Mediterranean themed, bonanza of food and selection!

There are delicious cold meats, antipasto, smoked fish, dolemades, assorted salads, cold seafood including prawns, flavoured mussels etc.

On another counter are the hot dishes.

One can also request a fillet of fish or steak cooked immediately according to the patron's choice and preference. eg. Barramundi with that delectable BBQ edge.

Everything is fresh and immediate.

The chef has also set the standard for the desserts.

The tiramisu at my last dining was truly the most delicious version of this dessert that I have ever tasted.

There are a number of bite-sized temptations just like the standard and quality that was set at Pullman Albert Park.

The display and choice for the Easter holidays was absolutely spectacular with bunnies, chocolate, eggs the pervading theme.

Once again, one can request any type of barista coffee to finish off the most amazing and fulfilling lunch offer that I know!

The atmosphere and ambience is terrific.

The restaurant and bar areas have been renovated and there is a focus on the beautiful, neighbouring Fitzroy Gardens and all the light from the huge windows.

The staff are kitted out in European, cafe-style gear and are there at one's service.

I have eaten here when there "is" and "is not" a business conference on-site, happening [feast and famine] yet I have observed that the level of service was comparable and high at all times.

Another highlight for me was the stunning stained glass panels that are mesmerising if somewhat incongruous amid the renovated space that they occupy..

I am surprised and shocked that word has not spread about this fantastic venue and reasonable pricing.

Given its location, Vic Parliamentarians, hospital staff, MCG etc., for $39.50 for unlimited top quality food, including coffee and dessert, I challenge anyone to top that!

Members of the Accor loyalty program, Accor Plus, also receive 50% discount!

I love a hotel breakfast and this one is pretty good. It has all the standard items. It isn’t too fancy but gets the basics right. The coffee is pod coffee but possibly the best pod coffee cappuccino I’ve ever had.

The Cliveden breakfast is great for travellers. But if you are wanting something a bit different or special then you’re probably better off elsewhere.

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to the Cliveden! We started off at the bar where we enjoyed some gorgeous (in taste and look) cocktails and tapas style food. The spicy chorizo and cod croquettes were great. The hummus was decent though very small in serving!
We then went to the buffet. Greeted by a huge chocolate fountain with both white and milk chocolate, we knew we were in for a good time! The buffet includes a wide array of salads, antispasto, seafood, cheese, soup and other delicious and fresh items however our standout was the freshly cooked pasta!!! Made to choose (you pick your sauce etc) the home made pasta was seriously incredible and has left us dreaming about it! If we weren’t so full we would have definitely gone back for a few more! The dessert buffet is incredible- ice cream, brownies, wafers and other delicious ingredients to compliment the chocolate fountain as well as a whole display of different cakes and tarts- any sweet tooth lover will go crazy (we definitely suggest not eating for a while before visiting)! The service is superb (first name basis).

We sat at the bar and had a few cocktails and a few share plates. The cod croquettes were superb.
A special mention to the chef that whipped up a bowl of ravioli! That ravioli had us drooling and dreaming about it for days. A good selection of Mediterranean food at the buffet which were fresh and tasty. It has recently been renovated and is now filled with light and spacious. It was a fantastic dining experience with a glass of bubbles. Also did we mention there's a chocolate fountain with milk AND white chocolate?

This hotel bar is exceptional, the view overlooking the park is very relaxing, and the vibe and atmosphere inside is unbeatable. Ill always get myself an espresso, take a seat and get some serious thinking and planning done. Great place to relax and reflect or to have a drink or two with friends.

Staff is polite and attentive. Menu selection was very limited. Food was average. Atmosphere is nice. Price is worth if you're an accorplus member but they don't do membership benefits on days there are events at the MCG