Review The Toff - Melbourne

Great little venue for catching a live performance. I haven't checked out the dining area, but was fortunate enough to enjoy a great evening in the band room. Area is not huge, but also not cramped. I would call it intimate. I thought it's the perfect space to catch a gig. I would absolutely be back next time there's a show on at the Toff.

The female bar tender pictured on the left was racist and frankly unprofessional in the way she spoke to our group of friends. We had tried to follow up on a cocktail order after waiting more than 15mins when all the other customers were quickly receiving their orders. In a stern tone, she blatantly responded “You people are always so impatient!”. She then proceeded to whisper to the other bartenders in what I can only assume to be an act to make us wait even longer. She needs to lose her racial superiority complex when tending to customers of a darker skin tone. I informed the bar manager on duty that night but they weren’t interested in looking into this matter nor apologising for the delays in our drink orders. This experience ruined what could have been a great night in Melbourne. I feel uncomfortable for individuals who have had to experience any kind of racist slander from her. Management please step up. The public will keep you accountable. Looking forward to a response soon.

Great Bar! The train car booths are really awesome to sit in and create a great experience. The bar has an extensive cocktail list that will leave everyone happy. The space can get a bit loud and crowded, which can mean it can take a while to get your drinks, but they are worth the wait!

Loved it! A beautiful bar. As a former bar attendant I was drooling over the setup. The staff were super friendly. The seating and atmosphere was great. This place has real character. We saw a show over the other end of the venu also. The show was great and the set up over there was good too.

Attended a gig upstairs, but popped into the downstairs bar as well, its an interesting venue, lots of character! Would like to go to check out the food sometime.

Never someone that typically gives bad reviews—but this is by far the worst service my friends and I had received at a bar in Melbourne. Multiple of the waitstaff were highly rude and snappy. Such a shame—my cocktail was incredible and the vibe is just amazing but was somewhat ruined by poor staff.

I so want to give this place more than 5 stars. The venue is beautiful and there are private booths and lighting that's a deep, romantic red. Perfect for a date night or a lowkey drink with friends!

Attended here as part of the Melbourne Comedy festival. This is one of Melbourne's hidden gems tucked away inside Curtin House on the 2nd level. Disability access is easy with ramps and a lift! Perfect setting for a quick drink before the show in one of the dimmly lit booths or a quick bite of the Thai inspired menu. Staff are polite, helpful and knowledgeable and quick to assist with accessible seating for wheelchair and walker patrons. Overall 5 stars and a great place to visit with a wonderful vibe!

Been a while since I’ve been here. The Toff is a bit of a Melbourne institution - the whole building is really. It was still daylight when we were here, which I think is a first for me. Just had a lazy Amaretto Sour and they did it well.

We shared the pancakes, dumplings and fish salad between two which was more than enough food! Delicious Asian flavours in all of the dishes in a very cool and dark bar with private booths.

Very romantic vibes at The Toff in Town - especially in the private booths. Love the outdoor balcony area overlooking Swanston Street. Recommend the espresso martinis.

Amazing place but a bit on the expensive side! Was there with my friends for drinks and dinner on a weekday. The place was pretty much empty but can’t complain as it was a Monday. The cocktails served were mind blowing and the food was great too. Bunch of veggie options and the menu was designed in a great fashion which included most of the Asian food. The service and the ambience was good.<br/>Food - 4/5<br/>Drinks - 4.5/5<br/>Service - 4/5<br/>Ambience - 4/5<br/>Value for Money - 3/5

I’ve been here for drinks a few times but never have eaten (I usually go to cookie) and I really enjoyed it! Decoy is cool and everybody loves the booths, staff were very professional and the best I’ve had for awhile! <br/><br/>I ate mostly the tuck shop menu but it was really nice and the roti pizza is a must have especially if you like the hot stuff. <br/><br/>Overall a nice experience and if you have visitors from out of town treat them true Melbourne style. <br/><br/>Thanks

Aboslutely loved the interiors and decor of this place. They have mini booths where you can sit for dining and drinking. Very easy to locate on Swanston Street, its just above Cookie. <br/>Came here on Wednesday night for a friends Birthday drinks, surprisingly it was quite packed for a Wednesday. <br/><br/>Havent tried their food but heard good reviews about it from my friends whom I was visiting with. We ordered a couple of different cocktails and they where yummy and delicious. They have a big outdoor smoking area. <br/><br/>The bartender was interactive and helped us pick the cocktails based on our tastes and preferences. Excellent customer service.

Loved this place! Came in for a knock off cocktail late Wednesday night with a pal from work. I had an old fashioned, she had a kaffir lime infused, gin margarita type drink (can’t remember the name of it - I think it was a house cocktail though) and they were both soooo yum! <br/> Staff were super friendly and it was the perfect wind down environment for us after work that night<br/> Will be back although I expect it’s usually much busier!

Located at the top of Cookie on Swanston street, The Toff In Town in a really cool place and especially great for drinks. However, for dinner, servings of food were miniscule (tiny bowls that were not filled to the top) and not worth the money you pay. Service was OK despite it being quite a busy night although we must say, when we were apart of a group we were not made to feel welcome, no smiles, they just took our orders, served food and cleared up. Very mechanical. Odd? Having said that, on other occasions the staff were quite pleasant and even had a chat too. Must of been an off night. Despite that, The Toff In Town is definitely worth a visit. Till next time, this is Our Foodie Find!

Hungry and disappointed:<br/><br/>Having been recommended to eat at The Toff, four of us were seated at a table. Our issue in our experience last night was with the service provided. Two people working a room of 50 people is extremely poor management. One of us went to order drinks and stood at the bar for about 10 minutes waiting to order. There was no one else waiting and the single waitress working kept walking past her and ignoring her. Eventually, she gave up and came back to the table. After ordering the banquet our meals were slowly drip feed to us one at a time over the course of 2 hours. There was an hour wait between being served the entree and main. Extremely disappointed with our experience at The Toff, the kitchen staff ability to time meals and lack of service.

Toff in town is a nice, quiet and intimate dining experience in the middle of the CBD. You can get a booth to yourself and your waiter is called using the doorbell. The menu is setup in a tapas style, with the portions for the food generous and with some very tasty dishes, including the lamb cutlets. The toff does nice cocktails and has a decent wine list and the staff are always friendly, can recommend.

The toff in town also known as choo choos is only two flights of stairs in a rickety old building. They take reservations or just rock up like my friend and I did on a Friday around 6.30 pm.<br/><br/>You enter a tiny looking bar with round tables covered in red and white check cloth, loud noise and booth styled seating. Like me you may be shocked but there is additional seating around the bar and more seating booths. So what seems like a tiny bar is also a restaurant and a music venue.<br/><br/>My friend and I were seated on a tiny round table and given large heavy menus thatt covered our tables almost entirely.<br/><br/>The tables reminded my friend and me of a streetside cafe in Paris or Italy. Too small to contain any food. Maybe just for espresso.<br/><br/>All dishes are to share and there are no large mains. Don't go for the upsell of the feed me option because all the food arrived at once within five minutes at room temperature and will not fit on your table and so you will be forced to eat quickly without enjoying your food.<br/><br/>We got the following:<br/>1. beef rendang with roti - half a work with a ramekin containing two meat pieces in thick red curry sauce. Slight spice to it, tender meat and very delicious. My favourite dish of the ones I had<br/>2. Duck pancakes - five tiny pancakes with a cold runny salad with scant pieces of duck. Spicier than the duck and tasty herbal flavours. Quite sticky.<br/>3. Chicken hot pot - didn't know what to do with this. Its like a poh. So you get some vermicelli noodles covered in sprouts and a ramekin full of red liquid. Unlike us, don t drink the liquid first. Rather pour it onto the sprouts and noodles. Someone should have told us this as we had vermicelli leftover and it tastes awful on its own.<br/>4. Rendang with rice - large potato pieces with barely any meat. overly sweet.<br/><br/>Interesting menu. Fast service. But could do with staggered service.

Location :-<br/><br/>Curtin House is hard to miss on Swanston Street. Located on the second floor, be prepared to hike up two flights on dingy high stairs (elevator works on private code only)!<br/><br/>The setting is a dimly lit, cosy booth setup with a few high chairs by the bar. Better for groups of 3-5 people. <br/><br/>Service :-<br/><br/>Our server was helpful, suggestive and quick. Works in a perfect combination always!<br/><br/>Food :-<br/><br/>1) Chicken Rendang and Roti Bread - the rendang is spicy but has a fabulous texture and taste. The roti bread while warm tastes great!<br/><br/>2) Heavenly Beef & Hot Chilli Sauce - deep fried slices of beef (lose a bit of tenderness) accompanied with sriracha sauce. Erring on the spicy side, it is a balanced offering. <br/><br/>3) Chicken Ribs Garlic & Pepper - can skip the ribs as they're nothing more than bland deep fried bits of chicken on bone. No garlic or pepper flavour at all!<br/><br/>4) Water Buffalo Cheese with Tomato and Thai Basil - a great salad dressing poured on chunks of cheese (gets a bit too much) with fresh baby tomatoes makes a safe selection for the vegetarian seekers. <br/><br/>5) Asparagus & Broccolini Garlic and Chilli - an extremely tangy dish with firm Asparagus makes this one a good vegetarian recommendation. <br/><br/>6) Betel Leaf Peppered Pork Sticks, Pork and Peanut Relish - an extremely tasty pork dish, the deep frying brings out the crispy texture of the pork that pairs beautifully with the peanut dip. <br/><br/>7) Beef & Potato Massaman Curry - the star of the show, a beautiful dish with extremely balanced yet uplifting flavours. Paired with sticky steamed rice, an absolute winner !<br/><br/>8) Rosé House Wine - from the Yarra valley, a delicious sweet accompaniment with an above average meal. <br/><br/>Prices :-<br/><br/>Since the serving sizes are pretty small, you're looking at 100 dollars for a meal for two easy! <br/><br/>Overall, a decent 3.5/5!<br/>

Like any good cocktail the toff in town is a mixture of many different ingredients that make one perfect place. One part fancy cocktail bar and another part fun band room and dance hall, the Toff is a regal nod to the buildings past days as a gentlemans club.<br/><br/>The cocktail bar side has some great private train carriages to tuck your group into and roll the doors closed. On certain nights they open up the band room for live gigs, mini festivals and mayhem. A massive plus with this place is the coat check as you walk in and the bartenders excellent knowledge of their drinks. They have a wide selection on the back bar to choose from and some really good beers and wine. It's also open quite late every night so perfect for that late night tipple when you feel everything else is winding up.

It's a cool place to catch up for a drinks if it's only 2-3 people. As this place is tiny for standing. They have cool booths for dining and drinks which you can open and close - so someone annoying can't disturb you. <br/>Food was meh. I expected much more better taste and bigger portions. <br/>Good espresso martinis. <br/>Don't really understand why they serve different cocktails in different two rooms. You can't order a special cocktail from next room to another .... confusing

This place has it all. Amazing food, great service, an epic cocktail list with bartenders to make them properly and play sexy music to get you in the mood to party (however you like to play). They also have a live gig venue on the same floor if you are so inclined every night of the week. This place would be great mid week for date nights as they have booths where you can shut the world out and can push a button for service so you aren't bothered with staff until you want it. I liked sitting at the bar and watching the interactions of life and guessing with hubby who was doing what. Such a varied crowd too. Awesome!

Went here for a few drinks with friends. I wouldn't advise going with a group of more than two people, because unless you get a booth table, there is no real space. The drinks were decent, there was quite a selection and the staff were good, but the music was playing WAY too loud (like nightclub levels), to the point where we had to leave because we couldn't have a conversation and our ears were ringing.

<br/>Cozy booths, average food. I don't recommend arriving starved because the portions aren't massive, but not too bad- tapas serving sizes are generally small. However, staff weren't the friendliest which always ensures I won't return.

I was with a group of five friends who are visiting Melbourne, and we popped into Cookie for dinner. There was a bit of a wait for a table, so we were ushered upstairs to The Toff with a promise that the food was just as good (same Executive chef apparently). The dishes were tiny. The staff informed us that the dishes were designed for sharing and that the curry dishes were more substantial than the others, so each couple ordered three dishes: an appetiser, skewers and a curry. Well the curry was served in a ramekin so it's only more substantial than something that's served in an egg cup. The food was bland and horribly over-priced. We had one drink each, paid our $230 bill and half of our group went straight to Pie Face after dinner. I'm so disappointed that my visiting friends couldn't have had a better dining experience. Hugely let down.

Came here last night with a big group so we tried a lot of the dishes. Everything tasted great (except for the snapper fish imo). The crying tiger was soft and tender and the sauce was excellent. Lotus chips were battered nicely. Too many other great dishes to name! Although the drinks were a bit too watered down (had both the Pimms jug and sangria) and the Bellini cocktail was just a piece of peach in champagne!

Great atmosphere and I loved the booths but food was average and very overpriced. The dishes are small and the vegetarian options lacked flavour. I love the food at Cookie so was disappointed that this wasn't as good.

Nice atmosphere, lovely food but why is the music so loud? We couldn't carry on a conversation. The most frustrating evening I have had in ages. Won't be back.

It's definitely on the to do list upon coming to Melbourne. To sit in a booth at "The Toff In Town" and order cocktails. <br/>Though it's a little pricey, it's generally a once off experience so its worth it. <br/>I used to like "The Toff In Town" better when they had a whole lot of novels within the booths. <br/>Whenever I get interstate visitors who are up for a bit of a party, I do think of heading up the stairs on Swanston and showing them this venue.

Atmosphere is really cool here when you first come in: dimmed lights, loud music, little private booths, wood, cool bar, small balcony.... However after a while it kind of dies down...nothing much more happens! The cocktails are ok, the waiters are fine, the food is pretty good (Thaï food). I had a Thai crunchy fish salad and it was really tasty. Overall, worth experiencing a couple of times and pretty good to bring friends from overseas as the atmosphere is pretty cool, especially the fact that there are other bars/restaurants on different floors in the same building! My favourite is the rooftop bar on the 6th floor with the awesome rooftop cinema in summer! Watch a movie with amazing city views, a burger, & a cocktail!

When you first walk in the atomosphere was electric! However that was pretty much all it had going for it that night, had a party of 8 squished into a booth for maximum 5. Waitresses were pretty much non existent, had to ask for a bottle of table water three times before we got one. Didnt matter that we pressed the orders button, no one came for 20 minutes, then the light just turned itself off. It got to the point that we just got up and went to the bar to order our drinks because it was quicker. We ordered variety of 9 dishes, food was fantastic but not enough for 8 people as recommended by the waitresss.

I hate this place and hate is such a strong word. I use to love this place but it is full of smart ass people who have no respect for society. Maybe in the future it may improve but right now I will boycott it and spread if around. Bye toff!

One of (if not) my favourite places in Melbourne. Make sure you try the duck pancakes, chicken rendang and cashew dumplings. Yum! <br/>I'd also suggest going outside of the Thurs-Sat nights as they usually have loud music (DJ) on those nights and the acoustics aren't so great. <br/>Awesome train carriage set up and staff are always top notch in their knowledge.

Went in a group of 8 ppl. Small tapas but amazing flavours and quality. Much quieter than Cookie on the lower level. We're still talking about the rendang and roti dish. I'd return and recommend to friends.

We did banquet style for our large groups unfortunately they picked the food they want to bring out rather than letting us select it and didn't consider that we had 3 vegetarians, and 2 of them are vegan! They were shocked when we asked them why we hadn't picked our food - weird to say the least and also service was okay at best.

Stumbled across this beauty on a Wednesday night, when we were on our way to the rooftop bar but couldn't be bothered walking 7 flights of stairs...so glad I'm lazy and stumbled across this gem on level 2! Having anniversary drinks in a dimly lit, private train carriage booth, topped off our evening! Top 5 fave bars in the city. Definitely will be back!

I've been visiting Toff for years, I like its little nooks and crannies. It throws off an intimate vibe that others try and replicate but never seem to get there. The food is oh so good, drinks are 100. When it gets packed I can see how people wouldn't enjoy it, you definitely need to know your way around to avoid being crammed at the bar. Hire a booth for a great night out eating and drinking.

It does a few things and does it all right. Good place for a drink, cool atmosphere and great food. Expensive (even for the CBD) but a great venue.

I went to The Toff for a music gigg, and have only been on the 'right' side. The barguy was friendly. I ordered an Old Fashioned cocktail, which I normally really like but this one was horrible. I tasted like there was something off in it. I returned it to the bar, and asked if the bartender had a taste himself. He said it was made on the 'left' side, but he had a taste and agreed it wasn't nice. They made me a new one, which was much better, but it was still pretty horrible. Blame on me for ordering a Butter Popcorn Old Fashioned I suppose, should've known better but I got distracted by the Sailor Jerry rum in it which I love... ;)

I had the $40 banquet to share with a group. Most of the items where very fresh and tasty, except for the rice salad dish, which had a strange fermented smell. Luckily i did not eat too much of it as i was suspicious it may have been going off, but unfortunately not the case with the others in the group, who ended u vomiting it out later in the night.

While a bit pricey, the toff is a really cool atmosphere and a great place to have either a chill drink in a booth or boogie on the floor on a Friday night.

Only went there for drinks.. Atmosphere was really good. But the barman in the dancing area is not friendly.. Will go back and try their food someday.

Been here few times already . My advice is book it before you come so you won't get any disappointment. I often come and get the booth area . The booth area is quite small . Max can only fit in five . I mean sitting comfortably.. I love the booth area because It's private yet it's funky .such a nice vibe for a date night . we went for the $40 per head banquet for 3 of us .so that way we could try all the different dishes . banquet are not including in their menu .so please ensure asking their lovely staff member for recommendation and banquet deal . Normally they are very helpful . My must try dish is definitely their duck pancake and tiger steak .. And if you want to try something different . Cheese tomatoes Thai basil salad is definitely challenging your tastebud. Overall We enjoyed our food so much tonight . And the customer service was exceptional... Can't wait to bring all my mates there :D

Great staff , great cocktails! Simple as that .

I came in a large group of 11 on a monday. We were mostly dissapointed. Two dishes were sent back. Chicken laksa is amazing the rest of our dishes were very forgettable. Great cocktails and atmosphere

<br/><br/>The food tasted decent and lots of flavor. However, the serving is extremely small for the price. A tapas size for a main price. I came with a hungry stomach and left with a hungry stomach. I am also $32 poorer with a sad soul in a cold windy night. 2 points for the food and lousy zero for the experience.

Cool place, great for drinks.  However, for dinner, servings of food were miniscule (tiny bowls not filled to the top) and not worth the money you pay.  Service was sufficient but nothing to rave on about.  Our group was not made to feel welcome, no smiles, they just took our orders, served food and cleared up. Very mechanical.

My boyfriend and i were looking for some late night food and going off of these good reviews we thought we were onto a winner. Cool vibes, nice drinks, but damn... some of the shittest service (or lack thereof) i've had in a long time. i actually had to wonder if we were invisible after at least half an hour of trying to get service (including pressing the booth buttons as required) to no prevail. ended up leaving and going elsewhere! i'm chalking it up to a bad night and will return for a second try, but very disappointing for a place i was so excited to go to!!

Very disappointing. Have been to Cookie numerous times. Could not get a table for 8 so accepted their recommendation that the Toff was the same. Try squeezing 8 adults into 3 tiny benches in a tiny booth. What a joke. Then tried ordering a beer from the menu. 3 in a row...sorry, we dont have that one. Finally found a beer they had in stock when someone went downstairs to cookie to get it!!! Meals $40/head banquets were lovely, but ridiculously rushed. And some dishes - we got 1 dish of 4 pieces of chicken for 8 ppl, next one we had 3-4 plates of the same to share. Service was lie amateur hour and the music got louder and louder all night had to shout to hear from

Enjoyed the experience of a booth table and the service button was unique. However the service was slow and the music was too loud so it was a bit hard to talk. Overall experience was good and good tasted yum!

Service was good as many have mentioned. Atmosphere was great and I personally enjoyed the music played. Drink selection was great and varied, average pricing for a cbd bar. Food menu was surprisingly Asian oriented and to be quite honest overpriced and not that great. Have a drink, but maybe skip having an entire meal here.

Located on the second floor, the name Choo Choo's comes from the seating booths for customers being designed like train compartments. The design like a train compartment meant you could pull down blinds on the three sides of the walls, and there was also a sliding door, which is good for a more intimate get together, or simply so you can hear the people you're talking to. The atmosphere of the restaurant was great, and we didn't need to yell at each other to be heard. The service was very good, with the staff coming to check up on us every now and then. And if we ever needed anything, we could always press the button in the compartment and a waiter would come.

I’m not a fan of the Toff, especially after midnight. The crowd is kind of skeezy and the music blows. The booths are cool, but anyone can do cool booths nowadays. Oh and the bouncers?! Really?! We showed up with about 6 of us, 4 girls and 2 guys and he was so rude! We were all dressed for going out but the guy looked at us like we were wearing nothing but rags…well sorry! This might have totally turned me off from the entire Curtin House establishment.

There’s two sides to Toff… as you get to the top of the stairs, there’s the bar/booth side on the left and the bar/dancefloor area on the right.

It’s cold, rainy and miserable but Choo Choo is dark and mysterious and welcoming, the front bar is always really nice and there is soon a rather lovely gin ready to go! Warning bells at a possible 8 people in the booth… it’s ok there are always a few no shows! But it is also HOT or I have a temperature, either way they are making sure the cold from outside stays there and we are all snug in our booth. I reckon just four or two with the doors shut and the bell to bring wonderful food and boose would be perfect but we are all ok! The menu is a great mix of lots of small bites, skewers, dumplings and salads with the asian twist of sister restaurant Cookie downstairs. There are also curries, party pies and buns including the ‘Chilli Pork Sausage Subwith Coriander & Ginger Coleslaw’

Great! I have a crustacean allergy and choo choo's is great as they offer an "allergy menu" that details all allergens (eg. Gluten free, dairy free etc.) Very helpful!

Choo Choo. Disgusting is the only word that describes this place. After being seated we waited 15 mins just for a menu and then told he would be back in 5. After another 45 mins of the waiters just walking past and bringing wrong orders to our table we still hadn't ordered. We up and left and went across the road to your Thai and quit frankly it was probably the best Thai I have had in a long time

Highly underrated. It a true pity that there are so many negative reviews here. I was doubtful but wanted to give this place a go. Service was on point, enough time for us to properly decide what we wanted. Meals were the perfect size (however for some may be small) but were the right size to get a side and something little for desert. Thai inspired food with some different things on the menu that im sure are unique combinations I haven't seen before. Give this place a shot. Its worth it!

Never again. Go for it if you're into eating in the dark in an unventilated restaurant. Male staff were lovely but all the girls working there bordered on rude. One actually argued with us that the wine we ordered was not sold at the venue even though it's on the drinks list. Won't be back.

Not worth the money. When I first walked in I was super excited. I had never been into the Toff before and the intimate booths, nice lighting and well set out bar covered in citrus fruits did it for me. The main waiter was really friendly and very helpful but the night went downhill once our order was taken from a different waiter who obviously was more interested in seeming cool because they could apparently remember our order without writing it down, mistake!<br/><br/>The food was such a let down. They mixed up or order giving us the incorrect seafood dish and forgot about our salad which we ended up getting after everything was eaten and was more a dish of cashews then a bowl of salad. The dumplings were way to sweet, the seafood was bland and the vegetarian options were minimal. The cost per meal was high for a small amount and with a few glasses of wine it pushed our cost to $50 per head. <br/><br/>I will never go there again and will tell everyone I know to not waste their time or money.

Disappointment from the start. We booked months in advance, book a carriage, when we arrived got put on a small table and forgotten about! We were there for a half an hour when my partner pulled up a waiter and said can we please order drinks and food! We order and the drinks came out about 15 minutes later, the food never arrived! After being there two and a half hours receiving one drink each which we had to call the waiter over for, not getting our food for two hours after ordering, once we complained we order along time ago and not even receiving the seats we booked months in advance, I have to say it was my worst dining experience! The food to admit was tasty, it's very over priced and very small, not worth the wait though! I would never ever ever go back or even recommend it!

Went to Choo Choo for drinks and tapas. It has to be some of the worst food I have been served in melbourne. The waiter was friendly. I would not go back

Great place but wish the portion sizes were bigger, we had a banquet amongst 8 ppl and honesty I left hungry. The food was amazing, loved everything, especially the tofu and mushroom dumpling green curry but again, if the portions sizes were bigger it would be perfect. A bit pricey I think

Horrible experience - will NEVER return. I had friends here from interstate and thought that it would be a great idea to go to Choo Choo and have a nice dinner and some cocktails. What a horrendous experience it was. <br/><br/>We had a booking for 7pm, got there 10 minutes before and were told to go to the bar to wait for our table (which was fine), it got to after 7.15 and I just asked one of the staff if our table was ready, they had forgotten about us. They went and set up the table and we were seated. We ordered a round of cocktails (5 different cocktails), 3 of which were literally undrinkable, the flavours were horrible, not the right mix. The one I had tasted like I imagine an ashtray would taste. I proceeded to order another cocktail which was somewhat better. I did not complain because it is not my style and I gave them the benefit of the doubt.<br/><br/>We ordered our food at approximately 7.30pm. We were chatting away and getting extremely hungry, it got to 8.15 and we hadn't even recieved our entree, we asked the staff member and we were assured he would check on the food. 30 minutes later, it is now 8.45, we requested service again, this time we were not happy at all. We were told at that time that our order was misplaced and the kitchen was yet to recieve the order. At this point we were so hungry that I asked if we could just please get the bill so we could leave and go elsewhere for dinner. <br/><br/>They did not discount the horrible cocktails or any of our bill in order to compensate the mistake. The staff were horrible to deal with and I left extremely disappointed. I will never go back and I suggest no one even both with that place. I worked in hospitality for 6 years and would never treat someone the way we were treated. It was disgraceful. This is the first review I have ever written, I just wanted to express my deep disappointment.

Went there on a first date and had the best service I have received at a restaurant. The staff were friendly, continually checked on how the night was going and the host, Jeremy, was so available for such a busy night. The food was also impeccable. Can't wait to go back.

Lift Debacle. My friend and I were stuck in your lift for 1.5 hours from 9pm, with three other people in over 40 degree heat. Only to have a staff member throw a few drink cards at us once we were released (through the manhole) that had an expiry date set to end that night. We gave the venue multiple opportunity with emails back and forwards to fix this. Do not Choo Choo's The Toff unless you want lack of respect and understanding from staff, and the complete disregard for your safety. Disgusted.

Try Hard!. Pretentious, over rated place. Far cooler and better places to hang out with a wow drink and a hip vibe. One cocktail I ordered was un drinkable. Food over rated. Some staff trying others just obnoxious and rude. Will not return.

Seemed like the kind of place that could be pretentious - hipster vibe, in a dark bar upstairs. Pleasantly surprised! Service was amazing. Went without a booking on a Saturday night, expecting to be turned away. Got seated straight away! Menu explained to us, water to the table straight away. Drinks served quickly. Every waiter was lovely and helpful. Extensive drinks menu - I mean pages and pages of beer! Let alone everything else. Food menu has great choice. Reasonably priced menu items, but they're small - designed to be shared. Everything was really yummy. Beef was cooked perfectly. Squid was delicious. Really yummy flavours. Thought it would be loud, because bands are playing in the other room, but we could hear each other perfectly. Dark and intimidate, really nice atmosphere. Highly recommended.

Great!. Great selection and never ending pages of drinks, cocktails, ultra yummy food, carriage booth, open till 3am, still serving yummy food.....how could you not like this place

The bouncers kicked out my friend who had had one drink! They were completely racist and called me and my friends names..I am absolutely disgusted. I will never return to this bar and I will be telling All my friends!<br/><br/><br/>-----21 Feb, 2014-----<br/><br/>The bouncers kicked my friend out, he had one drink and was here for my birthday. Absolutely disgusted I will never come back!

The concept of The Toff in Town is a great one. Unfortunately, the customer service was the worst I have experienced in Melbourne. I've never been made to feel like an inconvenience whilst dining before, but the staff at the Toff made my friend and I extremely uncomfortable, and for that, we will not be going back!

The too-cool-for-school hipsters that work behind the bar need to cheer the eff up. Worst customer service every single time I've been here. Only come here for the beers.

Worst espresso martinis ever!<br/>They use old coffee and they are watery but you still get charged full cocktail prices. Place is looking very tired.

Disgustingly Rude. Came in with my parents who are from out of town as I wanted to show them something different. After being ejected from a booth that did not have a 'reserved' sign on the table, they were waved towards the back of the restaurant to the tables there, all of which had 'reserved' on them. When the waiter came past, my mother very politely asked him where he had meant for us to go when the tables were clearly all reserved - he BLATANTLY ignored her and seated another couple, avoided her eye contact and walked away pretending to read a clipboard when I tried to get his attention. We were absolutely disgusted with such disrespect. Will never return and never recommend again. Good job buddy, hope you feel great for making someone feel like crap and losing your employer business.

Had drinks and snacks at the bar. Cool place, nice cocktails, they did bring out the wrong food but hey the Sweetlips is always up for trying something new! I choo-choose you!

Amazing food!!!. Love this place for gigs but have recently discovered the food. Small tasty plates to share with my friends! A delicious modern take on Thai food!!!

Never disappoints. If you're heading out with a small group and can get a table, then the toff is amazing. If you can't get a table, don't expect it to be a short wait. The food is great, but the drinks and bar-tenders are better. This place is always reliable for dinner, drinks or live music - it will never fail to be an entertaining night at toff.

Best place!. The Toff is the best place. It doesn't matter if you go for food, or drinks, or a gig, you will always have an awesome time here.

Stand alone. Going to the Toff in town is like a ritual. Its my special occasion place. I go here for really one dish, and one dish alone. The heavenly beef. Thats all you need to know. The cocktails are out of this world too. You really have to book ahead but if you get the right person, they may be more accommodating to get you a booth. The kitchen is so tiny but what comes out of it is amazing. Always so busy this place and the waiters can be a lil hurried and stressed, but alas they do they best they can with the chaos.

Yummy Thai Tapas. This place is always busy. Our group of 5 booked ahead and got a booth. They are enclosed individual booths and gives you alot of privacy, however the whole place is like a bar so you can still hear alot of music pumping and general chatter. The thai inspired tapas menu has a good variety of choices and all that we ordered was delicious! Plenty of beers from all different countries to choose from too! I will go back to try more from the menu!

You need to learn some telephone manners Mister... I'm not one to complain on a public forum as I've always had a pleasant experience at Cookie and The Toff. The food is amazing, the waiters and bartender are always so attentive. <br/><br/>My issue is when I tried to make a booking for the Toff on May 17th. I called a few days earlier as I wanted to reserve a booth for myself and work colleagues that night. I have never had such terrible treatment on the phone, the receptionist was rude and quite agressive. His tone and attitude was very condescending. It felt like I was asking for a favour when all I was asking were simple questions such as; How long were were allowed to have the booth for? Can we request 2 booths next to each other? <br/><br/>Once again, this is not a reflection on The Toff as I've had amazing nights there. As a person who works in hospitality, should he be more hospitable? <br/><br/>By simply answering the phones, you are essentially the face of the organisation. It gives off a terrible reflection of the others that work hard and are nice in the business. <br/><br/>I hope that I am the only one who had to experience this.

Not bad... but not fantastic either.

If only there was service.... This was one of the very few really poor service experiences that I've had in Melbourne. After waiting ten minutes, five people deep at the bar, we managed to flag down a waitress who seated us promptly at a table. I wish that I could say I enjoyed the food, and I was actually looking forward to it! But after fussing around with laying out a table cloth and menus, she promptly left us, never to return. No amount of waiting, catching eyes or waving attracted any staff. The restuarant section was busy, but only 2/3 full. So after 30 mins of taking in the atmosphere, we left, walked downstairs and had a brilliant meal at Cookie, with great service including a waiter who had time to share a hilarious story, despite the place being nearly full. Good old Cookie!

I like your venue... But I detect a slight metallic aftertaste to your beer...check your taps!

Confused. I thought I loved Choo Choo's, but now I'm not so sure. The first time I went was with a small group of friends - we were able to get a booth for a three hour timeslot. Our waiters were friendly, knowledgeable and very attentive, and the food and Bubble Cup cocktails were absolutely to die for. A girlfriend and I decided to dine here, as I wanted her to enjoy the same amazing food that I had. However, we were unable to get a booth, which are given to parties of 4+. I understand the rule, but during out timeslot the booths were completely empty, and although I had requested a booth upon booking and it had been noted, nothing happened. We were sat at the back of the room on a minuscule table in the corner (note - six thirty dining time and the restaurant was basically empty) and largely ignored by the waiters. Food was slow (still good, but ruined by the lack of attention) and drinks were nonexistent. We could hardly pay the bill, the staff were so busy ignoring us. My recommendation would be to dine only in groups, and only when you know 100% that you're getting a booth, which come with excellent waiter-summoning buttons. Hit and miss, but splendid food.

What a buzz!. This is one of my favourite places in Melbourne to spend an evening. I've been lucky enough on most occasions to get a booth. I love that they have little train booths inside a restaurant, who would have thought! It's old world charm, mixed with modern day, sexy Melbourne grunge. The music is loud and good, it's dark and often crowded, but if you can get a booth, you can enjoy it from your own private little area. Sit back, relax, enjoy a range of delicious tapas from a very workable menu, match it with some fabulous wines and enjoy. The best thing about Choo Choo's is that when you are in a booth you get to press a little buzzer and a waiter will come, you never have to leave your cozy seat and the staff are extremely good, which makes up for any disappointment if you don't score a booth.

Staff were friendly, snacks were yum. The place was intimate but very badly ventilated. Had to air out my clothes for days to get rid of use smell.

A qualified thumbs up. The food here is absolutely delicious - Thai meets tapas - is that Thaipas? Anyway, I could eat it every night of the week. I usually go on weeknights, early evening and sit up at the bar where service isn't an issue - I find it attentive. However the crowd can sometimes be a little trying-too-hard- to-be-cool-whilst- finding-a-mate-early- 20-something. (I had a girl sitting on the stool next to me who insisted on attempting to catch her man's attention by singing loudly to every song and wriggling her back against mine while she did it. I relate this story because it typifies some of the crowd) . Nonetheless there is a fabulous cocktail list, reasonable wine list and the outlook over the city is great from the bar. Having been several times I would say mostly a good experience

Great food, duck dumplings were awesome. The vibe is great, love the booth concept, where you press a button to alert wait staff. The music can get loud, but that's why it's more of a tapas bar

Late Night Delight. Wednesday night, needed to eat around 11pm. So this place was a haven. Got given a booth fairly quickly, service attentive, went with the recommendations and just kept adding till we were full. Food delicious.

Coktails!. Great location and interior design with fantastic service! We really had fun at Toff in Tow plus the cocktails where stunning!

Too crowded on the weekend. Weekend crowd is baaaad. Come here on a Thursday night with the after work crowd for some good beats, killer cocktails and friendly service.

Frozen strawberries. Came here with a friend and whilst the ambience is nice, the bar staff appeared clueless and the person to whom they all seemed to go to for advice was very rude. First they made our drinks and just left them sitting on the other side of the bar so we had to go and ask where they were. But the most disappointing thing were the frozen strawberries in one of the cocktails. Now when a punnet of fresh ones costs about a dollar! When my friend complained, the bartender just tried to dismiss it by saying it's just garnish, we paid for the drinks. Very rude, unprofessional and disappointing.

Too slow, too expensive, too rude. I had high hopes for Toff, having loved going to Cookie and the Rooftop many times in the past, but was sorely disappointed. The staff appeared put out whenever you tried to order something, took FOREVER to bring it (we had to ask 5 times for the same drink). We ordered the banquet and were never told what the items were, and received vastly less than our friends in the next booth who also ordered the banquet (to the tune of about 4 substantial dishes, leaving us still ravenous). When the bill came it was COMPLETELY wrong which took another while to get 'fixed' (it wasn't really, they just gave us an estimate of our bill so they could move us on). They tried to get us to leave the booth whilst we were still eating (there was another booking) however as they took ages to take our food order (it took that long because we had to ask 5 times for menus) then another 45 minutes for the food to come out - were we to simply inhale the food, pay and get out?! The drinks were incredibly overpriced as well, making it one of the most expensive nights I've ever had.<br/><br/>The food was really delicious, I will give them that, but the serving size not worth the cost. Coupled with the poor service and overpriced drinks - this place just doesn't stand up to the standard that Cookie and Rooftop have set. Won't be going back.

Not sure........ If you are under 25, you like loud music and you can see in the dark, you may well like this place. Food was good but left quite hungry. Our waitress was not particularly friendly or smiley, but she took our order without writing it down and got it all right. Not my favorite.

Tasty late night kitchen. If you're at the toff having a night out and you feel hungry, forget the kebab/pie/mcdonalds. try the food at the late-night kitchen at the toff for something different. the skewers and burgers are great! plenty of herbs and garlic. the accompanying sauces are a taste sensation. the meals are delicacies and a late night treat that wont fill you up and leave you feeling guilty.

Good night out- better on a week night. Booked a booth for 6 of us on a Friday night. It was packed and our table wasn't ready on arrival, but the staff were really great and kept us informed. I really love the booths and the way you can buzz for service. We had a banquet (about $30 each), which they will do for groups of a certain size. All the savoury dishes were great- full of flavour and made with fresh ingredients. I especially liked the lamb cutlets and squid and the cheese platter was excellent. The tapioca and sour cherry pudding was lacking in flavour, though, and the chocolate mouse was just okay- give them a miss. Besides the desserts, my only real problem was that we were given rice and roti, but no curries to have with them. I assume it was an error, but we kept waiting for a curry to come out (have had one on another occasion and it was really tasty) and were disappointed. Recommended for food and the booth experience- though I find the drinks overpriced. Go on a week night when it is quieter.

They book great acts. I've seen some good bands here, it has a smoking area

Not recommended. I went to the Toff 2 weeks ago and I will never be returning.<br/>I came with 8 other friends - even though the booths were only meant to fit 8, staff still took our booking and crammed us into one booth where we clearly couldn't all fit.<br/>We had to wait 20 minutes for our table to be ready even though we had made a booking a week in advance.<br/>We waited over an hour and half for our food which was less than adequate AND when we were ready to pay another patron at the Toff bumped into me and dropped her drink (on me and on the floor). Wait staff made me buy her a new drink because apparently it was my fault. The Toff should have given her a drink - as it is the drink probably costs them a total of $3<br/>Needless to say I will never return to this dive and will not recommend it to my freinds.

Elegant interior and service.. Had dinner in one of the booths last Saturday. We walked in not sure what to expect, it was quite noisy with a good atmosphere, once seated in our booth it was nice and private. There were three of us and the host advised us and we ordered the perfect amount of food. The deep fried mushrooms and grilled asparagus were amazing!! We hung around quite late and got to enjoy some amazing dancing after dinner! Dancing and food in the same place!!! To begin with we weren't sure what to expect with the Toff, but it definitely exceeded expectation. The Toff is elegant and the staff are attractive and warm. Will definitely be returning often.

A good chew at Choo Choo. A great place to catch up with friends - provided you get one of the booths and close the doors. Service was terribly slow but once the food came it was tasty. Would I eat here again? I'd go more for a drink with friends and happen to order some dishes, rather than specifically go for dinner.

Friday night dinner. What a perfect little haunt to visit on a Friday night for post work drinks and dinner. <br/><br/>It boasts a more intimate atmosphere so be warned that the place is dimly lit with little asian style booths. <br/><br/>The food is designed to be shared and fairly small serving sizes but the dishes pack plenty of Thai flavour. <br/><br/>We had about 12 dishes between 6 people with the oysters being the most memorable as they are packed with a chilli punch and the chicken & lemongrass wrapped in Betel leaves, amazing flavour awaits!

Gave up due to lousy service. Spent 45 mins shouting WHAT? over the loud music at each other while we waited for a table. We had been forgotten by the staff. Fair enough these things happen. When we got a table we spent another 15 mins shouting WHAT? at each other while waiting for someone to take our order before we gave up and left. <br/>Obviously cant comment on the food. <br/>Not recommended if you want to talk to the people you are with or expect service.

Thai tapas? Sensational. Order a few to share. Full of fresh flavour, can taste the love and care. Northern pork belly hot pot a winner. Also try sweet potato balls. Will return to try more. Bring your wallet if you want a drink tough..

Tasty Tapas. Tasty South East Asian Tapas combined with cosy booths, balanced cocktails and friendly staff... how can you go wrong?

Great spicy tapas. Wow..this place is amazing...tapas is so fresh tasting...well worth it i say...hope u like spicy food cos this place is great