Review Tommy Ruff - Melbourne

Amazing fish and chips bar. We stumbled across it as a chance and didn't regret it at all. The food was fresh and delicious, lots of menu choices and the team really made this place shine. Highly recommend.

Came for dinner on Friday night and the place was very busy . We were told there would be a longer wait than normal as staffing pressures were taking their toll. So happy we waited , the seafood was beautiful and fresh and worth the wait . Crumbed King George whiting and southern fried fish and chips absolutely delicious . Definitely our new Friday night spot .

Absolutely disgusting service. Went there at 5pm with 2 kids. They told us that they where fully booked and couldn't accommodate us. There where only 4 people sitting down at the time. We then asked for take away and got told it's a 40 minute wait. Very rude staff and dismissive. We then went to tommy ruff on chapel Street. They where also fully booked but slotted us in and where fully accommodating. The manager there was fantastic and very kind. Just goes to show how important it is to have good staff.

I do enjoy coming here a lot. Fish always tastes fresh and delicious plus the portions are insanely good value for money.

The Fish Taco was amazing on another level. The salmon was a mouth watering melting moment, and the trout with pasta blended so well. The whole dinner was an experience to behold.

The food taste so good! The waiter was nice and friendly. I ordered a platter for 2, the portion was big! It could be good for 3-4 ppl too. If 2 of you were hungry, this was good for! It is super yummy! The seafood is fresh, 4 oysters in the platter may not be enough for oysters’ lover. I would highly recommend the fish wings and taco! They were the tastiest I have tried so far!

Both dishes we order was very good. Well beyond expectations. Fish wings were fried crispy to perfection and the sauce is best going with the brown rice.

Love the menu and great quality of seafood also very delicious, kitchen is very well maintained and chefs are doing a good job to keep it clean while working. easy parking, staffs are very friendly. love it. will definitely coming back again.

The grilled barramundi was really but the star for me was salad which is also the main reason I keep going back this place every time I drive pass the area. It’s probably easier to find a nice seafood bar but not with side salad that is made so tasty and with such generous portion.

Overall score: 21/25 or ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️<br/>in 5 words: best Melbourne fish and chips <br/>*<br/>Review: There is honestly nothing I have ordered here that I didn’t love. Historically, we have always played it safe and went for the chef’s tackle box which came with the best calamari rings, prawns, yummy fish and well-fried chips. <br/><br/>Today, we decided to be a little extra and ordered the chef’s platter for 2. The portions were really generous and I could easily say that it’s the best money spent. The only downside is that if you order the standard fish and chips PLUS the chef’s platter, you might end up with more fries that you can handle. <br/><br/>The chef’s platter ($85)had at least five different types of seafood and clearly an indulgent dish. My favourites were the fried anchovies, teriyaki salmon and fresh oysters. The fish burger and tacos were a tad cold by the time I got to them - eating is clearly a game of strategy and I should have prioritised that. Drinks-wise, I really enjoyed the pear cider too - so refreshing and perfect for a summer day. There’s a reason why there is always a queue at this place! Tommy ruff is my fav seafood place.<br/>*<br/>Taste: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️<br/>Ambience: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️<br/>Presentation: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️<br/>Price: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️<br/>Service: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Easily one of my top recommendation when anyone asks where to get good quality seafood. The price is higher than most fish and chip shops as they've built quite a big, positive reputation but for the quality, it's worth paying for. <br/><br/>We got two of the towers, which EASILY fed 6 people. Everything was cooked well and there was a good mix of grilled, fresh and fried seafood on there. <br/><br/>Lovely staff, great presentation and taste. Would definitely come back.

Was so looking forward to eating at Tommy Ruff and they did not disappoint 😍😍😍 The service was lovely, the atmosphere was vibrant and our meals were DELICIOUS 😋 Ample serving sizes too which is a major WIN 😎 thanks so much ❤️❤️

This is my favourite restaurant for seafood. The service is always friendly and the food delicious.<br/>I always order the fish wings when I am there: They are insanely delicious! The spice rub they use is so tasty and the fish is cooked tender and perfectly inside and is crispy on the outside. Love it! The chips are crunchy on the outside ans soft on the inside. The ocean trout dish they have on special at the moment with rice and veggies is beautiful. I wish they make it permanent. The fish tacos had huge chunks of perfectly cooked fish in it. Always a great meal when we visit. Highly recommended!

Saw their ins last week and here I am. Literally came for the seafood platter and it didn’t disappoint me. <br/>Located steps from the main road downstairs of an apartment block. Covered alfresco dining area with heater on—can’t feel the coldness.<br/>Service was warm and food arrived within a reasonable timeframe. You can see the two-tier platter is definitely the eye-catcher, and when it’s designed for two, I think it can be shared amongst 3-4 ppl (if girls) cause we had a full box of takeaway at end! Good combination of seafood for selection, my personal favourite being the grilled fish wings—crispy skin+silky flesh with the right seasoning. The prawn and fish taco are also good however oyster was a let-down—standard below average. <br/>Also ordered the fish chowder which is a highlight also, hearty soup with plenty of mussel, prawn and white fish—a winter warmer. <br/>Overall a nice place if you like shared platter and seafood. Have a good variety with few ways to cook your fav seafood.

Great great great service! I love the cider! It’s sooo good. The fish wings are amazing, a lot of varieties offered. This is a great restaurant for seafood lovers<br/>The prawn tacos are great but the tortilla is a bit stale!<br/>

Customer service excellent!<br/>food excellent and the flavour is so on point♥️ I love this local gem 👌 <br/>So impresses with the girls that served and the friendly vibes!<br/>We chose the ‘southern fried’ fish and chips and fish tacos, calamari was so good! Not too expensive and the it came out super fast too!

I don’t mind this place, their fish tacos are good At the end of the day it is just fish and chips <br/>I do have to say on the 4 occasions we’ve been here the service has been so very slow , just bad luck or is this normal? <br/>

Visited this eatery a few months ago on our trip to Brighton. <br/><br/>It satisfied our fish & chips craving, and their twist on the traditional menu of fish & chips establishments was refreshing. Quality seafood.

Good dinner option. Looked a bit over stuffed, but they needed it as the evening progressed. Staff was lovely. Oder was delivered quickly without a mistake. Desert options are not the best, but hey it is a fish and chips not a family diner. Would return again.

Obviously a bit pricey compared to your average fish and chips store but the quality of the fish is definitely the highlight. The size of the western port classic could feed two people it's good value and tasty. Tasty crisp chips and a nice tartare accompaniment.

Absolutely love dinner at Tommy Ruff! The Seafood platter is amazing and never disappoints! The staff are always so friendly and food is great! <br/>Will continue to visit Tommy Ruff for a good seafood dinner!

This place sadly didn’t meet our expectations. Some shared the Chefs Platter which was nice but perhaps too many deep fried and oily foods, leaving us feeling a bit gross. The Squid Jig calamari was super average with no flavour at all, the sauce was definitely needed but still not worth ordering.

This family owned restaurant serves decent fish and chips. Batter is quite crispy, but there were some things that were pretty mediocre. Chips were pretty plain and more of a filler like regular fish and chip shops, and the salad was decent but not exceptional. My rod and reel combo came with really small fish bites, and not worthwhile in my opinion. Salt and pepper calamari didn't have crispy batter. The salmon was overcooked at some parts. They also used to serve mussels with a white wine based sauce which was really nice but they have regrettably stopped serving that item some time ago.<br/><br/>Price wise they're slightly more expensive than the standard fish and chipperies that serve takeaways in paper boxes, but cheaper than the expensive seafood restaurants that charge $30+ for fish and chips. With mains at around $18, it's a price that's mediocre considering the friendly ambience and accommodating staff. This might also sound a bit stupid, but their jugs of water in the shape of fish make the most amusing gulping sounds when you pour out of them, so much so we bought one for ourselves!

Food is tasty and fresh, very friendly and professional service. Ordered chef's platter for 2+, even too much for three of us, will be enough for four=_=

We ordered a few servings of fish (market fish) with servings of chips, potato cakes and calamari rings and boy was this ample for two people. <br/><br/>Fish was fried and the batter given my preference for grilled fish was exceptional. Chips were crunch and well cooked and calamari was beautiful. It wasn't your ordinary frozen calamari rings rather proper genuine seafood. <br/><br/>Portions are generous and pricing is extremely reasonable. You will definitely leave here feeling satisfied and your craving for fish and chips will definitely be fulfilled. <br/><br/>A highly recommended restaurant for foodies and locals alike!

Had the Pokè bowl from here today. I wasn’t expecting much as it’s not their speciality. But a hard thing to get wrong. Anyway, it was alright, I’d have gone to an actual Poke Bowl place if any had been close, but I had to settle for here. Nothing to write home about.

We ordered the $72 seafood platter and believe me it is enough to feed three very hungry adults very satisfactorily! We usually go to the Mordialloc branch but was very impressed by the service our first time at the Elsternwick branch. When we asked whether the platter was supposed to come with “prawns” as described on the menu, the waiter apologized and said the menu was only and indication of the seafood and it is always seasonal. We were disappointed but still happy enough to enjoy our meal. He came back and bought out four prawns in a little bucket, perhaps sensing our disappointment, which were very fresh and tasty! Now that is above and beyond service 👌<br/><br/>We enjoyed everything on the platter and what a great way to sample some of everything on the menu. Our favourite things would have to be the spicy wings, the scallop skewer which was seared to perfection and the very tender calamari done two ways (crumbled rings and salt and pepper pieces). Our only dislike on the platter was the fish tacos. The tortilla was so soft and soggy from the sauce and we couldn’t really taste the battered fish at all. The fish sliders on the other hand are a hands down winner!<br/><br/>If I come again, I’d probably want to try the soft shell crab burger which I saw many people ordering and probably this platter (after I have gotten over how bloated I feel)! Great work Tommy Ruff! 🙂

amazing food and lovely people(´▽｀)ノ♪<br/>check on us more than four times after recommendation sooo cute<br/>definitely will come again<br/>love crab burger ٩(๑`н´๑)۶

We headed to the very first Tommy Ruff Fish Bar in Elsternwick. The food here is constantly on point and always so delicious. The seafood platter for two is very affordable and leaves you feeling very satisfied. Staff were very bubbly and new the menu back to front. Looking forward to checking out the Tommy Ruff in Mordiallic soon!

I would have preferred to rate it 3.5 as it wasn’t quite a 4 and it’s better than a 3.<br/><br/>Friday night and the place was buzzing and full of life. We wanted to go to the outlet in Mordialloc but you can’t make reservations there (you can in Elsternwick) and we were a family of 7. <br/><br/>Staff was friendly and lovely. I was deciding what to order for our table of 7 and the waitress suggested that she could serve me a 3 person platter (the menu only shows a 2 person platter). I am glad I did as it was great value for money. It had lots of fish, 3 sliders in black bun, 3 tacos, oysters, scallops, calamari plus loads more. It was very yum and felt like there’s enough for 4 people.<br/><br/>I enjoyed the homemade ice lemon tea too. I must say though the mussels was a little disappointing. I felt the sauce lack flavour and was a little bland.

Great atmosphere, great service & great food!<br/><br/>The staff were friendly and very prompt with taking drink orders & serving them. They didn't mind that we were running late (got to love Melbourne) & were very accommodating.<br/><br/>Only pet hate - all the food arriving at different times... Everyone's sides arrived first with the meals staggered BUT when everything arrived, we were all impressed!<br/><br/>Portion sizes were great for the price - very generous! <br/>I had the share plate of salt & pepper calamari, fish tacos and chips (of course) could not fault anything!<br/><br/>We would definitely go back - a hidden gem.

Great prawn tacos, really fresh and crisp battered fish, fresh oil I'm guessing. A wide selection of meals and drinks on offer this is one of the better fish and chips venues out there

For the amount of money spent; I felt that our local fish and chip shop was better value. The range is good- just overpriced for what it is.

We went to try this place and what a great experience the staff are so friendly & explain the menu & make suggestions so we tried a few dishes - barramundi curry - southern fried fish - grilled Atlantic salmon & a must onion rings & drinks they have their own ciders what a great place 10/10 we will be back

The fish is grilled nicely with wonderful sauce, not too heavy taste. The staff is friendly. Seats are comfortable.Definitely come back again!

If you want good fish and chips, with lots of options, Tommy Ruff is the place for you! With friendly staff, and many delicious options on the menu - you can’t go wrong! The restaurant is perfect for a mid-range date, or perfect for a family dinner too if you go early. The restaurant is always busy so I would recommend booking in advance.

A group of us ate here after visiting Brighton beach. We ordered the All Aboard - The Family which was very generous and filling. Everything tasted fresh and was very nicely cooked. The Greek salad we ordered was also tasty. <br/>While we sat inside the restaurant, there is also outside covered seating if you would like to enjoy the breeze and some sunshine.<br/>The staff are all friendly, they even gave us a tip on where to find their lovely dark blue fish shaped water jug. <br/>We will definitely be coming back here!

Even though the holidays are over for some - we can still enjoy Melbourne's delicious fish and chips at Tommy Ruff Fish Bar! With 3 stores around Melbourne (Elsternwick, Windsor and Mordialloc) - this place offers tasty fish, chips and salad! We loved the range of fresh salads and the fish was cooked well! The calamari was a little over however still tasted good! We also decided to be a bit fancy and tried the seafood chowder and it was very flavoursome (despite the mussels being a little bit over). Gathered, this eatery is always busy so make sure you book in!

My family and have been regulars here, since the Elsternwick store opened some years ago.<br/>The owners are very friendly and always serve the best quality seafood, at very reasonable prices.<br/><br/>I usually get the grilled barramundi, but can also recommend the saucy grills, mussel clay pot and you can’t go wrong with their fisherman’s basket.<br/><br/>Be prepaid for a brief wait at peak times, such as Saturday and Sunday night, particularly in the summer months.

> Tacklebox for two<br/>> Dim sims<br/>> Passionfruit cider<br/>Had the best meal at Tommy Ruff today with my boyfriend. Ordered the tackle box for two with fried fish from the most friendly lovely waiter. Everything was cooked to perfection, and the prawns were cleaned and prepared very well. Potato cakes were superb.<br/>Passion fruit cider was AWESOME - so good we grabbed a couple of bottles to take home. So much food we had to take some of it home!<br/>All in all an awesome lunch and will be recommending Tommy’s to all my friends :)

Friends brought us here, the Elsternwick branch is 60/40 indoor outdoor setting, we went on the day before Christmas and it starts to go really busy at night but we managed to get in and order before the crowd comes in.<br/><br/>Ordered a platter for two - Caution here: it's more like a platter for four than anything! The platter is an eye candy, with a good sized deep fried whole flounder sitting on top of the plate surrounded with oysters, prawns, fish charcoal burgers and calamari. It's like the king of the dishes.<br/>I personally love the school prawns, they are so freshly fried and yummy crunchy to eat like a snack. We came back the other day and ordered the same dish.<br/><br/>Owner of this store is very friendly and a sense of humor, he makes sure we are all happy with the dishes and offering a range of sauces to accompany our food.<br/><br/>Prices are reasonable with the size they served, the food are generally fresh and we love every bits of what they offer in Tommy Ruff.<br/><br/>Highly recommend this place for those who are fish frantic and obsessed into fish and chips. A slight twist on the traditional fish and chips shop but definitely in a nice way and a crowd pleaser.<br/><br/>Will bring my group of friends again to try their other dishes.

<br/>Had a booking at 7, waited roughly 40-45mins for food.<br/><br/>No communication on running out of Oyster out of the chef/family pack, no discounts or equivalent substitute offered either; some deep fried bait (shrimps) lol, co-incidentally a "Facebook" foodie uploaded their similar platter and had oysters at the same venue, time/place.<br/><br/>Service was pretty ruff. <br/>

We had a really friendly and helpful waitress who was all smiles the entire time and assisted in taking our photo. She was genuine when having a conversation with us and helped explain the menu and give us recommendations. <br/><br/>The options and variety on the menu was great and the prices were reasonable too. <br/><br/>The decor inside was rustic which fits well with the theme of the restaurant.

I had a lovely Sunday lunch with friends at Tommy Ruff. The staff were very friendly and service was fairly prompt. <br/>A great idea to have all of the menu items photographed and featured on the wall to get a visual of what you were ordering. <br/>I ordered a serve of 3 fish tacos and sweet potato chips. Both were really nice and filling. <br/>Two of my friends shared the Chef's platter for 2. <br/>They were both happy with the size of the platter and the quality of the food. They were unable to eat it all and were allowed to take the leftovers away which was good. <br/>We also got a Greek salad for the table to share. This was also good - especially the soft feta. <br/>I would definitely return to try different items from the menu.

This place could definitely use improvement. Staff were slow and unwelcoming. The menu listed gluten free items, which were in fact NOT. Unless the item is completely gluten free you should not wrongly advertise it as gf. Puddle crabs, poke bowl both had items with gluten on the dish! The fries are not gluten free as they are fried with other items that contain gluten. Overall, disappointing but no better then your local fish and chip shop. I will commend them on presentation and their own cider.

Eating with Tommy sounded like fun, so it's exactly what I ended up doing, and boy oh boy was the experience impressive. I was Immediately greeted by lovely staff whilst arriving through a quirky yacht themed decor exterior. The menu is a true crowd pleaser, catering for anyone either looking for a quick and cheap bite, or a couple looking to 'treat themselves' there are options aplenty. <br/><br/>One sentence summary: a versatile fish and chip haven

Tommy Ruff went above and beyond with their service, and the food was fabulous, too.<br/><br/>A Deliveroo driver took our order to someone else, then Deliveroo cancelled the order after promising to deliver... Tommy Ruff not only made us a fresh batch, but delivered themselves when Deliveroo let both of us down. The staff were just lovely and couldn't be more helpful. (Thank you again, H. & co. - it was very much appreciated).<br/><br/>We normally have arguments about ordering fish & chips when my parents come to visit (first world problems, right?). My mother is ever hopeful of getting good food, and I'm sick of getting oil soaked batter and limp chips. Well, we won't have to argue any more. The batter was light, and Tommy Ruff obviously know their cooking temperatures - the food was not greasy or oily, the fish was perfectly steamed inside its crisp battery crust, and the chips actually tasted like potato and were fantastic.

Food: I absolutely loved this fancy fish and chippery! We opted for the classic fish and chips which were such great value: fresh and good sized portions. We were a little jealous when we saw some of the other dishes coming out, they offer a fantastic range of fish and seafood to suit everyone and I definitely want to go back and try something more adventurous next time.<br/><br/>Atmosphere/service: There's table service which is friendly and prompt. I do think they need a little more consistency, we were served promptly but I did notice the people after us were waiting a while to order, and other tables who arrived later were served faster. They have both an indoor and outdoor seating area and it offers a good casual eating environment. The cafe is popular with families so can get a little noisy, but this is nicely balanced by the fact it's on a side street so there's far less road noise!<br/><br/>Would I recommend it: I loved the food, it was great and definitely somewhere I'd be happy to go back to time and time again!

Every time I've been here the food has been fresh and delicious! The staff are always very friendly and the super salad is the perfect side to have next to the fried favourites.

Awesome service and friendly staff. Food came out quick. Staff knowledgeable about the menu. Nice and warm in the outdoor dining area. Need pepper and tomato sauce on the table. Chips nothing special and needed a bit of salt (and I am someone who doesn't overly salt my food). Only 'truely' negative was that the batter on the spiked burger fish fillet, had an old oil taste that was bordering on rancid. If you ate it on its own, you could taste the oil and it wasn't nice. I suggest changing the oil more regularly as this made a great beast of a burger a bit of a let down. Will come back and try something else next time, grilled fish looked great!

Exceptional customer service! Ordered some food through Deliveroo and half our order was missing but I called the restaurant and the manager personally drove out to our house to drop off the missing items plus a little surprise. It was so unexpected that a restaurant manager would be so thoughtful and apologetic and it reminded me what good customer service looks like. Food is excellent as well! Will definitely be back.

Today ordered take away from Tommy Ruff. The food came cold, fish was cold and sweet potato chips were inedible and cold. If you can't get your act together to work with UberEATS then don't use their service and make your customers pick up the food. Don't order using UberEATS !!!! - Rating 1.5 / 5.0<br/><br/><br/>Update 27/12/2018<br/><br/>Came here with family. Food delicious tonight. Uber Eats has stopped being used and the restaurant was buzzing. The food was fresh and tasty and had a good night. Please come back. Rating 4/5

The best fish n' chip restaurant I've ever been to. Come here on Good Friday and they were one of the only places open; welcomed in and feasted upon Tommy's delicious curry alongside perfectly battered fish and fresh produce. Not a big fan of the crab salad, as you had to pick the meat out yourself and it tasted dry. Would love to come back again to eat their seafood curry and some quality battered fish!

Been meaning to go to Tommy Ruff for a while and finally did it tonight after going to the movies. <br/><br/>We were greeted and seated straight away - menus, water, specials - the usual. <br/><br/>The interior is quite nice. I started checking out what other patrons were having and everything looked really good. <br/><br/>Our order arrived promptly. <br/><br/>I had salmon, which comes with a salad (a choice of five) and either chips or rice. The salmon was cooked perfectly. There was some really interesting relish (I'm not sure if it's housemade) - I just couldn't get enough of it. It's sweet, but it also has a slight kick, and it's just perfect with the fries. <br/><br/>My partner had fish bites, prawn, scallop, and calamari. Everything was cooked really well and was absolutely delicious. My partner couldn't finish his dish - it was such a generous serving. <br/><br/>The service was great - everyone has a smile on their face and is very attentive. <br/><br/>Only one of us had a drink and the total bill came to $44.20, which was fantastic value! <br/><br/>We're definitely coming back to try more!!

10/10 staff, 10/10 food, 11/10 will come back! Especially for those fish watering jugs, really made my hard day a lot better! Wish I lived closer but open one north side!

I have visited Tommy Ruff in Elsternwick on several occassions. At first I was not so impressed but my opinion has been changed after my last couple of visits. Most recently I had the flathead tails, I thoroughly enjoyed this meal. Everything was perfect. The 'Tommy's super salad' was a nice alternative to a regular salad. Service is good, nice atmosphere but it can feel a bit too crowded when busy.

Salads& grilled fish - good option for healthy lunch. Very casual but nice - no smelly deep fried fish smell. If you are after fish and salad this is a good choice!

Fish was tasteless, chips were average. <br/><br/>This restaurant used to be great but is no longer.<br/><br/>Have definitely had better from there in the past. <br/><br/><br/>Better places to get fish and chips around town.

For some reason this fish'n chip shop, often gives me an unsettled stomach but not sure why. Other than this, it has a nice restaurant lay-out in Elsternwick with inside & out tables. Had the grilled fish with chips, salad & two dimmies. All pretty standard.

Excellent value for money and fresh seafood. Great drink selection also including mulled wine. Ordered the platter for 2+, had a over-generous serve of food, sides were good also. Would definitely visit again.

Surprisingly that a cheap lunch turns out awesome feed. Drove pass while looking for what to eat ins raining day, end up in a fish chip shop, and they had chowder soup, and was good, thought I had way better one before elsewhere. Surely one good spot for quick n cheap feed.

Awesome food, but service needs work!!! <br/>Every time we come for takeaway they tell us 20-25 mins and has been at least 45. <br/>When we dined in last, we ordered and waited for an hour. Then the same waitress came up and asked us what we would like to order. Even after we told her the mistake we still paid full price for everything. Would have felt better if we got free drinks at least.

No doubt the best place to get fish and chips in Melbourne. The fish is always battered to perfection, amazingly crisp with the perfect amount of oil. Additionally, the chips are generous sizing, and the definition of crispy Australian fish and chip style potatoes. Will always recommend.

Is one of the local, excellent fish and chips , always fresh and tasty, nice desserts and great salads and a menu with choices excellent service and friendly staff is constant and you know what you getting

So far Hunky Dory was my favourite and only favorite fish and chippery. I am quite glad that there is another option in the market with a different style. Certainly 100% different from your local F&C shop. you will be seated in a nice environment, very friendly and helpful staff will look after you and more importantly delicious food and big choice of German beers. What else do you want?

This is our local fish and chip shop and every visit the staff are friendly, as well as efficient in serving everyone. The takeaway packaging is designed with care to get your good home on the best condition. So yum!

Nice selection of seafood dishes at good prices and extremely large portions. Unfortunately I think in this case, less and better quality would be better. Fish tacos, soft shell crab burger, crispy school prawns and onion rings were all okay, but not great. The sauce in the mussel pot was very weak and didn't have much flavour of dimension. A good sauce is the kind you want to mop up every last drop of, and this one tasted like watery tomato sauce. The rod & reel fish and chips pack was a nice combination. However the seafood was way too heavily battered and "bulked up". The chips unfortunately reeked of rancid oil - quite unforgivable for a shop that does so much deep frying. Everything about Tommy Ruff seems great in concept, but after two visits I feel like the food is quantity over quality.

Ordered the 4 fish tacos which were perfect. Need to try more of their extensive menu. Disappointed by poor choice of non alcoholic drinks. No excuse these days to keep serving the Pepsi & Solo fridge old staples. Cmon guys where some more up to date choices to match the alcoholic choices?

Nice fish 🐟 themed deco, good sized restaurant with friendly & attentive service. Loved their Crispy Whitebait, so crunchy & tasty! The Aussie Angler is definitely a hit with kids. Tackle Box for 2 was really generous. Surprisingly, they serve good coffee too!

Tommy is my all time favourite fish restaurant close to home. The service is good. The classic fish and chips is crispy and non oily. Even their grilled fish with salad is done well too. I can't believe I haven't reviewed this place earlier. Highly recommended.

Probably the best seafood platter I've ever had. Generous fish fillets, oysters, prawns, calamari, fish wings, scallops. Mostly grilled or fried without batter - no nasty cheap filler of unidentifiable fish nuggets! And at $72 for two people it's great value. We didn't come close to finishing it. A+

DO: The fish and chip boxes. All you have to do is to choose the size. We chose the one for two people to share - it came with all the staples and we were more than full. One of the best fish and chip shops in all of Melbourne I'd say. <br/><br/>DON'T: Fancy everything Fried? Then there's a whole heap of grilled or baked options but seriously, why?<br/><br/>TIP: Place is super busy. Try to book beforehand. Don't be like us and walk in since it will be a long wait but oh so worth it. You can also phone ahead and do takeaway too but seriously, why?

went on a foodie trip to tommy ruffs fish bar in elsternwick , with the enjoyable company of  f.e.ed.blogspot and penguineats  to try a selection of dishes …. on a sunday night the place was buzzing , but the atmosphere was  still relax the staff is very friendly and we’ve been very well looked after 🙌  the covered terrace is the perfect spot , breathing the fresh air without being vulnerable to the usual melbourne ever changing weather ;p

Have been here multiple times, was always delicious. Got the salsa Verde last week to takeaway and was utterly dissapointed, the fish was disgusting to the point where it was inedible and the chips were soggy. Not often the salad is the best part of a fish and chips meal. Will not go back

Service here was very ordinary<br/>One hour to get food on a Tuesday night<br/>Food is average, prawn tacos consisted of one tiny fried within an inch of its life prawn and then some shredded rubbish on top<br/>Burger was soggy, dim sims were over cooked<br/>Chips were the only reasonable items of food<br/>Save yourself the trouble <br/>If you want fish and chips, just head down to your local

Having stuffed myself full of their delicious seafood, I am pleased to say that Tommy Ruff brings to the table an exceptionally refreshing take on traditional Fish and Chips.<br/>The wholesome, fresh and quality ingredients, combined with near-flawless execution made for an absolutely salivating meal. Coupled with friendly and attentive service, and deliciously exclusive beers and ciders, I’m sure to reminisce of this fantastic feast for a long time.

So happy to have found this superb fish cafe, and so close! I'll be back again for the generous sized sweet fish, perfect calamari rings (crispy and light) and I haven't even started in the fancy offerings yet..

Not just your average fish and chip shop, cleverly-named Tommy Ruff Fish Bar is a family-owned business that has sustained a reputation in the restaurant industry for some time now, passing down through family generations and across various locations in Melbourne. Setting up shop in Elsternwick and Mordialloc, Tommy Ruff has changed the public perception of fish and chips from being an unhealthy fast food, instead focusing on promoting flavour, health and premium quality seafood.

With the beach close by this is a great place to sit back grab some good food and a drink. Their Signature fish and chips were excellent. The batter was crisp and light and chips were a thumbs up. I like my sauces and there is ample supply of different sauces to anyones liking to be self served. They also have a solid bev list available. Price wise slightly above average but the food is defintely up there. <br/><br/>Wait staff were super friendly even on a busy Saturday night. Great service, fast & efficient. <br/><br/>Will i go back again? Yes please! Big thumbs up!

A visit was prompted at TRuff's cos I won some tacos and cider from their facebook promos.<br/><br/>On order: prawn tacos, salt and pepper calamari, grenadier battered fish, flake battered fish, chips, wedges, a super salad, and their house strawberry cider.<br/><br/>Let me get the negatives out of the way first. Chips and wedges were pretty bland. Nothing out of the ordinary. I've certainly had better.<br/><br/>The rest of what I ordered was great. The salt and pepper calamari was phenomenal, it was soft yet crunchy and was flavoured well. The prawn tacos were also excellent. The salsa took me by surprise because it complimented the prawn well. The battered fish tasted fresh, and the cider wasn't too bad either.<br/><br/>This isn't just your regular fish and chippery, the guy seated next to my table had a fish curry, which I would very much love to try. Those tacos have a pretty good return value, needless to say I'm keen to come back.

So hard to get good fish and chips that are tasty and not greasy. I have dropped into Tommy Ruff's twice now for a fish and chips first then the Stump Jumper fish burger. Both meals were tasty, service was fast and friendly and the vibe was casual and fun. Great place!

The food was good, however, the reason for 2.5 star is service. Last Saturday night four of us ordered food and drinks at approximately 8.30pm. The food came promptly and was tasty, however, at around 8.45 the staff started packing chairs and cleaning up. Yes, I know that you finish at 9.00, but it was a Saturday night and we were paying customers.  It was made very obvious to us that we needed to finish and leave. We wanted to order more drinks, dessert and coffee, but since we were made uncomfortable by serving staff, we decided to go and have it somewhere else. I think cleaning and packing up in front of customers who have not finished their meal are plainly rude and just unappreciative.

Came here with the Bub and hubby. They were very accomodating with the pram. <br/>We both had a glass of reds Barossa valley and Marlborough. Both were delicious. They have a great range of craft beers and ciders. Plenty of variety.<br/> <br/>Ordered half a dozen oysters with vinegarette. They were sooo fresh and beautiful I wish we ordered more. <br/>Mains we ordered grilled fish with superfoods salad and rice and hubby the salt and pepper calamari with rice and salad. My meal was great. Fresh fish and a salad full of flavour! What more could you want. The calamari was average and quite a small serving. I wouldn't bother with that next time round. Service was quick and friendly 👌🏽. Staff were lovely. Great place for a casual catch up or family meal. Can't wait to come back again for a Friday night fish and chip night. Thanks guys

Another where simple things let this place down.<br/>Got take away here tonight, told it would be 20mins....45mins later was still waiting in a crowded and cramped door space. ( it's not the time frame that frustrated, it's the expectation that it would be ready when told it would)<br/>Finally Got it home, fish was cold and burger appeared to be a processed cheap piece of meat. <br/>To their credit the chips were well cooked.<br/>All in all its over priced and when people charge this for fish and chips I think it sets a high expectation.<br/>I think it's a fail to just set expectations that match the price, quality and experience. <br/>The staff were friendly, but as nice as they were, if there pitch is high end fish and chips they well missed the mark.<br/>I'd suggest you to hit up your old classic local instead. Cheaper, fresher, tried and tested!

One of the best fish and chips around... Especially amazing to find this gem in Elsternwick. Classic fish & chips can't go wrong - with lovely light, crisp batter and soft flake.the burgers are pretty good too. Sweet potato chips are nice option, and done well.

Great fishnchips here we are weekly patrons. Service with a smile. Try the sweet potato chips and always grab a house salad with your meal it is simple but tasty.

Headed out for an early dinner and movie with a friend last night.  Decided on Tommy Ruff in Elsternwick.  As always the fish was fresh and the staff helpful and quick.  I was greeted at the door and offered a table with a smile.  Water was brought to the table immediately. I chose a single scallop skewer with the fresh veggies for my meal, whilst my friend had flathead tails and chips.  The verdict on these was that they were really good.  We gave into temptation and also had desserts.  My choice was the Caramel and Macadamia Cheesecake.  This was served warm with icecream and was seriously good.

Headed out for an early dinner and movie with a friend last night. Decided on Tommy Ruff in Elsternwick. As always the fish was fresh and the staff helpful and quick. I was greeted at the door and offered a table with a smile. Water was brought to the table immediately.<br/><br/>I chose a single scallop skewer with the fresh veggies for my meal, whilst my friend had flathead tails and chips. The verdict on these was that they were really good. We gave into temptation and also had desserts. My choice was the Caramel and Macadamia Cheesecake. This was served warm with ice-cream and was seriously good.

Ordered fish and chips here about two months ago, pretty average food so not quite sure what all the hype is about. I'll try it again to see if it's any better.

Not a good report from me. The meals were ready in express time however the flake was undercooked and tasteless, the calamari and potato cakes were decent. The sauce (tarte) was a shocker - to tangy!!.  I had takeaway only. My 2.5 stars only for the friendly staff and the feel/ambience.  I ordered flake, calamari (with chips and salad) and potato cakes.  Annoyed...left two people sick..re flake.

it is our first time here with Thanika Nayiam we had a great experience, lovely staff, great food and great location. We will definitely come back!

This place has become a family favourite. Kids love it and that makes for happy parents. The staff are very friendly and the place is always busy so they must be doing something right! It didn't get 5 because it's a little on the pricey side. We'll be back again and again

First time trying Tommy Ruff. We had prawn tacos, sinker and crab claw burgers, dim sims and some hot chips all to take away. Order was taken quickly and ready precisely on time. Generous portions of fresh, well cooked food. Really enjoyed it all. Prawn tacos were my favourite!

We have a new favourite place for Fish and Chips in Melbourne: Tommy Ruffs in Elsternwick. I had the basic Aussie Angler fish (of the day) and chips, a half dozen scallops in beer batter, and my wife only had a piece of gummy flake because we shared the scallops and chips off my order. The serving size of the chips was more than sufficient for the two of us and the beer batter on the fish and scallops is superb. The wine list looked better than I expected; but we only had Pepsi Max. Service was reasonable for a late lunch where only about a quarter of the seats were occupied. For fresh fried fish and chips, Tommy Ruffs would be very hard to beat. It certainly is far better than any competition in Brighton. I hope Tommy Ruffs opens an outlet in the inner west soon!

Went on a Tuesday night. Wasn't overly busy and my friend arrived before me. His drink took ages to get to him. Ordered 3 items after that and they got one of them wrong. From what I remember they didn't write it down, so maybe that's something they should do in the future. Was a bit annoying but they fixed it up. Food was good but not memorable.

Affordable gourmet fish and chip shop. Attentive service and generous portions. I had the grilled salmon with chili jam. My tip would be to skip the chili jam.

Great service, pleasant and polite staff. Take away was ready nice and quickly. I can't go past the fish taco but everything we got was delicious. Will definitely go back here.

Visited Tommy Ruff on a Sunday evening. We were greeted by friendly staff who sat us at an outside table. The crowd is mainly families and has a very relaxed and casual vibe. We ordered the fish tacos, calamari and fish and chips with rice and salad. This is no greasy fish and chips place. The fish is a decent fillet about 2cm thick, nicely grilled and tasty. The calamari and fish tacos had generous, fleshy pieces of meat and were cooked really well. Tommy Roff sits well above your local fish and chips place in terms of quality and flavour, and with an average main at around $15 is excellent value. We were really impressed and will definitely be back.

Great food, very very kid friendly (our kids are 1 and three, great staff, decor and easy parking as off the main drag. Would def recommend, especially for those with young families

Best fish and chips. Came here tonight with my partner for dinner as it was a pretty warm night - we had a craving! We had heard from friends and family that these guys are the next big thing. I ordered the fish tacos, potato cakes, Aussie Angler and my partner had the Spanish fish fillet meal. The portion sizes are generous and value for money. You won't leave on an empty stomach, that's for sure! Great atmosphere, and the restaurant filled up quite quickly, great vibes all around. Staff are friendly and helpful. Will definitely be back!

The best place ever <br/>From the seafood to the burgers<br/>Love it love it <br/>If people can't go out and know they have to wait for fresh food to be cooked they should stay home <br/>Seriously they should cook it themselves and see how long it takes !!!!<br/>The staff are attentive and friendly considering how busy they are constantly<br/>Keep the good work and food up !!!!!

One of the most disappointing dines ever. My partner and I arrived at 7.30pm on a Saturday and were seated outside almost straight away by the host but no one came to our table to greet us, read the specials or bring water. By 7.45pm we went inside to order at the counter and ask for water, meanwhile the customers sitting at the end of our long table were being brought water and having their orders taken at the table. <br/><br/>We ordered 2 lemon lime and bitters which arrived 25 minutes later at 8.10pm. They arrived as 1 lemon lime bitters and 1 plain bitters. No one waiting our table, so we took the drink back inside ourselves. Instead of replacing the drink, the 3/4 full cup was slightly topped up and brought back to us. The host waited as we tested it - which was good, because it was still disgusting and he went to replace it. 20mins later at 8.30pm our food arrived and our replacement drink hadn't, so we asked again. This time it only took 5 minutes.<br/><br/>We finished eating and still no one was waiting our table, so we went inside to pay. We were table 45. We were told the cost without confirmation of what we ate but we'd ordered a few dishes, so we didn't question the high cost and just paid. A receipt of the food was given AFTER we'd paid. We were not only overcharged, but paid for another table's meal. We paid for a table of 4 with very obviously 4 people's worth of food, who were also "table 45". We then went to the counter again to ask for a refund. The staff member didn't know how to refund the money back onto the credit card we'd paid with, and refunded cash instead. Money is money but staff should be trained to refund in all forms.<br/><br/>It was clear the restaurant was either understaffed or staff weren't equipped for a busy a Saturday night. A 1.5 hour service for 2 drinks, a mussel pot, half dozen oysters and a small plate of fried seafood is way too long. On its own the food would be a 3/5 (oysters and mussels were delicious) but we will need a lot of persuasion to go back.

Fantastic food experience at Tommy Ruff last night. Fresh well presented food. Loved the salads. Service excellent in a busy friendly atmosphere . Would recommend to all fish lovers.

Just came back from having lunch at Tommy Ruff. Food was excellent but service was terrible. The blond lady who served us must hate her job to the core. She gave us six water glasses which were unwashed! I can see the lip stick marks and white lip lining on the cups. We decided not to say anything. <br/>She then dropped off our plates with tongs which were also unwashed. The tongs had white sauce which was dried and crusted. I called her and showed her; she just grabbed it and walked away. No sorry. No oops. Seriously? If you are going to charge customers with high price for piece of fish, at least you should train your staff on customer service.

Love love love it. I enjoyed a day at the beach and needed a fish and chip fix but not your average oily glug. I found this place with some decent reviews and boy was I glad I stopped by. Firstly the menu is great, a little bit of everything to please everybody but not too extensive to make you think twice about quality and freshness. We ordered a classic fish and chips, pot of mussels and oysters with vinaigrette. The fish was a decent sized whiting fillet with a beautiful crunchy light batter. It was so good we had to order another piece. The chips are also tasty and come with a good home tartare sauce. The mussels were great in a smokey paprika tomato sauce served with some delectable slices of bread. The oysters were also good. There are plenty of seats in and out all quite casual. Will def make the trip back. Nom nom nom.

Great to find somewhere close with great and reasonably priced food and also away from the chaos of Glenhuntly Road. The decor is adorable and suits the atmosphere. The menu has a great range and isn't too badly priced. I got the grilled calamari on brown rice and at first I thought it was a small serving size but it was perfect and tastes amazing. Will definitely be back and hopefully make it our regular eatery :)