Review The Boathouse - Moonee Ponds

Susan and the Boathouse team delivered such an excellent service for our wedding. From decorating the place to preparing such a portion of delicious food with good drinks. All our guests were so happy. They felt they were been looked after by the waitresses and waiters. They give us such an unforgettable experience. We highly recommend this place for any function. It’s beautiful in and outdoors, a very good intimate place too. Thank you so much Susan and team Boathouse ☺️

We had our wedding ceremony and reception at the boathouse and they provided a fantastic service. All staff were extremely helpful and approachable. Sue was really nice and accommodating. She is well organised and extremely friendly. The Boathouse is the place to be if you want to have a simple, memorable, and intimate wedding. Perfect food and great venue. Thanks to Sue and the head chef, Luke for making our special day extra special. 5 🌟

The Prawn pizza is the best pizza I’ve ever had in my life!! With pizza I always have one bite and be full, this one I finished on my own! The view is amazing as well and service very good.

Turmeric latte tastes smooth, special and impressive, despite of a bit too much cinnamon. The texture of brownie is surprising smooth and good. Great river view . Friendly and polite staff. Worth trying.

Great location, however the food a bit disappointing. Not bad but not good either. The breakfast menu is also very limited. I went on a week day, it's quiet and peaceful place with an outstanding view to the river

What an amazing day, could not fault anything. Abundance of good quality food. Excellent customer service and Susan, the venue manager helped me plan the event which went smoothly. Susan thank you so much for your professionalism.

I love this place, it's so peaceful to sit outside and have your lunch whilst watching the people walk by around Maribyrnong River Trail. It takes about forty mins from The Boathouse, over the bridge and back up again. I had the flash fried calamari, which was tender. It could have had a touch more salad to make it more appealing. Sometimes it can be quite busy, as they have some functions on inside, so you will have to eat outside on the decking, which is ok if the weather is good. Enjoy the serenity!

We had our wedding there yesterday and it was fantastic. Susan and her team were great. From the service to arranging all the decorations/setting it up for us. Food was great. I was really happy with everything. I would like to especially give Alison a special shout out for her awesome service. She was very attentive and friendly. I would definitely recommend and come back to arrange another event in the future.

1.45% surcharge on top of your food cost to pay with eftpos. I find it interesting that the restaurant doesn’t cover this cost. If the business doesn’t want to cover the convenience cost of having an eftpos terminal in use, advertise cash only. To have this as a customer expense is absurd. For the waitress to try and excuse the charge by saying that she’s worked in hospitality for years and that this is a usual occurrence is laughable. This is a cost the restaurant is aware of by choosing to provide eftpos terminals. We won’t be returning.

On Saturday 24th June I visited the Boathouse while on holiday from Scotland with my wife and my son. Prior to arriving I had made contact with Adyin via email. It was my sons 6th birthday and it was arranged to have a birthday cake presented at the end of our meal. Once we arrived Adyin came to our table and introduced himself, he was very friendly and very welcoming. Both the food and the service was great. Throughout our evening Adyin was very friendly and he was great with my son, making him feel special on his birthday. The whole evening was superb, the food was great, the staff were great and it was a very friendly atmosphere, not just with the staff but also with other diners especially when they knew we were on holiday. We couldn't have asked for a better birthday celebration for our son and should we ever be in Melbourne again then we will definitely return. Thanks again.

Great service, friendly staff and best of all tasty food. Great afternoon spent by the river with family. Highly recommend

For the price, average food. Terrible service. Forgot our coffees, then brought out my wife and my food, and not my son’s meal. After asking, the breakfast finally arrived. There are a lot of places to eat brunch around here. I know where I’ll be going next time, and it ain’t here!

Poor service, outdated menu, food was grubby, and to top it off there was dog poo under my seat, disgusting! Didn’t even think they allowed animals in the outside decking. Won’t be back.

Thankyou for Beautiful Fathers Day breakfast. Great food, Awesome service and Beautiful place. My Hubby surely had a Beautiful Family breakfast for Fathers Day. Thankyou :)

My partner and I went for our anniversary and we loved it! Great service and the food was amazing! And we didn’t have to wait long for our food 😊 would highly recommend it!

Met up with two friends for lunch here today. We coincidentally ordered the same meal.. Boathouse Vego Grill. It was nice at the time of consumption but by the time i arrived home I was feeling pretty sick. Nauseous and diarrhoea. Couldn’t get off the toilet. Spoke to my friends who also were feeling sick. We ordered different desserts, so I know it was definitely something in the lunch meal. Won’t be coming back in a hurry and won’t be recommending this place either.

Great location but shame on the food! Waited an hour for my food of which the kids fried chicken was still raw on the inside!

Birthday lunch today with friends and we were treated to some extraordinary service, staff were so attentive and fabulous meal. We’ll be back.

They only give one slice of toast with breakfast meals. I had more hollandaise sauce than I did eggs and ham. Service was ok as was the coffee. Lipstick marks on more than one glass on the table ...

Food was fine but the wait staff we engaged with were so unfriendly. One in particular we had three separate issues with (in one breaky!) all where he was terribly rude.

Always greeted in a warm and friendly manner,followed up with prompt and efficient service, great food, great wine and great sunsets over the fabulous Maribrynong River. One of my favourite places.

Walk along the river and then brunch at the Boathouse - food was amazing. Scenery calming. Been twice and never disappointed.

It has a lovely location but the wait staff are not very switched on. We had to ask for plates for the entree and for cutlery for the main course. The food itself was OK but not very well seasoned. It also took a long time to receive our meals and the restaurant was not that busy. I notice that there are a lot of bad reviews over quite a period of time and you have to wonder why nothing has been done to improve the situation.

Terrible service. We came here for a takeaway coffee and straight off the bat the barista had an attitude and complaining to the customers in front of us.<br/><br/>She got our order wrong, we ordered a normal cappuccino and got a skinny latte instead. When we pointed it out, all she did was put cocoa powder and added more milk in the SAME cup - right in front of us. <br/><br/> I normally disregard bad service but this staff did not have an ounce of care for customers.

I met friends couple of weeks ago for brunch. It’s view of the river is lovely. One of my friends and I both ordered the ricotta pancakes. When they arrived, they looked really pretty. Unfortunately, as they started to cool, it was evident that they had been pre-cooked and re-heated in the microwave. They were dense and we couldn’t find the mascarpone cheese as noted on the menu. The slight drizzle of berry compote did not help to moisten the pancakes so we had to ask for some maple syrup. Very disappointing considering the price. I would prefer if the pancakes looked ordinary but tasted great – too much emphasis on plating (to charge extra $$) but not enough on taste. The coffee was nice. Wouldn’t rush back.

A seagull or seagulls pooped on two of us.<br/>Not the restaurant’s fault??? If they hadn’t taken an hour to take our order we’d be home safely before the attack.<br/>The food was... fine.<br/>1 star.

Staff here is amazing, the restaurant location couldn't be better for a summer catch up. The vibe is great.

My mother has been insisting we come to the Boathouse regularly for over a decade, as she loves the fact its on the river. The food and service has always been pretty bad, however our visit last Wednesday was the straw that broke the camels back. The menu that came in a couple months ago reflects the staff attitudes and the kitchens quality.......<br/><br/>Our antipasto platters were not only inconsitant with what the table next to us had, but was honestly the saddest one I have ever ordered, tiny and very low quality (what was listed as 'fruits' on the menu turned out to be two orange slices)! The super green bowl was a complete rip off for $23, smaller than a kids meal, it came with a sad panko egg that was very overdone and clearly not made fresh. Pizzas were missing ingrediants too, lets just say the quality of the food and the entire experience were 'consistant'.<br/><br/>I felt the need to write this so the owner would read it. This is as manager on duty, ignored our complains and instead explaiming over and over 'I like it'. She had her heart set on defending the kitchens incompetance tooth and nail and made no attempt to ensure we were satisfied. The chef was very rude and clearly lied to my face when we asked to have a chat about the inconsistency our dishes and missing ingredients. We left both feeling hungry and ripped off.<br/><br/>Thankyou for the horrible experience, with this experience fresh in our minds, we will be able to go somewhere NICE next time my mum wants to go out for lunch!

Service was absolutely terrible and clueless lack of communication with kitchen and patrons after two hours waiting time received the wrong order and expected to pay for food we didn’t receive cutlery and dishes dirty

Nice setting, but that’s where it stopped for me. As a coeliac, I was disappointed to be told that basically they couldn’t provide any dishes to me except for one option. I was told that there was a risk of cross contamination even with the one dish, which even though common among majority of restaurants, felt like a ply to stop me from ordering. It’s upsetting as it’s not my fault I have coeliac disease. I honestly felt like I was being shamed almost. The service wasn’t great and the staff not very friendly - lots of other simple tasks seemed a bit too much effort for them. Please consider those with food allergies better.

Had lunch at the boathouse with friends and family on Sunday 15th September 2019 for about 20 people (cost of over $1000). I ordered the porterhouse steak chips and salad. Whilst the meat was reasonably well cooked (medium), I felt the cut of meat was not what I had ordered. I am very familiar with porterhouse / sirloin steak and believe the cut I was served was in fact scotch fillet. When I ask the chief upon leaving, he advised me that it was porterhouse from snake creek cattle company and that they don't order scotch fillet in. I would recommend someone double check the next delivery!! Regardless of what the meat order was , what I received on the plate was definitely not porterhouse regardless of its origins. Not overly happy :(

A few weeks back we headed out to The Boathouse situated in Moonee Ponds. It was a lovely cosy restaurant which has nice outside area with views of the Maribynong river. Would be a lovely way to spend a summer day sitting out there while enjoying some delicious pizza. Our visit was at night during winter so we positioned ourselves near the warm cosy fire which they had going on inside.<br/>Since we had visited on a Wednesday night, they had a delicious all you can eat Flame Pizza night.<br/>We choose the Mushroom, Roast Pumpkin, Margarita, and from the specials board Steak Pizza and the Greenery. The specials usually are on the board for one week sometimes two. The pizzas were delish and the bases were so lovely and light. Not at all heavy. It’s always nice to find pizzas that are made with fresh ingredients and have a base that matches perfectly with the toppings.<br/><br/>We thoroughly enjoyed our Pizza night and it was even more special sitting by the fire with some glasses of wine.<br/><br/><br/>All of our opinions are genuine and are based on our experience at the time of our visit.

<br/><br/>We came to the boathouse for the all you can eat pizza night that is on every Wednesday for only $23 pp! This is not only a steal but the each pizza we got was made so well and tasted amazing ! The dough was nice and thin and cooked perfectly , my favourite pizza was the Margherita and the lamb! <br/><br/>Thanks for having us

We visited The Boathouse to check out their special All You Can Eat Pizza on a Wednesday night for $23pp. This is such a great deal ! With a range of thin crust pizza&#039;s it is definitely a place to have a good feast.&nbsp;<br/><br/>Their Pizza&#039;s are thin crust woodfire pizza&#039;s. 3 of us were able to eat 5 types of pizza&#039;s!<br/><br/>Looking forward to heading back soon!

What more can you ask for $23? Well at The Boathouse you can get All you can eat pizzas every Wednesday’s hehe! Such good value and I am so impressed my girlfriend and I managed to eat 4 small pizzas with only 3 slices left over which we also took home. Great wood fire pizzas and the mushroom with truffle was a clear winner for us but anything with prosciutto! <br/><br/>Don’t forget to ask for the dessert menu before you leave! Where chocolate cheesecake with granola is a must! <br/><br/>Looking forward to revisiting during the day and bringing my dog!!!

We were invited to the Boathouse last night to try their all you can eat pizza Wednesday’s offer which was seriously good value at $24. You can order all but one pizza from the menu (prawn), as many times as you like, you can even opt for the pizza special too. <br/><br/>My fave was a toss up between the Margherita which had a beautifully balanced tomato base and the slow cooked lamb which had a generous topping that was basically like enjoying a kebab pizza, so delicious! The only improvement I can think of is including dessert pizzas. Such a lovely location too perfectly warm and cosy with a roaring fire going for a winters night

I was super excited to try The Boathouse's all you can eat pizza and boy, did it satisfy! We were rubbing our bellies, rolling out the door, the pizzas were so good!<br/><br/>First up, service is amazing. Super attentive and just all round lovely! Interior was really nice - sat near the fireplace which was great on cold nights!<br/><br/>Now to the pizza. Everything is handmade and baked in a classic woodfire oven! Between 2 people, we ordered 4 small pizzas. Now, my friend and I can eat..a lot, so order accordingly!<br/><br/>1. Margherita - cheesy goodness right there! Mozzarella stretch goals. Such a classic pizza - The Boathouse nailed it!<br/>2. The night's special: Aubergenius - eggplant is one of my fave things and this pizza was GENIUS!! The roasted peppers were delish and that roasted garlic base was so good!<br/>3. Roasted Pumpkin - packed full of pine nuts and pumpkin! Love the feta cheese, too! Yum!<br/>4. Ham - I loved the pesto and tomatoes that topped this pizza! Also, deliciously cheesy!<br/><br/>We had such a lovely time and meal at The Boathouse! Wouldn't mind coming during the day when I can see the beautiful river! Thank you for inviting us!<br/>

I have visited The Boathouse many times in the passed but recently I have been much more impressed. I was invited to try their Wednesday night all-you-can-eat pizza night and I can’t stop talking about it. $24 for adults and you get all the pizza your heart could desire! The pizzas are delicious, a really tasty fluffy base and beautiful toppings like fresh prosciutto, slow cooked lamb and zucchini (all on different pizzas). The Passata base is really tasty too.<br/>I highly recommend visiting this restaurant. It’s also in a beautiful location right on the Maribyrnong river. Friendly service as well, which is always appreciated!

Rolled into The Boathouse recently for their all you can eat pizza night on Wednesdays!<br/>Such a cute spot on the water and cosy atmosphere inside.<br/>Absolutely loving their crispy wood fired pizzas with so many to choose from including a heap of Vego options! We absolutely loved the eggplant special but you also can’t go past a classic Marg!<br/>If you order a smaller on for all you can eat pizza night, you can try more! Definitely a spot to hit up for a cosy winter dinner or with a big group of friends to settle in for a meal and a few drinks. Love this spot!

A great place to enjoy pizza with friends and family. The venue itself is HUGE! It holds well over 200 people so having a wedding or event would literally be perfect! The pizza is probably the best I have had, the thin base with a fluffy crust is just perfection.

Such a fantastic spot, not only was the food extremely tasty but the location itself is spectacular. Situated in the middle of the park right on the river The Boathouse really does have it all. A great vibe, a quality feed and service to match - would give a 10 if I could!

Having heard of the Boathouse for many years but never having travelled out to it, I was very happy to receive an invite out to this Moonee Ponds to visit this Northern suburbs institution. My review is to look at their new range of all you can eat pizza menus - a perfect Wednesday night winter meal if you ask me!

AYCE Pizza Wednesday was awesome! Absolutely loved the variety of toppings available, a special favourite was the zucchini which is served with housemade hommus. Cozy, warm, welcoming place to enjoy a great bite to eat!

We’ve been going to The Boathouse a few times a year (work and family/friends) for the past 10 - 15 years. It’s never been perfect but always good enough to go back. Today was a disappointment.<br/>Staff disinterested, food still ok, service slow (wave arms to get grudging attention) and not overly busy. <br/>However my major issue is we chose The Boathouse to have a nice lunch and catch up with friends and couldn’t hear ourselves speak because of the live music. Don’t get me wrong the 2 musicians were very good and I am a great supporter of live music (our son is a musician) but we chose The Boathouse to catch up with friends not be blasted by loud music. We could have gone to a pub if that’s what we wanted.<br/>Sorry for an average review but we were particularly unimpressed today.

Came here for brunch with my friends. The venue was cozy, the staff really nice and they got a big variety of food!<br/>We ordered smashed pumpkin, shakshuka, and the boathouse pancakes. Every dish was delicious and freshly made. My favorite was the pumpkin, it's a perfect combo of sweet, savory and salty!<br/>I also recommend their Apple pie, I loved the mix of warm custard and cold ice cream.<br/><br/>Looking forward to trying some of their lunch menu as well. I will definitely come back.

Located on the banks of the Maribyrnong, Boathouse operates as a café by day and restaurant by night serving up high-quality and delicious food. We were invited here the other night to sample their pizza menu as they have unlimited pizza on Wednesday nights!<br/><br/>It was relatively quiet that night most likely because it was the middle of the week and it was pouring with rain outside! We were greeted by a friendly staff member who showed us to our table right next to the fireplace. We ordered the Margherita, the Mushroom, the Roasted Pumpkin and the Aubergenius which came with an assortment of vegetables including eggplant and capsicum. <br/><br/>The pizzas were incredible! We thoroughly enjoyed the wood-fired pizza - only a wood-fired brick oven pizza imparts that unique smoky flavour that cannot be reproduced in a normal kitchen oven. The crust was crunchy and the pizzas were not too oily. Our favourite was definitely the Mushroom pizza which came with mozzarella, roasted mushroom pureé, fresh mushrooms, feta, rocket and truffle oil. It was so delicious, it absolutely melted in your mouth! The beautiful truffle flavour was not too overpowering and complemented the mushroom flavour perfectly.<br/><br/>The customer service was wonderful. Both the waiter and waitress who served us were attentive, friendly and eager to please. We had a lovely dining experience and will most definitely be back when we’re in the area again!

Food was ordinary and overpriced - staff are rude and not very helpful. More intent what we “can’t “ do rather than helping us have a good experience - don’t bother.<br/>

Really enjoyed sitting by the river and enjoying a meal and a beer. Really the perfect place to spend a Sunday, lovely friendly staff and delicious food!

Came for some pizza, they had prompt service and the pizza tasted fresh and tasty. Definitely will be back if I'm in the area and looking for a bite.

<br/>Great food, friendly staff and so so much variety!<br/>Breakfast, lunch and dinner all with different options!<br/>Recommend their pizzas and Burger the most.<br/><br/>Melb. Food recommends.

Came here for a pizza and it was fantastic! It's hard to believe the score when the food was such great quality. The Boathouse was absolutely buzzing and had a great vibe. Give them a go and enjoy the feast!

My sister has lived in the area for years but we visited for the first time last week and can’t believe it’s taken us this long to find this gem!<br/><br/>Beautiful location (definitely recommend sitting outside with the river views) and great food. We shared a Margherita pizza, loved the flavours and the crust was delicious! Saw a sign in store that on Tuesdays there is all you can eat pizza - we’ll definitely be back for that!

The Boathouse Beef Burger: A standard single patty wagyu premium cut. Top quality burger from an x chin chin chef. I would swap the grilled onions for raw onions if I ordered again, but otherwise 👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻

Love the venue and food is great, but there’s rarely any space or even parking to get in. Wonderful place to bring friends and visitors though (if there’s a place to park & sit).

Very average food, staff were nice but no attention to detail. Very disappointed because I expected more from The Boathouse!!! The menu needs a revamp, food is overpriced for what you get. You pay more for the views but not the good food.

Went this morning to have breakfast. Service was very slow and inattentive. Eggs were overcooked, cappuccinos were ok but the waitress brought them when we had already finished breakfast. Dirty plates on the tables and pigeons everywhere. It's a shame and a waste because the location is actually nice.

Firstly, not offering table service is a joke. Secondly, I can safely say that was the worst soy cappuccino I’ve ever had. My partners long black tasted like Nescafé 43. An establishment with such potential but always so disappointing. Will not be back. Ever.

Came by the boathouse to enjoy the views. We ordered the burger with fries and a couple of pizzas too.  Along with good prompt service it was a nice lunch location. 

Charges extra for using card/tap. I was not offered any other option and did not realise until looking at the receipt later. No excuses for this in this day and age. It's just sneaky and dishonest.

A few years ago we had lunch and we were disappointed with our meal. Fast forward to today and we thought we would give it another go. Well we shouldn’t have wasted our time and money. Firstly, we had to wait a while for a staff member to come and take our order. My husband ordered the beef burger and I the chicken burger. Shortly after our order was taken the waitress returned at our table to inform us that they had run out chicken. With a very limited menu of basically not much of a variety I was left to order something else, so I ordered a bowl of chips, which is not lunch at all. I didn’t want my husband to miss out on having his burger, but when his burger arrived, he too was disappointed. His burger was burnt on the outside and raw on the inside. Overall food and service was not up to our standard, especially for what we paid. Perhaps the owner needs to focus more on what is really important here. FOOD! Will defiantly not be going back there again, even though the view is pretty. There are many other venues in the local area which take more pride in their meals. Oh and we don’t mind paying a surcharge for the Australia public holiday, but in this case 15% was not warranted, nor a tip.

Seriously average. Not sure if that bloke from master chef still owns it but if he does they need new judges on master chef.<br/><br/>For him to “judge” others .. he needs to take a good long look at his own place.<br/><br/>If he doesn’t own it .. the people that do need to sell it now .. get someone in who will care about the place. It could be sooooo much better.<br/><br/>Food was average. Service average.. with the waiter coming over after we paid advising us that he forgot to charge us the public holiday surcharge.. What!!!<br/><br/> Ridiculously small menu. <br/><br/>Bad bad bad. But then there is 962 reviews .. a 2.8 rating .. and from what I can see .. management could not give 2 hoots so I doubt they even read their reviews.<br/><br/>Won’t be going back.

not a huge selection so what is offered should be great, lunch menu, had tried prawn pizza which was chewy and lacking taste, ordered salmon salad... burnt bitter tasting salmon ($25) which had been shredded, my opinion had been served that way to hide the mishap in the kitchen. I expect quality when there is few choices.. but was severely disappointed. will avoid going back. if it's below standard chef chuck the rubbish out, i'd prefer too wait and enjoy the experience. well below one star

Great views and good parking. The food was tasty and done well, we had a large party that was in the external seating area and it was a nice evening, disappointing that as the night moved on and the main restaurant became busy we were somewhat neglected and had to continually chase the staff for drinks.

The Boathouse is a terrible place allergy sufferers. We book well in advance for this reason. But the fact they can't run to buying a second small deep fryer to provide gluten free chips meant our 14 year old's only choice was a $39 steak for lunch. To add insult to injury, all they brought her was a piece of steak on a plate- no salad. If we wanted salad, that would cost extra. Contemptible. Lift your game. She was mortified. We were disgusted.

‘Simple, different but mouthwatering’<br/><br/>A lovely place by the river with simple clean healthy food options. We tried their mushroom and polenta for breakky, which was sautéed seasonal mushrooms, fried polenta, goats curd and poached eggs. At first I had to think twice and look twice at the ingredients as I have never tried polenta. However, to my amazement it was really awesome & tasty as the combination of those mushrooms which weren’t your ordinary canned ones that some places throw on. Definitely will give it a shot again!<br/>

For my first time there, it was enjoyable. The kids each had a margarita pizza (and even ate the crusts) I had the burger. Didn’t fall apart as some burgers do. Very tasty. We will definitely be returning

Coffee was great. As how I asked. The chai bowl was delicious. I recommend it to everyone who wants to have a light Breakfast. <br/>You could also bring your dog in. Which is hard to find. The location is just perfect.

Visited a few times during lunch time& dinner time. I like the fish & chips here. And my husband likes cheese cake which is different from other places. <br/><br/>their menu is very little choices and size of pizza became so much smaller than the time I first visited. So we no longer order pizza here. They don’t have lunch menu and lunch/dinner is the same menu &same price. Service is quite good and staff are nice and friendly. <br/>There is take away coffee shop just outside the restaurant ( many parents bring kids to the playground beside this restaurant)which is quite expensive if u order during public holiday.

Heard about this place and it’s location, too bad the breakfast was not up to par. Had the basic with spinach (ran out of the veg fitters) and they forgot the bacon. As it says basic alright, too bad the price is not so basic for what you get for $18 ( and forgot the bacon). Definitely had better.

Location is great. Food is average. Service is poor. Our order was forgotten, then they could not find our bill. The pizza was ok but the ice tea was too sugary. Tasted like iced syrup.<br/>Will not go again.

Wasn’t impressed with my $18 breakfast order for ‘The Basic’ Yep, basic as can be ‘One’ slice of toast, two eggs, two pieces of dry bacon strips, tomato !!! No flavour what so ever. Had heaps better for half the price. Such a shame, I was expecting something special.

My husband, daughter and I went for breakfast at The Boathouse today. It was disappointing. My fritters were tasty but the fritters and eggs were cold. My husband and daughter had the 'basic breakfast'. They should call it 'a little breakfast'. For $18 each, they received two medium slices of bacon, one grilled tomato, two eggs and what I found really surprising, one slice of bread! Really? Most cafes/restaurants serve you with two slices of bread. This dish was definitely a case of overcharging the customer. The only positive thing I can write is that my coffee was very good. To add to our disappointment, we were charged a 'service fee'. It was only a small amount but after having been overcharged for two breakfast dishes this didn't leave a pleasant taste.

Unfortunately this restaurant has really lost its touch. We had returned here after a number of years with expectations of bring served the same amazing meals we’d had before. Well... we were greatly disappointed this visit. <br/>The yummy pizzas we’d had previously were replaced by the most soggiest pizzas we’ve ever had. They were truly difficult to eat. The base was super thin, mushy and just sagged when we picked it up. <br/>The toilets to this upmarket restaurant are also a real disappointment . One female toilet had a broken seat and the other was out of order. Disabled toilet also out of order. For such a well priced restaurant surely the toilets could be fixed. <br/>On a positive note the staff were friendly and attentive as the fireplace was lovely to sit by. <br/>Unfortunately we won’t be returning here for their $22 gourmet overpriced soggy pizza. <br/>This place has so much potential yet left us with a very underwhelming experience. <br/>

The environment was warm and inviting. The staff friendly especially Tar (?) who was doing more than his share to keep everyone happy and get his work done all at the same time! Unfortunately, food was a real let down. Falafel burger was soft and sticky and served in a basket lined with paper which became soggy and tore off into the food. The Panna cotta which is my absolute favourite was so sweet and couldn’t be eaten. The cheesecake was served deconstructed which wasn’t stated on the menu. The serving was so large and underwhelming. For a restaurant of this standard...we were disappointed with the quality of the food. Won’t go back!

Extremely overpriced food, slow waiting times and not much range on menu. Ordered the lamb salad and chicken pizza - salad was just rocket with cold lamb pieces and dry pomegranate with flavourless dressing. Never had a more underwhelming salad for $25. Pizza was chewy, barely any toppings and burnt around the outside. Never given a 1 rating before, but everything was lacking in flavour, quality and service.

Heard good things about this place but a complete let down. The mocktails were the best part of the meal. <br/>Staff were friendly, but service was poor. It took an hour for a trio of dips and warmed bread to be served, with the main meal coming 90 seconds later. <br/>Lamb pizza was mediocre and like a souvaki minus the salad. The Cujan chicken was great, but the slop that came in the bun with it was a distraction. <br/>Chips were average at best and most went uneaten. The chips are much better at Shannon Bennetts' eateries.<br/>Won't be back: the food at the garden centre up the road is heaps better and cheaper.

Should have checked the ratings before we chose to visit this establishment.<br/>Eggs tasted like vinegar and weren’t drained off. Bread wasn’t toasted properly and was soggy because of the eggs. Paid an extra $4 for what was meant to be a homemade hash brown and got something out of a packet. Not acceptable. We paid $45 for breakfast in total and in Melbourne you expect a lot more. I’m surprised people still come here. The photo shows you what a $22 breakfast gets you here!!! Yes, you are fortunate to have nice views and yes, it’s probably convenient for families with kids, but your food is substandard, as is your service. We (politely) complained to two different wait staff and were told to wait for someone to come out and see us. The manager never bothered to show up, so after a wait, we left (still hungry).

Coffee was terrible (long black) and came out same time as food (who drinks coffee and eats at the same time!?). Poached eggs were still drenched and made the toast soggy. Hash browns were out of a packet, not housemade as described on the menu. All round terrible waste of money and calories on a poor breakfast. Won't ever come back.

WHERE'S THE ZERO RATING BUTTON? THIS PLACE IS UTTERLY RUBBISH, DON'T BOTHER! <br/><br/>It was by far the worst place i was recommended to check out whilst visiting Melbourne.<br/><br/>The Management, LEAD FROM EXAMPLE RIGHT? What a utter disgrace of how to lead a team... We were greeted by a super sleaze bag yet very inappropriate jokes by the manager.<br/>Looking up and down the ladies that where with the group like sex objects when we entered making it very uncomfortable. <br/>"THIS PLACE IS LIKE WALKING INTO A ETHNIC SLEAZE PIT." <br/>Let alone the straight out arrogance thinking thats okay to act such way like a "Primo Uomo." <br/><br/>THE FOOD WAS TRULY NOTHING SPECIAL AND VERY OVER PRICED FOR THE QUALITY!<br/><br/>The only positives:<br/>1. The venues location is pretty swell nestled on the river full of families. <br/><br/>2. Brilliance happened when we got looked after by the tattooed barman who was super calm and cool he knew we needed a drink straight up, So he came over to the table to take our order due to the other staff witnessed just talking amongst themselves.<br/>His drinks were outstanding!

One of the biggest letdowns this year. Food totally underwhelming. Chips not cooked properly. Waited 45 mins. Staff under par. Giving a 2 is being generous.

With good intentions to walk around the Maribyrnong river (I promise I was wearing active wear...), my walking buddy and I were rained out so brunch at the Boathouse won! <br/>An absolutely gorgeous restaurant with ample window seating to enjoy the panoramic river views. <br/>When we arrived, we were told that the kitchen would be closing in 10 minutes so we were asked to order ASAP. I’m not sure why the kitchen closes between brunch/lunch but anyway. Literally as soon as we sat down, the waiter hovered over us, asking us to order on the spot (which we did, but I found that a bit rude). I ordered the Mushrooms and Polenta - wow what an excellent dish! An abundance of grilled mushrooms served on top of polenta cooked to perfection. Can you tell I enjoyed it? The coffee was nice too. <br/>It was about $45 for two meals & coffees, which I thought was pretty reasonable.

Went for breakfast only four tables being used, the manager (didn't know she was at the time) who had just put food on the table was rude when asked if we could have cutlery and salt and pepper. Replied with they are there pointing to a table behind her and walks off inside and talks to co worker. Would have taken her 2 secs to hand to us. It was not explained to us that it was self serve. Older male server was busy looking for things to do he even got cutlery for a table he was waiting on. When I ask to talk to manager when leaving she came and was not apologetic blaming it on management. Common sense goes a long way. Food was nothing special have had better food and coffee for cheaper in little country cafes. Save your money bring a picnic and sit at one of the many tables along the river.

Garry Mehigan’s iconic water view restaurant The Boat House, located in Moonee Ponds is a very popular spot for breakfast, lunch or dinner. The Boat House has always been on our radar of spots to try, so we made a reservation for Sunday lunch on a warm day. As we arrived the place was very, very busy with numerous functions on and everyone enjoying a classic Sunday family lunch. <br/><br/>We where seated outside with a view of the river and where informed that it was an order at the counter deal and self serve cutlery. We viewed the menu, which isn’t that extensive and firstly order drinks, being a coke, a glass of wine and a mighty Moscow Mule cocktail. Drinks arrived promptly and where refreshing. The Moscow Mule featuring vodka, lime and ginger beer had the perfect balance and was a hefty size. Reading the menu numerous time nothing really stood out but we decided to go for the lamb pizza, the cajun chicken burger and the mixed leaf and grains salad with added salmon.<br/><br/>The pizza and burger arrived first after about 15 minutes or so. The lamb sucuk, cucumber labne, tomato, mint and sumac pizza topped with mozzarella cheese was the best of the 3 dishes ordered. The base was smokey and crisp and the cheese was melted to stringy perfection. The lamb itself was tender and the refreshing cucumber labne ensured the pizza wasn’t to greasy. The Cajun chicken burger with avocado, tomato, cheese and fries minus the jalapeños was rather average. The chicken was dry and the seasoning wasn’t very flavoursome. The chips where far to salty but the avocado and tomato refreshed the palate. <br/><br/>After 20 minutes or so the Salad finally arrived due to the waiter being called to ask about its appearance. The mixed leaf and grains salad with beetroot and garlic lemon dressing, with added salmon was possibly one of the blandest dishes ever tasted. Firstly, the tiny sliver of over cooked, dry salmon which was almost uneatable due to how hard it was already kicked off this meal for a mighty failure. The mixed grains of chickpeas and lentils was also dry and mushy in texture. The supposedly lemon garlic dressing tasted awful and was not added to the dish. The beetroot added sweetness but there was nothing that could save this salad which was a huge let down :(.<br/><br/>The Boat House is a great spot for a function or large family outing as its very children friendly and can cater for big groups due to its large vicinity. The menu is average and pricy for the food received and the service is very poor. Overall it is a drastically overrated restaurant but is probably ok for a coffee by the river in the morning.

Friendly service , very good ambience and good food. Though at first site the portion size looks small it is actually quite filling. It’s a bit pricey but worth when compared to other similar places but it’s worth it for a lazy sunday breakky with a view of the river and parks.

Branded as a nice place to eat with celebrity chef Gary at the backend was the reason we went to check out. But the reality is quite the opposite. Food was over priced and the quality was average. And the waiting time to get a pizza was close to 55 mins. Completely ridiculous.

Gorgeous sunny day on the balcony, but the food and service was appalling. Drinks were wrong 3 times , my chicken salad was inedible and the fish and chips was basic to say the least. Paying restaurant prices when you have to fetch your own cutlery etc, no waitress to help you and no one even bothered to ask what we thought of the food even though it was obvious we hadn't touched an entire dish. Thought I'd try it again to see if it had improved , sadly it hasn't.Won't be back and definitely wouldn't recommend it

Cutlery was dirty and wonky, we had to get our own utensils. The risotto looked like it was thrown on the plate. Pizza was was not to brag about. Steak was good but the service was not that good, a lot of food was forgotten and some people finished their food before others received it.

I see a lot of bad experiences in here. It was not my case. The food was great and the only question about the place was the noise. The vego grill was great and the wagyu burguer was a feast.

I wish there was a minus rating which i think would be more suitable for this place. We were there last year for breakfast and the whole experience was awful and so was the food. There were 14 of us so you can imagine how much this place make our group that morning, yet our food came out cold and the order was incorrect. When we told the waiter that the kids eggs are to be well done he argued with us saying that he took the right order and walked away. 90% of the food was left unfinished. This place have shocking service and even more shocking management.

Today I went to Boathouse in Moonee Ponds for coffee and brunch.<br/>Ordered a kids egg on toast with a simple request "No Butter on Toast"<br/>The waiter advised "No Problems, butter will be on a side just in case you need it"<br/>Meal came, butter was on Toast, told them about it, the waiter is not happy and he advised it's not his fault..<br/>My son can't eat it and we asked to return the meal and request the money back, we will order something else for lunch...<br/>Management came out with the change and demand us not to order lunch if we're going to complain about breakfast.. <br/>I told him " are you kicking us out?" <br/>He said "no" and advised us to not order and left!<br/>The people who was sitting next to us shooked theirs heads and said "what was that all about/how rude!"<br/>This is the last time I'll be here!<br/>I can't believe the rudeness and arrogance from Management and most of all, they did not apologise for their simple mistake!

Beautiful scenery along the maribyrnong river. It’s a shame that the boathouse is overpriced.<br/>We ordered the chicken pizza with ricotta to share. Again, overpriced for a disappointing wood fired pizza. Some parts of the pizza was soggy and some parts of the base tasted like cardboard. <br/>It’s crap to say that you can get better pizza at a small business pizza store.<br/>They do however make a mean strawberry and rosemary iced tea. We were hooked and it was very refreshing than the OJ. <br/>Would only return for the iced tea.<br/>

It was busy on a Sunny Sunday. Service was quick and although no offers on a table inside, we were eventually sorted one out. There weren't many options for a light brunch/lunch on the menu and prices were quite high, likely of a dinner type. I mean, $25 for fish and chips of an average standard. Presentation was very little. No music. Free wifi requires a social-network login, which isn't too impressive. Food took 45mins for Pumpkin pizza and fish and chips to come out. Really? Coffee is not too bad. I would probably only come back because of the views of the river, the public playground for the kids and the walking paths for my dogs or a bike ride, but otherwise this cafe itself is just average.

I used to love this place. It was my local for coffee, pizzas and Gary's cheesecake. Now I can't go because I can't stand one staff member. How can I politely say it, he's intrusive? It has spoilt my experience, and I persisted but it never got better. Now I miss out.

Great service for the one girl running food, drinks, serving tables and clearing tables. Very busy and the poor girl was run off her feet. Need more staff to work and not be so tight <br/>

We had lunch here today and service was very good. We shared dips, croquettes...and then ate risotto and burger with chips. Wine and drinks menu also good (had a G&T) and ordered a coffee which was good too. Vista across river lively and kids playground also entertaining.

The restaurant is very spacious, with both indoor and outdoor seating. It is located in a very picturesque location, overseeing the river and surrounding walking tracks. <br/><br/>1) The Deconstructed Cheesecake - A taste of heaven in my mouth. I loved the creaminess from the cheese and the crunchy bits from the granola / muesli. The only downside would be the syrup was very sweet. This is definitely a dessert that needs to be shared because it is very heavy and rich.<br/><br/>2) Chicken Salad w/ hazelnuts & salad greens - This was a very fresh salad. There were lots of chicken pieces which was nice. The hazelnuts were nice and toasty. I was happy with this.<br/><br/>3) Smoked Salmon and potato pizza - The flavors were spot-on and I loved that stringy cheese. The base of the pizza, however, was on the burnt side so that could not be eaten.<br/><br/>Instagram @Flabnbone_Food

Lunch for two. Croquettes, aranchini and a smoked salmon, kipfler potato, caper and dill pizza. Croquettes and aranchini were good but the pizza was soggy. Also I was expecting a topping of 'smoked salmon' as described on the menu and not cooked salmon which spoiled it for me. I commented on this and was told the waitress would tell the kitchen. Knowing how much Gary M goes on about desserts on Masterchef we were so looking forward to ours...Gary's cheesecake and a double molten chocolate pudding with chocolate mint pistachio crumb and mascarpone. Double disappointment. The cheesecake was a deconstructed version with the flavour of a packet mix and the molten chocolate pudding was dry with no molten chocolate at all (and believe me I looked for it and looked for it with a lot of hope) and the mascarpone was, in fact, vanilla ice cream and not a quality one at that. I told the waitress about the lack of molten chocolate and my disappointment. She said she would tell the kitchen. Great . The service was adequate although tardy and inattentive. THe Boathouse and the dishes it provided on the day were not up to scratch and I will not go again regrettably as it is such a great location; there are too many other places doing great food.<br/>

Horrifically expensive...really disappointing food... overcooked charcoal pizza and the most expensive bowl of chips I have ever paid for at an amazing $9 a bowl and incredibly slow service will not be returning there any time soon

The food was incredibly average and extremely over priced. It's an insult to customers to try and get away with serving expensive, tasteless food just because you happen to be in a prime location. I will not be spending my money there again, I don't care how good the view is.

The food was good value and great ambience with heaters sparsely located. However the service was shocking. It started off with the waiter seating us down. There was no glasses set. No cutlery. Waited 15 minutes for a awaited to come around and ended up calling one myself. Had to get my own glasses cause they never came around. Very poor service. Would not go again

Yes the views from the outdoor deck are quite lovely overlooking the Maribyrnong River. However there are some unusual flaws in this cafe particularly with the current high prices.<br/><br/>You will be given menus and told to find a seat, choose the outdoor ones if the weather is good because it feels a bit dark and crowded inside. Each table has a number on it which you need to remember because you then have to go back inside and order/pay like you would at a cheap pub. Embarrassing in my opinion. Table service ain't all that tricky is it?<br/><br/>The other thing that irked me was that I had to fish for my own cheap cutlery out of huge metal buckets. I can understand with over a 100 tables things could get pretty hectic but this all smacks of keeping wage costs in check. <br/><br/>We ordered some salmon croquettes & beef tostadas plus a coffee. The croquettes are pretty small, well plated but have an ordinary texture inside and not much zip. The tostadas have some tender meat on them but the salsa sauce was harsh enough to make me suspicious that it wasn't made in house. The coffee we had was excellent. <br/><br/>Service was perfectly fine through out my time there. Whatever Gary is expecting on Masterchef he sure isn't asking it from here.

Took the family out for dinner, we made a reservation for 6 via email, they thought it was five so we rearranged the chairs and requested extra cutlery which was easy enough. We specifically asked for a pizza to be brought out as an entree to share, and it came to the table 3/4 through finishing our mains. My partner and her mother ordered the crab burger only to be told that they had sold out of pawn crackers and they would substitute with chips, I ordered a steak and instead of receiving potato squares, it was replaced with potato chips as well. The burger buns were grilled too long and made the burger taste mainly burnt so my partner removed the bread after a couple bites and ate the the filling on it's own. The mushroom risotto was quite bland, as was most the food. <br/><br/>The staff were friendly though. Overall the food was expensive for what it was, and we were left wanting more in terms of taste.

Had some awesome pizza here- the crust is perfect. The coffee is always great and so is the service. It gets pretty busy so try and pop in when it's quieter.

Yes well, the view of the river was nice! My partner and I ordered the ricotta pancakes with caramalized bananas and whipped butter. At $17, the plate arrived with ONE pancake on it. The dish was cold and hence, the whipped butter solid and disgusting to eat. At least the chai lattes were nice. Whoever is managing this place, needs to get their act together and take a good hard look at all of the reviews being left here. You cannot charge such prices for less than average dishes. If it wasn't for the ambience of the surroundings, I'm sure this establishment would have well and truly closed its doors a long time ago. We won't be back.

Once you come here, you realize just how beautiful the surrounds are. Problem is, you have to order at the front bar and when they ask for your table number.. you will NOT know it..so you have to run back outside to find it! After the order, you have to act as a waiter.. YOU have to collect the eating utensils, plates etc.. YOURSELF from the set up at the back courtyard. Ughh... We should be getting a discount for this! Self service is an insult to customers. It's disappointing that customers are are paying an average $2 to $4 more for food because of the 'privilege' of sitting in lovely surrounds. That's a rip off. I just had a coffee.. but I could've eaten something if the prices were affordable! Gave up and left without eating a thing, in protest. Thus, I will not be returning.

When first arriving we looked for staff and couldn't find any. We seated ourselves outside, but were not greeted by a staff member, my friend had to go to the bar to find anyone to get a coffee, and was then told that she'd have to wait for the guy to come back to take her order. We should have known then to leave. After this we received our coffees a while later only to be scolded by a staff member for having my dog under the table on the outside of the balcony. Rude and bad service, coffee was not any better.

There is no minus one? Unfortunately we were very disappointed. Had family visiting from interstate and were excited to try this place, we drove all the way from the other side of town for breakfast, one female staff member was very helpful as we had my nephew with us, the others were very disinterested unfortunately. The Food, what a shame, disappointed is all we can say, the scrambled eggs looked like they were thrown on the plate, everyones dish was lacking flavour, and even the lacking of effort. Perhaps they were  just having a bad day.

We came here last Saturday afternoon to have a coffee. Was that a big mistake....... No wonder we stopped coming here a long time ago. <br/>We were confronted by the MOST ARROGANT person that I have ever met in my life. He was so unprofessional in his approach, that we felt so uncomfortable from time he opened his mouth. We decided to ignore him and try to enjoy a nice coffee. <br/>It got worse when I tried to pay the bill. This Unprofessional person decided to butt in and give instructions to an employee while I was paying my bill. How RUDE is this guy...<br/> Where is the CUSTOMER SERVICE??????? <br/><br/><br/>

Coffee average, iced chocolate very average, pizzas were nice. View nice but onviously contributing to high prices. Cool day so we asked for the overhead heater to be turned on as soon as we arrived. Asked again about 15 minutes later while we were waiting for food. Another 10 minutes later a man came out to tell us the heater takes 1 hour to heat up and we would have to pull down the blinds and affect the view (unsure if the truth in this statement...looked like fairly powerful heaters). We told him we wouldn't be there for another hour however a few other people were also in the same space and it would be nice for everyone, so it was up to him. He didn't give us an answer and walked off...leaving his paying customers cold. Terrible way to treat customers.

This used to be great place for a feed - breakfast, lunch or dinner. Alas the last few times we have come the overall experience has been underwhelming.<br/>Price for value just isn't there any more.<br/>The food is only just. The staff try but just haven't got it. Management needs to take some of the comments from patrons on board and make some changes.

Had the pizza, swordfish. Was really good. Pleasant atmosphere and friendly staff. Would highly recommend. The deserts were pretty good as well.

Service was very good and food was delivered fast. We enjoyed our meals, both were cooked excellent and sitting on the deck was lovely until patrons sitting at the 2 tables either side of us all started smoking. We had only just finished our main, had intended to order dessert but as we couldn't breathe we decided to leave. We did notice on our way out that there was a distinct No Smoking sign on the front door. This was so disappointing - we won't be returning.

You pay for the view. Food was average to above average. Average price was more like $60/$65 rather than the $40 listed. Portions were not big, pizza was nice but I've had much better for much cheaper. Probably a good drinking spot. Playground outside was really great for kids. Probably be back for the playground but without going inside. Coffee was good.

The worst experience ever. Food was tasteless and boring. The waitress we had was fantastic. She was apologetic and clearly embarrassed about the incompetent kitchen. Would not recommend unless you're trying to starve yourself to death because waiting for your main might just do that for you.

We dined here on New Year's day and were surprised to find that breakfast had ended at 11.30 (breakfast should be all day on weekends, but especially on New Year's Day!). <br/><br/>I was also surprised that there was no table service, particularly given the prices of the food. Further, it is 'help yourself' to tap water and cutlery. Additionally, there was a 15% public holiday surcharge. <br/><br/>My question to the restaurant is - if we have to go up and order ourselves, collect our own water and cutlery (plus pay a surcharge), what are your staff (whom there were plenty of) being paid to do, if not wait on tables?

Here's an interesting piece of local history. The popular phrase "I'm so hungry I could eat at The Boathouse" was coined at this very spot many years ago.

Ordered the mixed grill and the beetroot. The food was nice but not worth the price we paid for it. Very expensive dishes for the quality of food.

Beautiful location - it does feel like you are at a school kiosk as there is no table service. My partners mum had the fish and chips, she thought it was pretty good, boyfriend had a burger and chips and it looked huge, I had the beetroot and barley salad - this salad had a sprinkling of barley I could have counted the grains there were that few, it certainly seemed like they kitchen had run out of the barley - hence my low rating

Very poor service today. Booked a table yesterday no booking registered. No offers for more drinks, no offer of dessert menu. Staff a bit short but obviously need training. Not happy Gary,have spent many a lovely lunch here but today very disappointed!

A friend picked this place for a Xmas lunch function today. This is a very family friendly restaurant and the play ground outside is great for young kids. Easy place to find parking too. For a group of 20 adults and children, this is a great venue. The restaurant is quite spacious with plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. It has a nice view overlooking the Maribrynong river too. I used to be a great fan of Masterchef so was hopeful that I can catch Gary in action! Unfortunately I was told by one of the waiter that he only visits during week days! I didn't come with great expectation after reading some of poor reviews. However, I did enjoyed my mushroom basil pesto pizza and Gary's deconstructed cheesecake. Some of the food were quite hit and miss from the feedback of my friends around the table. Overall, we all had a very relaxing and pleasant lunch over 4 hours in this restaurant. Staff were friendly and we were not rushed at all to leave the restaurant at any point.

In my experience it’s extremely hard to write constructive criticism about an establishment when if I could have rated this restaurant a zero I would. <br/>An unpleasant experience from start to end.<br/>Our encounter began with a perfect setting and great weather so we decided to sit outside. However the eggs Benedict that were ordered was a mixture of slimy ham and congealed eggs. The coffee was undrinkable mud water. The waitress was just plain rude. I understand we all have to work, but if you have no personality stay out of the hospitality industry.  <br/>In hindsight, I understand why we were made to pay upfront.