Maltida 159 has a nice theme of fire and wood throughout the establishment. It has certainly shown in the dishes they served as well.
The salmon roe is an umami bomb that exploded with thr combination of salmon roe, bonito cream and fitted well with the thin, crispy shell. Well done.
The lamb ribs had a nice and smokey flavour, it was fatty but not oily at all. The complimented sauce (beetroot?) with the ribs went well together with a sweet and little tangy taste.
The steak dish was beautifully done and presented. The rump steak were cooked to a juicy medium, while braised beef cheeks and the radish went very well together. It was also a huge plate.
The duck dish was also nicely cooked.
The only little let down for the meal was thr spanner crab.
To try:
- tartlet of salmon roe; firstly it looks stunning, secondly the pastry is so delicate and thin, perfectly holding the bonito cream and salmon roe, yum!
- dressed spanner crab, prawn butter, flat bread; love the way it is served, the bread and butter could be a dish on its own, I almost wish there was more bread so I could enjoy some with butter only and some with crab only
- smoked saltbush lamb ribs, apricot, native pepper; the pink colour showcases how well it has been smoked, although these were too fatty they were still delicious, the apricot BBQ sauce paired really well with it
- heritage tomato, smoked stracciatella; this was like the superior version of a Caprese salad, the smoked stracciatella was soo good
- smoked potato gnocchi, wild garlic, butternut; I now realise that I've ordered everything smoked on the menu, but these are seriously good gnocchi
To skip:
- porterhouse, leek, sesame; cooked well but really didn't have much flavour
Very friendly staff, lovely food and drinks, great decor!. The restaurant smelled amazing when you walked in the door. Could definitely smell the fire, charcoal, smoke and wood. Will definitely be back soon
We went to this awesome place for dinner last weekend. The restaurant has smoke around the restaurant and the staff are friendly. The wine was great we picked the “Mazeris” from France and “Powell son “from Borossa valley , they both amazing .
About the food was fabulous too , definitely worthy 5 stars .
We tried the spring lunch menu. I was so impressed with this venue. The ambiance is lovely and it is much bigger than you think from the outside. The service was spot on and each dish was delicious. Really enjoyed our lunch here.
This is my second time here and still love this place! The spring menu is delicious. I would recommend the blood orange dessert dish - omg the cream was extremely amazing (definitely wnna go back to have this dish over and over again)
Great place, came because a lot of great online reviews which all recommended the salmon tartlet, but we were a bit disappointed as it was way too salty! Everything else was okay.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
Largely impeccable experience, in particular the steaks being among the best I've had anywhere in Melbourne, or in general. Easily a step above Rockpool, and a hell of a lot more creative.
Standouts included the gorgeous spanner crab dish which is plated immaculately, easily looks like it could be far more expensive restaurant, tastes just as good and makes an early impression. The Wagyu sirloin was a perfectly cooked medium rare, virtually melt in your mouth with beautiful smoky, earthy flavours from the sauce. The bone marrow on the side a surprisingly delicious addition too. Equally impressive is the apple tarte tatin which was easily the best I've ever had, perfectly balancing sweetness with quite a bitter and crisp pastry with smoky flavours coming across in the vanilla ice cream.
Admittedly being seated at the bar was a little disappointing considering how aesthetic the rest of the dining area is in comparison, but still a very elegant interior in a cosy, casual atmosphere that uniquely has something like upscale pub vibes. Could easily see myself coming here regularly if it was a little closer to the city.
For the level of food here and the individual character its easily one of the best restaurants I've been to in Melb, on top of the fact that the prices are reasonable for the quality. I do feel the oft mentioned signature dishes here such as the tarte tatin, and spanner crab stand out over some of the other dishes although everything was still unique and absolutely delicious.
Great ambiance. Love the service. Food was amazing; the Tomahawk was excellent and its marbling was beautiful. Although I would recommend 3 or more people for the Tomahawk because it was quite large for just the three of us.
Wow wow wow. What a venue! Such lovely staff and very professional. Went for a work function in one of the private dining rooms, loved the entrance and the long bar. Food was awesome. They cater for all allergy types including myself and they made a special selection for me. If you go with a group def do the dining package. Thankyou for having us
Love it
My date night with husband in 4 months
Service was amazing
Great dinner with my brother! The service was impeccable.
Hits: the spanner crab (the flat bread and butter was to die for), David Blackmore beef, the duck (we loved the duck soup that came with the duck, as well as the crispy skin!)
Miss: the tartlet roe was alittle salty but beautiful in pics
Would also recommend trying their desserts! The pastry was very good.
The food (barramundi, porterhouse and snapper and the apple tatin dessert )and the whole decor was amazing and the only disappointment was the waiter who didn’t listen to what people had to say and only wanted us to listen to what he had to say.
We had a number of vegetarians and people that didn’t eat much seafood and all he could suggest was meat and seafood dishes, even after we told him more than once of this.
Other than this I would have given this 5 stars.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
I love that Matilda 159 does not necessarily have a ‘high-end’ atmosphere. It can be as ‘high-end’ or as casual as you would like it to be. The fit out is beautiful with the ceilings brought down to create a cozy atmosphere and a surprisingly comfortable bar seat. I enjoyed sitting at the bar as I was nice to chat to the waiters/waitresses and bartenders throughout the night and watching them throughout the hustle and bustle of the evening. When you initially walk in you’re hit with the smell of smoke and organised chaos of the chef’s in the kitchen coordinating food with such precision and finesse. I would highly recommend the ‘Dressed spanner crab’, ‘David blackmore bavette 9+’ and the dessert which unfortunately I can’t remember the name of! But in all honesty, all the food was wonderful and I especially enjoyed the non-alcoholic nori apple juice which was so different and unique! A great food destination really close to Melbourne CBD and reasonably priced considering it is fine dining - I was more than full towards the end of dinner and it did not feel like I had to break the bank!
The food was absolutely devine and the presentation will wow you like no other place. Perfect for foodies that's all about instagramming. Everything we tried was cooked to perfection and you can taste the effort the chef has put into it. Recommend to everyone
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
Dressed spanner crab, prawn butter, flat bread
Macedon duck for two, golden beetroot, preserved pear
21 day dry 300g aged cape grim porterhouse with shiitake and black garlic
We had a lovely anniversary dinner at Matilda 159, the dimly lit area with candles really set the mood. The staff was very helpful with the menu and said we made a great choice choosing the duck for two. We indeed made a great choice.
The duck skin was so crispy and the meat was soft to cut, i did wish they had put more of the pear sauce on the dish because the pairing was delicious. A small duck soup came with the duck set, the duck thigh was incredibly tender the meat almost fell from our forks! the soup had a unique taste, a bit salty but it went well with the cleansing the pallet after eating the steak.
I quite enjoyed the steak, i think if the mushrooms were on the side it would of been more enjoyably for me. It was beautifully cooked, perfect medium rare, the meat was soft and very tender.
Now for the spanner crab dish..the prawn butter melted within seconds after being spread onto the fluffy flat bread. This was one of the dishes i didn't want to end because it was magical. Mixed with the crab there was little popping pearls which had a citrus flavor which was refreshing.
We had a great experience at Matilda, i would be happy to come again.
We were keen to try a Scott Pickett restaurant while we were in Melbourne and the "smoke and fire" description of this one helped us decide on this one. The staff are professionals. From the second that we walked in the door they were attentive without being annoying or interrupting our conversation. The restaurant is low lit but each table has enough light to read menus and see the food. We slowly worked our way through the menu and they were ok with that. Nothing took a long time to come out so we were able to stagger our courses as we liked. The spanner crab dish was recommended by staff and other reviews, and it was a good dish, but I thought that other dishes were better. For main we shared the duck for two which was generous and so delicious. They will add truffle to any dish for a surcharge so we added it to the already indulgent cauliflower cheese dish. It was a good splurge.
Meal: Dinner
Ordered: Steaks
After a very busy few weeks, we decided to go out for a nice fancy dinner and had been eyeing Matilda 159 for a while. Once entering the venue, you get a nice classy atmosphere with a warm ambience. We sat at the bar and proceeded to order some nice cocktails and our dinner. The steaks were amazing! Very juicy and yummy and the accompaniments were quite nice too. All in all, quite a pleasant experience and would recommend for any steak lover!
Food, drinks, service and atmosphere, everything is just perfect! The Salmon roe tartare is my favourite, it is taste so fresh. The combination is simple but the taste is so complex with the roe popping in your mouth.
The dining experience is amazed, remind me what a fine dining should be presented.
Every single time I come here, the food never failed to impress me. I tried their winter tasting menu this time and I was just taken away by how delicate the food was prepared. The experience was exactly like when you watch your favourite movie and you don’t want it to end.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
4.5
Expectations were high when dining at Matilda 159. Firstly, it's Scott Pickett owned and run, and secondly, the majority of the reviews have been glowing. First impression counts, and the staffs didn't missed a beat from the moment we walked in. Impeccable hospitality that lasted throughout the meal, all delivered with charm and grace.
Between the four of us, we shared the Macedon Ranges duck, and the 1.5kg Sher Wagyu tomahawk. We were worried that it might not be enough, considering we had two hungry men with us, but low and behold, we almost, just almost couldn't finish them all.
There is no doubt that they are masters of meat here. Both the duck and beef were cooked to perfection. The duck was pink in the centre - so moist and tender, and the accompanying jus possessed a rich umami flavour. The tomahawk was just as impressive in its simplicity, and was positively dripping with meat juice and melted in our mouth.
The sides were delicious as well, in particularly the pairing of the wakame butter to enhance the taste of the simple potatoes. However, the serving size of the Brussels sprouts did leave a lot to be desired.
If we had skipped desserts, I would have definitely rated this place higher, because the tarte tartin arrived with slightly burnt and bitter pastry. The overall taste was faultless though, if you forgo the pastry, as the deep bold flavour of the smoked vanilla bean worked wonders with the sweetness and tartness of the apples. The pineapple quince wowed with its taste too. A very light and refreshing dessert, one that have you wanting more.
Despite the little hiccup, I still thoroughly enjoyed my meal, and wouldn't hesitate to recommend this place to others.
Had the tasting menu. Perfect. Everything a special meal should be, when food evokes forgotten memories or places you know it is AMAZING. Faultless service, worth every cent.
From the moment you walk in through those heavy glass doors, you can see that they took care of everything from service to presentation of the restaurant. They have low lighting making it a great date night kind of ambience.
The food that came out was all amazing especially the duck with the crispy skin and the strong broth that came with it. Even though we were sharing they made it easy for us to eat by serving it on our own separate plates. Can't fault the food and even the chocolate salted caramel fudge at the end was delightful. Well worth the price and they have quite a nice selection of wine. Would most definitely recommend and come back.
We really enjoyed our experience at Matilda.
We ordered the following:
Tartlet of salmon roe, bonito cream
Burnt bran & spelt bread, cultured butter, rillettes
Smoked saltbush lamb rump, yoghurt, borlotti bean
Smoked potato gnocchi, pine mushrooms, slippery jacks
21 day dry aged Cape Grim porterhouse, 300 gram, shiitake,
black garlic
Valrhona guanaja, musque du provence, brown butter
Best, and loved the fudge at the end :)
Wow, wow, wow! Highly recommend this restaurant! Have eaten at some stunning restaurants in Melbourne however, this has to be up there with the best! Absolutely amazing flavours, beautiful venue and excellent service. Lamb ribs for entree were a highlight. Highly recommend!
Amazing and flawless, both food wise and service wise. Will definitely come back to taste more dishes. Loved the wagyu! It was so juicy and tender with a simple but spot on seasoning!
A great place to enjoy date night. The crab is my favorite with apple sauce, sweet and fresh taste. Wagyu is highly recommend! Soft and tender. Service is super good too.
1. Good service, attentive waiters who pay attention to details
2. Food comes out quick
3. Quality finishes throughout venue
4. Great ambience and comfortable
The Brunchabout Diaries
+5
Amazing Amazing Amazing
Truly delicious, unique and beautiful food at Matilda’s. They cook the food on an open fire with hot coals and the smoky taste you get in the meals is delightful.
We started with the tarlet of salmon roe (one of their specialities) and the grilled sardine. Both had really lovely, delicate flavours.
For mains, I got the Spanish Mackerel with stinging nettle and chicken skin. The fish was cooked to perfection and the stinging nettle was surprising delicious.
I also tried some of the Macedon Ranges Duck for two, which came with a side of duck leg in a broth. Again cooked perfectly, and the comments from those who ate it was it was the best duck they’d had in their life!
For sides, we got the Brussel Sprouts with lardo and macadamias and the Gordon Jones Marble Potatoes with wakame butter. You can truly tell a great restaurant from how well it does it sides - and Matilda’s nailed it. This is undoubtedly the first time I have loved brussel sprouts in my whole life.
For dessert, we shared the Glenora Rhubarb with rose and musk icecream, and the Valrhona Guanaja with pumpkin catalan cream and brown butter. Both were exquisite but I loved the Rhubarb dessert the best - it was really light and was packed full of interesting flavours.
My wife organised my Birthday here in the private function room.
The food was excellent, especially as it was for a group of 50.
Superb service and venue too. Overall it was perfect.
Delicious food with very nice services. The foods were creative and steak was perfectly cooked(we order rare). The taste was perfect when having all composition in the dish together. Love the atmosphere and decoration of this place. Will be back for sure!
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
We booked Matilda 159 for a birthday celebration based on a friend's recommendation and it went above and beyond our expectations.
What we ordered:
We had quite a large group so we opted to order a whole lot of dishes to share
The Sea Bream Tartare
Lakes Entrance Octopus
Dressed Spanner Crab
Saltgrass Lamb Backstrap
Whole Tiger Flathead
Macedon Ranges Duck
John Dee Wagyu Porterhouse
Sher Wagyu Tomahawk
NT Baby Barramundi
& a selection of the specials and desserts.
The absolute standouts were the crab, Tomahawk Wagyu and the lamb. They were cooked to absolute perfection and they were bursting with flavour. The meat is definitely the speciality here - it immediately melts in your mouth. To finish off, there is a pumpkin dessert available which is not a flavour I would usually have considered to be associated with dessert, but they do an incredible job at making it one! It was sweet and cold and was just the perfect flavour to finish on.
The ambience:
GORGEOUS! As soon as you walk in there is a warm fire that the chef's are using to cook. That is the 'idea' behind Matilda after all - fire. It was so warm and cosy and there appears to be a bar area there. Our table was large and round, which was a pleasant surprise! Everyone was able to engage in a conversation and it felt a lot more inclusive and intimate.
The service:
Absolutely outstanding. The waiter was attentive, kind & funny. He had great knowledge on the menu and was able to suggest the perfect wines based on our described preferences. Each dish that was put down was explained to us with depth and we were wished a farewell by all staff we passed (including the chefs) as we left the venue.
Overall - great experience.
Everything we ordered was either good or very good! Service was exceptional and so was the ambience. The standout dishes were the octopus (entree) , wagyu steak (main) and apple pie (dessert).
All pretty standard sounding dishes but executed to perfection. Overall an outstanding experience! Just go.
Linnie Eats All The Food
+4
It was my big 3-0 and Mr D was frantically looking for a place to take me since I’ve already celebrated my birthday in South Australia and we’ll also be going to Japan (woohoo!! who says I caught the travel bug?). He stumbled upon Matilda 159 which is another little venue owned by Scott Pickett. So I was obvs excited when I heard where Mr D was taking me!
Came here with my sister and had a fabulous experience. Nice interior, amazing food and great service.
We started with tartlet of salmon roe and bonito cream. This combination is beautiful. I recommend to have each per person because it is too good to be shared.
For entrees, we had the infamous spanner crab 🦀, prawn butter with flat bread. The taste so clean yet delicious. We had baby octopus 🐙 as well. It cooked perfectly tender however some part of the octopus was a little burnt but gave a little bit bitter taste.
For mains, we had whole tiger flathead and porterhouse. Both were cooked perfectly however I enjoyed flathead better.
Last but not least, we had valrhona caramelia, preserved blackberry and potato ice cream for dessert. It done so well and I can felt that they put so much effort for a dessert.
Overall, it was a spectacular experience.
Will I be back? Yeah, will bring my partner next time!
Flawless. How was this place not on my radar before?
Incredible Scott Pickett venture, complete with wood fire ovens and a dark, atmospheric space.
It’s very rare to have nothing to fault but here it is. Spanner crab entree was to die for. Barramundi and steak mains were sensational: Smokey, flavoursome and perfectly matched with amazing potato and tomato sides. Desserts continued the faultless execution: pavlova and valrohna chocolate.
I’ll pretend I didn’t see the pod coffee machine or that I had no notice of bar rather than table seating.
An incredible dining experience, don’t miss it. Can’t wait to see what Scott brings to Yarra Bend.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
Matilda is a place similar to a pub and more suitable to people working around that place to have a couple of glasses of drink rather than a traditional modern fine dining place. The restaurant deco did impress me a lot but it was a quite noisy restaurant. Even the waiters couldn’t hear what we ordered but we had to repeat to confirm it. However, this won’t affect me to score this place.
For the starter, we ordered oysters. This dish is not an outstanding. But couldn’t blame the chef. I am seeking the oysters which are not only smooth, but also have rich and creamy flavour. This maybe achievable if tasting Tas oysters. The salmon roe was absolutely amazing. All the ‘bubbles’ kept exploding in the mouth and gave the freshness. The sardine was beautiful but I personally prefer the salmon roe.
We ordered baby octopus and spanner crab as the entrees. The jus of the baby octopus was smoky, well seasoned and bit spicy, comparing the crab, it’s a cold dish, but fresh and light. They are pretty similar to the combination of the fire and the ice.
For the main, we ordered baby barramundi which I think is a must if you want to visit Matilda. However, I will say the wagyu was the main reason to low my score to 4 instead of 5. It wasn’t as what I thought, the wagyu had too much texture taste feeling, in another words, it was bit chewy. I won’t recommend this dish.
Please please please order pink lady apple tarte tatin as the dessert!!! The pastry was so so so amazing! Normally, I wouldn’t go with a ‘warm’ dessert as a good finish, but this one probably will be the exemption. Comparing with the sorbet dessert, the pink lady one was my favourite dish for the night.
Overall, happy with the dishes, but it may be too noisy for dating purpose.
Everything is cooked over the charcoals here which is pretty awesome if you’re into that sort of stuff . The octopus was so delicious, sweet and rich . Followed by the duck for two which was caramelised, burnished and soft . Yeah it was a pretty good meal .
I love this place as the spanner crab dish is phenomenal, the food, service and ambience is top notch, a favourite local restaurant which I would recommend to family and friends
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
Matilda 159 has somehow meshed rustic outback chic with fine dining excellence. This is a highly attractive place to eat, not to mention unique. Earthy, is the word Your Dear Luncher would use to describe it. She delivers sensory delights from the moment you walk in. You get exciting optics with the prep areas and decor straight away.
Every need is attended to by smartly dressed staff. The Dear Luncher is of the belief that they would have even helped in the bathroom if such help was required. Well maybe this is a slight exaggeration. Speaking of the bathrooms, wow. You’re unlikely to find a better set of dunnies when you head out to eat in Melbourne.
WHY IS THIS GUY TALKING ABOUT THE TOILETS? THIS ISN’T LOO-MATO.
OK, onto the food and all that.
Bavette (the fancier, more appetizing word for flank steak) is what The Dear Luncher ordered for the main. Outstanding cut, tender and juicy. The only criticism would be that it felt a little lukewarm. Just off to the side of this bavette was some smoked bone marrow. The Dear Luncher used to enjoy boiled meat in this manner as youngster. Back in those days Your Dear Luncher would suck the marrow from the bone joyously. As a result this brought back some fond memories. No doubt this marrow was filled with all sorts of awesome nutrients. It was delicious, and it was colourful too …a bunch of flowery things adorned the marrow.
Mrs Luncher sampled the Whole tiger flathead with charred leek and fermented green pepper. Although she does freak out a little with fish heads. The sides were outstanding both in their beauty and originality. The Potatoes with crème-fraiche and onion ash were sensationally creamy and delicate. And the Butter lettuce with green tomato was what seemed like an entire head of lettuce, stunning …and fun to eat.
On either side of this mains, outstanding items. The burnt bran & spelt bread with aged butter and rillettes. This bread was baked in house and was magnificent. These rillettes, oh man. They didn’t look too appetizing, but the chicken was swimming in a glorious, salty white-cream dressing of some sort.
To finish off, L’Artisan Extravagant (FRENCH OR SOMETHING FOR FANCY SOFT CHEESE), …with a very delicate quince paste of some sort, alongside some soaked orange rind. There wasn’t much of it, but it was certainly a case of quality over quantity.
Quality establishment this. The Dear Luncher would like to return one day to battle with the Tomahawk steak.
4.5/5.
OMG....
smoked... smoked and smoked!!!
from the antipasto to the dessert...
maybe the taste tatin was a bit too smoke but the experience was fantastic
an amazing vue in the kitchen
i was really surprised
back soon
Lovely establishment, beautiful decor, good service. Food was great, couldn't fault. I'm usually not a sweet tooth, but dessert (macadamia mousse?) was heaven on a plate...
Wow. I didn't know what to expect when we tried this restaurant as I had always wished I'd make it to ESP but this was delightfully exceptional food. From the moment we stepped inside we were warmly greeted and well looked after. Food was served promptly as were the wines. I would recommend the salmon roe, spanner crab and the wagyu of which you could possibly cut with a butter knife. Out of the 7 dishes we had, we couldn't decide if there was anything we wouldn't order again. Although I will say the tarte tartin was a bit smoky for my liking but that's just nitpicking.
One of the best restaurant in Melbourne! A taste sensation, delicious courses. Everything was beautifully presented. The tastes were unique to every dish. The wine list is also wonderful. The decor and ambiance are amazing and the staff is very welcoming and genuinely amazing. Would definitely come again very soon.
Whenever Scott Pickett opens a new restaurant, expectations are high. Matilda, his newest restaurant, was no exception when it opened in the middle of 2018.
This the best restaurant in Melbourne! A taste sensation. We went for NY Eve degustation and it was 5 delicious courses. Everything was beautifully presented. The tastes were unique to every dish. Magnificently prepared. Scott is one of the best chefs. The team around him are great. Service is second to none.
The wine list is also wonderful! Thank you we will be back.
As you enter you feel like your in the bush from the smell of the timber and charcoal.
Beautiful food with great native Australia produce and flavours.
Service and the staff knowledge was amazing!
I really enjoyed the food here even though for some reason I was thinking I would probably be disappointed. Too often the hype is not lived up to... Servings are on the smaller end but not offensively so. Sharing in the middle was a great idea so you can sample lots. Even the butter and the bread get a mention from me. Every morsel has some kind of interesting flavours or twist you (well,I) just couldn’t achieve at home. A very sexy and moody vibe sets the tone when you walk in here. A trip to the bathroom makes even the most unobservant suddenly appreciate interior design. Whoever did this got it right. Excellent wines too. Thanks for a delicious meal and all in all a noteworthy experience.
For those of you that know me, you will know that Scott Pickett’s Saint Crispin restaurant has been one of my favourite restaurants for a long time. It’s one of those restaurants that I normally recommend when people ask me where they can get a taste of some quality food with great ambience, that’s not too ridiculously expensive.
first time trying here. Quick & excellent service, good ambient. Foods were exactly what you expected for its recently awarded 2 chef hats !! definitely coming back soon
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
Matilda is a very sexy restaurant. As soon as you walk in, you're in the mood for a glass of wine and some bloody good food.
We ordered the bread with rillettes, the salmon roe tartlet, the Lake's Entrance octopus, the spanner crab and the duck for two. The standout dishes were most definitely the spanner crab, which was served with the most delightful pillows of warm flatbread, and the duck, the best part of which was the breast. Fanned out on the plate and blushing a rosy shade of pink, it was everything a girl could ask for. The duck heart was also a delicious morsel, but less delicious were the lettuce cup and the confit leg parts of the bird, which were definitely outshone.
For dessert, we managed somehow to squeeze in the tarte tartin with smoked ice-cream and the imperial mandarin desserts. The tarte tartin was the best I've had yet, the caramelised apples stopping just short of burnt and emanating a glorious bitterness which was dulled by the sweetness of the smoked ice cream. An amazing pairing. The imperial mandarin dessert was different, but for me, had too much acidity (I know, blasphemy), which is not my preference when it comes to dessert. My qualms would have been put to rest with something creamy to balance out this otherwise amazing meal.
What a restaurant! The decor and ambience is amazing and the staff are very welcoming and genuinely friendly.
Booking is hard so make sure you book well in advance.
As for the food the starters and entrees were a hit and miss. The grilled sardines from the special menu was delicious and had a very Mediterranean flair to it. The bone marrow bun was so so, the lamb ribs were decent but came with an onion dip which amplified the flavour. Both my wife and I did not like the ceviche at all. Quite disappointing and the main reason why my score dropped from a 5 to a 4.
Definitely try the barramundi as it was delicious and my wagyu rump steak was phenomenal. I would definitely just come here just for the rump!
We were too full from the food to try dessert but would definitely come here again very soon!
Great place for dinner with friends. Food was great but honestly nothing special. The best dish was definitely the dry aged rib eye. We also ordered the salmon roe tart, spanned crab, baby octopus, barramundi, potato sides, potato ice cream, apple tart. Overall great food, great place!
Had dinner here last night and got a great seat at the bar in front of the grill section of the kitchen.
The service was very attentive and the cocktail suggestions were spot on.
We loved the bavette steak and the kangaroo.
Definitely a place to head to for a special occasion.
Food was good. Service was good! Price is a little high for a fine casual restaurant. Expect to spend roughly $200+ for two with a glass of wine each. The duck was delicious, crispy skin & cooked to perfection. The only fault was the duck leg and tapas wrap that came out, it was extremely ordinary and boring. (But no choice, it comes with the main whole duck.) The spanner crab with flat bread was also delicious, would visit again. The man himself was present, I guessed he really wanted to concentrate on Matilda that’s why he closed ESP.
I enjoyed the food and atmosphere of the restaurant. The waiters were very attentive and friendly. The dessert something called orange, it was very refreshing and nice as well :) I’ll definitely will come back !
Had a dinner here short notice with my partner - the staff were really accommodating and we were given a nice table.
The food was pretty damn good. We shared the caviar and ceviche to start. The smokiness of the ceviche mixed with the crispness of the apple was especially good, great balance.
For mains we had the scotch fillet (which was huge and well cooked!) and the barramundi. The barramundi was legitimately melt in the mouth and the addition of the Australian citruses was especially interesting.
We also had some potatoes and broccoli with cheddar for sides -- they were okay, they could definitely improve this part of the menu.
The wine list was well rounded with lots of different options - we had a red from Saint Emillion, which was of course... Amazing!
Service was attentive enough for how busy they were. We'll be back!
DO: The ribs, crab, fish and tarte tartin.
DONT: Go by yourself. Can't try more dishes.
TIP: Very busy, so you must book. Toilets look amaze
So this was a real winner, I would recommend this place to anyone. The service was great and the decor was beautiful. The food left us feeling extremely satisfied. My favourite dish was the spanner crab hands down! You must have that dish when you go! Next time for me will be a round of spanner crab and the pineapple dessert - amazing!
The entree were good but severely overpriced
Staff very knowledgeable and main (steak) very good
The only issue is that we were in and out (830 booking) in an hour and 20 min and for that price we would have eaten a degustation at simple restaurant and spent a few hours there
Came here for a birthday dinner and it was just amazing. Was so surprised at how everything was cooked so amazingly. The ribs and whole fish were absolute standout dishes. Perfect service. A really beautiful special occasion restaurant.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
I first heard about Matilda 159 in a food guide to the best 50 restaurants in Melbourne. I bookmarked this as a must go-to place and finally got the chance to dine last night. South Yarra is always a busy place and tonight was no exception. We managed a park close to the restaurant and were greeted at the door by a waiter who then showed us to our seat. The first thing you see inside is the kitchen - a sleek, long and vibrant place, complete with wood ovens, fires and preparation stations.
Once seated we perused the menu before settling on some Sydney oysters, spanner crab, lamb ribs, kingfish, barramundi, roast duck, broccolini and mandarin snow for dessert. A fantastic culinary experience highlighted by the duck and ribs. Both were melt in your mouth wonderful. I would suggest ordering more greens to offset the oil from the meat though.
Service was okay, professional and friendly. Was slower than one might expect but given the number of diners, certainly nothing to complain about. Definitely a place to visit! Highly recommended.
We decided to go fine dining for our anniversary. Heard a lot of good reviews about this restaurant and we had to go to see for ourselves. As expected the food was crazy good, very unique and modern. The staff were very friendly and professional. Highly recommended. I would say it’s very PUCKALIOUS
Chronicles Of A Foodie
+5
This place blew me away, new favourite for sure, the food is out of this universe. I can’t tell you how good this place is. Everything we tried was so flavoursome and quality. We started with oysters, ox tongue and pork rillettes and then had the smoked spanner crab with burnt butter and flat breads which was sensational.
For mains we had the special of the evening which was the ribeye on the bone for two with shiitake mushrooms and roasted potatoes in hay. This was one of the best rib eyes we have ever had.
Can’t recommend this restaurant anymore!
The service, wines and food is definitely something to rave on about!!!!
Matilda did not disappoint. Scott Pickett is definitely talented. The ambience was beautiful. The service was amazing with the waiters being attentive. The waiters gave a back story to all the food and was able to answer any questions asked. The duck is a must try along with the crab. Will definately be back to try more.
My partner and I decided to come here for a date night. When we arrived, we were warmly welcomed by the waiter and was seated soon after. We were sitting right in front of the kitchen. All the dishes that we ordered was beyond perfection. Our favourite was the crab so that's a must order. During our meal, we witnessed the head chef going off at his workers so that really ruined the mood for us and didn't really feel like eating anymore so we just grabbed the bill and left. Other than that, it was good
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
The many parts of a restaurant experience that come together in a few short hours are always difficult to capture. Ultimately they translate to an overall whole that dictates your first words to describe the experience, and the likelihood of whether you’ll be back quickly, or ever at all.
What sticks out initially is how we got to Matilda; or rather how we didn’t get to France-Soir. Thinking about an important occasion I had a sudden feeling I’d like to go back to try France-Soir so immediately Catherine called mid-week about 8.45pm to make a booking. The person who answered the phone with no introduction, and asked booking details with no friendliness and a fair bit of rudeness, left us so underwhelmed that we called back the next day to cancel.
Sure, it was during service, but what were we to do when the restaurant only takes phone bookings? You would think they would at least be adept enough to say the name of the restaurant and their own name and then use a couple of please’s and thank you’s. On the flip side a new and trendy restaurant with an online booking service provided a much better introduction to their restaurant!
Extremely good looking restaurant that’s for sure. Lovely open kitchen and really high end finishes. Ordered the 1kg Ribeye to share... obviously good in size, could have done with some more flame grill char on the outside and there were a couple of tough bits which you don’t expect when paying $110 however majority of it was sensational but could of done with a bit more salt. Service was attentive and knowledgeable. Good spot for a special occasion dinner.
This place is a little gem! We had a birthday next door and came in for a quick bite beforehand and have been blown away! The spanned crab was spectacular and the house made flat bread with prawn butter ... no words can describe. My hubby had the aged scotch fillet and it melted. Also the wine sommelier was amazing and suggested a wonderful drop with the Izway Grenache. Will definitely be back!
Matilda 159 boasts an impressive, smart, modern fit-out showcasing lots of timber and rustic arrangements behind glass. Areas of the interior are quite dark and moody adding to the ambience. The open kitchen, located as soon as you enter the restaurant, features several areas where the chef’s produce dishes cooked over open flames and hot coals which inspires their ‘journey’. It’s casual fine dining with the associated price tag!
A gem of a place. The food was brilliant, the service was smooth, the interior with its rarefied-dimly-lit atmosphere was genuinely interesting and the team remembered a special request - thanks guys!
Ordering per the way the menu is set up would definitely push the $ beyond the zomato average of $140 for two, though one would have a great time spending the average.
We came to Matilda 159 Domain on a cold Tuesday evening. And it was packed. It didn't take us long to work out why.
All the food is cooked over open fire. And all the food is excellent. We had the lamb ribs to start and the Wagyu, and duck for mains.
Every mouthful was delicious.
Highly recommended.
Very nice restaurant. Simple decor but neat and stylish layout.
Food wise, the bush lamb was the best dish of the night. Very very soft, nice flavour and a beautiful touch of panko crumbs sprinkled on top.
Mains were the pork belly, which was ok, but the sauce did not cut the fattiness of the meat. Good but not special.
The charred porterhouse had really nice flavour, nicely cooked and had more texture as you would expect from that cut.
Service was excellent and friendly.
A little in the pricey side, but I like it.
Food was great, my favourite was the barramundi. It was perfectly cooked to my liking.
I would also suggest crab if you are looking for a cold dish.
Service was also nice and the hosts helped us in explaining the menu.
The only disappointment was that I booked a table to celebrate my friend’s bday(as specified in the description) but we were told that we can’t have the cake on the table. I understood that it’s your policy but it is bummer who wants to celebrate a joyous occasion hence the 4star.
My fav is still the dressed Fraser Island spanner crab dish even after 3rd visit! Great atmosphere, fine service (not very chatty/friendly but professional), good wine list. If you love coal/wood fired food and want to dial it up a notch or two - luxe mode, this is the place to experience. I enjoyed the salt bush lamb ribs too, whereas my partner devoured his oysters with bone marrow & humongous dry aged steak!
Family had the Chef’s 4 Course earlier in the week. The food was delicious, with the gnocchi and steak as stand outs. We all were left wanting with the dessert - it was a granita but the combination left me with a breakfast yoghurt impression. We had let Matilda 159 know it was my uncle’s birthday and my aunt’s milestone birthday - as we weren’t able to bring outside cake (completely reasonable), we were a tad disappointed that the dessert was a bit lacklustre (although it did have an appealing smokey effect so perhaps it had been chosen due to the initial impact). The waiters were kind enough to include a candle.
It was good… but for the price it wasn’t great, you know? Mates girlfriend had the fish which tasted like it had been frozen. Otherwise, it was pretty good. Decor was great and the service was nice!
Good vibe and hospitality overall ^^
Dishes are nice…..but for person who eats very clean or healthy like me… the lamb rib would be too salty and greasy…. it’s like eating fat rather than meat. I shared the dish with my friend and I had two… from the two of them that I had, the only thing I could see from the rib is fat ^^
If you like fat, you would love it 😊
We also ordered warm lettuce salad … the dressing was perfect. Definitely love it!
An error has occurred! Please try again in a few minutes