Review Templestowe Living Room - Templestowe

Nice ambience, delicious food and a good selection of wine! Would love to come back and try other food.

Atmosphere is wonderful. Food was delicious. Price was great . Customer service was excellent . Will come back again. Went there first time for Sunday lunch , kids enjoyed there meal too. Husband had the fish , I had chicken, girls shared a chicken and chips, they had a milk shake and Fanta , husband has a cider , all but $98 and was worth it .

Always enjoy dinner here. Could only get an 8pm booking. Order taken quickly and a bottle of wine and water delivered as expected. However, it took about 40 minutes for the garlic bread to come and an hour and ten minutes for the main course to come. Too late to eat! We almost finished the wine before the main meal arrived. Disappointing as we really like this place. There seemed to be plenty of waiters but maybe not enough kitchen staff?

Templestowe Living Room hosted 29 people for a retirement function and we were super impressed with the food and service. It’s unusual to receive such delicious food when catering for a large number. They were also super considerate when being out food to note that someone was speaking and so they held onto her meal until she was ready. Would definitely recommend for a large group gathering.

Great venue for celebrations with partners or groups. Extensive menu & knowledgeable long term chef. On the ball service by experienced & friendly wait staff. ( I'm a regular customer )

Absolutely fabulous!! The young man who served us was very attentive all night and the food was sublime. We'll be returning...what a gem!

Went for brunch on Suncay. The light lunch menu had a very good selection. My salmon turkish bread roll was completely diasappointing. I opened the roll in search of salmon. There was so little salmon. And the rest of the menu stated ingredients was equally very very low in quantity. Majority of ingredientents came in the form of rocket. Any very ordinary cafe would have done better. The chips which came with it were very good but this is a very over priced and very high carb lunch. Needs a rethink. More generosity and care. Living Room has a reputation. Hard to see why.

Amazing food, amazing staff so friendly, would come back here every Friday if i could

Ive been here several times and really enjoyed the meal and service. However, last night I was somewhat disappointed. I had the bruschetta to start with which had a soggy bottom and tomato had a flowery appearance and taste....not fresh! I then followed it with a salmon dish which as much as it was eatable, was rather tasteless. Certainly not a taste sensation. Couldn't taste the salmon amongst the cream dressing which it was smothered with and the salmon was dry. It was sliced so thinly that you would t even know it was salmon and was so over cooked. It's such a shame, the resturant has a great vibe and menu is ok. When spending $170 for two people including one bottle of wine, I do expect a lot more....sorry ��

The other night we had interstate family down and decided to go out to The Living Room for a semi fancy family catch up dinner. Well we won't be doing that again. The first annoyance was finding out after waiting nearly an hour for our meals that because 1/15 decided to get some Turkish bread and dip for a few to snack on before our mains came, our tables orders were put to the back of the que. Eventually after an hour had passed the mains started to come out with a good 25 minute difference between the first person getting their meal and the last. I understand we were a large group however most of the table had their meals within 10 minutes and three members of our family were left wondering if they were going to get their food. Thus most of our family had finished before they even got their food. Some enjoyed their meals. Others not so much. My partner ordered one of the steaks. First mouthful and it was cold, it wasn't even warm to the touch. When we told one of the wait staff, who clearly has never cooked nor eaten medium rare stake, and were told that medium rare stake will never be warm. You can only have well done stake that's warm because to make the steak warm it has to be cooked well. THAT WAS A FIRST. I have no idea where she got that bollox of an idea from. She offered my parter a different dish but he was really looking forward to steak. So she said she would see what they could do. 15 minutes+ later out comes the same piece of steak reheated with more onion on top and placed next to the polenta chips to attempt to hide that they hadn't even cooked up a fresh piece for him in that time. The stake however was tastey but not worth $38 and all the messing around. I ordered the chicken medallions which were incredibly dry, under seasoned and bland The sweet potato, quinoa and corn was nice, however didn't make up for the chicken which I couldn't even finish. We also tried the fondant pudding which was rather nice but again not worth the $14 after all the trouble we went through. Save yourself the time and money, go to your local pub for half the price and have a better experience.

Dips were tasteless, pasta did not have enough flavor-seemed to not have any seasoning and apple crumble desert was not sweet at all apart from the ice cream which did not balance well together...however the waiter that served us was excellent, best service in a long time, just a shame the food was not good.

Great food, wine and service, this is one of the best restaurants in the area and I love their Crispy Skin Barramandi.

We have always enjoyed our evenings at The Living Room. There is always a friendly welcome from the wonderful Lona and the staff are courteous and attentive. The food never fails to delight and the atmosphere especially in winter with the lovely fire is so inviting. See you there soon

Great food, service and ambience! Have been here many times and have never been disappointed. Thank you, Living Room.

Staff were great, food was excellent and parking available. A very enjoyable lunch

Living Room.... Excellent food, Amazing service, an absolute pleasure to have dinned at the restaurant last night to celebrate my 50th. We had a great time, you made us all feel very welcome....thank you.

It was amazing the food was delicious the service and the ambiance was great. We had a great time and we will go back again and again.

This restaurant never fails to impress, every visit to this restaurant is fantastic, food is impressive and service cannot be faulted.

Great food the Serive is nice, will come back! Thanks Living room.

Great food, service was rude. The main lady who was organising all the tables was so abrupt and everytjjng was just too hard. I wasn’t drinking - after she had offered me wine and looked shocked when I said no, she moved on without offering another alternative. Just one example of the many things she did to offend.

Enjoyed a delicious meal, with many gluten free options. Nice ambience.

I love the living room! Just had breaky there again with my mum! Amazing food, fantastic service and delicious coffee!! So so good! They have service down to an art! Food is so fresh and so yummy! Can't wait to come by again soon! Dinner is also especially amazing!

I have been coming to The Living Room off and on for several years and after a long hiatus I returned with a friend.<br/>Nothing has changed (except the menu). The superb choices of dishes, great staff and warm atmosphere continues.<br/>We arrived on Friday night with a lovely greeting from the staff. We were seated at one of my favourite tables and that's when the great service begins.<br/>I could focus on the food but it goes without saying. The food is always superb with a nice choice of wine that complements each meal.<br/>However, what I noticed more than ever was the attentiveness of the staff. First - they listen. Listen to our tastes, thoughts and likes. They make gentle selections and expand our options for dining.<br/>My friend and I ordered the same meal although one was a main the other an entree. From order to table was 20 minutes. In the meantime we drank a stunning Yangarra Shiraz. Our glasses discreetly topped up. No intrusion on our private, intimate conversation.<br/>Once our meals arrived we were offered extra freshly grated Parmesan and black pepper - then left alone to eat. Just before we'd finished the waiter checked in. Nice. Discreet. Not asking for anything more than 'how's your meal?'<br/>The Living Room was full this night as it is many nights, so book in advance and if you can't make it at least be courteous and let them know.<br/>It's the people and culture behind a place like this that makes it great. So I decided to snap some if the staff. Fun. Friendly. Professional.<br/>There is plenty of parking around but do look at the limitations as inspectors are quick off the mark.<br/>This place is wheelchair friendly with a ramp at the rear.<br/>Kid friendly but more so earlier in the evening. High chair available.<br/>Toilets clean and regularly checked.<br/>I know locals who come here regularly and I will continue to visit as my restaurant of choice with a new date.<br/>Thank you to all staff for making it another memorable night.

Lovely service.<br/>I had the broccoli salad with added smoked salmon, and my husband had turkey on the specials menu. Both dishes were reasonably portioned and wine was delish. Staff were friendly.

Very good food, not too ambitious but interesting and delicious. The service was very good too, did everything quickly and effectively - no hovering or getting in the way.<br/>The calamari and chorizo starter was delicious, as was the crab risotto. <br/>Highly recommend a visit - not too expensive either for good portions.

Good food and service. Decent sized servings and reasonable price. They have a decent and reasonable priced wine list too.

This restaurant deserves a 3.5.<br/>The staff were nice and attentive. Our table was lovely.<br/>But... The entree... Well.... $16 for 3 burnt balls of somehow undercooked fritters is ridiculous.<br/>The main was nice though. My pasta was tasty, creamy and a decent serve, unfortunately the prawns were not all evenly cooked (some were chewy). My partners steak was delicious, but meagre. A larger serve would have been better.<br/>Overall, not bad, but not amazing.

Greeted by cheerful staff for brunch, the menu was fairly standard, coffee was not too bad, and food came out quite quickly. The big breakfast certainly lived up to its name and the eggs atlantic was delicious, definitely recommended

Fine dining kind of set up with good food and wine. Mature place to dine as it attracts a lot of older people in the area so wouldn’t go there for a date but the food was good.

My family and I have been here a number of times, lovely food, calm and peaceful atmosphere. My only negative is that last time we went it took almost 45 minutes to get our food.<br/>When we eventually got our food it was tasty!

We have been here many times and find the ambience, service and food to be great. There is an extensive menu available and prices are reasonable with good sized serves. My only criticism is it's not family friendly so unless your kids are happy to sit still, be quiet and stay in their seats, I wouldn't recommend it for families with young kids as the owner doesn't seem to like kids much. Otherwise highly recommended!!

Need a coffee fix in the late afternoon but most of the cafe in this area were already closed. We drove another round, and saw this well setting restaurant. Hesitated to go in since we only want a coffee, but then we asked one of the staff.<br/>He kindly offered us to sit inside, cleared one small table from the wine glasses etc they had prepared for dinner guests, and took our coffee order. Very nice of him!<br/>The latte itself was nice, hot and creamy, and the chai latte was gorgeous. <br/>With the service like this, I will definitely come back to try their lunch/dinner. <br/>

Stuff are nice the food is good steak is nice there tiramisu is good but there food is not the best I've ever had it is still really nice tho do a lot of more basic dishes which I quite like

Highly recommend going here! The staff were fantastic. We were served by Penny and Maree, they super friendly and provided great service. The food was delicious, eggs were cooked to perfection. We will definitely be recommending this to friends.

Came here for breakfast, food was average. We ordered poached eggs which came out hard boiled and mushrooms were completely over cooked. The service was professional, and we did not wait long for the food to come. The price was reasonable considering the portions. Hesitant to come back again, maybe we will try their dinner?

Great food and pleasent atmosphere. Enjoyed a lovely pasta dish. Great addition to Templestowe village............... ........................

My vegetarian and I had a lovely night out recently at the Living Room in Templestowe. A modern Australian restaurant, the menu has a nice breadth and depth and the service was friendly and relatively discrete.<br/><br/>My vegetarian had the chickpea fritters and found them delicious, moist in the middle and perfectly crispy on the outside. My steak was charred well and nicely medium rare. The only down sides were the sauces, for while they were delicious, they were inadequate in volume for the dishes and left us chasing the meagre puddles around the plate. Chips were fluffy and crispy, kale was lovely, though crying out for garlic.<br/><br/>Dessert however, was amazing. The chai pannacotta was sublime and creamy, and the chocolate fondant rich and thick. We did trade ice-cream though, with the raspberry cutting through the fondant and the vanilla allowing the pannacotta to shine.<br/><br/>I'd love there to be a more extensive wine list, but the evening was very pleasant indeed.<br/><br/>Nice. Really nice.

I have very little tolerance for bad service,no matter how good the food is.<br/><br/>My friend organised a Mother's Day dinner for a group of mums. The restaurant suggested that we do set menu for the group. We ended up only having 4 people when booking the table and my friend said we might be able to do a la cart due to the size of the group. <br/><br/>So I arrived at there first and requested to have a look at their normal menu. <br/><br/>Seconds after I got the menu, another lady (who seems to be in a senior role) came to me and said in a very rude tone (and I quote) 'Why do you need an a la cart menu??' I was like... huh??? I told her that we thought we might be able to order from the a la cart as well due to the size of the group. <br/><br/>She said, in a very unpleasant manner, 'We've organised the set menu for you so you can't order from a la cart.' Then she grabbed the normal menu and walked away. <br/><br/>Ok - first of all I am not sure that you can talk to the customer in a tone like that. All I asked was to view the normal menu. I'd be happy to go with the set menu if that was the deal. All she has to do is to explain to me in a nice tone and in a civilised manner, but apparently it was very hard for her to do so. <br/><br/>I am not sure I will visit again. I don't want to spend the money and then have service like today's again.

Located just off James Street, we once again ventured to this part of Templestowe Village in search for good food places. With a lovely warm ambience, it was not surprising that this place filled up quickly into the night. <br/><br/>The friendly lady in charge was busy but attentive with ordertaking and providing suggestions. <br/><br/>The food on the other hand was really good and well delivered, and we especially enjoyed the warm and moist Turkish bread, the Spiced Sweet Potato Soup and the delicious Orange Almond cake. Noted their portions were big too and nice for sharing.<br/><br/>So this has been especially well rated for their food and ambience, "living" up to its good name. It was a lovely evening spent and would recommend this place a visit.<br/><br/>🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟Warm Turkish Bread<br/>🌟🌟🌟✨Antipasto<br/>🌟🌟🌟🌟✨Spiced Sweet Potato Soup *Daily Soup*<br/>🌟🌟🌟✨Barramundi *market fresh fish fillet*<br/>🌟🌟🌟✨Pork Belly<br/>🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟Orange Almond Cake

Friendly place for lunch - good service, a lighter set of options for lunch. Side of kale with pancetta and beans was great. Interesting wine list at fair prices.

Dined here with friends on Sunday for lunch. Have been here many times before and always return for the great food and service. We shared the 2 bruschetta’s with the table – traditional one and smoked chicken one – we preferred the traditional one but both still good. For main I had the barramundi which was a special but really wanted to try the lamb loin & croquettes so hoping to go back again soon and try that. Make sure you save room for dessert – I shared the choc fondant pudding and the sticky date & ginger pudding – OMG they are both delicious and I recommend any diners to save room to enjoy one or both of these desserts. Service was friendly and punctual. One of the couples had a toddler with them and the wait staff were great at offering things to keep her entertained and happy so we all could enjoy our lunch outing. Another great dining experience here and hope to return again in the future. This place is in the entertainment book so you get a nice discount off your total bill at the end.

Generous breakfasts. Veggie big breakfasts are fresh and good value. Suburban feel - nothing edgy about this place - but very clean, nice service and decent food. Recommend for a local brunch if you are in the area.

Came here with a voucher I was given with my wife and daughter. The service is very friendly and the staff are lovely. <br/>The portions are big and we couldn't finish everything.<br/>Definitely worth a visit if your in the area.

The calamari is crispy outside but very tender inside, really good. The chai panna cotta texture is more like cream than a text book warbling texture, but the chai favor is there. The strawberry sorbet is very nice. The shortbread has strong macadamia nutty favor, my favorite nut, yummy.

Ordered polenta calamari salad for lunch. Came with a tablespoon of pumpkin , could count the quinoa and no taste to calamari apart from salt . Wow ! Really disappointing- never go back . Staff were polite but big fail on food. Felt I needed to say something and were offered a free drink. I didn't complain for a free drink . I thought management would be more interested in why I couldn't eat a basic salad! Good luck !

It would have been a good lunch if only Saturday Lunch chef had bothered to check my Calamari properly - so very underdone some of it was totally  yes, totally, raw.  The whole dish was also overall the most tasteless as in lacking flavour, as the dressing was sparse and added nothing despite being able to see small pieces of things. The plus was that I did not get sick after it. I could not make an issue of it as I was with friends who are regulars there and other aspects appeared good - cool and inviting on a hot day.  I would hope this is a 'one off mistake'. The service was attentive, friendly and prompt.

A great local restaurant whether you're looking for a nice casual meal out, or are celebrating something special. I used to work at this restaurant a few years ago, and prior to that my family and I used to come here to celebrate special occasions. The loyalty of their customers over the years shows just how consistently impressive this restaurant is. <br/><br/>Most recently, my family and I dined here to celebrate my mum's birthday.  The service was very pleasant and attentive throughout our night. And as always, the food was tasty and well-presented. Standouts for me were something as simple as their foccacia bread, which arrived warm on the plate with oil/balsamic vinegar and butter, with the seeded bread being crusty on the outside and fluffy on the inside. The Pork Belly and Lamb Loin (With lamb croquette) main meals were full of flavour, and very hearty in portion size. For dessert, if you like Chai Tea flavour, go for the Chai Pannacotta, as the subtle chai spice flavour in the silky smooth pannacotta perfectly tickled the palate. Paired with a crispy short bread, textural components were exciting, however the delicious strawberry gelato could have featured on its own... Sticky date and Ginger pudding was also a winner with vanilla bean ice cream. Thanks guys for another awesome dining experience!

A great place for a special night out of fine dining, but do expect to pay a little more for this. Certainly one of the best in the area. A wide choice of entrees, mains and deserts. My risotto was superb. The service was good and after a brief period of inattention after we were seated was attentive and engaging through the remainder of the evening.

Sensational dining experience. Very surprised to see negative reviews on this restaurant. The entrees and mains were exceptional, great atmosphere and friendly staff (although they didn't really say much other than thank you and brilliant, a bit of personality would have gone a long way). Strongly recommend if you're looking for somewhere nice for a special night out.

For $3.50 for a standard cup which was awesome ill give you a 5! Barista done a great job too! Nice little spot. Menu looks great. Surprisingly big looking from the outside

A small cozy restaurant in the beautiful Templestowe area, the pasta was amazingly yummy, even the kids menus tasted very good !! Service was great! The staff were very friendly and considerate. Definitely would come back and recommend to friends !

I went to The Living Room a couple of weeks ago with my partner for a date night. It was the second time we'd been the first time was maybe a year and a half ago. <br/>The service is excellent, friendly and knowledgeable. I really enjoyed my duck ragu gnocchi, honestly the best meal I've had in a very long time the meat was so tender and the gnocchi itself was perfect and not dense or starchy at all. I ordered the main and it was way too big and I'm a big eater. Best part was they let me take the rest home. My partner really enjoyed his mushroom risotto and finished it all. We also shared a bruschetta at the start of the meal a bottle of red wine and the Chai Brûlée for dessert which was delicious and all reasonably priced I believe. I can't wait to go back and try more from the gorgeous looking menu. <br/>Thanks Living Room

Entrees and mains were delicious. Good variety on the menu. Service was a bit slow. The desserts were hit & miss. I was wanting the crumble with quince as was listed in the full menu. When the smaller dessert only menu was presented the crumble was not a quince one. I questioned this & the waiter just said - oh that's the old menu. How about changing it? Coffees were average.

I headed to the Living Room for a catch up dinner with a girlfriend on a Monday night. The restaurant was clean with soft, date-friendly lighting & the service was helpful & professional.<br/><br/>My friend ordered the salmon special and I ordered the entree-sized mushroom risotto. It was a decent size piece of salmon & was paired with a healthy salad & bean salsa. No complaints from my friend - if I didn't know any better I assumed she had licked the plate clean.<br/><br/>This is not the first time I've come here & had a pasta/risotto dish. I was not disappointed again. My risotto was full of flavor & texture - I don't even like mushrooms! The entree size initially feels small, but sit for 10, have a sip of water & you should have enough room for dessert without busting a button.<br/><br/>So without hesitation we ordered desserts too - sticky date pudding & the chai brûlée. The one thing about the desserts is that you'd probably need a tea or coffee with them; water just does not cut it. Cut through the sugar, that is. The sweetness is off the Richter scale, so be prepared. Nevertheless, they were both delectable and like usual, we hoovered these down without question.<br/><br/>There's not a lot of choice in Templestowe, so while I wouldn't go out of my way to come back, it's one of the better restaurants of the short list of options.

Living in the area for over 11 years, I'm ashamed to say I have entertained the thought of having dinner here (or lunch) but never did. ...until a couple of weeks ago. I guess I was always more inclined to go to restaurants with a particular theme....you know...a malaysian restaurant..a mexican or Italian one...The living room is modern Australian...which is kinda the food I cook at home. I had always wanted to eat out at restaurants whose food I don't cook often at home...at least not well enough!. Well we thought it's about time we came here as it is usually booked out most nights so it mustn't be too bad. Well....yeah it wasn't too bad after all. The menu is actually quite extensive, with a whole page devoted to specials alone!. I was actually having a hard time deciding what to have. We had a couple of appetizers and for mains I had the duck breast and my companion had a steak dish. Both were beautifully presented and quite substantial in size (although we struggled to eat it all, after the appetizers) . If you are after food that will wow you with flavour...then this is not the place. The food is more subtle in flavour. The wine/spirit list is equally extensive. The service is exceptional. The only thing perhaps I would fault it is, we were asked to order everything from the start (as we were told it's easier for the chefs to time the dishes...???) I might have ordered something lighter for a main course if I knew the appetisers would be so filling (as we ordered a side of potatoes too, which we didnt eat). Maybe its their way of getting you to order more.

Went to lunch with my family and enjoyed a delicious meal. Everything was cooked perfectly and the service was friendly and punctual. Will be coming back!

Have eaten here once before with a couple of girlfriends on a sunny Sunday arvo. When the food came out the presentation was on point - it looked beautiful and we were excited to tuck in. However the food seemed to lack a lot of flavor. Great outdoor area and I recall the service was lovely. Will give it another try soon.

We recently went back to The Living Room for my birthday - and they delivered again. Good food, good service - all around a good night! We shared the turkish bread + olive oil and their sweet potato & chickpea fritters for entrees - both very nice! I had the mushroom risotto, very nice but could've been mixed a bit better. Hubby and father-in-law had the steak, tasty yet again! And my mother-in-law had the Barramundi which she thought was amazing, she's going to go back and have it again. The table shared some green beans & desiree potatoes - both quite tasty. Hubby and I shared the Sticky Date Pudding for desert, good but nothing over the top. Father-in-law had the Chai Brulee which he really liked. Consistently good, nothing to blow you away, but good enough to continue going to :-)

Food is usually good but last night I was disappointed, I don't know what was it but food didn't taste the same , lack in taste. Service was ok, nothing over the top.

This is one solid little restaurant that the 'burbs can be proud of! Well priced, cozy and professional. To find out what dish is comparable to a 'Rockpool' quality meal -- and which Wifey Bear curiously thought must have been created for Bigfoot or a Giant, click ↓↓ the link ↓↓ below! :-D

Horrendous service. Family lunch here on Sunday involved 1 hour wait for entrée and 2 hour wait for main, after which staff decided to approach us and apologise, then another 45 minute wait for them to cut up the birthday cake , which we made and brought to the restaurant and it arrived at the table upon repeated requests.. still not cut up. Horrible service, will never return let alone with two children which we spent the entire time trying to keep occupied.

We love this restaurant.  Stumbled across it a while ago and after a second visit will definitely return.  The menu isn't huge, but the quality is terrific.  The calamari is sensational and the Pork Belly is worth the visit.  In the desserts the Tira Misu certainly is good.

Great food always and the service is a hit and miss sometimes but generally quite good . The coffee is spot on . Atmosphere is always warm and the outside area great

Stopping in for a quick lunch on a Sunday isn't too busy and food is fantastic, can't go past the chicken or steak Turkish. Fills a spot every time. Would highly recommend this place for a good quick lunch. I've heard dinners are just as good if not better.

One of the very best restaurants around.  Always comfortable, with great ambience, great service and wonderful food.<br/>Breakfast is always relaxing with fantastic menu choices available.  Coffee requests are not ignored.<br/>Lunch is fabulous with amazing Seafood Bouillabaisse, and equally amazing other choices.  Wine list is top class.<br/>Will continue to eat here always.

We had a family dinner here for the first time. The restaurant looked nice and clean. The service was very good, we were looked after by a female waitress who was very polite. The food took a little bit long to serve but it was nice. I ordered eye fillet steak, linguine marinara and some salad for a side dish. The steak was a little over cooked, but the chai brûlée was divine, you need to try it. Food price was average and was reasonable.

Really can't fault this restaurant, the staff were really good and attentive, even though it was really busy when we were there, all the food we had was really good and there were a lot of great options, the desserts looked really good too but we were too full to have one, maybe next time!  I am looking forward to going there again. I do agree with the review below though, it would be nice if their menu was updated on their website in case you're looking forward to ordering something and it's not there.

Good food and attentive service. The dessert Chai brulee is highly recommended.<br/>Just one suggestion: The menu on the website needs to be updated as there are some variation to the actual menu in the restaurant.

Great food and great service.<br/><br/>Have eaten here half a dozen times and tried a variety of dishes, never disappoints and we will certainly be back.

I dined at the Templestowe Living Room for father’s day dinner and I wish I had not<br/>.<br/>Upon arrival we were greeted by a polite waitress who’s first words were “We have 60 people arriving at 6.00pm so it would be best to get your order in quickly”. We quickly decided what to have and upon her return we asked for drinks, My son asked her “is the Blue Moon Belgian beer from Belgium?” She smiled! So he asked again “is the Blue Moon Belgian beer from Belgium?” “oh yes” she replied, so my son ordered one. My wife ordered a salad, my son a main size serving of Atlantic Salmon Frittata, my daughter the Oven roasted duck and I had the 300gm fillet steak from the specials menu. We also added a portion of polenta chips.<br/><br/>After ordering these meals the waitress said “and for entre? if you don’t order entre you will wait 40 minutes for your mains?” It would seem to me that ordering more food would cause more delays, but on her advice we ordered bread with dips. The bread and dips came out after about 20 minutes and was very enjoyable. The problem was that after we had finished the entre that we really did not want we still waited a further 40 minutes for our mains.<br/><br/>My wife’s salad was fine but quite honestly the other three meals were a joke!!<br/><br/>My son’s Atlantic Salmon Frittata was ordered as a main size serve, it was not a main size serve. The matchbox size portion of salmon sliced over the frittata he had was not worth $27.50. We even had the waiter that brought it to us go back and check it was a main size serving. The salmon was also over cooked.<br/><br/>My daughters duck was also over cooked and dry. I though as it was duck leg and thigh and cooked slow it would be tender not chewy.<br/><br/>My meal was the biggest disappointment. When it came up I asked the waiter where the potatoes were? He held up the polenta chips! I said “they are not potatoes I am sure I read potatoes on the menu” He took the dish back and what I think was the manageress came over with a menu. “What would you like to change your order to?” she said “I don’t want to change my order I want the potatoes” I re-read the menu and realised it came with a sweet potato puree. So apart from the steak all I had on my plate was a stripe of sweet potato puree put on with a paint brush, 2 Small florets of pickled cauliflower and 2 of the smallest portabella mushrooms I have ever seen. Hats off to the chef for cooking my blue steak well, but it was not a tender steak at all.<br/><br/>All in all it was a father’s day diner ruined. When we went to pay it came to over $180.00, the manageress offered us $20.00 off of our bill. We declined the offer and used an entertainment voucher instead for $35.00 off of the bill. We left the place and looked at the bill to find they had added potatoes to the bill for $8.50 and I had never seen them!!! We went back and complained and got the $8.50 back without as much as an apology.<br/><br/>Now I appreciate that it was a busy father’s day, but that is not really my problem. Put more staff on the cut the wait time down, or take less bookings if you cannot handle that many. If the waitress had advised me that there was not really anything accompanying the steak I would have ordered sides, but you cannot call 2 pickled florets of cauliflower and 2 portabella mushrooms the size of a 20 cent coin a side!!

Always had great experiences at The Living Room: friendly service, and amazing food and beverages. A little bit on the pricey side, but they never fail to impress, so you don't mind paying that little bit extra.

This was the first time I've been for about two years.  Went with two friends for lunch and I couldn't fault it.  Service was great, everyone was pleasant and the food was superb.  We had 4 entrees, 1 main course and 2 deserts.  All were terrific.  We're about to book again for Monday lunch.

Having been here many times and always been extremely satisfied with both the food and the service, our most recent visit for lunch of Saturday has changed that. While the food was delicious as we have come to expect, the service was very poor; chaotic and disorganised. <br/>We were given our menus then ignored until we flagged someone down to take our order, however the waitress appeared distracted and walked off before our table had finished ordering. <br/>We then had to request a drinks menu and someone to take our drinks order. A different waitress returned to tell us they did not have any iced tea so I asked for a water instead but it never arrived. Although the food was really good, I was very disappointed in the service.

Had a lovely lunch at the Living Room on Tuesday.  Service was warm, friendly and very attentive, fire was roaring, great on a cold day and food was delicious.  Have been here a number of times over the last few years and it is always consistently good.  Highly recommend.

I love the living room! Just had breaky there again with my mum! Amazing food, fantastic service and delicious coffee!! So so good! They have service down to an art! Food is so fresh and so yummy! Can't wait to come by again soon! Dinner is also especially amazing!

Never disappointed here. Great food and always consistent. On very busy nights can take a little long for food to arrive. Polenta chips are delicious as is the linguine marinara. Desserts are great too.

Visited for lunch as a large group. We received pleasant service and enjoyed the variety of their menu. Food was typical modern Australian cafe food with some hits and some misses around the table. Portion sizes were a bit strange... for example some entree size pastas were larger than other main size pastas. Overall, a nice lunch for our large group, but could find this type and quality of food almost anywhere.

Enjoyed a great mid-week dinner. Started with great wine and appetizers (yummy dips and soup). Then had seriously the best pork belly (main menu) I've ever had! YUM YUM YUM!!! <br/>Finished with delicious tart for dessert. <br/>Very friendly service- highly recommend this little urban treasure!<br/>

Glad we re-visited this place. Had been here many years ago and food, service and atmosphere were ok - but nothing amazing to write about. Went there last week as a group of 6 and we were suitably impressed. The food was lovely and there were choices for everyone. Good service. Nice wine list and close to home....its kinda ticking all my boxes for a nice lunch venue. Sitting outside on the balcony on a lovely sunny autumn day, well that helped too!

Had a fab meal here again tonight. Barramundi, warmed Turkish bread and bruschetta....yummy!

OUTSTANDING. I just love this place. The food here never dissapoints from the Polenta chips to the amazing pasta dishes. The kitchen staff clearly have a lot of experience from taste to presentation. The waiters also make our time there a good one from their choice of dishes and wines and good cheer.

Doesn't disappoint. We have dinner here a few times a year and it never disappoints. Excellent service, delicious meals and lovely wine.

Will never see us again!. Service is the worst I've ever seen. <br/>I had been here a couple of years ago and thought it was very poor then...it was only because friends of ours chose this place that we thought we'd give them another try.....NEVER AGAIN<br/>We waited for so long and repeatedly asked were our entree's then our mains were. 2 meals arrived and as they waiting 10 mins later 2 more arrived . The first 2 were cold waiting for us all to be served. Then we had to even ask for the salad once our meals were almost finish!!!! Really poor.<br/>Upon leaving one of the managers bumped into me and proceeded to chuckle and make remarks on the incident.<br/>Obviously not happy with our complaint and felt some satisfaction with the collision....<br/>We were not the only patrons complaining. All of the tables around us were visibly frustrated by the delay and constantly questioning the lovely young waiter who was terribly embarrassed. <br/>We are not fussy or hard to get along with, in fact we are all very easy going but at the same time we do like to go out for dinner and enjoy our meal and our experience.<br/>Will NEVER go back there again.

Not again. After going to the living room for breakfast today I won't be going back any time soon!<br/>I work as a waiter myself and understand that things happen and have never compander before, but today pushed it too far. After eventually being served once we sat down we ordered our meal, 2 big breakfasts and an eggs on toast. These took ages to come out, in the time it took for the meals to come out, a table behind us from Harry's was sat down, ordered and received and even finished and had their plates cleared before we received ours. We waited 45 min before asking our waiter where our meals were, they did come out 5 min later but without any explanation or apology as to the long wait.<br/>Upon receiving our meals we asked for tomato sauce, after waiting 10 min we still hadn't got any, we asked the waiter a second time and still did not receive the sauce until one of us went to get it our selves.<br/>With the combination of events we were not at all impressed by our time at the living room

Vibrant & Bustling. Dined at the Living Room on Saturday night. Cannot fault the service - the waiter suggested that we order promptly before another large group in the restaurant so that we would not have a lengthy wait (it was nice that the waiter considered us). I had a very delicious artichoke and swiss brown risotto which remained steaming hot to at least half way through my meal. I had the banana cheesecake for dessert which whilst quite good - would recommend that the decorative/garnishing banana on the plate was not fresh/raw - would prefer it caramelised in pan & warm when served - but this is a suggestion and a personal preference not a criticism. Cheers

I've been going to Templestowe Living Room for breakfast and dinner for years and this is the first time I've felt compelled to write a review for any restaurant. My mother booked her 70th birthday for 21 people on a Saturday night, and she arranged a set menu of starters, mains and dessert. The service I can't fault, Laura and her team were very attentive and we had one guest drop out and another couple arrive late but it wasn't a problem for them. The meals were terrific and our glasses were constantly filled by a waiter who clearly loves his job or is a great actor, wish I could remember his name as he made the night fun with our closest friends and family! Living Room is a great local restaurant with great atmosphere.

Staff are delightful! And new menu very tasty.. After reading a few recent reviews here, I was a bit reluctant to dine here. Reviews of bad service, and long waits between courses, I was ready for the worst.<br/>Instead it was a nice surprise!<br/>The staff were all very gracious and attentive, happy to chat and fill us in on the new menu options. The staff all seem like a very cheery bunch.<br/>The rockling risotto was a standout dish.

I am very disappointed with the way some of the waiters handle the customers. They can be very rude. I used to eat at Templestowe Living Room quite often but now I won't go. I do not consider rude waiters as part of the menu. I asked for the owner to phone me but he did not. Never mind there are lots of other good restaurants in the area.

TERRIBLE SERVICE. I was dining at the living room enjoying a meal that was fine, nothing special but not horrendous as other reviews suggest. The thing that truly shocked me was when a young man came in looking for work and the waiter straight out told him to "Go Away" the boy looked shattered. I almost said something but I figured I wouldn't cause a scene. Not only this but the waiters were also rude and arrogant. I am NEVER going back here again the service was just appalling, I still feel sorry for that boy.<br/>I strongly suggest for you to avoid grabbing a meal from this establishment, it would just be rewarding bad habits.

Terrible service & Extremely rude so called MANAGER!!!. No further words required!!

Nice local restaurant. Dined for lunch today. Arrived right at the beginning of lunch service and service was friendly and attentive to begin with, though become slower as the tables started to fill.<br/><br/>My partner and I both had onion soup to start with. It was tasty though not spectacular, not as good as french onion soups I have had elsewhere, though It did come with a very nice chunk of crunchy olive bread.<br/><br/>Both of our main dishes were enjoyable, I had the barramundi that was accompanied by a delicious creamy mash. The vegetarian option of zucchini and chickpea fritters were also very good.<br/><br/>Entree and main left us feeling full and satisfied and prices were not over the top. The bill for 2 courses and a glass of wine each came to $103 and then we got a 25% discount using our gold entertainment card so it was quite good value.<br/><br/>The restaurant has a lovely court yard and an open fire place inside. A nice bistro feel, a good option for locals. Will return to this restaurant.

Great service, poor food. I ordered a $38 steak which was slightly tough and fatty, cooked medium rare which was perfect. Potatoes were heated in a microwave, soft and boiling hot, not crispy or crunchy at all. Small salad, which was joke, maybe the size of two fifty cent coins.<br/><br/>GF had a salmon salad which had too much dressing and oil, salad had small leaves and wasn't very nice. Looked like about half a salmon fillet spread out over it, for $27 I would of expected a bit more.<br/><br/>Recommend spending your money elsewhere, although the service was great, waiters were nice and kept coming past, pity the food didn't stand up.

Will be back!!. Brilliant service, large portions and delicious food. The lemon Brulee was a wonderful way to finish the evening. can't wait to come back!

Highly recommend. A group of 9 of us went to the Living Room for lunch on Saturday and it could not be faulted. The food and wine was amazing and the staff were so friendly and knowledgeable. I highly recommend!!

We dined here for a friends birthday on the weekend and I couldn't fault it! Great food, great service and great atmosphere. Food was a little slow to come out which is understandable as the restaurant was full with tables of 6+ diners... We did not complain but even so they recognised that we had been waiting a while and brought out bowls of chips and warm bread with olive oil and balsamic to dip in.

Lovely restaurant that serves good quality food! Had the duck risotto for main and the banana cheesecake for dessert! Portions were generous. No complaints about this place!

Great ambience and tasty food. Service can be slow so don't go if you are in a hurry. Nice local restaurant.

Fantastic food and amazing service from our waitress Lauren. We let her recommend a couple of dishes and they were the best.... Loved the fact it was BYO wine......<br/>Can't wait to go back.

Very impressed. Tasty food, good service and a nice atmosphere. Our party of 8 was very happy as there was something for everyone. Quality ingredients that were used generously. The birthday cake was cut and served beautifully with compliments. Highly recommend dining here.

Great place, great food, great service.. Group of five of us had a birthday lunch here today. We had a variety of entrees and mains, plus a few sides. All were delicious. The calamari deserves special mention for its enormous serve and extra deliciousness. Coffee was very good and special requests were happily accommodated. We brought a birthday cake which was brought out with lit candles and smiling staff, then whisked away and brought sliced and beautifully presented with raspberry coulis and fresh cream. This was a nice touch. Staff were very attentive and helpful and handled a growing crowd without drop in service. I think this place offers excellent value for money and high quality food and presentation. Highly recommended.

Terrific dining experience. Great night out with a small group of friends. Excellent food, great wine list, and good service. The pork entrée and barramundi cooked to perfection and service was friendly and just at the right pace for us. Good atmosphere with plenty of customers for a mid-week. Terrific night - thanks TLR.

Great place to eat out. Joined some long time friends for a meal and catch up on the gossip, this restaurant is perfect for such an occasion.<br/>Service was well paced and of a very high standard. the menu is extensive and very well presented with the food of the highest quality.<br/>If you want fast food do not come here, go to Macca's<br/>If you value quality then by all means come to the Living room. I will be revisiting with other friends so that they to can share a truly quality dining experience.

Great Food & Service. Dined during the week after friends recommended this restaurant and we were not disappointed. The oysters were the best I have had in ages, and the barramundi was cooked to perfection.<br/>The venue was extremely comfortable, and the service was friendly, attentive, and paced to our expectation.<br/>Apart from a slightly rowdy table down the back of the restaurant, we thoroughly enjoyed this dining experience and will definitely be back.

Excellent Dining Experience. I normally dine out in the Melbourne CBD, but went with some friends to the Templestowe Living Room. I was very pleasantlly supprised. The staff were excellent, the service seemed to flow like clockwork. I had Oysters and Steak with vegetable side dishes. The Oysters were fresh and the steak cooked to perfection. Excellent wine list. I will come back again.

Great food, great service. A group of 8 for a re-union dinner on a wet winter's Thursday night. I thought the restaurant would be quiet. However it was well patronised and the food and service were excellent. I had the pork belly as an entree. The crackling was perfect and the meat underneath was very tasty without the excess of fat that is often associated with this dish. The duck was beautifully cooked - crisp skin and the flesh still moist - very tasty. The Pinot Noir was a great match for the duck and my fellow diners commented very favourably on the Shiraz and the Sav Blanc. Service was prompt and with a smile. Will definitely be back - a real find in the suburbs.

Great night out. Thanks Living Room! Went here recently for a family birthday and we all had a great meal.. Got to sit where we requested, food was superb and waiters were very attentive. Granted we were there early which is always beneficial, beware the 7.30 booking anywhere but this was a Sunday night and was still packed to the gunnels. Been here many times and to be honest cannot fault it. Will be back!

Usually living room is great! But today the service was awful.. After we were seated at 4:30pm and advised we just wanted drinks, what seemed like the owner/manager informed us that she needed the table at 6pm which was fine, however at 5:58 she came over and said she needed the table immediately. We hurriedly got up after being spoken to in the rude manner and went to the counter to pay. After waiting 5 minutes and no one coming to process our payment she then approached us again and asked us to move out of the way to let other customers pass to be seated. However they could easily walk around. When we made comment that she had hurried us and then made us wait to pay, she scoffed at us and then pushed past us. <br/>We have been coming to living room<br/>Since it opened but if this is the new management and how they treat their customers we won't be back.

Terrible service, the manager was rude and pushed us out of an empty restaurant claiming she needed the table. When trying to pay, no one was serving us and we were told we were in the way of customers coming in the door.

Waiting 40 minutes during not busy hours. Portion is small, and taste are just average.

Shocking attitude!. 5 girls & a guy headed here for lunch this week - mothers group.<br/>We arranged our booking via Dimmi & received an email confirming our booking.<br/>Upon arrival we were told that we had the wrong week & needed to check our dates....even though we had an email confirming that we were correct.<br/>Food was okay, wine list average, good coffee.<br/>After spending close to $50-60 per head we were accused by the manager of informing other patrons that they could not sit outside.<br/>As we each had a pram we were placed at the very rear of the restaurant & in front of the door that exits to the outside area. The door was closed and when a couple try to enter the door we simply advised them that it was closed and were unsure if they were serving out there.....2 minutes later we encountered the rudest female, Sharon who we later discoved was the manager. To our and disgust she accused all of us of informing the other patrons that they could not sit out there.....when we informed her what we had said, she continued to accuse us....hello are we not customers?<br/>Let me make something clear we are not 18 year olds we are all professionals who were enjoying our time together.<br/>As the afternoon came to an end, & as we were positioned near the office we had the unfortunate experience of having to look at the uneducated and bitter look on Sharon's face each time she went into the office.<br/>We asked for the bill, and upon payment the Writer asked Sharon if we had offended her in anyway, as the attitude was disgraceful. She advised no, but it was clear that something was affecting her...when asked again, she responded by acknowledging her actions previously when asking our group the question re the other customers & outside.<br/>We informed Sharon that she did not ask us a question, she simply accused us. Furthermore we reminded her that we were also customers & it was this time we asked for her position, to which she replied she was the manager, the Writers jaw dropped in disbelief. Sharon then freely informed us to contact the owner Mr Ken Taylor, however we digressed that her eagerness for this to occur meant that 1. Ken must receive many complaints & not action them or 2. He is aware of her poor attitude & supports her when the Writer informed Sharon that we would not return, to which she replied....that is fine.<br/>Fine....okay, well business must be booming for the Living Room if he can afford for 6 diners not to return, & for the poor word of mouth to be generated to members of the community & for this review to be written to influence another potential diner not to book a table.

Favourite restaurant in doncaster area..<br/>Never disappoints

Myself and a couple of girlfriends were here a few weeks ago and I could not fault anything. Service was efficient and courteous, food was beautiful, (especially the pork belly!) and all the other meals were delicious. Thought prices overall were very reasonable.

Amazing Night!. I have been to this restaurant many times and it has always been a terrific experience. The decor is classy and sophisticated but at the same time you don't feel uncomfortable. The service is very professional but could be improved and the food comes out at a reasonably fast pace. The dishes were presented phenomenally and looked very appealing to the eye. I had the duck which was amazing with its contrasting textures and its flavours that blended really well together. As I was eating this my heart melted as it was so exceptional. The side dishes were placed in a simple bowl and were very tasty. The Nicola potatoes were nice but as special as ice in Antarctic. The broccoli was surprisingly good for just vegetables and had a very unique taste. I was upset multitasking between eating and writing notes for a review as it was so exceptional that I didn't want my dinner to go cold. The prices are reasonably expensive but worth it for the quality of the food. The restaurant has a wide variety of purposes, this makes everyone feel comfortable and not out of place. I absolutely love this restaurant and would recommend it to anyone.

Dinner. Have only been here once, but had quite a nice dinner. Ordered the pork belly for entree which was delicious (nice and crunchy crackling!) and then a prawn pasta for main - the pasta was a little bit basic for my liking.<br/>It was Easter and the usual staff were all on holidays apparently, but service was still quite good apart from waiting 30 mins for menus at the beginning (didn't bother us).

The Living Room menu is very limited & needs updating.The ambience is generally nice but if you happen to sit directly in front of the kitchen you almost choke on the putrid oil smell that permeates through your hair & clothes. This certainly doesn't help the taste buds! <br/><br/>The marinara is buttery & the pasta cooked far too long. I think they need a lesson in what 'al dente' means. <br/><br/>The service is usually good however, those little extra things like 'would you like pepper ' etc never occurs. Whilst this might be minor this attention to detail is what keeps customers coming back.

Best food, best service. Had family dinner last night to celebrate our son birthday and since it was saturday night, we expected a little bit of delay considering the restaurant was full but instead the meals were exceptional and the service was friendly and attentive to a detail. When they found out that it's our son birthday, the staffs took initiative to bring his dessert with candle as a surprise and few of them turned up at our table to sing happy birthday. Should see our son's face lit up and how happy he was. Well done Living room and we will definitely come back and thank you for a great night.

Worst experience I've ever had!!!. Went there for dinner tonight as party of a 25+. (on two tables) Arrived 7pm for a 7pm booking....waited an hour for menues, for which we had to ask for since they thought that we were still waiting for people. Once we had our menues it then took another half hour to get our orders taken. We waited another hour and a half, in which the other table had received and finished their meals while we were left waiting. Steak and 2 Lamb dishes were cold (without potato since they had run out). 3 pasta dishes were over cooked. a main calamari consisted of 6 pieces, when asked prior to ordering a entree was 5 pieces. The place was obviously busy with 2 large bookings, yet only 4-5 waitresses on. When issues were raised to the 2 managers they were unaware of being out of potato, we were told that since we were late that was why it had taken so long( when we had arrived on time). We were told we should have complained earlier, but after waiting 2 and a half hours to get our meal, we were starving and ate what we had in fear of waiting another hour and a half. We should have just walked out instead of waiting so long. They offered us free coffee, we all declined saying we just wanted to pay and leave. <br/><br/>Disgraceful, never going back and would advise people not to go there!!!!

Great Dinner. Went to dinner last nite with a friend and our meals were exceptional as always We shared dips with nice fresh crusty bread to start with, followed by grilled chicken salad and my friend had a medium to rare scotch fillet steak cooked to perfection This is a regular hang out for us as we enjoy the friendly staff and casual atmosphere We have tried other restaurants in the area but we keep coming back to the Living Room

Great experience. I cannot believe the reviews here as my family have had nothing but exceptional times at the Living Room....breakfast, lunch and dinner. My Dad celebrated his 80th birthday there last June shortly after being diagnosed with terminal cancer. The Living Room went out of their way to make it a very memorable lunch for my family and it was a highlight of his life until the end in Feb this year. The staff were wonderful and so umderstanding. The times I have been there since have never been below expectations of service and quality. I have recommended0 inter-state friends to this restaurant and they have gone back several times due to the high standard of the food and service.

Very bad service. Looks to.... Very bad service. <br/>Looks to be s consistent thread. <br/>We waited over 90 minutes for our meals, when quizzed their best response was some bread to "entertain" us. The restaurant whilst busy wasn't full. When paying the bill there was no sorry or concession on the bill. <br/>The food was enjoyed by all. However ridiculously bad service, with no interest in making it better.