Review The Strand Restaurant - Williamstown

Such a beautiful night. We ate here and everything was perfect, food and service. We had the cob loaf, then shared the paella and the chocolate brownie. Everything was amazing, thank you

The position of this restaurant opposite the Bay is fantastic. Staff were friendly and efficient and the menu was very comprehensive. We had incredible seafood platter which was generous and beautifully presented. One guest had a steak which was equally delicious. DEFINATELY recommend and will return when we can.

Amazing experience here tonight. Food was delicious and well presented. Had the cob bread, paella and chocolate brownie. Highly recommended. Service was fantastic as was the atmosphere at the venue. Will be back.

Well managed fine dining restaurant. Good oysters. Juicy meat dishes with al dente veggies. Extensive wine list ( I really enjoyed the Navarra, Spanish red wine). Delicious desserts too. Make sure you book first, it’s very popular for a reason. Also accepts Qoin 50/50

Service and location were brilliant. The food was fresh and well cooked, but not remarkable. Overall, an amazing option for a nice lunch in good company.

We were relieved to be dining on the first Saturday after lockdown. No time limits, gr8 service, beautiful marinara , the Cobb with olives, a good bottle of wine, all made it to be a memorable experience. Thanks

Lovely afternoon with friends, great view. Lovely meals enjoyed.

What an atmosphere, the stunning views, the friendly service and the food, well, on a rare occasion I find myself complementing the chef, but this indeed was "my compliments to the chef!" The stunning presentation, the tastes, the experience, this took my palate on a culinary journey in which I could be on forever. I was most impressed with the incredible wine selections in which complimented each dish I had. I wish there was a 6th star to hand out. I recommend anyone to experience this great place! Compliments to the chef!

Excellent service and food at the strand. Fresh seafood and reasonable prices for good sized meals. Our waiter Andrew was very helpful and friendly. The location is lovely and would be even better in summer to take in the view. I would highly recommend this restaurant especially for a special occasion

Definitely over priced however views were great. Seafood tower wasn’t consistent in quality. As an example the prawns’ quality ranged from nice and plump to soft and mushy/ frozen too long. Moreton Bay bugs were tiny - if they are out of season maybe they should be swapped for something that is in season. Mussels ok, but broth extremely salty, smoked salmon fine, natural oysters fine, scallops fine, crab ok. Chips fantastic. Entree - The batter on the tempura oysters wasn’t a good tempura batter (light and crispy). It was hard and dry and did not compliment the oysters at all. I would suggest getting a different recipe from a Japanese chef. I don’t think ice water was used to get the light and airy coating. Chips were the highlight of the night which is sad to say in a high end seafood restaurant. In summary the atmosphere, and views great, maybe order different items on the menu to get a better dining experience than we did.

This was our second time dining here in the last few weeks. With great food, great service, great wine list and great views, nothing else is needed. Highly recommend!

Lovely venue with amazing food and cocktails. Great function room with fantastic service. Highly recommend.

Food was great, had the seafood tower and everything in it was cooked to our liking. Service was good too, the waiter named Vu was polite, accommodating and attentive. The view from where we sat was fantastic.

This was the first time we have been there in five years. The service was great, the food was sensational and the wine excellent. Great spot with lively views.

The service was very friendly and the food was fantastic. A little pricey but worth it for a beautiful meal. Thank you to the wonderful staff for a great much needed night out.

Great spot... fine food and service was great with an excellent view over the bay to the city... perfect anyday lunch spot !

Fantastic food and service great wine list, beautiful views ���

Lunch today was divine, meet the table by the chef to discuss food. Talked about what food I loved to eat & he created a dish for me no on the menu. Absolutely divine food, well presented. Good service.

Had 3 courses. Absolutely magnificent. 5 star plus. Excellent food wine and service 👍

Most amazing food and wine list beautiful view of the city a must if ever on Williamstown

Excellent food, high quality wines available and great views.

Beautiful food and perfect service, would highly recommend.

Well what can i say... service was wonderful, food was amazing all at a price that i would have been happy to pay more. Try this place you will not be disappointed. Thanks for a beautiful nite

We thoroughly enjoyed lunch at The Strand. The staff were extremely helpful and went above and beyond for our large group. Fantastic options for vegan/vegetarian/nut free customers. And picture perfect view! Can’t beat it.

It was my mother in laws birthday and we wanted it to be special. We went to the Strand and from start to finish it was so special. The service was impeccable with Andrew and Jeffrey taking care of us. The were so attentive and really looked after us. The meal was spectacular. My husband and his mum shared the seafood platter for 2 and both are very fussy when it comes to seafood. They both said that it was the best seafood platter they had ever had with the selection and freshness of the seafood. I had the lamb special that was very tasty. As it was her birthday they surprised her with ice cream and a candle to blow out. The chef also sent us a desert that was so tasty. I can’t speak highly enough of the food, setting, staff and we can’t wait to come back. A big thank you to Andrew, Jeffrey and the chef for making my mother in law feel so special. We can’t wait to come back x

Had my bday dinner party here. Spent a fortune on lobsters (thermidor & natural), mix seafood platters and various other entrees & main dishes. Service was Slllllllooooooow! There must have been 1 hour between each serving of food. I would recommend this place if you aren’t starving because of the pace of service. For the amount we spent here I think we could have gone elsewhere and had better service.

Beautiful food and spectacular outlook! The food was a little slow to come out from the kitchen and everything was delicious and very well presented. The view of the city is second to none, you can’t compare it to any other restaurant... especially at sunset. They have 20% off wine on Fridays which was a nice surprise.

This place has great views over the water and the service is great. Food is amazing, especially the seafood dishes. Highly recommended. Located in a great part of Williamstown.

Very nice restaurant! We had a table next to the window, and the night view was beautiful. Looking at the beautiful beach and city view, enjoying our food and wine, good place for a date!<br/><br/>We ordered a seafood tower to share, and it comes with several different seafoods. It's enough for 2 people to share. We went there on a Monday night, so it was a bit quiet, there were only 2 tables for the whole night.

Had a great meal here on Friday night. <br/>Food was beautiful, had the seafood paella to share, was more than enough. <br/>Service was excellent on the night as was the booking follow up through this app. <br/>Will definitely be back.

Had a lovely late lunch after our wedding. Meals were timed well and everyone was very happy with the food quality. Big windows allow for great views no matter where you are seated in the restaurant. Service was polite and attentive. We will visit again!

The best memories here. Always with family. My dad & mum loves it here a few years ago. We haven't really been back as they don't visit as often anymore. The lobster mornay is amazing here, also the price is reasonable. What more could you have with good views of the bay at Williamstown & some wonderful food. Service is great too.

This is the first time I had been to The Strand Seafood Restaurant, which is a little disappointing on my behalf considering I had lived in Williamstown my whole life. Better late than never right?<br/><br/>The most iconic feature The Strand has above most restaurants in Williamstown is its lovely view of the bay. I would imagine lovebirds would enjoy this view over a glass of Catalina Sounds Sauvignon Blanc to warm each others hearts.<br/><br/>We ordered a dozen Oysters Kilpatrick, which were warm and tasty. I'm not a big fan of oysters, but these were delicious. The 1/2 duck in master stock with Asian slaw salad and steamed jasmine rice was interesting, the master stock in which the duck was cooked in was a stroke of genius. Pouring its oily goodness over the rice and duck gave the taste that much more oomph for my taste buds... or was that more quack? On the side we got steamed green beans with bulgarian fetta and french fries for good measure.<br/><br/>I never really order oysters and duck when I'm at a restaurant, in fact, this is the first time I conjured up this combo, where in the past, I haven't been big on these rather popular dishes... and you know what? I loved it.<br/><br/>With a good-humoured and pleasant waitress serving us, The Strand comes highly recommended, even though it might be a tad too expensive for what you get.

We got our meals minus two. Two of our meals were forgotten. We finished our meals when the other two arrived very bad mistake. Do not recommend this restaurant. The food wasn't that good. Do not go.

3.1 stars truly reflect our experience in this restaurant. The place is very decent for couple dinner date or family dinner or a celebration / special event dinner; however this may not be a place for a fine dining experience. <br/><br/>We had the pork belly entree, it was nice, love the pumpkin puree. We order the seafood linguini and eye fillet for the main. It was a little bit of disppointment considering the ambience and its price tag. The seafood lingunini slightly lack of flavour, and the eye fillet was over cooked (we asked for medium rare). Luckily the dessert - sticky date pudding was beautiful. We also order a fruit tea to accompany our dessert. It was light, and perfect to end the night<br/>

Had anniversary lunch here. Deluxe seafood platter for two. Amount of seafood was just about right for two, as we finished up we were full. Combination of seafood on platter was excellent: great combination of flavours and tastes, not quantity over quality. Had a nice view of the waterfront. Prompt and friendly service.

We had an amazing lunch at this iconic restaurant in Sunday. The staff were terrific - attentive, humorous and they knew their restaurant very well. The food was outstanding. The plates were imaginatively created and the food was very special. We chose seafood for entree and main Abd were not disappointed. A sharing plate of several desserts was superb. Will definitely return to this special place in Williamstown - 5 minutes from the Westgate Bridge with spectacular views of Melbourne.

Service was great, polite, attentive waiters <br/>Food, I enjoyed the steak, which just fell apart in my mouth, worth paying for dry aged meat. Others had fish and chips, prawns and pasta, oysters for entrée. Chocolate fondant was wonderful, the inside was all runny and warm with the perfect compliment of oranges and ice cream.<br/>Setting - the view is amazing, one of the top 5 views in Williamstown from a restaurant.<br/><br/>I would go back.

The views across the harbor from Williamstown to the city are amazing and i am pleased to say the food and service lived up to the environment.

Good food and views, service let down the whole experience.<br/>Young waiter floating around couldn't do enough, unfortunately <br/>our waiter served us as if it were a drudgery, noooooo not again, not at that price.

Service was shocking, food is overpriced, asked for a well done steak and got a rare one, not impressed. Nice location, that's probably about the only nice thing about the place. Would not return.

This establishment made for a mildly entertaining family birthday dinner, the restaurant staff were kind and courteous, they also provided excellent service. The dishes ordered were appealing in flavour, and served elegantly, with a good balance of flavours and seasonings. This however does not include the flavoursome dessert served in a large salad bowl, despite only consisting of a single piece of pudding! This resulted in a finish to the meal that was awkward to consume and attempt to share. Furthermore the bread provided with olive oil was stale in nature, and served in slices that were far too small for most people's appetites. Despite these pitfalls the restaurant was still appealing overall, although the overall cost was sisable considering the food portions and above average, yet not extraordinary quality.

From stunning views to excellent service, topped by great seafood selection. Our lunch group of 7 was very satisfied and very impressed. We tried almost everything seafood. All dishes were winners. Worth going. Worth the money and amazing views.

This place has really changed over the years!The Strand team have really lifted their game with new attentive staff who quite knowledgeable and happy to answer any questions we had. The food was lovely and my steak was cooked perfectly. I have been back a few times over the past weeks and I will continue to do so with this change to an already beautiful place!

RNIS was invited by Dimmi Online system to this place The Strand is in Williamstown and they have been going strong for many years. They have also won many awards for fine dining and such. One of them is from the Entertainment book for outstanding food. In the book they have a buy get one free offer. I went on my day off as Williamstown is near my place. The place is near the pier and you can see all the fishing boats. Hence I expected fresh fish. It is also a ten minute walk from North Williamstown station and a stone's throw away from the shops. I really loved the service. It was everything that I'd expect for a fine dining place. It is run by a Vietnamese guy but he does it so well. But the only downside is, they forgot the menu. But that's ok as I had researched the place before I came I was given a complimentary entree of pumpkin soup with a scallop. This was more of a taste tester to get things going and I really enjoyed this. The little scallop popped in my mouth and the soup wa

The barramundi was beautifully fresh. Nice and simple.

Oven Roasted NT Wild Barramundi Fillet Crusted with Peanut, Coriander Pesto, Sauteed Mustard Cress with Soy Ginger Dressing...The barramundi was beautifully fresh. Nice and simple.

I don’t eat pasta often, so when I do, I want it to be good. And fortunately, it was. Al dente, flavoursome, with a small amount of chilli and plenty of seafood. Yum.

Perfect atmosphere with the tastiest food!!! Best Paella I've tasted in Melbourne and beats even the ones in the Spanish fiesta...

Over priced and under delivered. Don't order Tasmanian Atlantic salmon with steamed asparagus from Dalmore farm, and<br/>gribiche sauce $33. It was half a small piece of salmon 1 piece of asparagus 1 dutch carrot and 4 pieces of spring onion. I was starving at the end of it so I ordered dessert to fill the gap. Down the road at the Anchorage for $5 extra I got the best whole piece of salmon I have ever had and it came with many delicious accompaniments that there was no need for dessert.

Elegant. Lovely view, fantastic menu and incredible staff. Helpful, knowledgeable and a pleasure to dine there.

Too expensive. As many of the reviews point out, this place is way too overpriced. I found the food nice, and the service was acceptable, however there wasn't anything particularly outstanding about the dishes or experience that warrant those kind of price tags. Not worth a visit.

We had a very enjoyable fine dining experience. The waitress was attentive from the moment we were greeted at the door. The meals were presented beautifully and everything was delicious. The highlight for all was the dessert tasting plate!

Just don't bother. Fine dining prices, less than fine dining experience. Wait staff lovely, but food an absolute rip off. Disappointed. Won't be coming back.

Value for money!. Varied menu, real tender beef, seafood platter to die for! And the desserts!<br/>I have been at different times and with various people (mostly out-of-town guests) and I and my guests have never been disappointed with the food and service.

Pleasant location, good food.. A bit sceptical after reading some of the reviews. However went for a birthday lunch on a Saturday, was a quiet time. Service was very good and attentive, we ordered the seafood tower, and the lamb shoulder. All food was extremely tasty. My only complaint - not enough of that tasty sauce on the lamb! Otherwise, a pleasant dining experience. No issue with using Entertainment Book either. Recommend giving it a try.

Will never return. If you want to pay for an overpriced, very average breakfast with runny/watery scrambled eggs then this is the place for you. My meal was terrible, coffee was nothing impressive either. I usually tolerate even an average meal but I was very disappointed. However, I will say the service was great and it's at a nice location but the meal quality needs to be improved or the prices dropped.

Gastronomical Goodness!. We haven't been to the Strand in about 8 years and a bit sceptical after such varied and mixed reviews, however, our meal this weekend was an absolute gastronomical delight! I was surprised at what some reviewers had written to be honest. We found the servings perfectly portioned - of course, I am of the firm belief that to go out and have fine dining, one must have 3 courses. Those who don't, ought not even bother venturing past the local pub for a hearty parma. The stuffed baby chicken was succulent and just beautifully presented. The oysters were fresh, the pork belly was divine, and dessert - well that crème brulee is melt in your mouth delicious! The staff were most charming and knowledgeable - great wine matches. My husband and I are avid foodies so will definitely be back for more. Well done!

We celebrated our anniversary at the Strand yesterday, and it was lovely. It's a great relaxed space, the view is fab, service friendly and they serve really tasty well-balanced food. The reviews on here had me doubting, but I'm glad we gave it a shot. We'll be back I'm sure :)

Great food. Enjoyable night with good service and great food. Compliments to the Chefs!

Had lunch at The Strand. Was a bit sceptical after reading all the bad reviews. However was pleasantly surprised, great service and beautiful food. Thanks for a lovely lunch

Such a shame as this place could be fantastic. I often pass by The Strand and see it empty or very close to it. Last night I found out why.<br/>The staff are lovely and welcoming but lack any flair it flourish when it comes to setting the table or presenting dishes. The exception would be the Indian staff member who seems to be the only one trained in fine dining. <br/>Our entrees came out in good time and were perfectly delicious. The oysters we had were as fresh as fresh could be and went down well on the deck area. <br/>The mains seemed to take a long time to come out and were disappointing when they did. The staff refused to swap the chips that came with my fish for mashed potato. This kind of inflexibility always makes me feel like I'm at a restaurant that has pictures of the meals on the menu that the kitchen staff also follow. My partner ordered seafood pasta that came as the size of an entree. Both the pasta and fish were okay but not anything outstanding. Anyway, we ordered mash and beans as sides and were surprised to find we paid $10 for two tablespoons of puréed potato and $7 for 7 beans. <br/>Complaining about the size of meals always makes me feel stingy or greedy but when I go to Rockpool or Cecconi's they serve proper meals and overly generous sides. It's not the eighties anymore and it would be really, really great to be able to go out in Williamstown and have a great meal. <br/>I'm not a big fan of entirely negative reviews but I would love to see this restaurant be great. It has a great location, great views, lots of locals and a tourist/special occasion clientele waiting for it to get it together. I would recommend the owners dine out at some other fine dining restaurants, work on their portions, improve their mains and sides, retrain their staff and launch as a new and improved fine dining restaurant.

VERY, VERY DISAPPOINTING.........<br/>My fiancé and I went to The Strand for dinner tonight, the good as a whole was extremely disappointing and 100% over priced!! My fiancés entree was to be honest and absolute joke. I had the Cobb loaf which was OK but not brilliant! Our mains were a HUGE disappointment. My fiancé had the beef rib which had far too much cinnamon and that overpowered the whole dish (he's still trying to get the taste out of his mouth now)! I had the lamb which was very average I would have preferred the plate to have only the cabbage, potato gratin and the jus...no lamb! The service was very average with a constant background noise of a coffee machine making no coffee and cutlery being banged around and dropped on the floor! I would highly avoid if I was you

Discovered Willie's Best Breakfast Fare. BREAKFAST REVIEW. I am a local resident and have only discovered the Strand Restaurant Is Open For Breakfast on Saturdays and Sundays. Normally a regular breakfast diner along ferguson street. 1The Strand has taken over as my breakie bestie. Apart from great coffee their menu is different from the rest. I had the english breakfast awesome, I doubt most could it it all.<br/>Fresh local produce and having a menu with international flavour. If your a local or travelling through you owe it to your self to witness the best bay city view in Melbourne with a scrumptous breakfast cusine. Outdoor seating available. Quiet atmosphere with proffessional staff not dressed in T-Shirts. Reasonable Priced.

Way to expensive for what you get!. I had actually been here a year or so ago with an Entertainment guide voucher. The food was ok quality so when I had a friend down that wanted to dine somewhere nice, I thought of giving this place another visit. The food was fair, not horrible, but it is an absolute rip-off. Steak was very ordinary. Dry with no side at all. Duck was bland and mainly just rice and coleslaw - battle to see $40+ value. Service appeared friendly but there was a dodgy element; as soon as we sat down the waiter asked if we would like bread to start...before we had even picked up the menu. We suspected it would be complementary, but it would appear not - $6.50 on the bill. I had later noticed EVERYONE had bread and assume they all fell for the same trick (owner influenced as different waiters asked the same question)! I (perhaps harshly) neglected to give a tip as I was peeved this was the norm. Nice looking restaurant but far better food around for that type of money!!

I went here with a friend some time ago for a special dinner. We knew it had a reputation for being a bit on the pricey side so we were prepared for that. The night we went it was a bit quiet but the waitress was very lovely. The meal sizes were quite large but we managed to fit in dessert as well. All in all a memorable night out.

Bit of an Asian twist to the menu. Enjoyed the duck & cream brûlée. Nice view too.

Horribly overpriced AVOID. This place presents itself as fine dining, and the prices also suggest top tier quality food, but what you get isn't even fresh let alone flavoursome or 'gourmet'. Since this is supposedly a seafood restaurant my partner and I both ordered seafood dishes but they were extremely disappointing in almost every way. The marinara pasta was filled with sub par seafood with no flavour (it was obviously frozen, the calamari even tasted suspiciously like the ones that come out of frozen supermarket packets). The tomato based sauce had very little flavour and was very oily. The pasta, at least, was cooked nicely but for a main meal approaching $40 you would expect a lot more. The marinara linguine at Sam's Boatshed down the road is much fresher and has more depth of flavour, and is $10 cheaper. <br/>The whole flounder was apparently meant to come with a chive and caper butter, but came out with some oily capers strewn over the top and a few tiny flecks of chives. The fish sat alone on the plate, and the only side was some wilted rocket. The fish had less flavour than that from an average fish and chip shop. Flounder is a very cheap fish, so considering this dish had absolutely nothing to it apart from a soggy flounder sitting on a plate it is absolutely absurd that it costs over $40. Again, there are many places around Melbourne which serve whole flounder for almost a third of that price and they actually bother to season and put some well matched sides with the fish.It is so disappointing that such a great spot on Williamstown is being wasted in this way, this place really needs to either change the prices and the pretentious way it presents itself or get its act together and serve some food that steps above foodcourt quality.

Yum!. We decided to visit The Strand as we'd walked past a few times and it was also a restaurant in The Entertainment Book. <br/>The food was really nice, good range of food on the menu and four specials available. There is an Asian twist to a lot of the dishes. Three of us had fish dishes and the other the duck. The portions were just right and the food had great flavours. We topped it off with the gorgeous tasting plate of deserts! <br/>It's not the place for a cheap eat but you get what you pay for. Definitely worth a visit.

Yuk, Yuk, Yuk. My husband took me out for dinner for my birthday, I had always wanted to try the food at this restaurant but what a disappointment. For the two of us it was $225 and we left starving. I am not a big eater so I was mortified that our hard earned $$$ amounted to nothing but good old fish and chips. They tried to tell us that the brown stuff on the plate was cauliflower, it looked like the dirty sauces from the meat pan. For almost $40 I expected my piece of fish to be bigger than a water cracker, but it wasn't and that's basically what was on my plate and, it was not fresh. Even more disgusting was when the chef came out of the kitchen, he looked like he hadn't showered in several days, he was filthy, my husband told me not to look, he like me knows dirty chef equals dirty kitchen. This place promotes themselves as a 5***** restaurant yet you have the manageress dressed like she just got out of bed after a hard night, a dirty chef, over priced food and waitresses who have no idea on how to provide good customer service. <br/>Let this be a warning to you all, the bad reviews on this restaurant definitely have substance. Overpriced food, poor customer service and shabbily dressed staff DO NOT make for a 5 star restaurant.<br/>We will not be back.

Great Meal. My husband and I had a wonderful meal at The Strand. As in our previous visits the food was delicious. My fish and his steak were cooked to perfection. We had fun while we waited looking at all the dishes being delivered to other patrons, planning what we would eat the next time! We were even tempted into sharing aa dessert, something we rarely do. Eton Mess. Delicious!<br/>The staff, as always, were very attentive. Their advice about the wine was spot on.<br/>We will definitely be returning.

Always a great night. My husband and l undertook a return visit to the strand with a group of friends and as always found the food and service to be outstanding. In particular we always enjoy the baked bread and dukkha and the scallops ordered for entree were cooked to perfection - their presentation in shells made the dish even more appetizing. <br/><br/>The steak and lamb were cooked as ordered and the green beans as a side were a great accompaniment. The group ended the meal with cheese platters and dessert wine.<br/><br/>The view at night really is lovely and the waitresses were very helpful, even helping our group with working out our bill payment at the end.<br/><br/>Another return visit will be happening for sure.

OVER PRICED FOR POOR SERVICE. My partner and I reside in Williamstown and went out for a nice dinner to celebrate my birthday recently. There was a number of issues with the service, below is a summary:<br/>1. When one of the 2 waiter’s was taking the order, she started reading the specials, however, read first half of the first special and the second half of the second special, which I had to pull her up on;<br/>2. We had the bread to start with, however, our mains were bought out whilst still eating the bread;<br/>3. No drinks were offered when we got our mains opr during that stage, the girls were too busy polishing cutlery, consequently we had to get up and walk over to the bar to order drinks;<br/>4. Finally the icing on the cake, my partner ordered the snapper, however, I asked how it tasted to him, he replied, bland, I looked up at the board, it was missing the chive crème fraiche. We advised one of the waiters and she gave it to us in a little bowl/serving dish.<br/>Given that there is probably only 2-3 top restaurants in Williamstown that you are paying good money for, I would have expected a little more from this restaurant. My partner and I eat out in Williamstown 2 -3 times per week and given the service recenlty I would doubt we would return or recommend it to others. We are getting married in the near future and definitely isn’t a place that I would consider having a function at. Do not recomend The Strand at all!!!

Seafood and sparkles. This is one of the very few venues that I will order natural oysters in the area. Despite what I've just read on here, I've always found the seafood fresh and delightful, particularly the oysters. Last time I went, it was a week night and the weather was fantastic, I was disappointed that we couldn't sit on the deck because they didn't have enough staff on to cater for an extra area, though it wasn't busy at all. (we were relatively early). I was glad, we had great service but you could tell the lovely young lady who served us was nervous about the evening being too busy for them... Whenever I feel like oysters, a little champagne, and a light nibble this is where I go. The view is just lovely and the atmosphere is very relaxing. The staff are lovely.

Great view but overpriced. 4 of us thought we would give the strand a go with slight hesitation given the mixed reviews but as we both had an entertainment card didn't think the damage would be too bad. We were seated at a Window table as requested and the view of Melbourne's skyline and the marina were beautiful. The lovely young English waitress offered us fresh warm bread to have while we waited for our meal to come of which we agreed, at no point did she mention this smallish roll would cost us as it did...it was ok although I'm not sure what the strange tasting spices were that you dip the bread in., they were quite tasteless. None the less I ordered spaghetti marinara as I had read on here it was very nice. My husband ordered mushroom risotto and our other 2 diners ordered steak. When the meals arrived my spaghetti looked ok my husbands risotto looked small for $34 and the steaks were displayed with a slither of mashed pumpkin on a plate, now for $42 one would expect a small display of veggies or a side salad but nothing, they ordered an additional bowl of chips at $6? Luckily they said the steak was very nice, tender and juicy so they were happy. My marinara on the other hand had a strange taste to it that I couldn't quite put my finger on and had way too much garlic, my husbands risotto was ok but lacked flavour. nothing special. We had the dessert platter to share which was a nice array of different desserts and pleasing to the palate. It ended up being quite an expensive night even though we had a free main meal voucher. Will not rush back there again. Paid top dollar for the views.

What a joke. there is not a single seafood item on the menu that is fresh, despite the way its advertised. we asked the staff what wasnt frozen and salad was the answer. the steak was frozen in the middle and burnt on the outside. the prawns were chewy and unedible.

A massive disappointment. I spent my 40th Birthday here with a small group of friends and family. The view was amazing but sadly that's where it all stopped. WE waited over an hour for our main courses. Most of the table were starving by the time they came out. Drinks were never offered, dirty plates stayed on the table for ages and overall it was a shambles. The excuse was that they were 'fully booked'. I have never heard of such a ridiculous statement. <br/><br/>When the cake was brought out we didnt even have any cutlery. My guests were eating with their fingers when the waitress came over with a fork. I heard one of them say 'its too late for that'. How embarrassing. This restaurant also charge a $35.00 (would you believe) CAKE FEE! They did not charge this to our table due to the fact that they did not dress the cake in ribbon as requested, provide a knife for cutting the cake or serve cutlery with the cake!!! <br/><br/>They also do not do sparkling wine by the glass and a Piccalo is $14!!! <br/><br/>Our bill was exorbitant but our experience here was NOT. Save your money and your time.

Amazing. Took my partner here for a special birthday. We liked everything about The Strand. Food is amazing, staff are warm and freindly and the view is magic. It really is a special place. We loved it so much we have decided to have our wedding reception upstairs in the function room. We can't wait until March 2013, I am sure The Strand will do a brilliant reception for us

Travelled 120km's, and worth it. My Fiancee and I currently live in Drouin, Vic (a good 70 minutes se of Melbourne). We found a deal for The Strand on Living Social and felt that we needed a good culinary night out so we bought it and decided to drive the 90 minutes to get it.<br/> <br/>Although we were initially disappointed that the breathtaking views of the city were not viewable for us, as soon as food started to arrive we knew that the night was going to be good. A freshly homemade bread loaf was followed by asian style soft shell crab and calamari, both were amazing. For mains we decided on a Rib Eye and the Duck. Well the Duck was possibly the best thing I've ever put into my mouth. Rib Eye was a little undercooked, but for a M.R it was well rested and not a drop of blood in sight.<br/> <br/>For dessert we had the mixed platter, quite simply amazing. Everything on it was recognisable, but were all done simply and perfectly. Look we may have saved a lot of money by getting the deal when we did but when you see the work and love that went into the food I will have no problem going back as a full priced customer, they really made our night amazing. Only negative was them forgetting our wines included in our deal, but without us complaining they refunded 2 other drinks already consumed. I look forward to our next trip over the West Gate.

Wedding Day Celebration. We had the most fabulous wedding day and could not have wished for anything more. The staff at The Strand bent over backwards to welcome us into their fold, they made our day such a special and memorable event. From a fabulous, highly organised Function Manager to a Waitress who gives you a hug because she is pleased to see you again. Its the personal touch with the personal service. The food is 5 star quality and is delivered with 5 star service. We had a 3 course A la Carte menu and all the plates were cleaned up. The Barramundi, delicious as usual to the melt in the mouth calamari, so many flavours to experiment with. <br/>The venue is about to have a makeover and I can't wait to see the changes. The Owner is pleasant, accommodating and always makes the time to come and say hello. <br/>If you havent tried this venue with its stunning bay views, go and have a look you might be quietly surprised.

Last night we had a lovely night out with my neice who is 11. we were given a gift voucher to the restraunt. It was a cold night so the warmth of the restraunt and the waiting staff was very much apprecited. The food was over priced for what you actually go to eat. However our two adult meals were very tasty except for a little bit too much garlic on my husbands marinara. My niece had the childrens spaghetti bolognese and it was tastless. She is used to her mums great cooking!! Over all the adult meals were nice but pricey. Even though we are locals we wont be rushing back any time soon and neither will my niece.

Ok but a bit too pricey for what you get. So we just ended up at the strand didn’t go out of our way to go there were just in Williamstown and it looked like it was open and had seats, also the outside looks nice.<br/>We got there for a late dinner and half the restaurant was empty but we still had to wait for a table to be “made up” for us, there was at least 3 other tables for 2 already done – not sure if it was seating positions they wanted or what?<br/><br/>Had to ask for the wine list which is annoying!<br/><br/>So we decided to skip the entree and get a main from the specials board each of blue swimmer crab in a tomato, chorizo and olive based sauce with 2 pieces of crusty bread ($39) and I had the Tempura John Dory with Asian slaw ($37)<br/><br/>My partners crab was pretty nice, the sauce was good and the crab was ok a little overcooked which made it a little harder to get the meat out of the crab and it’s hard enough!! <br/><br/>My John Dory was nice but just comparing it to the price of the crab I think it’s a little too expensive for 3 pieced of fish about 6cm x 6cm and a coleslaw on top, that being said it was nice though.<br/><br/>Like others have said if the food is amazing I don’t mind these prices but it just didn’t hit the mark for me or my partner.<br/><br/>We were both hungry so ordered a desert and a cheese platter which were both nice. My cheeses were at room temperature so nice and gooey which is what you want.<br/><br/>So summing up the food was nice, but I’ve eaten at lots of nice places and not paid that much...

We had a family dinner and the meal was a 7 out of 10. The food was nicely thought out and all the flavours matched the dishes. The service was a bit slow with drinks but all in all a nice night.

Overpriced and underflavoured. I had the "Oven Roasted NT Wild Barramundi Fillet Crusted with Peanut, Parmesan and Coriander with Bok Choy and Soy Ginger Dressing" for the whopping price of $36...I could not taste any hint of ginger, soy, peanut or parmesan. There was one leaf of coriander and certainly not hint of it in the flavour. An over cooked mount of indifferent bok choy nestled beneath a great slab of overcooked, dry barramundi.<br/>Easily the most bland and flavourless meal I have eaten in a long time and I can't believe the prices they charge in this place for such poor quality food. The only good thing about the night was that i was not paying the bill.<br/><br/>For the amount of money you would spend on dinner for two plus drinks, there are dozens of one hat restaurants in Melbourne that could give you a meal for the same price but 10 times better in food flavour, quality and ambience.

Be afraid... be VERY afraid.. Fellow foodies, friends and foes; if my title isn't explanation enough allow me to elaborate...<br/><br/>I think we've all been to a restaurant where you walk in with high hopes, but run out shaking your head and searching for the nearest bathroom. <br/><br/>The Strand well and truly qualifies as one of those restaurants.<br/><br/>When one is paying (on average) $20 per entree and $40 per main, I think it is safe to say that one expects a certain level of quality, both in terms of food and service.<br/><br/>It seems The Strand has other ideas....<br/><br/>Let me begin with the entree. The menu description: 'mussels in a coconut milk and coriander broth' $18. The dish: roughly ten small, shrivelled up, overcooked, bearded mussels sitting in a small bowel of what looked like dirty dishwater and tasted only of salt. Not exactly gourmet material...<br/><br/>The rest of the table wasn't much better: hard and salted (as if it needs it) saganaki and overcooked, tough calamari.<br/><br/>That said, we did try to look on the bright side: after such unpalatable entrees we still had PLENTY of room for mains.<br/><br/>The Main Event: another guest and I had decided to share the half duck, cooked in master stock served with rice and also the eye fillet, cooked rare.<br/><br/>What we received: half a duck which was tepid (not hot), resulting in the fat becoming chewy, hard and altogether inedible. This was accompanied by a gravy boat of 'master stock' which was actually a little jug of watery and oily gravy, completely devoid of any semblance of flavour. The accompanying rice was brought out only after we had placed down our forks, and after giving up all hope of trying to enjoy the dish.<br/><br/>Our $40 'rare' eye fillet steak: came out completely raw in the middle. We attempted to eat around the raw (and cold) bits, but eventually gave up after navigating our way through half the steak. There were actually two steaks ordered by the table on this fateful night, and let me say the size difference between the two was almost 50% (ours was smaller).<br/><br/>As the dishes were cleared, the wait staff must have noticed our lack of appetite (due half the meals remaining on the plate) and asked after the quality. We answered her honestly.<br/><br/>Receiving the $320 bill... I was half expecting (hoping) that customer service (honour) would prevail and there would be a deduction from the total.<br/><br/>Not so.<br/><br/>After querying this we were told (by the chef, via the waitress) that our blue steak wasn't raw, but rare (then why was it cold in the middle?) and that as we'd eaten three quarters of it (note: we consumed half) we would be expected to pay the full amount. <br/><br/>Perhaps their eye sight is as poor as their service?<br/><br/>To add insult to injury, half of the diners at our table that night spent the remainder of evening running to the toilet in mild panic and frightful discomfort in an effort to expel our meal. And yes..... I was one of them :'-(<br/><br/>Disclaimer: please note that this is a true depiction of actual events whereby no artistic licence has been taken. This reviewer has no qualms about paying a $320 bill (see previous reviews at top Melbourne restaurants), provided the price tag is warranted (ie; the food is appetising and edible). Consumption of food at The Strand is at readers own risk.

Oh what a night..... Celebrated my 1yr anniversary with my fiancé at this exquisite location where we'll start our married life together next year. We were warmly greeted we arrived, were given a table with an awesome view looking over the water. We ordered the Seafood Platter & totally devoured it between the two of us, while drinking Moet & Chandon Champagne. Can't wait for our wedding day to come around with the 5 star quality service & food!........ I totally recommend this restaurant to everyone to thoroughly enjoy at least once in their lifetime.

@ The Strand, Williamstown. Awesome food, fabulous service and breath taking pictures view.... will visit again.

Xmas Dinner Party. What a gorgeious view, great atmosphere and friendly staff for a special dinner. I would love to get that magic into the menu. The flavours tasting tired and presentation basic. Come on chefs put the love back into your work.

Arrived to order seafood platter to find they have no crabs! What seafood restaurant doesnt have blue swimmers?? Service was ordinary and i questioned the freshness of the food to the waiter!! Small cramped and way too expensive! Ive had more seafood for less at other restaurants! Overall 4/10 for me. I wont be back!

Not overly impressed at all. We purchased the seafood platter for over $185 and got about $80 worth of food. Most of the mussells didn't open so obviously not the freshest. Overall a dissappointing experience.

Pleasantly suprised!! One of the better places in Willy. A little expensive, but great view, great service & very good food

EXCELLENT restaurant. Lunch and Dinner both very nice menu and good quality food. Have eaten there several times and will again come Jan. '09.<br/>Loved the Calimari in chili sauce. YUM<br/>from a So. Calif. tourist.