Stokehouse Cafe Reviews

Would add another half a star, food, service,staff all excellent. We will be back.

Over-priced drinks is an understatement! $13 for 60ml of Moscato??? Sorry, I know it's about the experience, location & iconic venue but that's just ridiculous!! No service, you have to wait at the bar, serve yourself water & get your own cutlery! I don't consider this service.

Although this was a closed function, it was fantastic.
Service, food, presentation and more. Not only did it look good, it tasted even better than you expected.
With a huge cat park right across the road, out made your bought worry free to enjoy the fine dining

Great restaurant in a great location overlooking the bay in St Kilda.

Our food was cold or luke warm which was disappointing - but lovely location and staff were fairly attentive

I feel this place is not as good as it used to be, I went after it first opened and really rated it but after going there a second time for lunch have concluded the menu is not overly inspiring and it really isn't anything special other than the picture perfect view over the bay. Wait staff are excellent

If only they supplied ear plugs at the front door. Construction not finished and attention to detail was lacking. Maybe they need another fire

Tuna was beautiful but that is where it ended! I'm not even exaggerating when i say this was the worst steak i have ever had and the chocolate artichoke mouse was horrendous (everyone at my table tried it and was mortified that they would serve it) this was not an acquired taste it was disgusting.

Charged us $22 for a glass of still and glass of sparkling WATER. Why not also offer tap water like every where else? The main dishes are expensive and small in size. Meat dishes come with no vegetables. Big disappointment

I had the lunch special of octopus. It was tasty but a bit tough and a small serve.
Service was very good.

Had a great meal here just after COVID lockdown. Wonderful staff, great food, great experience.

Really enjoyed chatting with the sommelier who had great recommendations. He suggested a local Cabernet Franc, I love Cabernet Franc!

Top tunes from the DJ accompanied by top food as always

It gets the star for the building and views.The waitress kept rolling her eyes .Food was very average .

What a great location. Great food and excellent service. Looking forward to next time!

Upstairs at Stokehouse is lovely. The food was very good to excellent. We really enjoyed the wines we had from their list. Better than expected.

My only criticism was the pace of the waiting service. I understand the two hour window so you can get two dinner services in, but we really felt pushed and slightly harried to order both food and wine. We'd barely been seated, and were clearly in the middle of exchanging gifts when we were asked, twice, if we were ready to order. We hadn't even opened the wine menu at that point. However later on, when waiting to order dessert and get the bill, we had to wait a long time.

Wouldn't put us off going again though! The staff were charming and we had a delicious meal. Thoroughly recommended.

The atmosphere is a bit austere and a lot more formal than the pre-fire downstairs Stokehouse, which is not necessarily a bad thing. But I do miss the food menu. There is, of course, the Stokehouse restaurant, but it's not really a place for a casual drop in for a drink and a nice bite. The downstairs space appears to have been rented out to a very casual and noisy bar, but it's completely out of keeping with the new or even the old Stokehouse aesthetic (we accidentally sat downstairs thinking it was the "new" Stokehouse bar until I looked at the state of the table - worse for wear - and the general fit out and realised it was the wrong place to be). All that being said, the upstairs bar is a nice spot for the grownups, excellent cocktails and a beautiful view across the bay.

Good ambience and food is generally okay, but not to my preference compared to other fine dining places. It had the presentation but taste was not as flavorful. I did like the dessert 'the bombe' though. Service was okay with waiters attentive and polite.

Great venue, great food, feels like your overseas dining here

What a fabulous experience we had at Easter lunch - we had the bottomless Bollinger package and the entire experience was perfect. All the staff were on point, very professional yet friendly and engaging and made sure to keep topping us up. The venue is stunning and the food was beautiful. Cannot fault. Thanks guys!

Amazing food the bar staff are outstanding everyone should experience this venue!

Great food and wine experience, with first class service. We loved it and will be back.

Beautiful cuisine. Upmarket and on the pricey side but worth it.

The best thing I can say about this restaurant is the fit out. It disappoints in just about every other regard. Mediocre service and underwhelming meals. No excitement in either the menu or the plate. I'm happy to pay top dollar for a restaurant that can deliver great food and service, but this place just has the high prices and nothing else to back it up. I won't be back.

Wow AMAZING food, views, service, staff, such an amazing luncheon, very special date. We both loved it so much thank you.

The food was average for the price. We asked for the steak medium and it came out rare. The chips and other things were fine. Just not really worth the money in my opinion.

I had heard so much about this place. I wish so much I could give it more... but I can t. The prices are insane for what you get ... unless you order what I did which was the lamb... and let me tell you ... that lamb was worth every penny... seafood wise ... it was very fishy so a bit disappointing and like I said the price did not match the serving not justified the taste of food ... I am more than happy to pay good money even if portion is small but it has to taste amazing. We had 8 people ... Bill was $990 before tipping (I didn t tip) and the best part of this place was the drinks and my lamb.... service was outstanding ten times five stars just disappointing about the taste of food/ portion size and price that s all.

Great to see an icon return. Pontoon downstairs has great cocktail options and sharing plates but attracts a somewhat pretentious crowd.

Overrated and overpriced. Food only average and oxidized wine by the glass from a bottle opened a day before seems acceptable to the sommelier. There is an air of arrogance and complacency that seemed to complement the generally pretentious clientele. No thanks.

Overpriced cocktails and small portions. Excellent quality food. Extensive wine list. Glamourous atmosphere. Beautiful ocean & sunset view. Splurge here only if you have money to burn or want to impress your date.

Wow. Amazing food and wine with awesome beach views! Gavin is great sommelier!

Food Overpriced for what it is.
Got our order wrong.
Great view.

The food always the next Level, check the Barra Picture,

Disappointed is to say the least for dinner at the so called, must experience, exclusive Melbourne restaurant. I m a business owner myself and I would be mortified to think that my staff would be treating customers as we were treated tonight. $110 per person to which a $66 surcharge was added for just because reasoning to a 6-8pm seating. As we took our seats at 6:07pm we were reminded we had two hours. The first words out of the waiters mouth. The food was not to be faulted though, clearly the chef s were the only staff on point. The views were stunning, one thing to appreciate as we were very rudely attended to. I mean crack a smile, be polite, serve happily...you re a waiter...paid to wait on dining customers. If you don t like your job, go find another. Don t wait around ruining others experiences. I ve had better customer service at maccers drive through. We paid $1166 for dinner and $174 for drinks. I can absolutely, honestly say that it was such a beyond unsatisfying experience. I would never recommend and never go back. There are way too many extraordinary fine dining experiences in Melbourne that the Stoke House should in no way be classed under an experience that must be had. I m not just a google review rager either, I brought our unsatisfaction to the staff s attention...to which they continued their abrupt and arrogant mannerisms changing nothing. Oho what a crappy night to remember.

Super rude staff
Just walked in to the restaurant to see if there is any spot available. The way the waitress treated us was beyond description! Really disappointing

Great food, great service, Greater sommelier who's know his stuff... Definitely a great comeback to a amazing place

Exceptional view, food and service. Great place to spend the afternoon dinning and taking in the view of the St Kilda boardwalk. Upstairs bar is great for a aperitif. For those international diners a must place to book.

Met Frank's grown up son.
What an absolute legend.
Totally enjoyed every minute.

The Stokehouse use to be my favourite restaurant in Melbourne, until my last dining experience. There was poor communication with the waiter and subsequently with management when I tried to follow up. A very disappointing evening, and sadly wouldn't recommend this restaurant anymore.

The beer to drink while watching the sunset on the beach was exceptional. The weekend is really crowded with people.

Hadn't been back since the old one. Nice rebuild. Open plan with good vews

Very underwhelming,with a very limited menu.Ate with a group of eight and service was good but food pretty uninspired.Accoustics not great.Bit of a shame for probably the best located restaurant in Melbourne. Lacking the charm of the original stokehouse.

Great fish n chips from the outside cafe. I didn't realise this was offered despite been a stoke house regular for decades. Excellent, fresh food. Highly recommend fish n chips on the beach

Amazing. Every time I go there it never fails to blow my mind. The service is exceptional and they are full of knowledge.

Love love love

Location is great, right on the beach.
Food is good but a bit pricey for what it is

Almost the perfect combination. Relaxing view, excellent food and a great wine list. Only by the bottle though. Ah well.

Stop house does amazing food amazing atmosphere not cheap but that s not the point

Although I loved the old Stonehouse, the new area looks beautiful. Plenty of seating and room to roam around.

Food was beautiful presented. Staff were very nice to deal with. Alot of smokey flavours in the dishes this season which kept the Stokehouse Experience menu interesting

Elegant fine dining with a beautiful view. Perfect for special occasions.

Had a great business lunch here with good service. Also good for a romantic lunch or dinner due to view and location...

Incredible dining experience! The lamb loin was delicious and the service was first class!

One of my favorite restaurants in Melbourne. Chilled vibe, great food and the Le Bombe just might be the greatest dessert ever made!

Great ambience good food high prices doesnt disappoint

Limited menu. Overpriced. Setting sun in one's face unpleasant. 4/10.

Great location over looking the bay and for people watching. Calamari good and the pork and had great flavor but was a bit cold. Good range of tap beers but could have some local craft on offer plus no alcohol ginger beer.

Beautiful decor but average food at a premium price.

We had a fabulous night here! I ve been a few times but last night stood out as our waiter (Sebastian) was fantastic and read the situation perfectly (work dinner) and took charge with suggestions and we left it all to him. He chose so well and not too much, and really set the tone without interruptions. The somm also was fantastic choosing interesting great wines and taking the time to chat to us about them. And seemingly genuinely interested in chatting about them!
Always a great place for so many occasions.

From the glorious views across the Bay to the extensive wine list and friendly service, our special family lunch exceeded expectations. The food was not only delicious but beautifully presented from the squid terrine to the lamb with the amazing smoked eggplant.

Great location and food for special occasions bit pricy otherwise

What a shame. The rudest worst service in Melbourne. Once an institution now sadly a shadow of its former self. Go for the view (if you must) be prepared to be offended and treated badly

Visited again the Stokehouse after approx 12 months. Food and wine a knock out! The raw bar was exceptional and the lamb main superb.
Great advice from staff about what s what. Efficient and fun service without being overbearing nor stuffy. Bang on Melbourne fine dining. We ll be back again and again.

Disappointed in the food, fish and chips were overcooked lump of crumbs and a thin layer of fish, worse than local fish and chip shop and three times the price. Complained and they happily replaced the dish with the same result. Cous Cous salad seriously over salted. Fish of the day was good. The only redemption was the service and the happy staff. Will not be returning. All in all very disappointed spoilt our memories of what was a wonderful restaurant. Shame.

The food fine, service fine but the fitout is really ordinary ... "what were they thinking?"

Lovely restaurant, but sadly the food was very disappointing, and that went for all 8 of us. Also, we were not allowed to serve our own birthday cake! Not good customer service!

Wonderful food, service and location. A must for special occasions.

Before even receiving menus our party was reminded 7 (yes seven!) times we had a two-hour window for our dinner sitting by every staff member from host to sommelier to server. Awful experience with an international restaurant owner in our party speechless at Australian service and an embarrassing experience for a proud St Kilda local wanting to show off a reputedly great dining destination. I wanted to hide under the table but the staff probably would have harangued me from there!

I won't even bother reviewing the food which, when eaten under staring eyes, tasted worse by the minute.

Having heard glowing comments about Stokehouse, I was keen to experience it for myself. The view was beautiful and the service and wine were good, however that is where the compliments end.
Whilst the food tasted ok, it was hardly anything to rave about and the prices are extortionate. Two small pieces of plain chicken with a piece of pancetta on top sets you back $42 and a small piece of grilled fish $43. The sides are small and expensive and even if you don t think you have a sweet tooth, you re likely to order an expensive dessert in order to stem the hunger pains.
In a bustling city which prides itself of having an abundance of top notch restaurants to dine at, this is not one of them.

Great food - fairly priced - will go again. Flathead fish and chips was superb. Impeccable wait service from Neil.

Delicious food and great service from the little blonde lady from Queensland!

Awesome food and service.
Great place to enjoy the view of the bay.
The wait staff are 2nd to none.

Fine dining at its best. Food is well presented and delicious. Steak was perfectly cooked. Extensive drinks menu.

Service was generally excellent whilst the decor and views are superb.

Beautiful location and yummy food.
Favorite was the potatoe with truffle and cooked in wagyu fat :) Portion size for the pork was a bit small though.

Oooohhh man this place is awesome - expensive but worth it...The outside bar is spectacular.

Lovely restaurant with great views of the beach and sea. Service is fabulous and the food is exquisite. Does get very noisy though, which affects the cosy ambience.

Good food... Only complaint was that the gar fish was riddled with bones. Sides were very tasty and the lamb was a treat. Beer selection seemed limited for the scale of the venue. Pricey too... But because it is a nice place.

Great atmosphere, on the water front with awesome views of st kilda beach. Food and drinks were great. Take the opportunity on a stunning day.