Amazon State Restaurant — Restaurant in Melbourne

Could not be more disappointed with my experience. I’d saved up to take my partner out for a fancy dinner for his birthday. Well what a let down. We’d barely sat down and hadn’t received a menu and I was put on the spot asking if we’d like a glass of champagne to start- I said yes, reasonably expecting that we’d be served the ‘base’ champagne or advised that it would be $76 for two glasses 😳 we then had to ask for menus after being seated for around 20 minutes (at which point I realised we’d been served the most expensive champagne on the menu). For entree was a scallop each - which were overcooked, pate (the only redeeming meal of the evening- even then we got a huge pot of pate with four tiny crumpets), and the crab and calamari which just tasted of old oil. My partner ordered sirloin steak and chips for main, the steak was not great and very fatty, and the chips tasted like they were cooked a few times prior to being served (and my partner loves his chips - for him to find the inedible means they must have been really bad. We ended up at a souvlaki place later that evening and we gobbled up their chips). My main the pasta ragu was nice enough, but the pasta was more than al denti - it was so undercooked it was like cardboard. Dessert wasn’t much better. The tiramisu was watery (how I have no idea…) it also had sooo much cocoa powder on the top my partner practically choked from inhaling it on the first bite. The affogato I had was fine, but how wrong can a shot of coffee and a scoop ice cream go? The icing on the cake however, was the constant upsell by the waiter every time he passed our table, given he basically taken advantage of me with the champagne- this was just infuriating - my partner and I walked out so disappointed, broke and hungry. We had such high expectations after seeing good reviews, and I have no problem paying for good food and service, unfortunately it...

busy on a saturday night, the venue has a boujee atmosphere. we sat on elevated, lavish booths with dimly-lit table lamps, it all felt quite exclusive! they pride themselves in their ‘pasta, steak and vino’, and i saw many tables around the restaurant enjoying these dishes!

we opted for a range of stuzzuchini, antipasto, shared mains and desserts. starting off strong, their prosciutto pecorino croquettes were crisped to perfection and their chunks of prosciutto were so satisfying! their oyster was fresh and the scallop was glistening in that golden lobster butter. even better, their heirloom tomato stracciatella was generously plated and the mix of pine nuts, raisins and olive crumbs worked on a mediterranean harmony. their lakes entrance octopus carpaccio was imo, better than GA’s (similar in plating) and we enjoyed the asian-style flavours on this dish. paired with their focaccia and whipped butter, yum!

the roast chicken as tender and flavoursome, but felt too small for half. their saffron lobster risotto has the perfect al dente chew and creamy, gooey texture, however was very intense in flavour, especially with the addition of the lobster salsa. i’d recommend this dish only if you’re a hardcore lobster fan. i think their pasta and steak is the way to go! their skin on fries were YUMMM

we were surprised with a cheese selection! their technique of grating the cheese created a met-in-the-mouth texture, and I loved the nutty buckwheat crackers. desserts were of course, delicious. I loved how well-soaked their savoiardi biscuits were, and the choc torta was addictive.

while service was a little inconsistent between staff members (at times we felt a little forgotten), it was full-house, and we were greeted and walked out by smiling and friendly waitstaff. somewhere i’d recommend for a local date night, group dinner, or even a drink and...

Went to this restaurant after seeing lovely pics on Instagram however was left really disappointed. Service upon entry was great - staff were welcoming and showed us to the table.

However, it went downhill from there.. Upon being seated at one of the booths we ordered a few cocktails. I had the maple old fashioned which is was fantastic - would recommend! The group asked the waiter for some cocktail recommendations and it appeared the waiter was not able to offer any real suggestions or seemed to have any knowledge about the drink selection. We thought this was a little odd but didn’t let it worry us. Also the drink menu described flavours but zero indication of why was actually in the drink.

We ordered a few of the entree dishes (Calamari, Kingfish, Bread, Buratta) they were okay, nothing stand out but fine.

For our mains, 3 of us ordered pasta/risotto and the other ordered one of the dry aged steaks. The pasta all lacked real flavour and tasted like the pasta you would get at your local pizza restaurant (at least that would’ve been made with love) When you’re paying a premium, you would expect to get a dish that leaves you wanting more. The steak was the best out of the lot - would recommend and cooked really well.

Now this restaurant could’ve redeemed itself if the service was amazing (you know, the kind you would expect at a fine dining establishment) however the waiter was almost rude? He had no knowledge of the menu, was not attentive and we asked him to take a quick photo of us and we got told he was too busy and would return… he did not.

We spent close to $600 at this restaurant and then we’re prompted for a minimum 15% tip (~$80) to which we hit decline.

I understand this restaurant is relatively new - please hire new staff it’s letting your entire establishment down. Would not return - regret that I spent a...