Atta Restaurant — Restaurant in Melbourne

Atta Restaurant - An Unpredictable Mix of Highs and Lows!

For my partner’s birthday, I made a reservation at Atta, a restaurant highly recommended by friends. We were excited, especially after seeing stunning photos and hearing glowing reviews. After spending 22 days enjoying meals with my visiting parents—many of them Indian—we were both craving something different. However, since this booking was made months ago, we decided to go ahead.

The location wasn’t what we’d expected from a fine dining establishment; we struggled to find parking and weren’t welcomed by the typical refined glass facade. Seated by the window, we encountered bright sunlight and closed shades that obscured any view, which later gave way to an unappealing outlook of public housing. I found myself wishing Atta was closer to the beach for an ocean view, but it appears a local pub already claimed that spot.

As for the service, it was inconsistent. We had to call the server back initially, as we were still deciphering the menu with the help of online photos. Throughout the meal, a rotation of four different servers attended to us, which made it difficult to build any connection or rapport. A mistake in our order (saffron rice instead of jeera rice) added to the missteps. Using a tablet for order-taking could have helped avoid this awkward moment.

Our meal started with Gol Gappa, which looked beautiful but didn’t stand out in flavor. However, I loved the excessive use of sweet tamarind sauce however it may not be something you would expect in authentic dining. The makka (corn fritters) were delicious but incredibly heavy – enough to qualify as a main course. For mains, we ordered the beef dish and Kerala prawn curry, along with Kashmiri naan and jeera rice. The Kerala prawn curry was fantastic and reminiscent of flavors from home, but by the time the correct rice arrived, we were too full to enjoy it.

When it came time to settle the bill, the manager was busy elsewhere, and we interacted with yet another staff member, staff number 5. While we left a tip, I missed the chance for feedback, especially to mention that the beef dish was overly salty. I value a good rapport with staff, which unfortunately, I couldn’t find here.

As a fan of eating Indian food by hand, I felt caught between the fine dining setting and my natural preference. It was a challenge, especially with rice, as there was no spoon provided. I’d have loved a fusion twist to make the dining experience more utensil-friendly without compromising authenticity.

All in all, our dinner at Atta had its ups and downs. The prawn curry and makka fritters stood out, but the service and ambiance missed the mark. Thank you to the team for the experience, though next time, I may look for a restaurant with more consistent service and a view to match the meal.

While reading reviews, I discovered there’s a $25 “cakerage” fee if you’d like to cut and serve your own cake. I don’t mind paying, but I believe this touches on hospitality and supporting customers who choose to celebrate special moments at your restaurant. Ultimately, true hospitality goes beyond the terms...

Stepping into this fine dining Indian restaurant, you're immediately struck by the dreamy atmosphere. White painted bricks, high ceilings, and warm lighting create a truly inviting and calm ambience, complemented by dim lighting and candle-lit tables. The staff are welcoming and respectful. I loved their uniforms-- cool and classy! The separate male and female washroom facilities are well-maintained and clean. This place definitely prioritizes being "social media ready" over authentic customer catering, and while the presentation is stunning, it's ultimately overhyped and overrated.

The food presentation is truly top-tier, reminiscent of a Masterchef set with beautiful florals, leaves, and artistic dips adorning the plates. However, having dined at numerous Indian restaurants, both fine and casual, the food taste honestly missed the mark. As per the staff, while they source halal meat and chicken, the restaurant does not have a halal certification.

Let's talk about the food. The flavours are clearly tweaked to adjust to a universal palate, a departure from authentic Indian cuisine. The prices are exceptionally high, the taste is not that great! For example, the mains I've enjoyed at other places at a similar price were a good serve for 2-3 people, offering authentic taste and well-blended spices without the fancy adornments. Here, it's hard to justify the ridiculously pricey mains that lack authenticity or a large serve.

The breads, particularly the naans, were the absolute highlight. They were amazingly soft, perfectly cooked, not burnt, and tasted incredibly fresh – the price for these is absolutely justified! The garlic naan was a particular standout. The chicken pieces in the Murgh Chettinad were tender, though the taste was just okay. The Jhinga Pakora entrée was disappointing, featuring more corn, pumpkin puree, and puffed rice than actual prawn. We had Beef do pyaza for mains, the taste was alright, the portion was small and lacked the authentic spiced flavor of onion cooked in the curry! The staff mistook the mains while serving to us and upon correction, they confirmed the correct mains!

They boast an impressive variety of drinks, from cocktails and wines to mixers. The presentation of desserts is appealing, the taste was better comparatively. We had chidiya ka ghosla and Bharat for dessert. The taste of pistachio kulfi in Bharat was heavenly but the shahi tukda on the top was slightly hard (seemed like not soaked well).

Overall, I would only return for the naans, and that's only when a super craving hits (which is once in a blue moon!).

It's worth noting that there are extra charges for cakeage, public holidays, weekends, and all card transactions. They also don't provide high chairs, with only adult seating available. To me, this is an overhyped Indian fine dining modernified with a stellar dish presentation, but...

We went in a large group (around 20 people with a couple of guests with dietary restrictions). The food was what we would categorise as just good (not bad and not great). We were expecting something outstanding from what we heard was a new upmarket Indian restaurant in Melbourne. Service was a big miss! They looked understaffed and unable to handle a large group. Whilst Brijesh and staff were all smiles they were let down in having the experience on how to handle a large group in what they are building as an upmarket Indian restaurant. Whilst Brijesh knew about the guest with dietary restrictions this had not been communicated to other staff so we had to inform three different waiting staff the same thing when every course was served. Service was slow - first course was served around 635pm. First entree individually plated then arrived by 645pm - individually plated there was a good 2 to 3 minute gap between first and last person receiving their plates. An outstanding restaurant would use 3 people to serve a group of 20 people - 3 plates with each server so service can be done within a minute. Then the wait started for our 2nd entree - we waited an hour and received it finally after asking at 750pm. When we asked about the 2nd entree around 730pm we were told what time would you like to leave the restaurant and we will serve the food accordingly!! Is this how service is done?

The main course arrived pretty soon after. With the dessert we had requested for 16 serves (2 different types of dessert - 8 serves of each) for the table. We received 1 type of desert for all - when queried they said they made a decision to serve one type to each guest as it was easier.

The masala tea took an extraordinary long time to arrive - when asked they said they make it fresh which is what you would expect in any case.

The waiters made a big deal about wanting to announce the food before everyone started eating! Whilst a nice idea it was poorly executed due to the time it took to serve all the guests and making basic mistakes like saying one of the dishes (2nd entree) was paneer when it was fish! When I asked Brijesh he said the mistake was made because that dish is normally served smoked as paneer but they decided to do a smoked fish for us and the waiter didn't know! The dessert was desribed as Ras Malai but it was a Ras Gola - big difference between the two.

Sorry to be so critical but when you are trying to bill yourself as the new Indian upmarket kid in Melbourne you need to deliver! In Australia, only Sydney does upmarket...