Belles Hot Chicken Melbourne CBD — Restaurant in Melbourne

I have been a very big fan of Belle's hot chicken for years now, I have literally eaten belle's hot chicken, brought home leftovers, immediately eaten it, then hours later in bed looked at social media posts about Belle's hot chicken craving more.

I have recommended it to over 40 people, from friends to customers over the years because of how much I have loved this place, but tonight after eating I couldn't be more disappointed with what I saw after explaining my average meal.

The chicken tasted and felt like (temp wise) it had been cooked 25-30 minutes earlier, I ordered the very f'ing hot, and saw some very light looking tenders, but you know sometimes the worker doesn't drown with seasoning, it has happened once or twice over the last 4-5 years, but again sometimes that just happens, easy to forgive for juicy fresh chicken.

I went to pay, they asked how my meal was, and I told them how the heat level was more like a regular hot, but mostly my disappointment was how they didn't taste like they had just been cooked, and then I look left into the kitchen and see someone taking some tenders off a tray in a giant warmer/oven.

They weren't cooked fresh.

They had been cooked as part of a batch, and left in the oven/warmer, which is why when I first bit into my first tender, it went down so easy, usually I gotta blow air out of my mouth to cool it down because you can literally still see the oil bubbling on the surface, but not this time.

The chicken was tougher and less juicy than it would have been had it been cooked fresh to order.

I am extremely disappointed, the whole reason to spend 20-30 dollars at Belle's is for fresh hot juicy chicken, where no matter how many times I eat it, I can't help but do a cross section and show whoever I'm with while saying "See! Look how juicy that is!."

I was eating at Fitzroy just a few weeks ago, month tops and I definitely still had fresh hot chicken.

Return your warmer, for the love of chicken just cook to order!

If it's busy and I have to wait 25, minutes, that's fine! I'm at Belle's because of the fresh hot chicken and amazing heat.

Hot seasoning on "warmish" chicken doesn't taste as hot, or as good.

Really disappointed guys. This warmer is going to lose you customers.

Just buy another fryer if...

I have been a regular customer here, usually coming once a week. I almost always order the same thing—fried chicken, fries, and sauce. The taste is consistently good, the service fast, and the team members on the floor have always done an excellent job. For that, I previously gave this place a five-star review.

This time, however, I am leaving two stars to raise an issue for the management team. Since I cannot leave another review on the same Gmail account, I am posting from my backup.

In recent visits, I noticed that the smiles of the staff have disappeared. The reason, from what I observed, seems to be a new manager. I had never seen him before—shorter in height, with facial hair—and unfortunately, his attitude toward staff felt unpleasant. As a customer sitting nearby, I could hear how he spoke to the team. Although he did not use swear words, his tone was belittling, as if workers were being treated like pyramid-building laborers rather than valued employees.

For example, instead of simply asking someone to carry multiple items in one trip, he said: “You’re not a child anymore, do you understand how to do this?” Hearing that while eating made me feel uncomfortable, even though it wasn’t directed at me.

The staff themselves remained professional and still took care of my table, but the atmosphere was not enjoyable. A toxic work environment like this will eventually cause staff to leave, and when that happens, service to customers will suffer.

I genuinely like this restaurant and appreciate the hardworking team here. But I cannot enjoy dining in an environment where the manager humiliates staff in front of guests. I hope the management takes this...

Updated review, date of visit 9 March 2024.

The review reflects my personal experience and honest opinion. It's available on both Google and Instagram.

As someone who has frequented Belles Hot Chicken for years, I've always appreciated their food, but sadly, my latest visit leaves me hesitant to return.

The service was exceptional - friendly, efficient, and welcoming from start to finish.

However, the food was a letdown. The chicken tenders were disappointingly dry with minimal flavor, and the mac and cheese lacked any discernible cheesiness, tasting more like a bland roux than a cheesy delight and it was served cold. The saving grace was the crispy, well-seasoned chips.

While my partner's waffle and chicken were on par with the dry chicken, the waffles stood out as fluffy, light, and delicious.

Despite the high prices (nearly $60 for two without drinks), the overall value fell short, especially when comparing to other fast-food options.

Regrettably, I won't be returning, as better options exist even within the same price range.

Food Quality: 2/5

Service: 5/5

Ambience: 5/5

Value for Money: 2/5

Cleanliness and Hygiene: 5/5

Innovation and Uniqueness

Previous review. Great service, nice clean restaurant. Mouth watering food, full of flavour. Highly recommend the share...