Bottarga — Restaurant in Melbourne

I didn't want to leave a negative review because I understand that it's not easy for small business owners to make everyone happy.

I also understand that my dining experience is unique to me, and others may love the restaurant for precisely the same reasons I did not.

I cannot fault the quality of the food. I take my hat off to the chef. The food was delicious. The resteraunt also had charm. A little cramped but all in all it was not a bad place from an atmospheric point of view.

However having said all that I can't help but think their real buisness model involves taking bets, on how small they can make their portion sizes, before someone actually complains.

Yes I am being purposfully facetious, but I was truly blown away at how small they were.

I can say with my hand on my heart, without a word of exaggeration, that my crab pasta main was as small as a child's serving.

To add insult to injury, my wife was not served her dessert before the staff politely told us we had 5 minutes to vacate the table, handing us the bill.

The dessert, despite not being served, was among the charges on the bill.

In summary, I paid $246.36 (for 2 adults) with no alcohol (my wife and I don't drink) to walk away very hungry and charged for one meal they did not give us.

Reply to Owners reply:

Firstly, I don't appreciate the insinuation that my facts are incorrect. My review gave credit where it was due (great food and a great atmosphere). This is not symptomatic of a disgruntled customer trying to ruin the reputation of a business like you are trying to make it out. I reject your assertion that this is the case.

My opinion on portion sizing was based on personal preference, and my review explicitly reflects my personal opinion and unique experience.

Furthermore, I would like to clarify the Mojitos my wife ordered were non-alcoholic. At least, that was her request when she ordered them.

I also acknowledge that we were late to our seating, but it was not by 30 minutes. We were 15-20min late.

Nevertheless, the correct thing to have done for the best customer experience would have been to point out from the beginning that we might not have had enough time to get our dessert due to the busy nature of your establishment and our late arrival.

This would have been a more transparent approach and would have avoided any potential customer dissatisfaction.

I appreciate that you have acknowledged your mistake, but if you were sincere in wanting to rectify that mistake, it would have been proper to simply not charge us to begin with, or immediately offer a refund instead of a voucher in the email.

You now offer the refund only after I gave my honest review, which you don't like.

That tells me that your apology is not sincere, so I will not accept your voucher nor your refund. You can keep our money.

For what I was paying, I personally did not feel I got value for money. That is a personal opinion no matter how much you disagree.

The wording of you response to review and the nature of your resolution (over email) to a mistake, which you admit was yours, was also not to my satisfaction.

Had you made an honest attempt to rectify the issue over email, I would not have mentioned the mistake of the desert in my review because I understand honest...

Located in Martin Street in Brighton Victoria.

Bottarga only seats 18 at each timeslot, I booked for 6pm, but other timeslots are available, it is quickly booked out!

Bookings can be made ahead online but you will need $100 deposit to book.

AGFG award winner 2024.

The way it works is you can either have 2 courses for $65 which we chose - an entree, main, or dessert, or 3 being one of each for $85, as mentioned some options are an extra charge, but the Wagu beef was well worth the extra money, was melt in the mouth and really delicious!

Open Tuesdays-Saturdays from 5pm till late with several booking times available! Sunday is open for Private events!

With an extensive wine list, cocktails and mocktails available and a choice of soft drinks with a complementary sparkling water on arrival topped with a slice of lemon or still water if you prefer! Mum had a mocktail with Ginger beer, pandam leaves, Orange juice and spices! She really liked it!

Coffee and tea and soft drinks are also on offer but be aware that they only have normal milk! I only have almond milk or soy in coffee so that threw me out a little! I wasn't interested in wine and was more than happy with my complimentary sparkling water!

My mum ordered the scallops as an entree, which she devoured before I could get a photo!

She really loved them!! She said the flavours were very subtle and they were beautifully presented with micro herbs and Australian ones too! They were served on a swirl of 2 different sauces.

We both went for the wagu eye fillet steak medium rare with a homemade herb butter and a beautiful jus! And baby carrots! (this option was $19 extra per serve).

Then added on a salad with nashi pear, rocket, walnuts, shaved Parmesan, with a vincotto dressing made from red wine reduction infused with fresh ginger and spices!

The napkins are real not paper and the chairs and seating comfortable and inviting! Us ladies can ask for a special bag hanger to put on your table to save them being on the back of your chair or under the table!

Mum having had the entree and the main and we shared the salad, I had the steak main too but was extremely naughty and had a dessert with mine!

Ordered the wild cherry compote tart with chocolate and Gorgonzola gelato as it intrigued me as to the gelato!

Whilst the entree and mains and even the salad and mums mocktail were all first rate, beautifully cooked with a simple yet elegant presentation, I felt the dessert fell way short!

The tart shell was tough and hard to cut let alone eat and the Gorgonzola sorbet just didn't work well with it at all!

It cost $228 for the 2 of us, so not cheap but I would recommend and return apart from the dessert which I would steer clear of!

I love that I got a park right outside the door with easy access for Mum!

The staff were both friendly and helpful and all guests were attended to with great professionalism and in a great manner!

My favorite part was being able to see the Chef at work with an open kitchen and the ambience there was awesome indeed!

Not for everyday but if you are interested in an intimate and enjoyable night in a pleasant atmosphere for a special night out!...

My Partner and I visited Bottarga for dinner on Wednesday, 9 June, and left thoroughly impressed. We arrived at 6:15 p.m. and were warmly welcomed into a relaxed, thoughtfully curated atmosphere. Before our visit, we had informed the restaurant of some dietary requirements, and they were more than accommodating, restructuring the tasting menu to suit our needs. This attention to detail was something we genuinely appreciated.

We started the evening with a drink. I had the Aged Negroni, which was beautifully balanced and full of character, while my partner enjoyed the Americano, which was equally well-crafted. From there, we opted for the full tasting experience.

One standout dish was the potato focaccia: crispy, airy, and absolutely delicious. We also decided to add an extra course midway through, as we wanted to try the duck, which turned out to be a great decision. The team that night was compact but exceptional. The two staff members seamlessly took on the roles of sommelier, bartender, and server, guiding us through every course and wine match with care and knowledge. Even the chef made a brief visit to the table, which added a lovely personal touch.

If I had one piece of feedback, it would be about the pacing. The experience was originally expected to last around two hours, but we left closer to 9:45, so it ended up being about three and a half hours. This was partly due to starting with drinks and adding an extra course, but also because there was quite a bit of time between courses. In hindsight, we found out that a faster-paced tasting experience was available upon request, which we didn’t know at the time. Next time, we’ll be sure to mention it.

Overall, it was an excellent evening. The food, drinks, service, and atmosphere were all of a high standard, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Bottarga. I’d definitely return; perhaps just with a clearer idea of how long I’d like the...