Chelsea Heights Hotel — Restaurant in Melbourne

My husband and I recently returned home from our Valentine's Day dinner at your establishment, and I feel compelled to share our experience, which was unfortunately marred by the behavior of your staff, possibly the manager.

As busy parents of three, we rarely have the opportunity to enjoy a dinner alone. We made a reservation for 8pm, as my husband finishes work late. I find it perplexing that you offer late bookings only for your staff to rush patrons out the door. This created an extremely uncomfortable atmosphere for us.

During our meal, a staff member approached our table while we were in the middle of a conversation, greeting us with, "Alright, guys, how are we doing?" I was taken aback, as I had no idea what she was referring to until I realised she wanted to take our plates—both of which were still half full. The tone and approach were off-putting; it was clear she was eager to clear our dishes so she could expedite the closing process.

When I requested a takeaway container for our leftovers, she informed me, "No, we don’t do that; we’re not licensed to provide containers. If you want to take any leftovers home, you’ll need to use a napkin." In all my years of dining out, I have never encountered such a policy.

I also observed her rushing other patrons, even while they still had food in their mouths. This created an incredibly uncomfortable dining experience for everyone involved.

Later, at 9:40pm, she approached our table again to inform us that we had five minutes left. When my husband inquired about the closing time, she replied, "Oh, about 9:45pm to 10pm." If that is the case, why the urgency? In the span of just 30 minutes, this staff member approached us five times, pressuring us to finish our meals and drinks, even pressuring patrons to "skull" their drinks so she could take their cups.

This experience significantly detracted from our Valentine's Day celebration, and I can assure you that I will not recommend your restaurant to anyone. In fact, I feel compelled to warn others against visiting. DON’T OFFER LATE BOOKINGS IF YOU’RE GOING TO RUSH PATRONS...

We recently visited the Chelsea Heights Hotel and found the experience to be fairly average overall. The meals were just okay—not bad, but nothing particularly memorable either. They did the job, but we wouldn’t go out of our way to return for the food alone.

One of the first things we noticed upon entering was the lack of atmosphere in the restaurant area. For a venue of this size and layout—with multiple levels—we were surprised to see only the lower level being used. It made the space feel somewhat empty and underutilized. What was even more noticeable was how all the diners were seated in close proximity, side by side in a relatively small section. It gave the impression that only a part of the restaurant was open, which detracted from what could have been a more relaxed and spacious dining experience.

On a more positive note, the kids’ zone was excellent. It’s definitely one of the highlights of the venue. Our children thoroughly enjoyed themselves, and it made dining out much easier knowing they had a fun and safe place to play.

We also noticed that the material in the dome structure appeared to be ripped. It's unclear whether this is something the venue is planning to repair, but it did take away from the overall appearance and upkeep of the place.

In summary, Chelsea Heights Hotel is an okay venue—nothing to rave about. The kids' play area is a big plus, but for adults looking for a memorable dining experience, it may fall a...

We were given the 4 tables closest to the playground which was great - however the tables were so sticky that our clothing stuck to them. Even after using our own wet wipes, it made no difference. Upon looking at the floor directly under the tables - it was black and sticky as though they only mop around the furniture and never under the actually tables. It was quite confronting.

My daughter spilled a water at the table we were at and I reached for a napkin. As I reached in, something touched my hand. A cockroach. A staff member was nearly and I indicated to her that the cockroach was on the napkins. She removed the top napkin, flicked the coach roach to the floor and left the remaining items in the box the cockroach came from - cutlery, napkins, Salt and pepper shaker, etc.

The hygiene here is incredibly lacking. We arrived at 5, so not after a huge dinner rush - the place was filthy from the get go.

The state of the floor and stickiness of the tables is probably more concerning that the cockroach to be honest.

The food was fine, nothing to write home about but not bad enough to complain about. The lack of desserts was disappointing. Most ice creams sold out and only about 3 choices left in the dessert cabinet for what was a pretty full night patron wise.

Overall based on our experience ( booking for 30) we won’t be back again. Please deep clean...