Claypots Barbarossa — Restaurant in Melbourne

Claypots Barbarossa is a hidden gem in the heart of Melbourne, just a stone’s throw from the hustle of Bourke Street but tucked away enough to feel like a secret escape. This intimate, rustic seafood and wine bar offers an unforgettable dining experience with a touch of European soul and Melbourne charm.

We came here on a weekend evening and instantly fell in love with the moody, vintage interiors — dim lighting, old-world decor, and a relaxed buzz that made us feel like we’d stepped into a tucked-away seaside tavern. The atmosphere is cosy and unpretentious, and the service is warm and attentive without being overbearing.

For food, we ordered the spaghetti with clams and squid ink, which was a showstopper. The pasta was perfectly cooked, the clams were fresh and tender, and the squid ink gave it a beautiful depth of flavour — rich, salty, and slightly briny in the best way. It was generous in portion and beautifully balanced.

We also had a whole grilled fish which was cooked simply, letting the freshness speak for itself. The skin was crispy, and the flesh inside was moist and flaky — served with just enough garnish to let the fish shine. The grilled squid tentacles were another highlight — smoky, tender, and full of flavour, with a lovely charred finish.

To pair, we ordered a round of cocktails and red wine recommended by the staff. Both were spot on — the cocktails were crafted with care and well-balanced, and the wine was crisp, clean, and paired beautifully with our seafood spread.

Claypots Barbarossa is one of those places that feels like a little slice of somewhere else — part Mediterranean escape, part Melbourne laneway magic. It’s the kind of spot you come back to, whether for a cosy dinner, a date night, or just to indulge in fresh, honest seafood and a good...

We are from Sydney and after reading all the good reviews about this restaurant, we decided to make it our choice for dinner on our Saturday night at Hardware Lane. The laneway was buzzing at most of the other restaurants when we got there, but the vibe was sullen at Claypots Barbarosa. But we still wanted to give the restaurant a try to taste the food. Unfortunately we felt let down with our menu choices. Hubby & i ordered the Degustation Meal for 2 thinking this would have to be the pinnacle meal. The seafood cocktail was a giant bowl with many layer's of lettuce with radishes, and 1 oyster, 1 mussel and 1 prawn. Rather underwhelming. Our kids had the pasta marinara and that was a good tasting dish. No salt or pepper on the table to try and raise the flavour of the Moroccan claypot... It was a chilli dish, but maybe it could have done with more salt? The mackerel was dry. Tasted like we were eating tin fish. The Clam chowder lacked flavour. Where's the salt? The stingray with Sambal was unusual and we ate it bc it was different. When the waitress came to ask us how our meal was, we felt bad to tell her what we really thought about it. It was ourselves & another 2 small groups of diners who were the only people in the entire restaurant...at 7.30pm. Also - the mention on Claypot Barbarossa's website about LIVE Music in the restaurant is misleading. You should mention the time the music will play, as well as say that the band plays outside of the restaurant (in the lane), and not inside your restaurant (as we...

Sadly, tonight was a series of missteps that have put me off returning to Claypots again. I booked a table for my parent’s 50th Wedding Anniversary, they had flown over from Western Australia. We spent some time deciding where to go & booked this morning. When we arrived at the restaurant for our booking, they did not have my booking, despite me calling to book over the phone, phonetically spelling our surname and giving my phone number. Stressed, we navigated that and got a table. The one treat my dad wanted was scallops - listed on the menu but not available due to supplier. Grilled K.G Whiting - listed at $30 a fish - after my parents ordered they were told the fish were in fact bigger and they had written on the board wrong so now they were $40/45 a fish (which they rubbed out in front of us and re-wrote). My parents changed their order to one fish which wasn’t big enough for two people. We were warned our food may come out in batches due to them being so busy, which it did of course. The serving dish they served the fish on had a huge chip out of the side. Eggplant side dish was half an eggplant. Empty glasses left at the table and had to request serving utensils for our side dishes. Obviously under staffed and struggling. Positives - we had one lovely waiter & my parents enjoyed the whiting. Overall, extremely underwhelming for the price and not the special evening I wanted...