Corniche Restaurant — Restaurant in Melbourne

We chose Corniche Restaurant to celebrate my husband's birthday, but unfortunately, the experience was disappointing. Despite making a reservation, we arrived to find no table available due to an ongoing event. We had to wait outside for about 20 minutes before being seated at a cramped table in the corner, barely able to accommodate the dishes we ordered.

The staff, particularly a Moroccan gentleman, were extremely friendly and helpful, which was the only redeeming aspect of the service. I had messaged the restaurant in advance about my husband's birthday, ordered a small cake, and requested they play a birthday song. However, when the time came, the cake was brought out and simply placed on the table without any effort to make it special. It felt rushed and very underwhelming—not the celebration I had envisioned.

To make matters worse, there was a complete lack of coordination among the staff. At the end of our meal, the cashier told us to wait, implying they were bringing something out, but it turned out he meant the cake we’d already had. He apologized and did not charge us for the cake, but the whole experience left a sour taste.

While the food was absolutely fantastic (10/10), and the Moroccan staff member was exceptional (10/10), the overall experience was a 5/10. This is not a place I would recommend for a special occasion.

PS: The food was amazing, authentic, and I can tell as a Lebanese! I've been searching for a proper restaurant that knows how to make truly delicious vine leaves, and I’ve finally found it. I would definitely come back for the food, but of course, not for a...

Corniche is a highly hospitable restaurant, from the moment you step in the door the friendly staff are attentive in serving you. The service was amazing, they sat us by the window which had an amazing view of the docklands, and brought out water, cups & Lebanese bread right away. They gave us menus and a decent amount of time to order, we ordered 1 mix grill plate, Lebanese sausages, trio of dip and vine leaves. This was more than enough for the two of us, the meat from the sausages were juicy, seasoned and melted in our mouths, they paired perfectly with the chips, dips and bread. The tabbouleh was crisp and fresh, with hints of tanginess. The Lebanese toasted bread paired perfectly with the dips, if you could buy these I definitely would buy 2 bags. My favourite dips were the labne and hommus, and the unlimited olive oil added a nice flavour to it. The meats from the mix grill were served fresh, steaming hot and juicy. The skewers were full of flavour and included lamb, chicken and kafta. The felafel had the perfect crunch and I am definitely coming back to get a plate of the felafel. Their chips were fresh and crispy, well seasoned with salt. Their chicken wings were super crisp on the outside and juicy on the inside i would order a plate on its own :) Overall their service was 10/10, and there was not a moment I can fault. They were very generous and kind. All together we paid $103 for 2 and managed to take some leftovers home as we got pretty full! Worth...

Great location with views of the yarra on the quieter end of Docklands with Southwharf nearby.

VIBE: The vibe of the restaurant was lovely with a well lit dining space and Arabic tunes to set the scene. It is spacious and various dining options including outside tables under the small trees near the dock - beautiful on a warm night.

FOOD: Good menu options, something for everyone but best to enjoy sharing/banquet style so you can sample more. The prices are very reasonable for the location, venue and quality. The dishes came out well presented, not huge servings but certainly enough and they had a good drink selection. Flavour was enjoyable but not unique enough to entice a return visit. We are just spoilt for choice in Melbourne with tasty food options! Hommus was delicious but that garlic dip was very strong - it's ok for garlic lovers like me.

We had a mixed grill, rice with lamb mince and chicken plus a cider for a $79 lunch.

Bonus points for well-cooked juicy chicken, always nervous to get dry chicken.

SERVICE: Easy booking, they answer their phone promptly (not always common these days) and service was attentive throughout. Wait time wasn't long and they corrected themselves quickly when an order was misunderstood and forgotten.

I would recommend friends for a visit, and then a lovely stroll afterwards.

Tip: Allow extra time for parking, a bit of a challenge if you're looking for...