Gods Kitchen — Restaurant in Melbourne

I called God's Kitchen three weeks ago to ask about making a booking for May 15 for more than 20 people because their website asks for phone reservations for large groups. The booking was for a special occasion, a joint birthday shared by myself and two other people, and we were all pretty excited. The waitress told me the manager would call me back to confirm but I never heard back. I chased them up a week later and left a voice message on the answering machine. I then received a gruff call back from a guy identifying himself as the manager or the owner. He told me his staff called me back and left a voice message to confirm the booking, (I'd received no missed calls or voice messages), but I was just happy to have something locked in. The man and I confirmed the number of guests, date and time multiple times before hanging up, so the details were crystal clear. Then the big night arrived and my group started to arrive, only to be told no reservation existed and they couldn't accommodate us! To say we were let down was an understatement. I hadn't arrived yet and called the restaurant to complain while another friend madly called other nearby restaurants to make alternative arrangements. No one at God's Kitchen answered my call or bothered to return it. My friends hung around at GK for a little bit longer until we were able to give them an updated address for a new restaurant. The manager then approached one of my friends to say he'd received my voice message and attempted to call me back to apologise but I hadn't answered the phone. This was a straight up lie, he did not attempt to call me at all. Luckily my friends and I were able to squeeze into Kirk's on the Esplanade, which by a stroke of luck were able to accommodate a large group at short notice. They said they would not usually have the space, but the staff were so accommodating and friendly. The food was also fantastic, as were the drinks. In the end everyone had a fantastic night at Kirk's, so all's well that ends well. But it was no thanks to the totally incompetent, liars at God's Kitchen. I honestly wouldn't attempt to go back there if someone paid me. I'm all about supporting hospitality businesses, particularly following lockdown, but my strong advice would be not to bother with GK. Go to Kirk's instead if you want a good meal and friendly service! They also have a much bigger menu and beautiful...

WORST SERVICE IN MORNINGTON the two stars are for the chefs only but had to deduct as they forgot a basic loaded fries and messed up the steak order but I’m sure it’s from the unprofessional waiter who scribbled the order down like a doctor’s prescription. Other than that The Food is great, and this is the only reason I booked for a table of 8 as we have been there before as two and they seemed to handle the small group fine. When we got there, we had table near front door. Hate the booths as we had to shuffle four people out to get one out. One guy who was the nicest one there, must have noticed so he found us a new booth. Better but my two adult children had to share one chair and kept sliding off. TABLE SERVICE is a joke!!! Within first five minutes they ask if we want to order. Taking off his mask to talk at us mind you in COVID. We said we would need a while. So he went off again. He was unprofessional, dressed like he had just woken up too. I had my hand up for ten minutes and staff kept walking past. Finally the rude non mask compliant waiter came past. He had scribbled our order down and my husband knew it was going to be messed up as a result. Sure enough, about 50 minutes later when the food arrived in drabs, one steak was well done instead of rare, and the fries (my daughters) were forgotten all together. Instead of making hers free, they gave a beer to one of the other guests. They are all adults and hers was forgotten so hers should have been free. Not a beer for the other guy whose meal arrived on time. One of the guys ordered a cocktail. The rude waiter said it’s sweet. The guy who ordered is a professional bar tender and said it’s fine, but the waiter argued with him like he didn’t want to place the order or something. This waiter Needs to go. I don’t know if he’s the manager but he’s a pig. Wear your mask. Don’t argue with guests. Don’t yell at my husband for ordering at the bar because you didn’t service our table so after 12 minutes of wanting drinks with No Service, he was forced to order at the bar. If you are allocated a table who are obviously spending more money than the cute girls your age at the front, then service it!!!! Pick up girls on your...

The food has gone down hill as of recently and I'm just hoping that it isn't a standard, the food used to be great. They have this weird thing of bringing out a so called 'smaller dish' with the 'larger dish'. Where most other places call that a entree and a main, the worst thing about it is the smaller dish is still cooked like an entree would and sits there for far too long while the chef is cooking the main 'larger' meal. Tried to have this conversation with the manager about it and she wouldn't have a bar, told me that I was wrong and that many people order a 'smaller' dish to go with a 'larger' dish.

No idea where this idea came from and I eat out a fair bit, just about everywhere else has a smaller dish come out first. Generally speaking the staff have the for thought of enquiring as to if I want the dishes to come out at the same time, which I think is considered to be standard.

I'm not the only person who has had this issue, and when a complaint was raised with your manager twice it almost ended in an argument because apparently "I was wrong". Honestly, in the job of service while supposed to provide a pleasant experience does a manager argue with a customers complaint? When did it become common to send out the smaller and mains together? I've been eating here for years and never had this problem until recently, or is this a new initiative or the new owners?

Also since it doesn't impede the Chefs preparation why on the last two instances has the smaller dish...