Hacienda Melbourne — Restaurant in Melbourne

What an experience. Definitely new in the area. Saw on socials so thought would be nice to try it out. I made reservations for my partner’s birthday and thought it would be nice by the river and try out something new. We were seated in the corner of the balcony and were forgotten even though the restaurant was quiet! No menu served nor water. A server named Thomas came eventually and we had to ask for menus, to our disbelief his response was, “oh I thought you were only here for coffee”. I mean who would make a reservation to be seated outdoors at a restaurant like, it’s very assumptious of him to say that and not very welcoming! We didn’t make booking to ONLY HAVE coffee which in the end we didn’t even get to order!

Anyways, the menu looked nice. They had ala carte and banquet option. We decided to go for ala carte as we wanted to try couple of things. We ordered chicharrones, tacos, elotes and costilla to start with and wanted to order more as we go. We also had cocktails which was very nice and refreshing and soft drink was quite good too. The food came out pretty quick. The tacos were amazing, it had small dices of crispy pork and nice touch of salsa and sauce to it. Chiharrones was good too. Loved the blend of pork and cheese in the dish. Corn 🌽 wasn’t our favourite, it came with a surprise of bugs 🐞 in it. Costilla, which was actually the beef ribs was quite good but nothing special about it.

The food was pretty good and we wanted to have more but no one came to check on our table. We had our baby with us hence we decided will call it a day. The server Thomas came by to clear our plates well after we finished eating and we asked him to take our picture when he was free. He said he would drop the plates and come back but he never came back! (To this day… we are still waiting for Thomas to return). We wanted to do coffee and dessert but the server never came back to check on us. We felt ignored and left in the corner. We eventually made our own way to the front to pay and while I was making the payment a lady server asked how was everything. I didn’t hold back, advising how I felt let down and made a special booking but we were not looked after. Very disappointing. Rather than calling the manager, she asked if we would like to speak to one and I advised there’s no need and I shall provide the feedback online. With this she just pulled a face.

I wanted this to be special for my partner for his birthday but it was such a disappointment, I felt embarrassed for taking him there. Service was non-existent and we didn’t even get to dine in properly. This was definitely not worth the experience.

I won’t recommend this place to anyone, especially if they are planning for special occasions. They really need to do something about...

Hacienda: A Fine Dining Masterpiece of Mexican Cuisine

My wife and I had the pleasure of dining at La Hacienda, and it was an experience to remember. This isn’t your typical Mexican eatery; Hacienda takes beloved traditional flavours and elevates them into the realm of fine dining.

The meal was a true culinary journey. The grilled octopus was cooked to perfection, tender with a hint of smokiness that paired beautifully with its seasoning. The bone marrow was indulgent and rich, offering an unforgettable depth of flavour. The lechón was another standout, with its crispy skin and succulent meat, showcasing the kitchen's mastery of preparation.

Each dish came with fresh tortillas served in a charming little pouch to keep them warm and moist, a thoughtful touch that added authenticity and warmth to the experience.

The ambiance and service were impeccable. The staff were attentive, knowledgeable, and clearly passionate about ensuring guests enjoyed every moment. Their hospitality complemented the refined atmosphere, making it a perfect spot for a special night out.

If you're looking to explore Mexican cuisine with a focus on class, quality, and unforgettable flavours, La Hacienda is a must-visit. Highly recommend, and we can’t to...

We attended for Valentines Day (& anniversary) dinner. We had a feeling something wasn't going to go right from the moment the front of house looked confused and told us to wait a moment when we told her about our reservation. She looked frazzled and appeared not being able to find our reservation. We were seated on the balcony table ( lovely views) no rose on our table. Every other table had a rose. Alex our waiter was nice, kind of felt sorry for him rushed off his feet. Waited 1hr 20 mins for our starters. Restaurant was full, looking around no body was eating, no food on their tables either, other couples looking quite annoyed too. Made a complaint to front of house seating other customers, told her we were going to leave, she asked us who our waiter was and she would call him. Alex was sincerely apologetic. Got our food out but forgot our sparkling water that we had asked for 3 times from the moment we sat down. Food was good except for the small portions and the main dish steak, it just needed salt, no salt whatsoever, it was tender and cooked well but where's the salt and the sauce with it needed salt! Got our sparkling water eventually, on the house. We left still hungry and got a souvo on...