Magnolia — Restaurant in Melbourne

4 x pax attended 1 of which with an allergy to onion & garlic and we had an intention to have the chefs menu. We were told that basically every item on the menu had onion & garlic. Ended up with the 1 x pax having a severely limited menu choice with it being essentially the steak and were told the remainder of the 3 x pax were simply unable to have the chefs menu. It still makes no sense to me as to why the remainder of the table were not able to have the chefs menu option and we all had to have Al La Carte. Which was very disappointing. I also cannot understand why a chef at a well established restaurant is not able to produce food items without onion and garlic. It is a fairly common allergy. In transparency, we had made a reservation, and I had not specified one x person having dietary issues, obviously that would of made the restaurant better equipped, but nevertheless, its a restaurant, and if we had been walking into the restaurant, this response would of been the same. Poor flexibility and rigidness. The food that was served was reasonable, I am just disappointed we were not able to have the Chefs Menu and the waiters reponse to...

Usually I'd expect a new place to take a few weeks to find its groove, but on their first night with a full menu (and what looked like a full house) Magnolia had everything running seamlessly. The space feels fancy while being comfortable and inviting. It's apparent that everything has been carefully curated, the table setting, cutlery, flatware, glasses, but nothing feels pretentious. High ceilings contribute to great acoustics: you can hear everyone at your table clearly, there's suitable background music in the background and conversations from other tables don't carry. Soft lighting. Service was prompt, friendly, and genuine. I struggled a bit to read the text on the menu / wine list but ordering was an easy conversation. The food is wonderful and much like the vibe it balances extravagance and comfort. The french influence and some of the photos might make it seem like they are catering primarily for carnivores but this is not the case. There's certainly meat and seafood but also plenty of vegetarian/vegan options that are a feature, not a substitute or an afterthought. The beetroot and truffle dish was amazing!...

We paid $300 to leave feeling stressed, unwelcome, and disappointed. For that kind of money, I expect more than decent food — I expect an experience worth remembering, not one I’m eager to forget thanks to the phony friendliness, the dismissive service, the jarring music, and the mismatch between the price and the experience

The food was good but the overall experience left a lot to be desired. For a restaurant charging top-tier prices and clearly aiming for a French-inspired fine dining vibe, the atmosphere was completely off. The music was loud and relentless: a barrage of thrashy, high-BPM pop that made it difficult to relax or even have a proper conversation.

I asked about it several times, but the response was dismissive. On the third try, I was told, “It’s been like that for two years,” with no offer to check in again. The service had a polished surface — smiles and charm — but it felt hollow, as though any knowledge and genuine care for the customer had been replaced with a scripted...