Many Little Bar & Dining — Restaurant in Melbourne

I am absolutely appalled by the treatment my family and I received during our recent visit to Many Little. While the food was exceptional, and one young male staff member provided exemplary service, the behavior of two female staff members—one with glasses and a brunette in the courtyard—was disgraceful, unprofessional, and deeply disrespectful.

We visited Many Little to celebrate the end of a hard year and my birthday—a special occasion that should have been memorable for all the right reasons. Instead, it was completely ruined by the unacceptable conduct of these staff members.

After my father paid the bill for table 36, we were publicly and loudly accused of not paying as we attempted to leave. This accusation led to a conversation between the three staff members where the female staff member in glasses berated the young male staff member in full view of patrons, despite his repeated confirmation that my father had indeed paid the bill. It was clear that this poor staff member was embarrassed by this unnecessary conflict, as his face turned red, and yet the female staff members refused to listen to him. The entire situation was completely avoidable, but the unprofessional behavior of the two female staff members escalated it unnecessarily.

I did address the situation directly with the two female staff members before leaving—calmly and without abuse or torment—but their lack of professionalism even in that moment was utterly ridiculous. It’s deeply disappointing that the situation couldn’t have been handled with a basic level of care and respect, which would have made all the difference.

The overall service throughout the evening was appalling. Plates were left uncleared despite repeated requests, questions were blatantly ignored, and the staff demonstrated an unacceptable level of care. Honestly the overall feel was they would rather not be there. Frankly, the service was worse than that of fast-food chains like McDonald’s, where basic respect and customer attention are at least guaranteed. For the significant amount of money we spent, the experience fell astonishingly short of even the most basic expectations.

As someone who has always spoken highly of Many Little and recommended it to everyone I know, I am devastated by this experience. My family and I frequent many establishments across Melbourne, and this was by far one of the poorest examples of service we’ve encountered.

What makes this situation even more infuriating is the complete lack of accountability from management. I emailed immediately after the incident on Saturday night (at 8:30 PM), followed up again on Wednesday morning (January 15 at 7:31 AM), and have been met with total silence. This lack of response is utterly disrespectful and highlights a shocking disregard for customer concerns.

What should have been a joyful celebration was marred by poor service, unprofessional conduct, and a complete failure in customer care. I will not return to Many Little unless significant changes are made to address these glaring issues. This incident, coupled with the absence of communication from management, is simply...

Having been in lock down for so long it was always going to be great food wherever we went, such is the taste of freedom. That said, in choosing to eat at Many Little we found ourselves in a restaurant more akin to a top CBD restaurant rather than the country location in Red Hill that would suggest an entirely different experience. The place was busy with the chatter of people creating a great atmosphere that perfectly suited the quality, surroundings and makeup of the dining area. It is obviously appreciated far and wide considering the number of people outside in the courtyard toasting themselves by the firepits whilst downing quality wine from the surrounding area and beyond.

The service was on point from the initial meeting and greeting right the way through to the drinks at the bar after the meal.

"The food was outstanding" is such an over used statement that it doesn't amount to much anymore in terms of recommendation, and it is difficult to find a word that conveys just how good the presentation, balance and flavour of the food really was. We had the set menu with standout items such as Squid ink Parcels that were stuffed with - WA lobster, salmon caviar, finger lime and the Spicy kokis which comprised whipped duck liver, woodapple, and elderflower, but that detracts from all the rest of the food which was equally as good and excellent value, especially when paired with a combination of sparkling wine and local pinot, both of which cannot fail to go well with the dishes.

Given how relaxed we were and how little we had to worry about, other than eating, drinking and swapping lockdown stories, the meal was over in a blink of an eye. When the inevitable call needed to be made that we move from our table, the staff were only to happy to show us to seats at the bar where we watched a myriad of cocktails being made by the very personable staff. Our recommendation from the bar - Oaked Negroni's and Piccolo Martini's.

A great way to spend an evening in such an outstanding environment. We will be back if only to sample bar snacks on the outside deck but more preferably in the restaurant sipping Pinot reminiscing about the time we were in...

Disappointing Service Overshadowed an Otherwise Great Meal

A group of us recently dined at Manny Little for their $130pp set menu, which featured five beautifully presented courses. Caps off to the chefs – the food was genuinely excellent. Each dish was thoughtful, well-executed, and visually stunning. It was a real culinary highlight and a testament to the talent in the kitchen.

Unfortunately, the overall experience was overshadowed by extremely poor service and a lack of professionalism.

There was a sign inside the restaurant advertising special cocktails, and most of our group were excited to try one. When we went to order, we were abruptly told that they hadn’t received the delivery for some of the ingredients. That in itself is understandable – things happen – but what was disappointing was the complete lack of communication. No one mentioned this to us when we were seated, and the signage remained up throughout. It wasn’t until we tried to order that we were informed – with no apology and no alternatives offered. We ended up just drinking water.

A few of our friends ordered different cocktails instead, and unfortunately, they were so poorly made they couldn’t even finish them.

The service overall was the biggest letdown of the evening. The staff were not warm, welcoming, or attentive. There were no smiles, no effort, and no knowledge of the menu or wine. Even basic service like topping up water was overlooked. One staff member even let her bracelet dangle directly over our food while serving – completely unhygienic and unacceptable in any professional setting.

There was also zero attempt at wine pairing or upselling, which was surprising for a venue that appears to position itself as a premium dining experience.

We dine at wineries and restaurants across regional areas often, and sadly, this was one of the worst service experiences we’ve had. The food deserved better service to match.

We won’t be returning – and it’s a real shame, because this place has serious potential if the team is properly trained and the guest experience is...