Marquis of Lorne — Restaurant in Melbourne

Arrived at 6:30pm on an AFL semi-final Saturday night with no booking, some afternoon drinks in our bellies and a serious need for food. The place was pumping with a really nice vibe, good music, footy on the TV and lovely Melbourne people (I find Melbourne to be a very friendly place to visit). The first staff member we encountered (our waiter/barman for the evening) said he could squeeze us in only if we could be out by 8:15pm. No problems on our part as my first thought had been "no chance of a table here tonight". The air was buzzing as it was only the first quarter and the local team was still in it. Our friendly waiter took our drinks and food order quickly and we were underway. Watching the kitchen go at it my wife asked me who I thought the head chef was. I replied, "I think it's the calm dude with the shaved head, moving dockets and watching everyone." No idea if I was right, but the man had a presence about him and seemed to know what he was doing. The menu was not atypical "pub" food, which was a nice change. When the food arrived we were all happy with our variety of choices. Well cooked, nice balance of flavours and well presented. My daughter and I had both ordered the lamb and both thought a bit more of the jus would have been nice with the cous cous it was served with. A minor quibble. Alas, in the end, the local team had lost and some "just drinking" patrons left but the vibe stayed positive and bubbly. This is another pub on my list to come back to when I visit Melbourne (about 3 or 4 times a year). Thanks to all the staff as we had a very nice time. Looking forward to coming again. Edit: my kids and wife have all said that we have to come back just for the kangaroo as they all have had it but not I...

This local Fitzroy institution was an awesome surprise find. Wandering in from the busy and crowded pub downstairs you would be excused for lowering your expectations.

But walk upstairs and the place transforms from a busy local pub into cozy restuarant. Open fireplace roaring, room lit buy candlelight and a few laps this is an awesome date spot if I've ever seen.

Staff are attentive and watchful, constantly checking in and covering each other with skill and grace comparable to most hatted restuarants in the CBD.

The menu is quite extensive with everyday favourites, alongside some creative alternatives and daily specials all very well priced and won't leave a burning hole in your wallet. Wine list is decent with plenty of variety available to suit any palate.

Very impressed with this venue will be back again to check out the rest of the menu!

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We visited this pub recently and while the food was good, the service from the blonde waitress with short hair was unfortunately quite unprofessional and rude. My husband placed our order, but one of the dishes was incorrect. I tried to get her attention twice as we made eye contact but she deliberately ignored me both times. We eventually spoke to another waitress, who was much more helpful and resolved the issue.

When the correct dish finally came out, it was the same blonde waitress who brought it to our table and made no effort to acknowledge the fact that she had clearly ignored me earlier. In situations like this, it’s important to own your mistakes. Ignoring customers and then brushing off the issue with a half-hearted sorry as if nothing happened is not only unprofessional—it’s immature. A bit of accountability...