Neruda's Brunswick — Restaurant in Melbourne

Been here twice in the last 6 months, both experiences left me feeling deeply uncomfortable.

On my most recent visit, I was with my 1.5-year-old daughter, hoping for a nice meal, but it turned into a distressing situation. I ordered what I thought was a chicken pupusa from the specials menu, but it turned out to be a chicken tamale. I had misunderstood the menu, and while I take responsibility for that, the waitress didn’t explain the dishes when I ordered. When I tried to clarify the mix-up, the barista, in a condescending tone, pointed out that the dishes were far apart on the menu and suggested that I should have known they were two different dishes. He then went on to make an inappropriate comparison, stating it was like going to a Chinese restaurant and not knowing the dishes, which felt not only patronizing but also racist, as he assumed I was Chinese because I’m Asian.

What made it worse was how he raised his voice at me while I was holding my daughter. I stayed calm, offered to pay for the meal I wasn’t going to eat, but he kept arguing, accusing me of blaming him. I wasn’t blaming anyone—just trying to explain the misunderstanding. I left the restaurant feeling anxious and on the verge of a panic attack, with my daughter completely confused by the situation.

This wasn't my first negative experience here. I previously came with a friend and her 2-year-old. Her son was playing with some items near the stage, and the same barista aggressively snatched the drums from his hands, telling my friend they were an expensive gift from South America. I understand that these items are valuable, but if that’s the case, maybe don’t leave them out in an area where children are present. There’s also a far nicer way to handle the situation than aggressively taking the drums from a toddler. His attitude throughout the encounter made us feel unwelcome. I’m not sure why I bothered returning, thinking maybe the service would improve, but it didn’t.

To be fair, the food isn’t terrible, but it’s definitely overpriced, and there are far better restaurants in Brunswick with better food at more reasonable prices.

I hope this feedback helps the restaurant improve their customer service to avoid making people like me, who are a victim of domestic violence and get triggered by conflict or someone raising their voice at them, feel unsafe. I will not be returning.

Sad and disappointing, because my mother hired out their venue to throw me a baby shower while I was carrying my daughter over...

Undisputedly my favourite place to eat in all of Melbourne. Great food, great drinks, amazing staff, great vibe, good music, friendly atmosphere. An authentic Chilean expericence; a home away from home. I remember when Neruda's first opened up a few doors down as a small cafe and ever since then I've only seen it grow and become the empire it is today. Not a week goes by where I don't go here at least a few times to have one of their perfect coffees or eat one of the tasty meals. For breakfast I'd recommend the Weon Sano. For brunch I would recommend either the empanadas or the green salad with mushrooms and papas fritas on the side with their delicious house made chilli sauce. And for lunch or dinner I would definitely recommend the Guiso. Let alone all the meat dishes looking good enough to eat even as a Vegetarian. All the desserts are amazing as well. The staff have always been so kind, welcoming and friendly with hearts of gold. They're also always really helpful as I'm vegetarian and gluten free and they have always been able to point me in the right direction of some amazing tasty food. This place has a very welcoming, family friendly vibe and I often take friends from out of town here, or who don't know the area, and all I hear are great things from them too. As a Brunswick boy born and bred I've seen Brunswick go through many changes but this place keeps it real like an old school Brunswick business with a down to earth, friendly, family vibe as well as a multi cultural demographic of people all enjoying it together. There is always good music being played from all different types of genres of South American music, not only on the stereo but also live which just adds to the great atmosphere of Neruda's. I would also recommend coming in for the Chilean Independence Day celebrations as it is always a fun party with live music and dancing. It is also great for a chill quiet morning drinking coffee, chatting with the community and playing card and board games. All together, I feel at home here and would recommend you come down and enjoy it too. Much love. Viva Neruda's! I...

ORDERED: 🥧 Mushroom & Cheese empanadas: 2 deep fried pastries filled with mushrooms and cheese ($10.00) 🐟 Ceviche: Fresh raw seafood dish, cured in citrus juices and spices ($22.00) 🌽 Pastel de choclo: mashed corn and beef mince casserole cooked with olives, boiled eggs and pieces of chicken. All baked in a clay pot ($25.00)

🥃 Mango sour pisco - mango nectar and lemon-lime sugar syrup ($15.00)

It was $44.00 for my portion here, between 2 people! 🧑‍🤝‍🧑

REVIEW: 🔦 The standout dish was the Pastel de choclo! As another review has mentioned, it's like the Latin American equivalent of a shepherd's pie. However, the layer of mashed corn at the top (instead of cheese) gives it a sweetness, while the meat fills you up. Finding our 1 boiled egg at the bottom was also fun! 🏴‍☠️ This was unlike any other dishes I have and it grew on us over the course of the meal. Especially with Neruda's in house hot sauce! 🌶️

🌠 The ceviche left more to be desired. It was surprising to see mussels but the taste was too fishy for my liking. Presented modestly, it's not coming with the bells and whistles that I enjoy/am used to. It didn't even have cilantro on top which appears to be a common garnish for Peruvian ceviche. ☘️

Service was straightforward. The brown haired waitress was nice and friendly in explaining Neruda's favourites to us - even recommended the Pastel de choclo - but it was pure efficiency from the team after that. We got up to pay at the cashier because we were unable to catch anyone's attention for a while (unsure if they provided the table service anyway). 🧍 It got pretty busy on a Saturday night with a real casual atmosphere but they were happily accepting walk ins! Booking is always...