Ninis Hawthorn — Restaurant in Melbourne

This dining experience ruined my dads birthday. We had an 8pm booking and were rushed out of the restaurant at 9pm as the kitchen was closing - not that we were told this. Upon booking we asked for a nice table due to the occasion - only to be squished between two tables - and being ignored when we asked about this. After being seated 3 waiters came up individually to take our order within a minute as they were closing - we didnt even have a drinks menu yet. The babaganoush was inedible, which we told the waiters. All our food came out at once, again to rush us, when we queried how we were meant to eat it all at once - the waitress told us we hadnt told the kitchen and she couldnt take it back. A complete lack of sincerity in the service - very very disappointing. Was still charged for the inedible item. Highly do not recommend. Definitely wont be back. Dont take an 8pm booking if you dont plan on servicing it appropriately. The digraceful reply from the restaurant below only confims my review - dont call your customers liars and bully them online. I have a time stamped receipt to prove you differently and dont say we asked for a discount when we didnt - asking after we had paid if the inedible item was charged to us, is different, and we paid for it any way. Your response backs my exact experience with you - clearly you do not understand good...

Nini’s & the amazing Bita ✨

We recently celebrated our son’s baptism at Nini’s, and I honestly can’t put into words how incredible the entire experience was. From the very beginning, Bita went above and beyond to make sure everything was perfect. Even before the event started, she went out and got colouring sheets and pencils prepared to keep the little ones entertained such a thoughtful touch that made us feel right at home.

On the day, Bita was an absolute angel. She helped coordinate with the soft play and balloon vendors, liaised with them on timing, and ensured the entire setup flowed smoothly. She made everything feel so effortless, calm, and joyful and that’s all thanks to her warmth and attention to detail.

The venue itself was simply stunning everyone kept commenting on how beautiful it was! The space, the atmosphere, the food absolutely flawless. Our guests couldn’t stop raving about it, and now my sister-in-law already wants to book her son’s 21st here, and friends are talking about hosting their 40th!

If you’re looking for a venue that’s beautiful, welcoming, stress-free, and truly special look no further than Nini’s. It was a huge hit and a day we’ll remember forever.

Thank you, Bita and the Nini’s team, for helping us create such precious...

I had been looking forward to visiting this establishment since I moved to Hawthorn. However, the reviews did not do this place justice. I felt quite underwhelmed. We were a party of about 10 and had the $65/head banquet. The dips were bland and the accompanying bread was burnt. The calamari was lovely, as was the saganaki. The lamb was bland, but tender. For the whole evening, we had to ask for service - for drinks to be topped up etc. There was one other table of two, and then another table of four, in the whole restaurant. We were never asked if we wanted dessert, and at $65 per head, we expected some sort of dessert to be included. Gracie Greco in Camberwell is a much better establishment, in food quality, service, price and value. Don’t waste your time here.

Edit: The booking was not for 17, it was for 14. What were the 7 extra meals?? Fantastic service would've seen us wanting for nothing. The female who greeted us, disappeared after a time, and we were left with just the male, who seemed not very happy to be looking after us. All the ladies agreed about the service. However you want to defend yourself is fine, though the fact still remains that the experience for us was...