Olivine Wine Bar at Pentridge — Restaurant in Melbourne

There’s too many great wine bars in Melbourne with passionate staff and fantastic ambience to enjoy. Give this one a wide berth. Disgusting customer service. Managed to make us feel unwelcome from the minute we arrived. Planned on coming here more than once but after this experience, we will never be back. On arrival we were not greeted by any of the bar staff, they all had their back to the bar, the place was empty. Eventually we had the displeasure of being served by Amanda. She wanted us to sit right next to the only other two patrons in the venue at first, so we asked if we could sit somewhere else. We’d be able to hear these people’s conversation and vice versa. There was plenty of empty booths anywhere else. This already seemed to put Amanda out. We were sat in a booth with a bench seat where three of us easily fit, so we sat next to each other. Amanda gave us menus and walked away. When she came back I asked if there was a chilled red by the glass in the menu. Her answer was “no, only by the bottle and that’s $88”. That was the end of the conversation. She showed no knowledge of the wines or the food menu and no interest in helping us choose a wine we’d really like, but showed in that moment the judgement she’d made about my friends and I. All of this - mind you - we brushed off and were still excited to enjoy a drink here. But what happened next cemented the uncomfortable, judgemental feelings we’d already been picking up. Just to preface: We’d had one drink somewhere else, so no one was drunk. It was a chill Monday night. So We were waiting for our orders and As we’re talking, I see complete horror wash over my two friend’s faces and I feel heat coming from the back of my head! My hair had caught a light from a candle right behind me. At the perfect head height and with my back turned to the open flame as I sat on this bench seat, it took nothing for a piece of my hair to fall into the glass that held the candle and burn it. We put out the flames quickly but of course you could now smell it! One bar tender “subtlety” walks past our booth. And it honestly feels like they’re trying to see if we’re up to no good in there, not to see if everything is alright. She says nothing. Just walks past in a covert way, that’s actually really obvious. When Amanda finally comes with our drinks (we’d moved the candle away) I politely let her know that my hair just burned from the candle sat right behind me. She seriously looks at me and says “well that’s because you’re sitting in a spot for two people, not three. Ok anyway, so here’s your wine” and starts pouring. Not a “sorry”, not a “are you ok?” NOTHING. And then blames us for sitting where she said we could sit!?! We couldn’t finish our drinks fast enough to get out. One drink was actually undrinkable, it was that awful. How do you mess us an espresso martini?

This could’ve happened if even one person sat at that bench. It’s just the wrong spot for an open flame. Afterwards, My friends and I couldn’t help going over all the potentially hazardous scenarios in which someone else found themselves on fire with the candle in that exact spot. If this hasn’t happened prior, it’s luck. If it happens again after, it’s negligence.

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I don't usually like to post bad reviews, but this one was inevitable. Especially because I was looking forward to experiencing this bar after hearing rave reviews from friends. Sadly, my personal experience turned out quite the opposite.

I had made a booking for 9:30 pm on a Friday for myself and two friends. Due to the rain we were delayed by 17 mins, which I called the bar and informed them about. We were told by the person who answered that it's not a problem and they would inform the staff. We entered the bar at 9:47 pm, and from the moment we sat down, it felt like they wanted us to leave. We were immediately told that the kitchen closes at 10, so we should order quickly. This was fair, we were a bit late, so we discussed and ordered two drinks each, in one go. One of my friends was also hungry, so we ordered a small snack, which was delicious.

I asked a staff member that we've ordered, but could we know till what time do we have to enjoy our drinks. This staff member told us they are open till 11 pm. However, within minutes, another staff member came and informed us that the bar closes at 10:30 pm. We were a bit confused, but continued our drinks, all the time while the staff member paced up and down the bar, almost like an exam invigilator! At 10:20 we were once again told that they are closing soon, so to finish our drinks quickly. By this time, we had been made to feel so uncomfortable and unwelcome, that I asked politely, why we weren't told this while booking the table. I would've made an earlier booking had I known they close at 10:30.

The answer I received was one of the rudest I've ever faced. We were told that no matter what the first staff member said, we were told clearly afterwards that they close at 10:30. It was mentioned that we were 30 mins late(!), and each booking is for an hour and 15 mins (which means our booking was anyway till 10:45 pm). We were also told that it's clearly written all over their website and that we should've read it. Me and my friends were so taken aback and upset, that we wanted to leave that very minute. Fortunately, as before, some of the staff was super polite and lovely, and one of them told us we could sit in the lobby and finish our drinks – which we did and then left.

I have attached images from their website, which no where clearly says they close at 10:30. Google says they close at 11pm on Fridays.

The point here is not just the timing, but the whole experience of being made to feel unwelcome, watched over and the lack of consideration and warmth. I want to reiterate, that some of the staff was very lovely and their kindness and politeness was the only saving grace. I hope Olivine can update their website and google to make sure people know what to expect when they...

My visit to this wine bar felt like a journey through a maze of disappointment. We were greeted and seated by a waiter who seemed as enthusiastic as a wilting flower, completely checked out. The wine menu, while impressively extensive, was presented to us like a dusty, neglected tome in a library. We received no introduction or information about the menu, just handed the menus and abandoned.

The disarray among the staff was akin to a symphony without a conductor. A nearby table had the misfortune of being approached by three separate waiters at different times to take their orders. The lack of coordination was glaring, especially considering that the place was far from crowded during our visit.

The service woes continued as only one of our drinks materialized promptly, and we waited for 15 mins before we had to chase down the other, which the waiter seemingly forgot. There were no apologies offered, leaving us with a sour taste in our mouths.

The food, which should have been a star, was a mere extra in a mediocre production. It certainly didn't measure up to the prices charged, making it feel like paying a premium for a lackluster performance.

To add to the misadventure, one of the cocktails we ordered, the 'Barossa Sour,' had a flavor reminiscent of a wet tablecloth soaked in a sink filled with unwashed dishes for two weeks. When we inquired about it, the hostess's response was as helpful as trying to find a needle in a haystack. Her exact words: "oh it should be ok, it's all vegan." Umm.. no it was NOT okay at all, it tasted like sewage juice, and we were trying to find out if the ingredients were ok for human consumption.

Despite her offer to replace the drink, our experience continued to unravel. We waited for 20 minutes while a parade of waiters strolled past us, offering no assistance, despite the place being relatively empty. Frustration reached its peak, leading us to give up and seek out the bill.

The hostess, who processed our payment, displayed NO intention of righting the ship or even acknowledging our dissatisfaction. Her response, "ok, but how was everything else though?" was like a chef ignoring a diner's report of a bug in their meal and instead asking about the salad.

Overall, this wine bar felt like a ship lost at sea, with service that lacked direction, disorganization among the crew, and an apathetic attitude toward customer concerns. It's a place where legitimate grievances are met with indifference, making it difficult to justify a return visit.

The large chasm between others' postive reviews and my personal experience also prompted me to doubt their...