Plus 5 — Restaurant in Melbourne

Had lunch there as a group of four and was greeted by a lovely waitress and was taken to our table outside. She asked if we were comfortable ordering through the QR code which we were, which is fine. But then it got too hot and we moved inside instead. Ordered our food via the QR code which ran smoothly. Drinks came over quite quickly however it took awhile for us to get our food. Mind you, it wasn’t crazily busy and we had only ordered 2 bowls of chips and 2 small plates. We then noticed our food had been cooked and left on the bench for a good 10-15 minutes before it brought out to us. The chefs even rang the bell multiple times however it was ignored and one of the FOH staff was just talking to manager(?) who was on the laptop instead of serving the food that was left getting cold and even then, another table who ordered after us got their food before we did. There were even multiple staff members just walking around as well not really serving. The food came out but was reasonably cold as expected due to being left to sit on the bench and even then one of the small plates was missing. We questioned the waitress after a few minutes and mentioned that the food was cold only for her to come to the table saying there had been a glitch and they only just got our order through the system which is a lie. There’s no way you can say that when we ordered together, everything but one dish came out and then 1 minute later after questioning, the dish comes out. The story just doesn’t add up as we sat directly in front of the kitchen. She offered to replace the chips however the same thing probably would happen again so we declined.

Food had alright flavours but being cold just made it very average. Very disappointing experience. Wouldn’t recommend. The staff could definitely do with a bit more training as well and learning what and how...

Foolishly overlooked this place for two entire years but once we tried it, we have literally gone nowhere else since. Plus 5 is a comfortable, consistent waterside bar with a very relaxed atmosphere. It’s a reliable option no matter the weather; if it’s raining or windy they’ll just put the covers up and you stay cozy and dry while still feeling like you’re outside and with a view of the river. Plenty of heater coverage for the winter time too. Music is chill and background level.

The staff are kind and lovely and service is always fast. They started to recognise us way too fast haha. You can order by QR code or at the bar, whatever you prefer.

On to the menus. Both the food and drink menus are extensive, and apparently not in the way that everything is average. Lots and lots of interesting and tasty cocktails with regular specials. Everything we’ve ever eaten there has exceeded expectations and is always perfectly cooked. The best thing by a mile is the buffalo cauliflower which makes it a great place if you want vegetarian or vegan options (of which there are a lot, including a delicious bruschetta pizza). They do a good chip too - obviously very important.

Last but not least, they do a generous Happy Hour with $10 Espresso Martinis (some of the best in town, the coffee is rich and almost chocolately), as well as a variety of other half price or discounted cocktails/sprtizes. Runs from 3pm - 6pm Wednesday through Friday. Their cocktail jugs are also great value if you’re there on the weekend (around $36 which is almost $20 cheaper than some nearby venues).

Highly, highly...

Rating this restaurant one star for the view and/or location. Very pricey for the amount of food you get. We ordered the eggplant dish, the king prawns and caprese salad. We had to ask for our cutlery and extra plates and the salt and pepper. The eggplant dish is supposed to be a larger serve but it was just a morsel. The king prawns were not cleaned and you only got one servillette to clean your hands. The capresse salad was the most disappointing considering since it's a recipe that features the "tomato". The tomatoes were hard and tasteless, I could understand if the tomatoes were not in season but we're in the middle of summer. It makes me laugh because they describe them as heirloom tomatoes. The mozzarella cheese was of a runny consistency, not sure if it was mixed with yoghurt, not a good combination. Lastly, we ordereded a 750ml mineral water bottle and before my husband had a chance to finished the bottle they took away his glass. Overall, bad service and not very satisfying food. A tapas bar/restaurant should serve morsels full of taste, I understand is not quantity but quality and flavour but we did not find this here. We left feeling hungry and disappointed. My husband got his muesli bar as soon as we left the restaurant. 😂. Will not go...