Saké Restaurant & Bar Hamer Hall — Restaurant in Melbourne

We've been coming to Sake for years - even hosting my Dad's 70th Birthday there a couple of years ago. We've always been impressed with the quality of the food, the drinks and service.

Our latest visit though was incredibly disappointing. While the food was outstanding - it really was amongst the best I recall having here - every other aspect about Sake disappointed.

Firstly, there was zero communication about the fact that there would be massive hoarding up across the entire river space due to works. I understand this is not with the venue's control but they could and should inform all guests who make a reservation during the planned works time frame that their river view will be impaired. It's one of the draws to the venue after all - the riverside views! If you're going to have the audacity to set limited seating times and charge a cancellation fee if we cancel within 24/48 hours, then you should at least have the courtesy to advise your patrons that there will be disruption to their experience so the expectation is set and disappointment can be avoided. We asked to sit upstairs to at least be able to look out across and over the boards that really changed the experience and were told that upstairs was 'not open'.

Drinks - my husband is a martini guy, loves them. The 'Signature Martini' he ordered was laughable. It was served in the most non-descriptive glass that was really tiny and was barely garnished. It looked sad. He didn't order a second. My cocktail was satisfactory though overfilled with ice so not great value for money.

The food we ordered was excellent - sashimi, gyoza, popcorn shrimp, sushi rolls, the eggplant and others - all outstanding, cannot fault.

The service was ok, but felt rushed - the food was all brought out so quickly, after the third or fourth dish my husband asked them to slow down the food, but it just kept coming, so whilst it was delicious, the pacing was just wrong - and we know it is a 'share style/serve as ready' system, but when we explicitly asked them to slow the pace, they didn't. The venue was somewhat full outside but empty inside where we sat so it wasn't like they needed the table back in a hurry. We were in and out in barely over an hour! We even got a second drink and dessert! Crazily too fast!

It was our anniversary so it meant a lot for us to come here and it unfortunately didn't deliver in all aspects as one would expect from a venue like this, and how they have been on point on previous visits.

I needed to share this as I have praised and recommended Sake many times in the past, but this session was not worth the money spent and we left utterly disappointed and questioning whether we would return again, the taste in our mouths is still bitter from the lack of communication, the rushed service and the abysmal 'Signature Martini'. We know you can do...

ORDERED (09/22): 🍽️ Take No Hana: Nori crisps, hiramasa kingfish, grass fed seared beef renkon chips, prawn dumpling shumai, popcorn shrimp, miso glazed ora king salmon, house salad, cape grim short rib, miso soup, chefs selection dessert ($109.00pp) 🐟​ ora king salmon shake sashimi: 4 pieces ($24.00)

REVIEW: Came back a second time to Sake to try their set menu. We agreed they still maintain their 4/5 stars!

The set menu was quite filling, and we full after the ora king salmon with house salad dish... but that may be because we added the sashimi beforehand. We were just craving sashimi!! 🙃 My favourite was the grass fed seared beef renkon chips for its unique concept, as well as the prawn dumpling shumai. Weakest for me was the cape grim short rib which was tender but I felt like had no flavour. Very similar to the feeling of eating food that someone has already spit out - so you only get the texture (my friend GROSSLY disagrees here) 🤣​.

We were seated downstairs this time around. Happy to report we did NOT have a wobbly table.

Now that I've tried the set menu and the a la carte, the a la carte is the way to go. It was great to experience what the chefs pulled together, but now that I know what I like from Sake... it's going to be a la carte all the way! Especially when it's twice the price, but I did not get twice the enjoyment 🤣​.

ORDERED (06/22): 🦪​ Merimbula Oyster: bold mineral zing on the palate, rich, creamy finish with a umami after taste ($5.50) 🐠​ Small Sashimi Moriawase: 10 pieces of raw fish, featuring salmon, tuna and kingfish ($33.00) 🍣 Nigiri Moriawase: 8 pieces ($29.00) 🥓 Grass fed beef tataki: with sansho, shiitake, wakame, shisho dressing ($26.00)

Roughly ~$50pp

REVIEW: Really enjoyed our brief time here. We were still from lunch, and we also tried to order dishes that weren't on the set menu (we're coming back!).

Loved the oyster and how creamy it was. It went too fast... which made me wish I had another serving of it! The vinaigrette is gentle and a perfect complement to the creaminess of the oyster to add some 'zing'. The sashimi and nigiri itself was fresh, and my friend said it was better than when we went to Komeyui... where we paid double the price.

-1 because a wobbly table ain't it.

Service was friendly and the views of the Yarra was great at night. Turns out there's some sort basic laser show going on? Looking forward to going back to Sake and trying...

The restaurant is in a beautiful location, but the overall experience was extremely disappointing! This is clearly a restaurant not seeking to attract repeat business - never again!

Small servings, unexceptional food and an outrageous number of surcharges ruins an already overpriced dining experience. Most critically, our group of more than six people, dining mid-week was slugged a further 10% surcharge - just for being a group of more than six people! Why?

I attended Sake with a group prior to going a show on a Wednesday night - the idea being to eat a proper meal before our show, not just have drinks or a snack. The sort of business a restaurant likes.

No issue with the booking and when we got there the staff were attentive. So far, so good...

When viewing the menu, the prices seemed high, but given the location and expectation of a premium food experience, one is prepared to pay a bit extra.

Unfortunately, the food was severely disappointing: All portions were small and food and flavour were both unsatisfactory. The lamb chops I had were tough and others in our group also complained about their dishes being poorly flavoured and uninteresting - especially the fish. Even the vegetable tempura was described as tough.

The menu prices are high, but then Sake slug you with numerous extra charges too, starting with a "service charge" of $8.00 per person applied to each diner, plus an extra surcharge for alcohol. Then, when paying (as with many businesses) the restaurant passes on the Card surcharge to the Customer - so be it, but not not appreciated. But the greatest insult is that even when dining mid-week, A GROUP OF MORE THAN SIX PEOPLE ATTRACTS A FURTHER 10% SURCHARGE. Outrageous! Had we known, we could have coordinated and sat in two small groups and not incurred this...