TAP831 — Restaurant in Melbourne

Tap831 is a new addition to the docklands area. The first thing that catches your eye is the exterior with the multiple levels and excellent decor. However it is the interior that is worth all of it.

When you step in, the place is really well spaced and the seating is open and inviting.

The wall to wall alcohol bottles on display is the focal point of the venue. It almost makes you wish you could stay there all day and sample each one.

And then it comes down to the food. They have a few selections that look like they would make the cut. Most of the time, I would have gone the burger or the pork belly but this time it was the parmagiana that caught my fancy. And thank god it did.

This thing….this work of art….my lawd….there are no words to describe it. The sheer size of this meal is what catches your eye.

And how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. Chomp chomp!

The chips were the first thing that I tucked into. Crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside, the warmth that it exuded was beyond amazing. The rock salt seasoning just added to the flavour.

And then… I decided to tuck into the beast. And my lawd….oh my lawd… it was amazing. My contribution to the conversation definitely died down and my lunch partner worried about the expressions I was making as I kept eating.

“Good?”

“Mmmmmmmmhmmmmmmm……” was all that I could muster. Nothing more. That was it.

So was it good? It was by far the best parmagiana I have had in 2016. I know the year really has only just started but….gawd damn. The crumbs were roasted and it was the sense of eating a home cooked meal that really made this a truly enjoyable experience.

Definitely a place I’d recommend and one I will be venturing back to, for the rest...

When I worked hospitality I was taught that "good service will always make up for bad food, but good food will NEVER make up for bad service."

TAP831 proves this. Food was great, cocktails were nice (if a little pricy), floor staff were lovely ... and yet the entire meal was ruined by one rude manager (I'm assuming he was management, as he overruled the staff on the floor.)

When asking for a take-home container, I was told "we don't do that - health regulation." No. learn your terminology, mate. A "HEALTH REGULATION" is an official government policy laid down to REGULATE procedures to ensure public safety (ya know, like all our recent mask/vaccination mandates). FYI, no such "health regulation" exists.' What YOU have is a store policy, put in place by management/owners

Which is more than fair for a business to put in place, if they let the diner know, and don't LIE and push the blame for this decision onto a government body. If you CHOOSE to not offer takeaway, that's your call, but it should be on your website/menu so that diners can make an informed decision on where to eat. And don't try and shift that decision onto someone else - that's just weak.

What little I ate of the food (about a quarter, due to very specific dietary restrictions) was lovely, but I would not have eaten here if I'd known in advance I would be wasting $25 on a mostly uneaten meal. Simply let diners know of your POLICY in advance, and you wouldn't be getting a 1 star review.

5 stars to the 3 different wait staff I encountered - you were all great, please don't let this negative review get you down - it's your management I have an...

Apparently my lunch was optional

Went to eat at Tap for lunch with two work colleagues yesterday, or should I say, they got to eat but apparently my lunch was optional. I was last to order but there was only a couple of minutes between our orders being taken. One colleague's lunch came out first, she started eating. About 10 minutes later we enquired as to the other two and told they were coming. Ten minutes later, my other colleague's lunch came out. Still nothing for me and the staff member knew there were two orders of calamari because one was different to the other so we had to check which one of us it was for. Another ten minutes go by, at this stage I approached the bar and asked the guy if my lunch was coming and if not could I please get a refund. Five minutes later he beckons me over and puts cash on to a tray and hands it to me. No apology. I ask whether the order just didn't get put through, he shrugs and says "I didn't realise you didn't have yours". I said he could have checked.  Again he shrugs and says "you wanted a refund". As if I was the one who had changed my mind and asked for my money back and had not waited over half over half an hour for a meal that was obviously never going to come. I understand mistakes happen but not when they're half full. Im annoyed because I left hungry but more so because the staff member could not have cared less, no apology, no offer to make amends. Suffice to say my colleagues and I won't be going there again, plenty of other restaurants around Docklands...