The Farmacy — Restaurant in Melbourne

Atmosphere and service is amazing! Quite a nice place for a drink and some snacks after a long day in the hospital, only downside is the main menu food. I have tried almost everything on the menu and can only say that the battered hake (standard fish and chips) is the best - safest - thing for lunch and dinner. The schnitzel was a cheap supermarket deli patty which seemed to be overcompensating with the jus sauce on the side, it did not taste good together. The prawn linguine was more of a seafood cream soup with pasta. The worst thing on the lunch menu is the steak sandwich. The steak wasn’t even steak, it was more like a cheap cut of chuck beef that was attempted to be cooked like a steak. Super tough and inedible. Chips have also been a let down as they have always been overcooked.

I am curious to try the brunch menu as I am hoping to find a winner on the menu. Though it’s becoming difficult to find a decent menu item.

Some more menu positives: The special Tacos on Tuesday nights were super delicious. The burger is good. The waitress said the beef burger was better than the chicken due to the chicken being dry- but we didn’t find this. Parmi was okay - the Albion pub down the road does a better one at less cost.

Farmacy please fix the food! This place has so...

I visited Farmacy Café at the Royal Children’s Hospital with my son, who is intellectually and physically disabled and had just undergone major spinal surgery. The café was empty, yet a staff member told us not to let his music exceed the background music.

She also approached us to take our order, even though on the three previous nights I had always ordered at the bar. It felt like she was trying to hurry us along because of my son rather than let us sit and enjoy the café.

We decided to leave because it felt like we weren’t wanted there. When I tried to explain my son’s disability and that he requires music for sensory seeking behaviours and regulation, she was dismissive. I told her not to smile at me because it felt passive aggressive, and instead she laughed, before saying “Come down to my level,” which came across as aggressive.

This was very upsetting during a hospital stay when all we wanted was to enjoy a proper coffee after days of takeaway food. Families with children with disabilities should feel welcome and included, with empathy — sadly, that wasn’t our...

I recently dined at [Restaurant Name], and while the food was beautifully presented and absolutely delicious, my experience was unfortunately overshadowed by the service. I arrived for lunch at 12:30, and I was quite taken aback by the front-of-house staff’s rudeness. Instead of greeting us, they simply pointed from a distance and told us to grab the menus from the corner of the bar. There was no warmth or hospitality, which was really disappointing.

Considering that this restaurant is situated in a hospital environment, where many parents are coping with the stress of having sick children, I expected a more compassionate approach. The lack of customer service was disheartening. If I hadn’t visited before and had a positive experience, I likely wouldn’t consider coming back after this visit.

I truly hope the management addresses these service issues because the food deserves to be complemented by a welcoming atmosphere. It’s vital to create a supportive environment, especially in such a sensitive setting. Very...