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Gimlet at Cavendish House Melbourne Reviews
Disappointing experience
Our second visit to Gimlet didn’t hit the right notes like our first visit (which is why we are back again). Service - Felt like the staff didn’t have time for us (the place wasn’t packed as we went there for late dinner) and we received the bare minimum service from the wait staff. Food - Decent but wasn’t spectacular. The menu selection was rather lackluster too. Disappointed with the whole dining experience as I was looking forward to it. For the amount paid, there are better options out there (with better service).
Husband 50th Birthday
Went here to celebrate my husband 50th birthday. From the beginning to the end The food, the staff were amazing. We were lucky to have the Palm Room which we were offered even though we only had 8 guests. It was semi private and was nice to draw the curtains and be a bit secluded from the main dining room
Extortionate Champgane and Bar Prices . . . What Could Have Been Second Time Around . . . Was Just Not :-[
Our second time to Gimlet which was not as good as the first summer visit last year 2023 - sadly :-[ My partner and i were SO excited to again be dining at Gimlet but were quickly reminded how overpriced the alcohol was ! We sat in the upstairs section along little collins - unfortunately the tables are set with one chair facing the laneway/window, which means the man (usually) gets no view of the restaurant ambience for the whole night. Not great when you are paying a minimum of $300 plus for dinner. My bill was $425 and i am not keen to return if i cannot see the stunning interior too. Service wise you cannot be faulted sas your staff are clearly not overpriced, so well done on that one. Foodwise we had the roast chicken which was delicate and tasted nice, but not as good as last year (same dish), as it lacked seasoning and would have been better if the stunning sauce was in a sauce pot and not on the serving plate. - i had to pour it off the plate onto my partners dish - not a great look when we were sitting next to an ex Prime Minister ! Sides wise, last year we had the most incredible salad drizzled in the most incredible spring onion bright green sauce - a truly remarkable and unique flavor (we had been salivating this thought for weeks) - sadly this visit it was just a boring very expensive leafy lettuce : bring the spring onion salad back ! Drinks wise offering a low grade 'house ' champagne for $198 a bottle is an insult to your customers - we tasted it and it was over bearingly bubbly and grassy, leaving us no option but to go up a grade to $50 a glass champagne - as the next bottle up started at $250 yes $250 ! I have never been to a fine dining restaurant where you leave your customers no option other than to spend $250 for one bottle of decent quality french. Considering your meals (which are stunning and requires great labour to produce) average for between $45 > $65 a main, charging a whopping $250 a bottle to enjoy a fine drink is just extortion - add a starting cocktail and maybe a desert wine - you do the math. Wine wise a decent glass of Shiraz started at $45 glass - yes $45 a glass : again just extortion. I absolutely respect you have costs to cover Gimlet, but your pricing of mains vs your drinks is beyond rediculously disproportionate. Considering my partner and i spend hundreds and hundreds on fine french champgane weekly we know value and what is a good french drop and knowing the main Australian importer quite well, having done private tours of the worlds top 5 champagne houses, well we know what the costs are . . . . so your pricing is extortion. Your house should start around $125 with the next level at $175 - not $198 house and $250 plus. The oldest sales advice applies here reduce the cost and sell more more more . . . as we stuck on 2 drinks each and would have gone 4 each if the pricing was more respectable. So sadly we wont be back in a hurry as there are far better value for hard earned money restaurants such as Grill Americano - Entricotte + L'Hotel Gitane + Victor Churchill to name a few I hope you take this review respectfully and consider its contents, then change your alcohol pricing down and up the food pricing.
Top Notch!
Absolutely amazing dinner! Came here to celebrate our engagement and they did not disappoint! Food, service, atmosphere all to perfection! Wanted to say a huge thank you to Anthony and Sebastian for really ensuring we had an amazing time! Can’t wait to come back to Melbourne for another dinner here :)
Great Meal
Four of us went to Gimlet for our daughter's 30th birthday celebration dinner. The service was exceptional, with all staff being very friendly and informative. We spent $641 and had a cocktail, 2 red wines (per glass) a beer, a bottle of red and one glass of fortified wine. We had the 900gm T-bone, the half lobster, chips and salad. The food was sufficient for the four us and we didn't have room for desserts.
Good but not outstanding
Very nice experience dining at Gimlet but this was more due to the atmosphere, service and company I was with than the food, which, although very good, was not outstanding. The menu is meat and seafood heavy. Dishes are simple and require sides to balance the meal. These too are simple, for example, the salad was simply dressed lettuce. I did enjoy the Gimlet cocktail however!
Gnocco fritto, bresaola and parmesan
Came here without a booking. Resto was fully booked out and left the bar counter seats which is comfortable and interesting. I had 3 Starter + 1 Entree. Had a sparkling Rose to start which is delicious but tiny pour. 2nd glass is an Austria wine which is of right size and ok. Overall, the food is very good and unique. Good to come even if you're alone. However is not wallet friendly :)
Taste of Melbourne
Delicious food from appetizers to dessert! We were here for a family celebration and especially appreciated the attentive staff. The suggested wines beautifully paired with the meal. It was a wonderful evening out!
Food very average
Food is very average. Feels like a home cook (nothing that you can't make yourself at home). The "House Special" Coral Trout was a total failure, the fish was firm and rubbery, so either overcooked or microwaved or combination of both... also was served with small school-prawns that were not soft-shell, but too small to peal so could not be eaten (seemed like a poor attempt to make a dish fancy to charge $170). Unfortunately, won't be back. There are much better restaurants out-there such as Nomad, Sebastians, Philipe, Entrecote, Oushou etc.
Fantastic
Fantastic restaurant. The service was top notch. They were able to accommodate dietary issues with no problem at all. Great atmosphere. It was not quiet but not uncomfortably noisy. The food was fantastic. I enjoyed every course of the set menu and would recommend it. This is a great place for a romantic night as a couple or a fun dinner with friends.
Okay, but better restaurants in the ownership group
This is part of several restaurants owned by the same group. We had at four of them during our visit to Melbourne and I have reviewed these individually. to be fair, we enjoyed our food at all four restaurants, but perhaps this was our least appealing. Compared to the others, it was much bigger, but did not have the same buzz as Marian, the different type of flavours at Supernormal and the cosiness of Cumulus. Whilst the food was good, we did not find it anything special, but again we are comparing it with other restaurants in the group. The service without question was not as good and we did not feel that was the same level of attentiveness. We are not trying to put anybody off of this restaurant, perhaps it was just not for us, and again the food was not poor, but just not special. I hope others have a better experience.
Faultless
My new favourite in Melbourne. Outstanding wine list, superb service with flare and formality, All our meals were outstanding. A great buzz and atmosphere with a beautiful decor. Forget the rest this is the best.
Delicious lunch
Great service by Keelan who was very friendly, helpful & attentive throughout our visit. Lovely environment, good buzz around the place, lots of people watching to be had! Food was delicious. I had lobster & husband had strip steak, both cooked perfectly & presented well. Not the cheapest meal we’ve had whilst visiting but was worth it. Would recommend a visit.
Save your $ and eat elsewhere. Fancy and pompous but not the quality or service you would expect.
Offered a supper experience for a 10pm seating however given a full dinner service menu. Expensive and limited options that left me wanting more. Food was good, but expected better. Did not receive attentive service. Raining nights wasn’t even offered an umbrella, taxi call or dinner mint. Disappointing with stars awarded for food quality.
Overpriced and average
Overpriced for average food and drinks. Disappointed as I felt food didn’t match the hyped reviews Service was bit snooty however staff have been well trained. Did appreciate they were ok with us being late due to rainy weather. Wouldn’t come back here - not with for the price or experience.
Best cocktail
Amazing bar, great atmosphere, very professional, friendly staff. The best cocktail I have ever had - Rum Baba by Matt. Thank you so much x
Gimme a Gimlet lunch any day!
Booked it well in advance and took the day off to attend...and it was worth the visit. From the moment I walked in, the service was fantastic and unpretentious. The food was delightful - starting ofcourse with a sip of the aptly named gimlet cocktail. The risotto was lovely, the strip steak succulent all watered down with the lovely Blood orange and custard tart, Chantilly...such a lovely meal, such a special experience, I will return.
Wonderful food, wonderful people
I have to admit - given all the hype - I was all prepped to be pleased but not wowed. With previous experiences - elsewhere - of 'THE place to eat' in town: The head says 'yes, faultless execution, all very nice' and the heart says 'yes and where is the feel of this place?' But Gimlet is quite something else. We attended for Friday lunch with friends, expecting a quick two hour turnaround. The decor, ambience and staff attentiveness skilfully conveys old world European tradition mixed with a sense of welcome
I smiled for hours ...
After a morning at Moomba I was feeling less than glamorous, but a wine and a cheese platter at Gimlet changed that: the space looked amazing, the food was delicious, the staff were friendly and the service was excellent.
Spend your money elsewhere
Melbourne is spoiled with a vast array of terrific restaurants. Unfortunately, Gimlet is not one of them. Don't get me wrong, it's not awful - but for the price you pay, it is underwhelming at best, and disappointing overall. Perhaps my expectations were too high given the rave reviews we'd seen, but considering the amount we spent per head (upwards of $300), I think it was fair to expect something pretty special. After waiting months for a booking, I dined here as part of a group of 11. The experience started off well - friendly staff, a nice table and drink orders taken promptly. First issue was that one of our cocktail orders was missed. Not a big deal on its own, but at a restaurant of this calibre you expect things to be on point. As a larger group, we had a set menu. Two members of our group had advised early on that they didn't eat fish. Our appetiser was an anchovy dip with crudite. Our non-fish people were given a pesto-type dip which looked a bit like something from a supermarket tub. The anchovy dip was delicious and the crudite fresh. Second was a single "gnoccho fritto" per person. Opinions on these were mixed. Some of our party claimed them little pieces of heaven - mine was just ok (the filling in mine was scant and, as a result, it tasted a bit oily). Next was a tomato salad which was, in my opinion, the dish of the night. It was clear the tomatoes were top quality and the flavour was divine. Unfortunately the same could not be said for the entree - a crab pasta that sounded incredible but was instead incredibly disappointing. First up, they were one dish short when they brought them out. To be fair, the waiter handled the oversight with humour (telling me they were making mine extra-special so it would be a bit longer) but it was the second time that night they'd missed an order. Overall, the dish was bland. The pasta on my fellow guests' meals was overcooked. When mine arrived, it was undercooked (not al dente, but bordering on crunchy). I assume this was because they had rushed it out. Our two non-fish eating guests were given the same dish sans crab, which just seemed really unimaginative and a bit lazy. Next came the main course which was shared steaks, frites and salad. This was another dish where there wasn't anything wrong with it, but there wasn't anything wonderful about it either. It was akin to something you'd get up at the local pub. Last, but not least, was the dessert. More dishes that were just ok. Presentation was, again, pub standard at best. A piece of cake and a scoop of cream was one (aka "Baked Valrhona chocolate") and a half a peach with a supposedly smokey sorbet and what was supposed to be "frozen meringue" (but what was, in actuality, a puddle of white stuff under the peach.) I know that giving 2 stars probably seems harsh given neither the food nor service was terrible, but it really was underwhelming at best. Perhaps it was because we were a largish group. Perhaps it was an off night. Nonetheless, when I am going to a restaurant of that calibre (and that price!) I really am expecting to be wowed. On this occasion, Gimlet fell short. If this had been a standard restaurant, I'd have given it a higher rating. Based on my experience, I would not recommend this restaurant.
Enjoyable though not overwhelmed
Having heard so much about this Melbourne eatery, I was delighted to be taken by a girlfriend for a milestone birthday lunch. We were lucky to get a 1.30pm booking on a Thursday in February I’m advised! It’s cavernous, oozing in old world charm & we were lucky to get a spacious booth. Viewing the Summer Menu, we decided on: Appetizer - Gnocco fritto, bresaola & Parmesan - 2 pieces. Entree - Marinated seafood, prawn, mussels & calamari, harissa rouille (shared) Main - John Dory, Armenian cucumber, labneh, prawn bisque with green beans, fermented chilli, pistachio. Dessert - Almond milk & Meyer lemon gelato, caramelized brioche. The appetizer was delicate mouthful of savoury crispness. Marinated seafood rouille whilst tasty was not remarkable. Dessert was delightful in terms of texture, flavours & presentation. Hostess had a glass of Prosecco & I had a non alcoholic lime soda, followed by lattes. Service was exemplary, Rory was attentive and helped us navigate the menu. All in all a lovely spoiling which was most appreciated in a buzzing old world establishment - whilst it was an enjoyable experience not overwhelmed given the prices!!
Worth it
Rather than spend another night at the tennis watching players we weren’t emotionally connected with, once Rafa and Murray were out, my wife and I opted for dinner at Gimlet which seemed to be the ‘hot’ restaurant based on web searches. Short notice booking meant that we started at 9pm in a full restaurant which was still pumping when we left 2 1/2 hours later. During that time we had a very high quality experience. Starting with the food we worked our way through the a la carte - highlights were the raw vegetable crudités and specifically the dip, the duck salad and the potatoes with peas served with the steak. The only slightly off note was the crab pasta which I felt the pasta was slightly over done. Not a biggie and more than made up for by the chocolate dessert and peach meringue which were cleverly engineered not to be too sweet. Service was very good. You get different waitstaff for each part of the meal which works well when the overall service is as well controlled as it was. Timing of the courses was good and staff all very friendly and chatty. We had a table in the dining room. It’s not clear on the website what this means but it is the elevated area of the room which is great for people watching if you are on the wall side of the table! Overall a great night which we have already recommended to other guests at our hotel. Our Uber driver summed it up when he said that Gimlet is one of those restaurants that has a viral reputation but it’s deserved.
Highly recommend this dining experience and fabulous staff. Good and wine, atmosphere all amazing.
Excellent dining, food, staff, service, wine and attention to detail. Disappointed with bathroom facilities. I don’t understand unisex toilets. Not all women enjoy using a toilet that has been left with the seat up and untidy without going into too much detail. Please designate womens only toilets.
Gimlet staff are sublime!
The staff at Gimlet are all class: with outstanding attention to detail. They are there when you want them but they seem to have an innate sense of when to approach guests - and make a determined effort not to retrieve plates until everyone has finished. A rarity at many restaurants. Now to the food: we decided on the $150 ph degustation menu. It was very enjoyable but there were some less palatable dishes. A disappointment was the steak. We were told that the steaks would be shared between two so it was advisable to share it with guests who like their steak cooked the same way. It was accompanied by French fries and the ‘Cavendish salad’ which was really just soft butter lettuce leaves with a mustard mayonnaise dressing. With wines, other beers & soft drinks you can expect to pay around $250 ph. While some have described the ‘Art Deco’ design of Cavendish House as a New York style: it’s not really anything out of the norm, imho. Yes, it’s comfortable & there are a couple of lovely banquettes. But the ‘unisex’ toilets are annoying. Nothing worse than having to enter a toilet with the seat up, indicating a man was there before you! And the lights are so dim, it’s difficult to reapply the lipstick! Perhaps McConnell was trying to lessen the usual waiting line for women?! Like anything in life: it’s worth trying once! But there are annoying oddities that should be rectified: such as the peppermint tea! It consisted on several mint leaves in hot water. I expected the T2 type peppermint tea to be refreshing: it wasn’t.
Wonderful Food
Super stylish restaurant in the heart of Melbourne. Feels like a large New York style brasserie. Small but excellent menu. I had the pasta and the John Dory and both were excellent. Chocolate for dessert was excellent. Great service. Totally recommend.
Glamorous Art Deco
It's a beautifully designed restaurant, like a 1920's glitzy New York restaurant. we had a very late lunch or early dinner there in December, each dish is cooked with care, loved Warm Duck Salad, chicken liver parfait was smooth with fantastic flavor but not too rich, however the Southern Rock Lobster was lovely but not spectacular considering the price. Service was absolutely top notch, professional service staff were friendly and efficient, we certainly enjoyed our visit.
A fun and memorable dinner
Had a really fun and memorable early dinner here with a good friend. I thought the restaurant might be kind of quiet at around 4.30pm, which is when we had our meal, but I was quite wrong! We were seated on one of the smaller tables around the edge of the restaurant near the windows on comfy chairs. We ordered: country sourdough with cultured butter (appetiser), Pipe rigate, blue swimmer crab (entrée), ½ Southern rock lobster, wood-roasted in saffron rice (main), and wood-roasted sugarloaf cabbage with fermented green chilli and pistachio, and house fries (sides), before finishing off with apple and sorrel gelato with frozen meringue, preserved blueberries, and baked Valrhona chocolate as desserts. So we ordered a lot of food but we came super hungry (we polished off everything except for maybe a stray fry) and eager to try all the star dishes, and we weren't disappointed. Everything was delicious, but I had no idea that cabbage could be THAT good. My friend and I agree that we would both come back just to enjoy the cabbage again. It might seem silly to choose to have bread and fries at a place like this, but this is your chance to experience seemingly basic foods done very well. If I were to choose my least favourite, it probably would have been the Valrhona chocolate - but I know it's a big hit with most people. Staff are friendly and attentive, and the whole atmosphere in the restaurant is lively.
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Let's say Peter has a great morning and decides to take his three friends to Gimlet at Cavendish House Melbourne at 6 PM the same day.
He checks the restaurant's website and sees that no reservations are available. He then looks at the Gimlet at Cavendish House Melbourne page on AppointmentTrader, but finds that there are no user postings either.
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