The Moat reviews . (Restaurant) in Melbourne (Victoria).

The Moat

231 Reviews

155 Comments

Restaurant

Italian restaurant

176 Little Lonsdale St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia

Description

Here you'll see all the information of The Moat, Restaurant in Melbourne (Victoria)

The Moat it's a Restaurant and next to this lines you'll see the hours of service, busiest hours, website, phone and real reviews done in Internet

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Situation

Service hours of The Moat

Busiest hours

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Comments of The Moat

P. F.

Great little discovery this one. The restaurant bar is located down stairs in a basement under the state library. Awesome eclectic relaxed vibe, staff are super friendly. We went for drinks, Awesome drinks selection. They know how to make cocktails. We must try for dinner.

S. P.

Wonderful restaurant with a quiet but nice atmosphere. Friendly and attentive service. The food was delicious and they have an excellent cocktail menu. This place would be excellent for date night or celebrating a special occasion.

R. F.

So good to have Melbourne open again!! We hadn't been to The Moat for about six months but as usual it didn't disappoint. For all you plant lovers, the menu has mouthwatering vegan options for entrée, mains and desert. The vegan lasagna is GOOD! The staff were friendly, courteous and lovely and the venue is amazing and romantic as ever. Thanks for a great night out. Rob n Tiff x

m. c.

This is a great restaurant!!!. The food is simple and tasty. No over the top over flavoured food on the menu. The service is very friendly and welcoming. While the restaurant was pretty quiet for most of the time we were there we never felt like we should hurry and get out. Because we arrived early, we had a number of entrees rather than have a main course, they were all very tasty. We had the simple chat potatoes with a garlic aoali, burrata with mixed tomatoes, pork & veal meatballs in a tomato sauce and carpaccio of swordfish - it was all very tasty. Washed down with some very nice wine and a coffee to finish off. All in all a great experience.

j. w.

EXCELLENT ! what an awesome find ! beautiful food and amazing staff - nothing was too much trouble, we were made to feel genuinely welcome, and just passing by the table later to check everything was okay. wonderful atmosphere and nice range of food and drinks. located under the state library off Lt Collins street. SOOOO please we found this place highly recommended ! wish i could give more than 5 stars :)

S. Y.

The go to place for winter soul food. Had the lamb shoulder with some mash; prawn papardelle and a few glasses of mulled wine tonight. So yum!

L. Y. X.

finally, every time i passing this bar and never have the chance to get in. it’s lucky for us, it was a table for us. 😆 tried their tiramisu , sooo good , the waiter was soo nice and sweet, she is funny too what a lovely place and all the decorations are so cute!!

L. H.

Such lovely staff and delicious food. I enjoyed everything I tried. I had a Mexican-style chicken special with potatoes and asparagus as sides. The decor is also lovely, with a beautiful red/gold foil feature wall. Music isn't too loud.

A. G.

Good food however 2 things we wanted from the menu were sold out. Considering its a very small menu, it would be better to make sure all options were available.

P. G.

The atmosphere is great. Lovely place for a drink to bring your date.

H. S.

The best part were the staff who were very nice, polite and friendly. Food was good too. I liked my lamb shoulder. But the potato was just OK. Desert was just OK as well and nothing wow. However, the decoration is super cosy and cool. Overall experience is 5 star and I'll come back here again, maybe in a different occasion and not just for a weekend dinner with my partner.

B. M.

Great atmosphere, helpful staff and delicious food. What more could you want? Definitely worth trying.

C. G.

Came here to kick off my birthday celebrations after hearing so many good things. I literally can’t fault anything about the place, the cocktails were great and they have a really good happy hour too! We sat outside in the courtyard which had plenty of heaters which is great for the Melb winter. All of the staff I encountered were friendly and happy to help & answer any questions. The chat potatoes - omg! These are my new fav thing, such a simple thing but done right they are truly special! Can’t wait to come back and try more of the menu.

E. P.

I had my 40th birthday celebrations at The Moat to a great success. The planning was no dramas and the staff very accommodating to our needs. We chose a canape menu of delightful treats, and a home made pasta mini meal which was silky and perfectly matched with a soft tomato sauce that reminded me of my nonna; accompanied by a great selection of house beverages. The Moat's inviting sensuous atmosphere and friendly staff made our night flawless. Thank you Rosie, Paul and the team for a wonderful experience. Highly recommended!

H. M.

Incredible food! The staff are friendly and amazing, the head chef really knows what she is doing. Very punctual and always delivering sensational food whilst catering to all kinds. Would highly recommend!

K. B.

Lovely setting. Only tried the potatoes and Cider. Would love to go back again

V. A.

We only went there for drinks and we had mulled wine, but we had a good time! The wine was good and the Atmosphere was really friendly! Can't wait to try dinner there! :-)

d. m.

We came here for a business meeting dinner and was pleasantly surprised. Great warm cosy ambience (it was winter then), the waitress was very knowledgeable and provided excellent service in terms of recommendations and serving. We tried a range of food from their roti and curry to lamb. All very delicious. Looking for a cool place for a drink (or meal although I haven’t had one) then this is highly recommended. It’s built into the vaults of the State Library enlivened by fake book shelves. Great atmosphere, attentive service, well priced. Would highly recommend.

c. s.

What a wonderful restaurant! Absolutely top quality food and the best service from the staff who were very friendly and looked after us the whole time. One of the best places you absolutely have to go to! I had the veg Penang curry and it was just super top notch! The others had lentils dahl, eggplant veg dish and warm veg salad and we got to share a bit of each among 4 of us and everything was perfect tasting! We enjoyed some really top quality cocktails as well. Thank you to the lovely staff for your service and looking after us :) we can't wait to come back again! :)

C. L.

It's good, but not exceptional. I've had drinks here before and I do really enjoy the atmosphere. Tonight I tried the food and I found it a bit below what I was expecting for the price. The dishes just missed the mark. The duck was a bit dry, warm toast had been allowed to cool and harden before being brought to the table and the vegetable dishes were bland. I'd go back for a drink, especially in happy hour, but there are better places to move onto for dinner.

G. O.

Cosy little joint underneath the State Library. The cocktails were decent and cheap during happy hour, but I've have had much better cocktails. Snacks were decent but I didn't come for the food. The beers on tap are definitely NOT good and should be changed. The actual space is decent and the vibe is nice. If there were nicer beers and improved cocktails this could be a really awesome place. Just fix the drinks menu and this place could easily improve from 3 stars to 5 stars.

D. K.

Unique venue tucked away just off Swanston St. Opens up to a welcoming space with a nice atmosphere and good music at volumes which still allow you to hold a conversation. Topped off by good food and bevvies

L. D.

The Moat is up there with the best city spots. Yummy food and great range of wines and beers for any taste. We love coming here after work for some wine and bites in the sunny courtyard. It's the great warm vibe of the place that keeps us coming back – the staff are super friendly, especially the owners. They always have time for you and genuinely want to get to know you. Couldn't recommend it more.

D. R.

Had a drink here in early lockdown release. Full menu not available but looks great and the smells from the kitchen were amazing. Can't wait to come back and try the full menu.

C. M.

Really lovely place to have a cocktail after work. Fantastic moody decor and friendly service. Music was a little loud for conversation so probably a place to have a quick drink before moving to somewhere quieter.

D. L.

The Moat has one of the nicest atmospheres in the whole city of Melbourne. Great service, amazing food and the best espresso martini's in town! I should know because I've worked at this lovely place when I spend some time in Australia. Was welcomed in as if I was family and am still regularly contacted by some of the staff and the owners!

R. P.

Lovely people, amazing space, and delicious food. Can't go wrong.

M. Y.

Pretty cozy place, features the decor of multiple personalities.

V. R. &. T.

We had the absolute pleasure of having our wedding reception at The Moat Bar & Grill in February 2020. Rosie and her team of warm, friendly staff present a delightful space that was easily adapted to create a beautiful and unique experience for us and our guests. We have also dined at The Moat previously, and were impressed at how fluidly The Moat transformed from an incredible fine dining space, to a personalised function space. The Moat were outstanding in their communication with us and made every effort to ensure the finest of details were attended to. Finally the food! Although The Moat is not a vegan restaurant, the chef met with us personally and created a plant-based menu that wowed even the most staunch steak-lover amongst our guests. The symbiosis between fresh whole foods and spices, was an explosion of flavour like nothing we have actually tasted before. We would recommend The Moat to anyone looking for a cosy, intimate place to host their wedding reception. Thanks again to Rosie, Ted, Paul and their team, for making our night magical!

J. L.

It's bistro style no frills fusion european food restaurant. Tasted awesome. Wine list was a little lacking especially for single glass choices but that wasn't bad enough to rate low. Great place for a casual dinner.

N. M.

I came here for the cocktails, which were fantastically priced and full of flavour. The mulled wine done here was excellent, as well as 'The Bard' and the 'Bangkok to Bali Martini', which actually tasted like a Thai dish I'm not even kidding. The outdoor seating is pleasant, on cold days they'll put heaters out. It's pretty cozy indoors too, without getting too tacky. I noticed several people walking into here with 'Embiggen Books' bags, and I can't agree more that The Moat does indeed seem to go perfectly hand in hand with that bookshop across the road. It's a pretty chill place, you can pop open a laptop and continue chatting with friends over wine, and nobody would bat an eye. The food smelled delicious, I'm sure I wouldn't have been disappointed had I ordered food as well!

B. G.

Dined at Moat last week with a couple of friends from overseas, we had lamb shoulder recommended by the manager complemented with delicious peas, broccoli and roasted potato, it was well cooked and absolutely georgeous food. We also tried the pulled BBQ beef brisket complemented with corn salsa and tortillas which is my favourite dish, full of flavours. Moat is also generous with their serve which provides a good value for your buck. For drinks, We had two bottles of cremant which were very refreshing and crisp. The service was really nice and the staff looked upbeat. Overall, it was a fantastic culinary indulgence, I would definitely visit frequently and recommend to others.

h. a.

Wonderful atmosphere, excellent food, great service and even better wine. To top that, super value for money. Recommended you book if it's a busy time of the week.

T. S. B.

Great dinner and dessert was amazing... talk about a sugar rush... 🤣

G. F.

Delicious vegetarian/vegan options and cocktails for happy hour. Staff very welcoming and professional.

A. &. T. Y.

Excellent space, lots of atmosphere! Great happy hour and really interesting menu! Added bonus of being great with intolerances - the chef was really understanding and helped us build a meal that worked for us! THANKS!

C. M.

The food was delicious and service was friendly. There's a great wine selection and our table felt cosy and intimate despite it being a busy Saturday night. The salmon dush and the icecream sandwich for dessert were the stand out dishes of the night.

J. M.

Delicious and interesting food at reasonable prices. A great bar, newspapers and pleasant ambiance. Was busy in the lunch hour, but quiter for morning/afternoon tea. A good place for a break if you are visiting the State Library. Can be very overcrowded and noisy when there are events on at the Wheeler Centre next door.

I.

Jury is out for me on The Moat - I liked the styling and atmosphere but only had coffee (wasn't the best on this visit) Will have to revisit and try something else. Have now eaten here, it's good. Maybe a little overpriced but it's tasty and well presented.

E. E.

$20 special - chicken meatballs and bubbles. Great service.

V. W.

The cosiest cafe in Melbourne, hidden down a side street it is nearly always empty. They serve great tea and coffee and the staff are lovely, as well as having a great wine list. The decor is also stunning.

J. B.

This place has the most beautiful atmosphere-like a serene secret little spot tucked away from the hustle and bustle.A perfect mix of professional yet personable wait staff,food that simply cannot be faulted (and at a very affordable price for cuisine of such high calibre). I would reccomend this place, and have done, to anyone!You just coukd never be dissapointed-it is just perfect.

娄.

Reasonable price and good ambience restaurant

P.

Great ambience, wonderful service and the food was mouthwateringly delicious. Had the 12 hour slow roasted lamb shoulder with a few friends( it's a big, big meal) it just fell off the bone. the tastiest lamb I've ever eaten.

T. S.

Been here before and am happy to report on the very cosy atmosphere, friendly staff and good food. Furthermore, my friend lost her phone down the crack between the walkway and the restaurant and the manager concocted a very clever way of getting it out via gaffa tape on the end of a broom and happily assisted by getting it out himself. We weren't even eating/drinking at the restaurant at the time, just walking by!

T.

Nice quiet place for coffee or after works drinks in the middle of CBD.

A. D.

Outstanding little gem of a place. fantastic atmosphere and amazing food. Highly recommended!

C. J.

Grate friendly cafe that is always welcoming with wonderful food and coffee

J.

Service was really nice. The workers are so kind. Nice interior too. I had a chocolate cookie which I loved. However the hot chocolate drink's quality is questionable. It was too watery unfortunately.

K. W.

The State Library of Victoria (SLV) accomodates three different coffee shops, all with their own individual character. The Moat is the more refined of the three and would be my pick if I wanted to have a quiet tete-a-tete. The food is very good, and includes a Mediterranean-style menu for an afternoon tea. Many people looking for he SLV come to take a look out of curiosity and then become regular customers. By the way, there is an outside seating area near the Little Lonsdale Street

A. H.

A tucked away winner with good food options. Vegetarian option. Very nice service. Fancy glasses and fine tea cups. Its like an library cave. Lots of fun ideas here.

M. P.

Lovely literary atmosphere! Excellent service and tasty food. Nice and quiet in the morning: perfect place to plan your next book.

S. L.

Always great, and their happy hour cocktails are very nice at a great price!

S. K.

Nice spot for happy hour. Haven't eaten there but was a great spot for happy hour wine and beer

E. S.

The staff at the Moat are always so attentive and lovely! It's usually always busy and everyone hustles so well. They make me feel very welcome everytime I'm there.

S. Y. N.

Lovely place to have a nice catch up where you can have a glass or two over a nice meal. I had the seared tuna with 63° egg. It was a beautiful meal.

C.

Awesome place, the definition of cozy. Food is great. Staff are amazingly friendly and offer great service. Definitely a place you want to visit if you’ve never been!

j. x.

A w e s o m e meat and nice place. No matter with friends or boygirl friends, first recom the ox tongue.

M. “. N.

Amazing food to die for. Excellent service. Nice decor and ambience. And baquet 'Feed Me' menu had more food than we could eat! 5 Stars!

M. R.

Great food and atmosphere, even the delivery meals during lockdown were amazing!!! A must visit!

H. H.

I went to a wedding reception last night.I enjoyed walking down into the space.Thanks to the wait staff,especially prepared vegan food,the decor ..all made it a good night.

A. C.

Great traditional Italian food, atmosphere and service. This place is phenomenal, a must go

K. H.

Cosy is the right word for this place. It's location is cool - it's where you would find the moat of a building, but it's very warm inside and there's not a lot of room. Still, it's pretty, so worth checking out.

F. P.

Only here for drinks. Service is good and I like the ambience.

S. M.

Cosy basement ambience. Nice place for a drink or a small bite, especially so when the weather is not great (there is limited outdoor seating but even that's half underground) Good happy hour in the afternoon.

I. B.

I love it !! the food is delicious , very good selection of wine. Excellent service and the bartender makes the best espresso martini in town!!

J. D.

Overall very lovely place. But to enter, you must walk through a wall of smoke. Their nice it door area seems to be only for smokers. Shame.

M. H.

we were offered a "Caponata" beyond the menu and certainly, it was bland and very far from the original recipe. Expensive for what it offers. A bit dark and a bit noisy. A little disappointing. Friendly and attentive staff

M. W.

Great service and we have enjoyed every meal here - our third visit today! !!!!!! Great place to meet with friends 😊

A. S.

Very nice atmosphere!

Y. Q.

♡ Friendly attentive staff, wide range of drinks, great menu and awesome ambience ...♡♡♡...

B. P.

Nice little hipster bar serving very economically priced beers in conical flasks. The food is excellent too.

A. M.

Great staff and quality food recipe for a great dining experience.

m. a.

It is a really nice room here. Nice and cozy good red wines the service can be a bit slow but it's friendly

K. M.

I love this place. Great snacky food and a good wine selection.

A. B.

Amazing place. Great food, great atmosphere and a fantastic place to spend an evening.

L. T.

My evening at The Moat had meatballs, mulled wine, and mood lighting. All alliteration aside, the evening was pleasant and I would return in the future.

T. L.

Great food, very Melbournian decor, unobtrusive service and appropriate prices what more could you want? Must try: Ancient grain salad

B. K.

This place is fresh funky and always makes you feel at home the food is flavor some and affordable great for after work or pre theatre

B. H.

Great service, great food. Mykaela was the perfect host

L. H. (. A.

Lovely hidden gem with delicious coffee and a great menu and wine list.

S. P.

Great place for a coffee, lunch or after work drinks. Very cozy and frienfly atmosphere.

A. G.

One of my go to places for some drinks with friends! Totally recommend.

M. J.

Cool place and friendly staff! I would like to date the waitress :) ♡

S. C.

Blink and you miss this place. It's a hidden gem and perfect for an intimate catch up with a friend or client meeting. I am a frequent visitor...

J. C.

What a cute venue. Friendly staff. Yummy food that’s a bit different

P. S.

Great place with excellent food and wine, service is friendly and polite with attentive staff who treat you like a friend more than a customer.

G.

Incredible service, amazing food, gorgeous cozy atmosphere

K. P.

Pretty good spot for after work drinks, a little busy but we got a seat

A. M.

Lovely cosy place. Food was great and superb service! Will definitely come back

P. J.

Beautiful place, good food too.Had a good time there.jThank you.

Z. M.

Slow service on coffee but great savoury muffins. Very ambient- candles st 10am!!

F. B.

This is where our wine club is every Thursday

G. P.

Quite cosy and quaint; i always come here to enjoy some peace in the city. Great historic shell of a basement!

T. C.

Nice atmosphere and friendly staff, can get a little loud if you're just wanting a quiet chat with a friend

F. C.

Cosy in winter and cool in the height of summer. Everything is delicious and the staff are wonderful.

S. P.

Great food and excellent waiters. Confit duck delicious.

M.

Great little restaurant. Will definitely visit again

P. S.

Small gem hidden in the CBD. Great food and wine list

D. C.

A fantastic anniversary dinner... excellent food & service .

G. T.

Nice place for after work drinks. Late night drinks are a must at this place

S. K.

Not bad for a drink after work, but be prepared to get kicked out if just having a drink during food time.

P. D.

Can sit outside

A. J.

Great service, delicious food and drinks

R. A.

Delicious but expensive

T. M.

Wonderful ambience, great food and lovely staff.

A. A.

Nice Cafe/bar for a coffee during work or a drink with some snacks afterwards.

W. L. D.

This is a nice place to meet and catch up, but it a bit dark and a bit noisy.

F. J.

Nice ambience and the menu was quite "unique"!

L. N.

Great place with good happy hour

C.

Great wine and lovely atmosphere

A. R.

Great coffee, well hidden, pleasant decor

A. G.

Great ambience, great service and yummy food

A. W.

Such a cool place to do coffee meetings

T. C.

Loud and a little tacky but cheap before 6

C. P.

Great ambiance, staff and food

J. T.

Great location and serves interesting food

M. M.

Great service, food and wine.

T. B.

Friendly staff and a good happy hour

N. J.

Cosy little place, perfect for catching up with friends.

A. L.

Great hidden watering hole and dinner place

J. K.

Great and cosy spot for drinks 👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻

M. H.

Best coffee in the CBD, try the muffins!

A.

They let my mate charge his phone. 10/10

C. v. R.

Great decor and food.

A. G.

Good snacks and a litre of beer!!

E. P.

Cosy bar

G. R.

Ok food and fun location.

K. J.

Great spot for a quiet coffee

R. M.

Good food good service.

M. C.

Good food

A. B.

Very warm and welcoming

M. D.

Really good coffee.

K. W.

This place defines cosy.

T. M.

Great share plates!

J. M.

Great food and service

P. C.

Great and snug cafe.

M. S.

Cosy spot, knowledgeable staff

J. H.

Great lovely atmosphere

P. P.

Cool looking place.

T. B.

Excellent

K. H.

love this place!

A. R.

Expensive for what it is

K. H.

great place

s. m.

Nice place

C. W. (.

(Translated) Great atmosphere, small size (Original) 氛围很棒，份量很小

J. R.

(Translated) Food nothing good (Original) Comida nada bien

A. C.

J. R.

S. U.

J. D.

H. S.

T.

N. R.

T. S.

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