Spoonbill Restaurant and Bar in Victoria

"Had dinner here during our stay at the Como opposite. The interior was lovely and the food was good, but the service was incredibly slow. The waiters took forever to do anything, including forgetting our dessert menu, despite the restaurant being fairly empty on a Sunday evening. We had a big lunch, so we only ordered two mains and a side: braised beef rib and crispy pork belly. I thoroughly enjoyed the braised beef rib, but the sauce for the crispy pork belly was a bit too sweet for my liking. My daughter's kids' pasta was HUGE! They were very generous with their portions. It would be better if they provided kids' activity packs, though we might have needed to ask the reception as we did when dining inside the Peppers hotel. Overall, I don't understand why the Google rating is so low. Their dinner menu seems fine. It would be much better if the service improved."

"Excellent staff they even fixed and stopped the table from wobbling I have never had that happen. Staff professional nothing to much trouble, food great and lots of it and very tasty so Excellent for our group of 8 after a conference."

"A wonderful dining and breakfast experience at the Spoonbill at the Olsen. The most talented chef Mr Anda and team will prepare the most stunning dishes which are plated in the most spectacular fashion to tantalise the taste buds. Can’t wait to return!!!"

"Came here early on a Saturday night and managed to get on-street parking right outside. The service was fine - not like the previous reviews with poor service. We were a group of 6. Ordered the fish of the day, the beef ribs, the lamb cutlets (entree) and the wild mushroom risotto. The lamb cutlets and risotto were the stand outs. The beef ribs (pictured) were soft but lacked a bit of flavour. I didn't try the fish. In the lobby of the Olsen there is also a self serve candy bar which my kids loved. We had a great night out and this place definitely deserves more than the 3.7 is currently averages on google maps."

"I don’t know what’s with the reviews but this is my first time trying this place and the food is absolutely amazing. The beef cheek is to die for! And the duck pasta yum! And the truffle arancini! Wow just wow it’s perfect with the level of crisp and flavour! I would absolutely come again!"

"Can recommend. Decent food at fair prices, definitely worth a try. Calamari is good, braised beef rib has right flavour notes, could be more moist as ours is just slightly dry. Paella is tasty but would suggest the chef try making a crusty base, achieving that light crunch with caramelised rice at the base is what makes a paella great. Eye fillet was ordered as medium rare, when it’s that thick, the inside is more blue than we’d like. Pork belly, tip for chef - please Make the skin crunchy and less sweetness in the dressing please as it’s too dominant. We’d recommend the Creme Brûlée."

"We have eaten here quite a few times, as the restaurant is just around the corner from our place. The menu doesn't change as often but the service is good. The croquettes are very delicious and so was the chorizo. The beef cheek my partner loved it! My porterhouse was cooked to perfection (a real medium rare). The potatoes on the side was just meh, as it had no work done to it, a bit disappointing. One thing about the price, I find the rates higher to what I would pay for the quality. However if you do have Accor membership it's worth it with the 30% off. One last thing, don't miss the chance to get some sweets from the hotel lobby on the way out"

"I've eaten here several times during stays at the Olsen, and overall have been really impressed. This is the hotel's bar-restaurant. It's open for breakfast, for an "express lunch" set menu ($35 including a drink), happy hour 4-6pm ($14 Tom Collins or French Martini, or discounted house wine/beer), and dinner. The drinks list has classic cocktails, a decent list of wines by the glass ranging from $14 to $22 (with some particularly good options at that upper end of the range). Atmosphere: as with the rest of the hotel, it's beautifully styled. Patrons are primarily hotel guests, but it is open to the public as well. Although not full by any means it had a gentle buzz. Noise levels were fine. It is mainly diners, but there are often a few people in the bar area too just having drinks. Dinner: The quality of the food at dinner was excellent. Mains: - Paella: Thus was absolutely outstanding, and justifiably their signature dish. Full of pork, chorizo, prawns, mussels, calamari, vongole and half a Moreton Bay bug, it felt really generous. The rice was moreishly delicious, yet each morsel of protein popped with freshness and flavour. I can't remember having a better paella. 5+⭐ - Wild mushroom risotto: flavourful, loads of mushrooms, strongly recommended. 5⭐ - Eggplant parmigiana: sadly not the Italian-style parmigiana di melanzane I had naively imagined, but a Aussie pub Parma with with chicken swapped out out for aubergine; fine for what it was, but not worth $40 3.5⭐ Small plates: - Pea and mint arancini, asparagus, basil mayo: absolutely delicious, highlight of the (summer) starters 5+⭐ - Sage and parmesan meatballs: outstanding 5⭐ - Chicken croquette: great, chicken skin crackling! 5⭐ - Mushroom arancini 5⭐ - Roast cauliflower with hummus, pinenuts and sultanas 4.5⭐ - Broccolini with almond tarator 4⭐ - Caesar salad 4⭐ - Calamari: texture perfect but way too overseasoned 3.5⭐ - Chorizo and corn croquette, chipotle mayo 3⭐ Dessert: - Lemon tart, whipped ricotta, summer fruit, strawberry sorbet: cheffy, bright flavours, oustanding 5+⭐ - Chocolate fondant with caramel: over the top presentation, and delicious 5⭐ - Pannacotta with baklava: milky rather than creamy but that worked well (in a fior di latte gelato kind of way), good texture, no promised cardamon tuile 4⭐ - Citrus crème brûlée, mango lychee, ginger crumb: welcome summer replacement of the Bailey/pear brûlée 4⭐ - Cheesecake, berry coulis, macadamia ice cream: standard cafe fare 3.5⭐ - Bailey's crème brulée: the crème was perfect, but the accompanying pistachio ice cream was weirdly coloured and flavourless, and the cinnamon poached pears tasted NQR 3⭐. Breakfast - Big breakfast: perfectly executed, 4.5⭐ - Brekkie bowl: good healthy option, 4.5⭐ - Smashed avocado: not much avocado, but better the second time I had it, 4⭐ - Coffee: consistently well made. Service: I note a number of past reviews giving a much lower rating than I'd expect on the basis of my own experience, seeming to reflect gripes re service. Food does come out of the kitchen more slowly than I'd expect, and service is not as consistent as it could be, but in my recent visits service has been perfectly fine. Value: a few dishes (pasta, Parma) seem very expensive but mainly the prices seem in line with elsewhere in South Yarra. Overall, Spoonbill has been a highlight of my stays at the Olsen, and I've returned many times. (Edited to update following further visits) reviews)"