Eureka 89 - Dining & Events - Food VIC

5 /5 Oliver Pullin: Honestly one of the best dining experiences I’ve had in Melbourne. We started with the caviar oysters, absolutely unreal, and finished with the steak which was cooked to perfection. Every single thing on the plate felt thoughtful and properly done. Our host for the night, Jazzy, honestly made the whole experience even better. The customer service was next-level genuine, funny, and just one of those people who clearly loves what they do. You could tell they cared about making sure everything was perfect, and they really pulled it off. Between the food, the view, and the way we were looked after, it was the kind of night that just feels special from start to finish. If you’re thinking of booking it do it. You’ll get an amazing meal, an even better view, and if you’re lucky enough to get Jazzy as your host, you’ll be looked after better than anywhere else in Melbourne.

5 /5 Valerie Rao: First of all I’d like to say we booked the 6 course tasting menu here and it was very good….beautifully served and presented…but we had a very very shaky start to our evening. The lift up to the restaurant was out of order and we had to use the shabby, grim back stairs…not an auspicious start. Then….Unfortunately, we were seated very near to a couple with an unruly 2-3 year old in a pram! I was astonished as it’s not a suitable environment for young children and the website clearly states this. Right from the off, the child was loud, crying, grumbling, whining etc and being shushed by the parents. It was never going to be acceptable so we asked a young server could we move tables. She came back saying her manager said it wasn’t possible…. This was totally unacceptable to us and we asked her to go back to him and try harder for a ‘better’ result. At this point, we were prepared to just leave. Another more experienced server arrived and quickly ushered us to another section which was quiet and infinitely preferable. We could still hear the child ‘howling’ and at one point screaming in the toilets….but we were far enough away it didn’t matter. The manager came to check we were ok and the evening progressed very well as we relaxed into each course. Ultimately we found out that the manager had had to speak with the couple numerous times as the child was running around where the glasses were stacked and climbing onto the ledge by the glass windows etc. When we were moved, they were abusive to him accusing him of favouring us over them and discriminating against children which just wasn’t true. The woman was especially aggressive threatening to sue him etc. Eventually they just ate 4 courses and left…thank goodness. The website clearly states that Eureka 89 is a fine dining establishment and if any person or child behaves inappropriately, they will be asked to leave. Prams apparently weren’t allowed but the couple hadn’t admitted to having a child on the booking form….They were lucky to be admitted. I felt so sorry for the manager in the end as he was in a no win situation. Anyway, don’t let our experience put you off dining here as the food is excellent. But don’t be fobbed off if everything isn’t right…..

4 /5 Jacqui Garbett: We did the 6 course chef tasting menu with wine pairing. Very efficient on arrival and we were seated immediately. We then waited 10 minutes and a waitress appeared and informed us we were doing the 6 course tasting with pairing, and we were given some bread(which must have been the end of the loaf as it was more crust than bread and was burnt). Then our food kept on coming out with wine. Could not fault the food, it was beautifully presented and delicious. The wines were also nice, though we were a little shocked that it was not all Australian wine, but we had NZ wines, Italian wines etc. Seriously why not showcase our own beautiful wines., The pours are also a little small for the price. I am glad we were not paying for the experience as over $500 for what it is felt very expensive. And nowhere in there did anyone try to upsell us or ask if we would have liked any of the add ons or anything else, it just came out like a conveyer belt. We did chase down a staff member to ask for coffee and tea at the end which our waitress organised, but that was an extra $10 on top of our bill. I would think that tea & coffee should be included actually for the price, it left a bad vibe on the experience. Our waitress was lovely and attentive, cant complain, and the view is amazing. For me though, compared to other similar experiences around the world, this does not match up. While the food and the view is amazing, the atmosphere is lacking, it feels a bit lack lustre, and like the Coles cafeteria (albeit delicious food). The decor is a little dated also and the place just feels like it needs a good clean up and a bit of heart.