Waterfront Southgate

I went there on my own on Monday night for a dinner, arrived around 6.30 pm and got seated promptly. The place became pretty busy in next 30 – 40 minutes. After initial misunderstanding (they expected somebody to join me) and did not come for order for 10 – 15 minutes the service improved, but was still on a slower side. I would recommend mussels in XO sauce, they were delicious. I also had lamb, well I ordered it medium rare, 2 out of 4 pieces were OK, other two were overcooked. Overall not a bad place to eat.

It is alright but not value for money, once my pasta was too oily that I couldn’t eat half of my food and when I complained it took them 10 minutes to understand the problem and I did not received even an apology!

No doubt: 5 stars.
We had a beautiful meal on the 24 of December; a kind of day when everyone goes out for dinner and you know you might not get the best food ever. Waterfront instead surprised us.
Beside the restaurant was full and we didn’t have any booking, they were able to sit us (3) in less than 5 minutes.
Two of us had wild caught barramundi and I had salmon with fennel risotto. Everything was delicious!
For dessert instead we had one affogato, one lemon parfait and one warm dark chocolate pudding. Again delicious!
The only thing I didn’t like were the chairs, really uncomfortable

I have fond memories of the water front in a different location from long before we moved west 7 – 8 years back; and I was both excited and concerned about revisiting, with nostalgia running so high at the moment I am sure we have all rewatched a favourite childhood TV show only to be dismayed at how much we no longer get it!
Thankfully this experience was nothing like that, it rocked the staff were spot on, friendly informative, never pushy or pretentious. Not everything we wanted was available later on Sunday afternoon, but there were some good substitute suggestions and they happily gave us more time to consider.
The food was good, the sauces never overpowered the seafood, which was fresh and tasty, the presentations were nice and we enjoyed the sashimi and bugs (something I struggle to find over west).
The venue has moved further down the river, but the pleasant relaxed view and atmosphere is the same; the outdoor seating is full but does not quite feel like you are jammed in as some places in Melbourne can make you feel.

We had a delicious meal here outside enjoying the beautiful view. The seafood was good, bread and share plates were good, the pie was gigantic, but the salads were a little bland (my only minor complaint). I would definitely come back again for a special occasion.

Nothing to fuss about. Some of the food is OK, but wouldn’t bother. If you have the choice, go someplace else

Love this place! Either for a formal meal or just drop in for lunch or a snack
Fresh seafood at its best scollops oysters or fresh Sashimi which I love all washed down with a light beer.
Dressed like a pauper I am still welcomed and looked after like a king.
Better positioned now at Southbank and away from the glitzy atmosphere of the Crown Casino I feel more comfortable in this relaxed atmosphere.
This is how a restaurant should be run.

Simply outstanding. Near-​perfect steak, accompaniments included, creative wine list, relatively reasonable prices. Perfect end to three weeks in Australia.

Wow!
This is by far the best meal I’ve had in Australia.
All the apps (tuna tartar, mussels with coconut chili, pork belly) were phenomenal. The mains — even better.
The BBQ ribs were so tasty — a little too much BBQ sauce. The seafood linguini had a nice kick to it. So good. Lobster — live in the kitchen — right to your plate.
Watching the chefs work like a machine is impressive. Everything was well worth the price! Service was incredible and very fast.
You won’t be disappointed in this joint. Must try if you’re in Melbourne!

Our final night in Melbourne and we had an excellent dinner to end it with. We started with a tasty mussel appetizer (in a chili sauce), then I had the Moreton Bay Bug Risotto (wonderful and rich), and my husband had the barramundi. Everything was great. We ended with a chocolate lava-​type cake (I forget the name), which was also good — but the appetizer and entrees were really the best. The waiter was so nice and attentive, even on a busy night. A lovely place to sit outside and look at the Southbank activity. One of the better meals we had on our vacation.

If you like a taste of the high life, then pay a visit to Waterfront.
The moment you walk up the steps to the Maitre D’s station, you’ll be left in nothing short of awe.
The service is amazing, and compares to none I’ve experienced (and yes, I’ve said that before in other reviews).
The ambience keeps you deeply engrossed in the fine dining experience, as you quickly begin to feel like you’ve barged in through your rich mates’ front door and crashed his party. With bottles of Moët, Veuve Cliquot, and the Penfolds Wine range tastefully decorating the bench tops and counters adding a nice touch.
Make sure you get the best of what comes from the land and sea when you visit Waterfront, because every mouthful will be worth it! The scotch fillet is a must, and so is the Hulk Cocktail!

Good location and friendly staff but definitely doesn’t worth the money I paid for meal. Quality of food was just above average. I was expecting more for my 44 $ dinner.

First off, kudos to the staff at Waterfront, the service here was amazing. We had the best French waiter taking care of us, and head waiter was so friendly and helpful as well.
On to the food, I had the swordfish, on a bed of what tasted like ratatouille and olives,
it was a thumbs down for me, not the best swordfish I’ve ever had. I didn’t want to come here and not have seafood, it’s in their name, and to me, if it’s in your name, that’s what you want to be «known for» and it should be pretty good. I also tried the salmon fillet, with fennel risotto, and again, I’ve had better.
If I ever came back, I’d just stick to the Waterfront Classic Seafood Chowder with toasted Ciabatta. That was tasty and nice, I think for some people it’d be enough as a main course.
It’s a schnazzy place, right on Southbank and being so, the ideal location for people watching. We even had a jazz street performer right outside. We sat at a wide comfy table. But the for the food, I’d say average, nothing that really opened my eyes and wow-​ed me. It’s served to you and looks beautiful, I can only wish if it tasted the same. I expected more with the location/​grandeur of the place. But location, service, and look is up there.

The best service I found on Southbank.
I decided to try the Waterfront despite it being located in a shopping arcade. The restaurant fronts on the Southbank walking area and has a nice outdoor bar/​dining area as well as indoor dining.
I was really impressed by what I would call «American style» service. The wait staff was very attentive and worked as a team. I was somewhat unsure of who my «server» was because I had so many people bringing me food and drink or inquiring about how things were going.
I had the Tempura tiger prawns with wasabi mayonnaise as a starter. Very tasty. They also brought provided a complementary (espresso) cup of chowder along with the bread.
For my main course, I wanted to get out of my comfort zone a bit and ordered the steamed barramundi fillet with asian master broth and shiitake mushrooms over bok choy. The entrée was well prepared and tasty.
Since I was dining alone, I sat near the door and could watch the staff work. They really hustled and I noticed that the manager was watching everything like a hawk and he wasn’t afraid to jump in when needed (he took my drink order).
All and all a good meal made better by getting to watch a great wait staff work as a team to make their customers happy.
I’ll be back the next time I’m in Melbourne.

What a great place! Ambiance, service and food– all top notch. Sitting outside on the patio overlooking the Yarra River and people watching while you dine is fantastic! The food was all great, I shared the Paella, which was as good as any I’ve ever had in Spain. The Lobster Risotto was incredible as well, I was lucky to even get a bite from my other dining partner!
Soup, salads and other appetizers were all glorious and the prices are not too expensive at all, especially considering the location, service and food quality. 3 of us all had appetizers, main courses, a couple of sides and several drinks for AUS$ 220.00.
The biggest problem is deciding what to order– there are so many mouth-​watering options, but I figure I can come back again and try something else, the steaks, lamb and oysters are all awaiting my return. I will definitely be back!

We stopped here at 1245 on a Monday for a quick lunch. You need to order at the counter (we discovered this after sitting outside for a whole and not receiving service). When visiting the bar and ordering a Gamberoni pizza — staff member seemed confused and didn’t seem to know the menu, we were told they had just changed it.
After sorting out the order the meals were delivered in approx 15mins hot and fresh. Pizza’s were good, great size and generous toppings. The risotto ordered by my colleagues was also well received.
The restaurant was relatively quiet on this day — it was great to sit outside and share good conversation overlooking the water of Port Melbourne.

As a local, we watched the Waterfront «Coming Soon» signs for the better part of a year for this restaurant to commence business. The seafood and grill is quite pricey, but given its location on the Yarra River with a great view of the city skyline, that’s not too surprising. Our meals were good; the fillet steak was cooked to order and my dining companion enjoyed it immensely. The pork ribs according to my other dining companion just failed to have that «kick» but were reasonably good. My chicken breast on a garlic mashed potato looked a little pale, yet was beautifully cooked and very tasty. The problem however, was the service. It started off very well – quickly shown to our table, drink orders taken and delivered and meals despatched. But something happened from that point; whether the restaurant became too full, or our waiter became overwhelmed, I don’t know, but the guy lost the plot. Just asking for the dessert menu took 10 minutes, and it was 15 long minutes from asking for the bill to receiving it and another five minutes to deliver the receipt. The waiter was topping up water, talking to his colleagues, looking at the sky and basically looking busy. We’ll definitely try it again, but poor service doesn’t usually deserve a repeat visit.