amaru

one of the best dining experiences we've had. the service was impeccable, the ambiance was perfect and most importantly, the food was simply amazing. you get a casual fine dining feel from the place and we love that. the food is anything but simplistic though.amazingflavours and textures and spot on execution. planning return visits on our future melbourne trips.

enjoyed a very nice degustation menu here at amaru with someamazingflavor combinations. the staff were genuinely nice people and very accommodating in terms of dietary requirements. the only let down for me was the drinks menu as i'm a fan of cocktails and they did not have any. the variety of drinks in general was a bit of a let down but otherwise it was a great experience. 👍

best degustation in melbourne/victoria. impeccable service.

was impressed by creativity and passion. we had anamazingarray of dishes, flavours and textures which showcased victoria’s finest produce. each dish was proudly presented by its chef. they also managed to make my pesceterian dishes look the same as ‘normal.’

wow! this is one special restaurant. it is amazing. when you step in, you feel like you're in a cosy lounge room. it's very intimate with a few tables only yet the tables are set far enough apart where you have your own space. the service isamazingand the chefs bring out the food to you. the food itself is creative and sophisticated unlike some other 'fancy' restaurants which are just creative but the flavours don't actually match. amaru is thoughtful and everything is purposeful. it is so worth coming here and i couldn't say enough good things about it

absolutelyamazingexperience, from snacks to desserts, perfect pairings of drinks to go with the food. highlights were the mussels with charred lettuce and the kangaroo, which had a delightful dance of flavours between the hazelnut and licorice. the desserts were all incredible with their unique flavours and textures just capping off an incredible meal.

an absolutelyamazingdining experience, highly recommend. beautiful setting, fine dining but also had a personalised feel. staff service was above and beyond.
we had the sensory dining menu with minimalist wine pairing and all was faultless.
10/10 and one of the best fine dining experiences in melbourne.

go, just go. it was above and beyond expectations. intimate setting,amazingservice, excellent food and presentation. love how both waitstaff and kitchen staff would come to the table to walk you through each dish. it was perfect on all fronts, especially for a special occasion.

staff were extraordinary and were very polite. with each course came an introduction of the adventurous dish being served. it was a great way to learn of the dish itself and also to get to know each staff member. no menu was provided at the beginning so each course was a surprised. a very delicious surprise! the atmosphere of the restaurant was quite, elegant and modern. it was an open plan with an exposed kitchen with mirrors which showcased the inner workings of theamazingmenu. thank you to the amaru team for making our six year anniversary one to always remember! we will definitely be back!

i can’t say i go to a lot of “fine dinning” restaurants but went along with a friend to amaru about 12 months ago and have been back 5 times since. what anamazingexperience this place is. the food is out of this world and blows me away every time you i go. it is however priced at a level that means its only a once every now and then place but i believe this place is one of the best fine dinning experiences melbourne has to offer!

absolutelyamazingdining experience from start to end. 

the moment you enter the restaurant you just know you are in for a treat. the layout of the restaurant is fairly intimate with an open kitchen visible for every diner, as well as the option of seating at the chef's bar with a closer view of the kitchen.  

the theme of the menu was to engage and indulge your senses and taste buds, which they definitely do.  no menu is provided as they keep you guessing what the next dish will be while also promising for some surprises. without giving too much away, our favourite dish for the night was definitely the pork but the entire menu was exceptionally wonderful. 

the service and wait staff were all extremely friendly, attentive and sociable without being intrusive. being able to relate with them made for a more natural but also private dining experience.

definitely a must try restaurant and i would happily return for another wonderful experience run by head chef clinton mciver.

wow, what anamazingexperience and treat to the tastebuds amaru was! went for my partner and i’s 3rd year anniversary together, and we were blown away by every single dish. each one had a strong and memorable flavour. we’ve been to quite a few fine dining restaurants before, but amaru is definitely in my all-time top 3 dining experiences... though if i absolutely had to pick, it would probably be in first place!
it’s a small but well-decorated, spacious space; luckily not overly-cluttered with tables and chairs in every available floor space like some places we’ve been to. we booked seats at the chef’s table and it was comfortable and added to the experience as we could look into the kitchen, watch drinks being made and also chat to staff when possible. the waiters were so attentive, informative and fun to talk to. it was a real pleasure too, when we realised that the chefs brought out each main dish to us and explained what it was, and a little bit of backstory too. we also appreciated the extra dessert they gave us for celebrating our anniversary with them.
the only small critique would be the fact that once we had finished and were ready to pay and leave, because the head waiter was talking too long with a table we were made to wait about an extra half an hour till we could actually leave. our late night got even later... and with it being a weekday we weren’t looking forward to the early wake up for work. the other two waiters realised what was happening and apologised, saying that only he could process transactions and that we would have to wait for him. though i feel one could have excused themselves and quickly told him we were waiting...
it was otherwise a perfect evening, and i cannot recommend amaru enough for those looking for an excuse to go fine dining!

move over attica and brae and all the other top eateries in victoria - there's a newish kid on the block! 
we happened upon amaru and were blown away by the ambiance, the service and mostly the food.
we opted for a saturday lunch. -we can do better justice to a long 15 course meal over 4 hours in the middle of the day. 
from the first starter of onion, garfish and sheep milk yogurt we knew this was something special. everything we were served appealed to the eyes as well as the taste-buds. 
it's hard to pick a favorite dish, but the kangaroo was a standout as was the hapuka with fermented honey. 
we opted for the chef's table which gave us a great view into the kitchen and some interesting insights into the recipes from the chefs. a great spot for two, but since it's a counter bar, probably not good for a  larger group.  
we didn't do the matched wines but in the end the sommelier had us eating (or should that be drinking) out of his hand (and bottles). 
deserts wereamazing- i'm still getting my head around shitake ice cream - it was divine! not too sweet with just a hint of umami and a nutty flavor that's hard to explain but smooth and creamy. 
we managed to get a reservation just a few days in advance. i doubt that will last long as the word about this place gets around.

definitely the best fine dinner i ever had in melbourne. love every single dish and the wine pairing. the whole atmosphere were great. we were sitting at the bar table, could see how they prepare the dishes in the kitchen. its aamazingplace to celebrate a special date.

amaru was recommended to my husband by a good friend for our anniversary.

both my husband and i can't stop raving about this place. we have been to many great restaurants around the world and we put amaru up there with the best. from the service to the food and wine we found it faultless. and faultless is rare for us to say.

all i can say is if you love food and wine at the highest level withamazingservice - look no further.

absolutelyamazingmeal and service.

you know how sometimes you go to restaurants and the waiter is either awkwardly over-eager, and you have to fake-laugh because you know they mean well? or so serious you're afraid to ask for a cheap bottle of wine? well our waiter was neither of those things. his dry sense of humor had us in stitches, even if it meant my boyfriend nearly ate paper because he couldn't tell whether he was being sarcastic or not.

we sat on the chef's table, which didnt face directly into the kitchen and was a bit awkward for a group of 4, but it was still fun to be up close to the action.

i loved most of the dishes, but the standout ones for me were the crab ice cream dish, which was reminiscent of brae's oyster ice cream, the pickled mussels soup, although our soup came out with a bit too much oil on top (because it was poured first perhaps?) and the kangaroo, which so well cooked i could've mistaken it for a high grade piece of beef, definitely the best kangaroo ive ever had. the potato ice cream was really good as well, very enjoyable because of its uniqueness.

we also got the upgrades of wagyu and truffle. whilst we enjoyed the wagyu, i didnt think the truffle added anything to the dishes.

expensive, but we left full to the brim. we had to ask for a break after the savory dishes because the steam of food seemed unending.