lamaro’s hotel

we attended a 30th in a private dining room at lamaros yesterday which had undergone another change in ownership. i enjoy the ambiance here and the service was generally very good other than one incident with an extremely unfriendly waitress who practically accused us of ordering the wrong dish when the eye filet came out inside of the scotch (despite the fact that the sauce was not what we had requested either).

in the end maybe we would have been better off with the red wine jus that appeared as when they eventually did remake our steaks as the correct cuts the diane sauce we had was quite salty. one thing i will call out though was the exceptional complimentary bread. it was kind of nutty and utterly delicious. they also make a superb mojito. shame that one staff member soured an otherwise pleasant experience in what is a stunning venue

original review
i was sad to discover this has recently changed hands and is no longer the spanish inspired 'lamaro's bodgea' but now 'lamaro's hotel' reverting back to the more pub style menu it had a few years ago. i desperately miss those huge sharing plates like that whole chicken and the marinated lamb. please bring them back! they were so visually impactful and impressive.

it's such a beautiful venue i loved that there was previously a point of difference with the food. the world doesn't need another steakrestaurant(although i must say the new menu is delicious) but the old one by default forced you to share and as such felt homely and warm and welcoming which suits a nice pub such as this

just went to have lunch at lamaro on sunday. it was very quiet lunch. we had the bar menu, that was like tapas menu, it was a small menu, and not many dishes to choose from. food was average, but the steak was cooked perfectly. the service and staff were very good,restaurantatmosphere was nice and clean, the music was not too loud! food price was reasonable!

one of melbourne's finest restaurants. look forward to being able to head over there from w.a and spend a few hundred dollars on the amazing food and wine that thisrestauranthas to offer. a national treasure.

thisrestauranthas been our standing place for a group get together for some time and after this evenings fabulous dining experience we agreed to keep it going.

the staff are friendly and knowledgeable on wines and on the meals on offer. we had a great recommendation for a red wine which originally we were going to order in a shiraz but in the end the waiter suggested we go for the merlot, i cant remember the name but we all thought it was extremely delicious, so good in fact we even ordered a second bottle.  

we dined on a range of veal schnitzels, steamed chicken vietnamese salad, red duck curry and the daily special of mussels in green curry sauce.  we pimped up the vietnamese salad and the mussels from entre size to main.  whilst everyone thoroughly enjoyed their meals, i only tried my dish of the mussels. i found the portion size for the main way to generous as the mussels themselves were unbelievably large, they were extremely plump, in fact the largest i have ever seen.  they were just fantastic in the green curry sauce, one of my favourite ways to eat them, especially when i got a chili hit in a mouthful, yum.  

despite the fact we were all full, we shared a few desserts, i shared the dark chocolate tart with a delightful pastry, it was very rich and decadent.

we then retired to the bar for a night cap, a great way to finish a fantastic meal and a fabulous evening.
kd


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previous review
we came back to lamaros hotel for a catch up with old mates.

we all partook in some red wines this evening, there was an extensive wine list and we were not disappointed with the sangiovese we chose.

the popular mains within the group included the mixed grill which came with a red wine and cracked pepper sausage, lamb cutlet pork belly and steak. the other most popular choice was a steak with various toppings. while i didn’t partake in these meaty dishes, the comments were plentiful around the tenderness and tastiness of these meals, the following days later there was still plenty of talk of how great the steaks are.

my dish of choice was the whole baby barramundi which came with a biryani rice and 3 sauces. my dish was lovely and tasty and gratefully not a bone in sight which made for a very enjoyable experience. we shared a variety of salads, chips and roasted vegies across the table, all prepared with delicious combinations of flavours that i thought worked really well.

for dessert we had the poached pear with a hazelnut crumbled biscuit and orange curd. the pear was well poached so cutting into was easy.

we also had the chocolate pudding with white chocolate ice cream and decadent chocolate sauce. i’m so glad we ordered this dish as the menu indicated it takes extra time to prepare so we nearly didn’t.

kd

had dinner at lamaro's last night, the place is a little gem of a higher-end pub / almost fine dining bistro in the heart of south melbourne. the surroundings are quiet, but inside the pub andrestaurantwas buzzing on a friday night. they have an intensive drinks menu, plenty of amazing wines to choose from. decent selection of cocktails. the food was surprisingly incredible. the grilled scallops with pork belly was a definite highlight, followed very closely by the kingfish sashimi. as for main, we went with the ribs and that glaze on the ribs was just finger-licking delicious! i kinda wished the glaze/bbq sauce on those ribs came in a jar so i can have ribs that taste like that at home... 

finished with a coconut pavlova for dessert, opted for the fresh tasting one as the others sounded a bit more rich and we were already so full at this stage we almost just needed a refreshing palate cleanser. great decision. the passionfruit curd inside the coconut pav was pretty intense.. and pretty amazing.

overall, the ambience is pleasant and cosy with a fireplace in the corner. lovely dinner, thank you to the friendly staff at lamaro's for a delightful evening.

my partner and i ate here for dinner on a sunday night. the food (both meat mains) were good but the portion size of the veal was too big. therestaurantarea itself is quite nice for an intimate dinner with family or friends but the service was terrible. the wine bottle was taken off the table but our glasses were left empty for too long - if you’re taking the bottle away, at least be prompt with service! also, there was a group of very loud drunk women in therestaurantarea which the maître’d did not ask to lower their voices. i understand they were having a good time, but the entirerestaurantcould hear what they were saying and it ruined our meal / conversation. in all, i probably won’t be back in a hurry

a great venue with a friendly welcoming atmosphere. i've eaten in both therestaurantand the bar. in therestaurantthe famous duck curry lives up to its reputation. when in the bar i recommend the sliders. as always, accompanied by a great range of beer and wine.

gone may be the spanish share plates, but the new menu is far from “typical” when it comes to hotel fare. owners colonial leisure group have maintained their focus on local produce, supporting their other venture greenvale farms and various local suppliers concentrating on virtuous practice. while therestaurantwas quiet during our visit (a thursday lunch), the lack of atmosphere that undoubtedly exists of an evening or friday lunch, was certainly made up for by the kitchen. starting with the beef tartare, burrata and grilled octopus, the clear winner was the beef. served with oyster mayo and bread and butter pickles with corn tostadas to give a crunchy edge, this dish stamped some authority on tartare as far as hotel cuisine goes.
 
the ethically farmed eye fillet for main was the perfect cut and cooked to perfection. a red wine jus with four accompanying mustards was everything this simple steak lover could ask for. crab and chilli pasta rounded out the mains at our table, excellent suggestions from staff who were attentive and jovial throughout lunch.

full (and probably funnier) review on the blog now, link in bio :)

we booked a table for dinner on a friday night. the food was nice, favourites were the padron peppers and kingfish, but overall the menu was pretty expensive.

the atmosphere was a bit dull in the restaurant, and although we had booked a table for two and half therestaurantwas empty the whole night, we were seated right in the middle next to a pillar and almost in the hallway of the kitchen and bathroom entrances. there were much nicer little private corner tables empty the whole time.

our waiter felt really pretentious. i asked what was in one of the menu items and he gave a vague description that indicated he had no idea. i pressed for more information (just what flavours it consisted of) and he finally had to ask another waiter in an off hand way. i don't care if you don't know, but don't pretend! just find out.

i was disappointed they had cider on the menu but no spanish sidra (which is significantly different to aussie cider) considering the spanish theme.

overall, food was nice, but wouldn't go back. if you're after a good spanish/south american meal and experience, i'd go somewhere else.

for 10 years this gastropub has been a favourite for locals and in its first face lift, has taken on a spanish/south american vibe. the re-launched lamaro’s is a different direction for therestaurantbut one that seems to be welcomed by most. the world loves melbourne was invited along to experience the transformation. (we had visited also during the previous incarnation).

the 'paddock to plate' philosophy holds true for lamaro's bodega. reinvigorated from a pub, the venue now serves as a spanish-influencedrestaurantand bar. an ode to the spanish way of life, there's plenty of vino and comida served in a bodega setting, where smoky, sultry flavours are served amongst aged barrels and cellar wine. landscape paintings extend the length of the private dining room, embraced by the comfort of dark timber facades, soothing diners before entering the realm of spanish feasting. lamaro's is all about the locality of fresh produce and ethically raised meats. there's melt in the mouth charcuterie platters sourced from greenvale farm, flinders island lamb, fresh seafood from the crashing waves of the victorian coastline. lamaro's own farm in cape schanck breeds lambs and black angus cows. the produce-driven menu representing victoria at its best.