monster kitchen and bar

an interesting establishment with an eclectic mix of menu options that change very frequently. portion sizes are quite small, but a lot of their dishes are instagram-worthy and delicious to boot. the service, quite frankly, much like the rest of the hotel hotel property, is atrocious. all of the menu options are also available as room-service to the hotel hotel guests. don't forget to try out the desserts as they always have a unique twist!

whoever said canberra does not have good food has never been to canberra! this place ticks all the boxes - great food, knowledgable staff, good atmosphere. tick tick tick.

located inside of hotel hotel, monster kitchen and bar replaces the hotel lobby. we started off with cocktails by the fire pit as we were a bit early for our booking. once seated, the staff explained how the menu worked, what the specials were, what they recommended and even shared some of their stories with us (which were great stories!).

now time for the food! we started off with oysters, i mean who doesn't start off with oysters! the steak tartare with black rice crisps, party in your mouth! the flavours and textures, they just dance on your tongue. now let's talk about the yabbie jaffle, yes a jaffle! who knew a simple jaffle could taste sooooo good. and that wagyu, cooked to perfection and just melted in your mouth, exactly how a wagyu should be! now the fried tofu infused with japanese flavours and ever so soft and silky on the inside, now that's a fusion.

we also had the quail sriracha, kimchi pork bao, and smoke goats curd eggplant - these were good, enjoyable but not as good as the above.

there were also some specials which we ordered, calamari (average), tuna (tasted overcooked) and mushrooms (weird tasting). we would recommend staying with what's on the menu. we felt like the specials were some things they were trailing, which didn't quite work with our tastebuds.

we ended the night on a sweet note, chocolate, sea salt with peanut burnt butter ice cream and mango, tapioca, kaffir like and coconut. both were great ends to a wonderful night.

the time flew by us. we enjoyed our experience here so much that we quickly forgot the things we didn't like and only remember all the things we did like. we love this place and their staff. we will definitely be returning back and back and back again.

beautiful brunch!!!! probably the best brunch i've had in awhile. had the poached eggs with dukkah, avocado and whipped cherve and added smoked salmon and mushrooms. a massive meal, all beautifully cooked and presented. the coffee was lovely and while the staff weren't the happiest bunch, we still got everything we asked for. forget the negative nancies, brunch at this place is awesome!

very funky setting, great service and excellent food. we started with a (slightly lethal) cocktail, followed by lamb ribs and sensational duck parfait. for mains it was a massive steak (porterhouse??)and roast chicken, both cooked to perfection. the only let down was the churros for dessert. all in all a great night

terrible service and terrible food. waited 20min to be seated for our booking at 130. horrific service, the meal was so discussing and we waited 40 min for the smallest bowl of chips which were sitting on the bench that whole time. then asked for the bill 3 times!! terrible! and they didn't even think to discount our bill after we complained. never again :)


-----10 may, 2015-----

terrible. after waiting 15 min afte our booked reservation, we ordered our food which was terrible. the service is horrific!! don't waste your money

really beautiful ambience with a big warm fireplace in the middle. we came here on a night which had an event called skyfire, so we were able to see fireworks as we dined. we got a few cocktails each, steak tartare, duck dish, pumpkin and goats cheese dish, 2 fish mains, kingfish w gochujang, lamb ribs and chips- they were all pretty good. bill wasn't overpriced at all, it actually felt like great value for money, service was excellent and we would definitely come back. approximately $270 for 3 diners, including 3 drinks pp.

interesting. the food is decent. but some fusion dishes show much of an attempt to be innovative but lack the magic touch to be inspiring. for example the aubergine. nice idea, a combination of japanese and middle eastern flavors, but the level of saltiness is not what you would expect in this type of restaurant.

having said so, we like it and came here several times already. the atmosphere is great. good for having a relaxed meal.

what service???. we have now twice attempted to eat at this place. the first time we were completely ignored by the large number of staff standing around concentrating on looking cool and checking there phones. the second time we were actually noticed and given a table. the waiter asked if we were in a hurry which we affirmed as we were going to a movie. we were then then i gored........for a full 25 minutes while a number of staff had a meeting at the bar and the few remaining staff stood around ignoring not just us, but every other customer. needless to say we left, as did several other customers.
will never return to this joke of a place!
with this sort of service hopefully they will go broke and be replaced by a decent eatery.

great little gem inside hotel hotel! food was amazing! found the wine service quite slow! i had to keep topping up everyone's wine! overall the evening was a success loved the wine menu!

service was slow but the food was delicious. the black angus steak was cooked perfectly and the sauce was amazing (couldn't taste the anchovy).

i really need to this to be known about their current commitment to a vegetarian and vegan only menu so all actual vegetarians and vegans can beware - the new menu and the food was honestly so disappointing and barely palatable. it was so cheap and underwhelming (half a head of cauliflower, dismal rice and tacky satay for the price of steak, really??) and clearly not designed or cooked by an actual vegetarian, there was literally so substance or consideration of nutrition or biochemistry to any of the meals ie. where was the proteins? it was essentially deep fried or sloppy pub “sides” at best, which is i swear is something only meat eaters enjoy doing to vegetables, cheese and dough to justify a vegetarian option. also, and i cannot stress this enough, it just tasted so bad and we felt so sick during dinner but also, was left hungry? spent $200 and went for a $15 veggie pho afterwards. was so excited to see a place like monster commit to such an idea but this is clearly performative at best.

service was excellent, drinks are always good.

the only good thing about here is the interior decoration.
customer service is polite but cold (not sure if this is canberra style as i m from sydney)
salmon entree is acceptable. all the other four express lunch dishes are salty and extremely slow(nearly empty hall we started later noon time, waited 40min). the most expensive wagyue rump,$37, was so hard to chew that i doubt how long the meat stayed in the freezer. duck leg come with this salty mince mixed with some cheap can beans. chip over cooked that the color was even orange and smell like burnt.
most importantly, not sure if it was because this such disappointing mood or the food, i felt nauseated. i spent over $150 for four people but none of them were happy about it.

i lived in this building for a few months and knew i just had to check this place out before i left. really good service, the gentleman was super attentive and responsive to our needs. we ordered a variety of dishes from steak to fish to chicken. everything was really yummy. the restaurant itself is beautifully decorated.

it used to be excellent, but i think the change of ownership has really affected this place. seating is no longer in the awesome lobby but in a side room that feels a little sad, and filled with hotel guests. food was underseasoned and bland. (also, sour cream on top of an omelette? why?) service was neither friendly or attentive. sadly, won't be back.

thoroughly enjoyable meal. the eggplant was fantastic. lamb ribs great, but a bit dry. tofu was amazing and the sirloin fantastic. we'll priced and great service.