monster kitchen and bar

“striking” is a good way to describe more than one aspect of monster kitchen and bar. in a way, it is aptly named because it is an absolute beast. it is not unlike stepping off the millennium falcon into a combination of the woods of endor and one of the modern space cities. 

it is impossible not to think of jenga looking at the jumble of wood that is a theme throughout this new precinct that includes hotel hotel and its lobby restaurant, monster. the reference to fun and youth continues, with our rhombus shaped table, which is surprisingly functional.

the monster kitchen is the restaurant at hotel hotel, new action, up the wooden stairs from the palace cinema. it is a beautiful space to spend some time in. the dinner menu has no items marked as vegan, although it turned out the chips are vegan with no changes. everything else had to be modified by negotiation with the wait staff. as a result, we suggest arriving before 7pm rush hour. the salad, roast pumpkin and chips were tasty as well-presented. portion sizes were larger than the photos suggest. however, these days we prefer to go to places that have at least a few dishes marked vegan on the menu. a bit more thought put into the menu could save some hassle for the diners, wait staff and the kitchen staff.

definitely more hit than miss, though not every dish during our lunch was up to the magnificence i'd usually expect from a mcconnell bros offering. staff are friendly, and the place buzzes with colour and life

great atmosphere and food. came here for brunch; we tried the baked eggs, and pork belly. both were very delicious. the carrot cake was also very good

the monster nature of monster kitchen and bar makes it a perfect choice for a canberra brunch any day and any weather. elegant in both decor and dishes – this interesting and stylish restaurant morphs throughout the ground floor of hotel hotel in new acton taking on new personalities as it fills different spaces.

"turn out the lights, and i'll glow"

it's very dark inside. but that's ok because the dear luncher lights up a stage and wax's a chump like a candle. the dear luncher tries to eat healthy sometimes and monster's breakfast menu allowed him to feel a little less unperturbed by his expanding waist-line. in the most shocking news of the week - the dear luncher ordered a breakfast that did not contain any bacon in it. a spelt and maple granola with berries and rhubarb in it. the rhubarb was bacon flavoured though, or at least your dear luncher imagined it to be. not enough yohgurt on this bad boy, made for a bit of a dry experience. milk was added to alleviate that, but the idea of mixing yohgurt with milk does not appeal greatly.

monster kitchen & bar is located in the stunning hotel hotel complex. the restaurant is spacious, with several dining areas. it has a funky atmosphere and is perfect to grab a quick bite to eat before a movie at nearby palace cinemas. . there are quirky decorations throughout the restaurant that add a nice touch. it started out moderately busy during our weekend lunch time visit, and the restaurant quickly filled up during our lunch.

when in canberra, it appears monster is a place to befriend. housed inside hotel hotel which is located on the corner of a what feels like a dual carriageway, it oozes cool architecture and design. . we enter the hotel and greeted by reception staff who advise us to head towards the ipad in the far corner of the room. it's a little strange that as soon as we enter the hotel, it opens out into a dining / bar area and there is monster in all her glory. i keep looking for an ipad but struggle to find it. turns out, i'm taking things too literally and it's not an ipad but a laptop. i guess literal and creativity aren't necessarily seamless in this place!

waited almost an hour for drinks to come, and then another 15 for food. no apology, no acknowledgment of delay. terrible service. the food is passable but not worth the angst.

i came here for dinner with some work colleagues. the building is very nice inside, i loved how arty and open the space is. the food is best to "share". we ordered a few small, medium and large dishes and all were amazing! i particularly remember the eggplant dish. the service was friendly, helpful and attentive which made the night all more enjoyable. there were so many options on the menu, i will have to go back to try a few more things.

today we are going to visit some very fine dining in canberra; monster kitchen and bar. i went there for a belated birthday girls night out with some of my mothers group com-padres. monster is located in the lobby of hotel hotel in new acton. it is a weird location, making for a restaurant that seems to spill out, extending from a bar area, into a lounge area (with an amazing open fireplace) to a more restaurant type area. the interior design is very modern and eclectic, which each designated area having a very different feel. what can i say?….it is very pretty and shiny. apparently many of the design elements come from local artists and designers, and much of it is one of a kind. it is also very large space but they don’t seem to have any trouble getting people to occupy it. in fact if you want to go i recommend planning a few weeks in advance and making a booking.

menu is inconsistent. the baked eggs were amazing, but the porridge is watery and awful. how do you screw up porridge? also recommend ordering extra honey with the chai - it's very bland without.

great food, nicely presented and ideal portion sizes. 12 of use enjoyed a slow, and dare i saw, boozy lunch over several hours. they catered expertly to some difficult dietary needs and made us feel welcome at every stage. good choice for a special lunch with friends

lovely space to sit with friends and friendly service but terrible food. everything that came out had the promise of sounding delicious but in reality had the same awful 'charcoal' smokey flavour throughout. spent a fortune and left feeling hungry and dissatisfied.

impressive interior design inside the restaurant. the floor plan is spaced out so you enjoy the conversation without yours group and still at the same time be part of the funky atmosphere. the room is also divided into different space with different decorations so you can have your own space for small parties.

the service was promptly and very quick.

we ordered six plates to share between the four of us and we ended up skipping dessert. the food was great. you can tell that they use quality ingredients and the chefs treat them well. each plate gives you a good variety of protein and vegetables.

i would love it more if the chefs are more playful with flavours to make the plates more interesting. the varieties we tried were one dimensional which won't be as memorable.