Amazing atmosphere, great food, and service Visited a few times and always have good meals. Great coffee beans as well. Highly recommend.

Found this hidden gem at Belgrave, absolutely love the beautiful and tranquil outdoor garden setting with added character by the architecture. Also love the fact that there’re ample vegetarian dishes on the menu.

Great "Ambience". It's like you've travelled back to the medieval times with knights, dragons and castles, it has a great restaurant/cafe layout and design. Includes a fireplace on cold days to keep you warm. However, the food doesn't do this place justice. I had a burger which tasted and looked like something you'd find outside a NASCAR Racing Event. It definitely wasn't 4 or 5 stars for me. But the layout and design was 5 stars. Customer service was phenomenal, just disappointed with the food. No tomato sauce with chips and cappuccino was average at best..........Burger looks good but It was average. Hopefully they change it.

Only the Aussie locals know this! Yeh, mate! This is a place where it serves authentic Aussie brekkie with Poached egg! Only the locals know this place. And now you know. It is a very historical place. You need to book the time and be punctual, or your booking will be let go. We booked the place at 11-12.30pm, we were late 15 mins, luckily they held on. Not to forget to visit their backyard. Just by sitting under the tree is enjoying. Children were running around. Hope the owner can clean up the drawing on their signboard. Love this place, everything was so Aussie. I would definitely come back. #aussiebrekkie

The building is beautiful, and the setting picturesque and the service attentive. The menu looks nice - unfortunately the food isn't anything special. It's not bad per se, but overall very standard fare in a rather ordinary presentation.

Really beautiful cafe that is tucked away from the busy street. Gorgeous outdoor area, cosy indoor area with unique artwork and brick. The cafe drinks were not the best, but the ambiance and friendly staff makes up for it. Ample parking at the back where Belgrave Library is. Reservations encouraged on weekends!

Amazing interior decor! Only issue is the acoustics means it can be a bit noisy in there. Lovely hot drinks. Service is friendly although a little slow. Open fire which is nice on a cold day. Plenty of parking in the big off street car park behind the building.

Absolutely brilliant cafe in a stunning location. We sat outside as a group of 8 and told staff that we had a bit of time pressure due to a booking for an activity near by. Staff were exceptional from start to finish. Completely attentive and knowledgeable. The vegan options are great and all dishes were great. Pictured is scrambled tofu with some add ons and okonomiyaki Strongly recommend this cafe!

Purchased pouched eggs and it came out like this. One of the eggs was fine. However the other came almost completely boiled. Probably the worst pouched eggs I’ve gotten. I left feeling hungry and did not want to order anything else due to the eggs not being pouched. The staff were average not the best customer service. However, the atmosphere was nice a chill. I like the idea of a old house a unique concept.

This is such a beautiful place to visit. Not only is the old house stunning, but so is the courtyard on a gorgeous Melbourne day. The staff were attentive, the coffee was good and the food was delicious. The granola was the best I’ve ever had! I could imagine having a function in this place. They offer that too. Would definitely go back again

What a beautiful old building to sit & have a meal in, so much character & the gardens are beautiful, so relaxing & surrounded by nature. Easy car parking around the back & plenty of outdoor seating (would be nice in summer) Tumeric latte was on point, we had all day breakfast which was good & the home made cake was delicious! Good menu with vegan & gf options, they use a lot of organic ingredients. The service although was good & everyone was friendly & helpful was a bit slow at times. They also have a range of ethically / sustainable / organic made products eg: soap, shampoo, conditioner, incense etc etc. We definitely be back!

Beautiful old building and atmosphere. The staff were friendly. The food was delicious. Highly recommended.

Five stars around. The food is alwaya perfectly prepared and served within a perfectly reasonable wait time. The coffee has that little quality that elevates it past just a regular cup. The staff are competent and friendly. And finally the atmosphere is lovely, in the grounds of a historic building, my favorite Cafe in the east by far.

Excellent surroundings, extravagant gardens, very nice coffee and eggs Benny with lots of extras you can put on. Nice staff and lots of seating. We will be back :) thank you

Gorgeous place. Yummy breakfast. Nice staff. Loved it. I’d definitely recommend their Turkish eggs.

Great food and staff are super kind. Men’s toilet was not pleasant is all.

We have been going to Benson's for years. The food is absolutely incredible, especially the breakfasts. We also get the best service , especially from Mira, who always greets us with a smile, and nothing is a problem for her. It is people like Mira that make a cafe great, and Benson's is just that. We would highly recommend this Cafe to everyone. You will not be dissapointed.

Chilli scrambled eggs were great. Coffee up to scratch. Service up to scratch. Clean and friendly.

A good place for lunch after visited the puffing billy! No queue, fast service, comfortable seat (not too seating too close to the others) and lot of food options as a cafe. The food and drink potion is huge, highly recommended their fritters, and burger.

Such a great little Cafe in the hills. AND as a tea drinker so nice they serve tea leaves NOT tea bags which is SO hard to find. Mira and Angela both know how to make a nice drop of tea and coffee too (I've been told by Hubby) we will be back.

Fantastic little brekkie joint. Chilli scrambled eggs & big breakfast were well prepared, tasty & very filling. Coffee was easy to drink, no burnt taste. Situated near puffing Billy, would be a nice combination for a day out.

Lovely cafe restaurant up in the hills. The staff is super friendly and the food is really delicious. Love to come back every single time.

Picked Bensons due to the rating and being around the Dandy ranges, and so glad I did. The big brekky had everything you need for breakfast and lunch, the mushrooms were delicious. I enjoyed the chilli scramble, a bit different having it on a croissant. Coffee was on the money and hit the spot. Staff were all friendly, prices are what you expect at most cafes as these days.

Really great food and coffee! The customer service was good and the person that served us was very polite and pleasant :) Downsides were, we went with a dish in mind that we have had many times before and were craving to see its no longer on the menu, our second choices were lovely though. Something else that would have made our meal better was, the tables are all wonky! We sat down at one table that was on a huge slope so we moved to a window seat and the table was crooked again. Also, it was a freezing cold day and was really cold inside there, most people had kept their outer coats on while eating, would have been nice to have a heater on. UPDATE JUNE 2023- We returned after a while for a brunch. 1 of 2 of the meals was great, except missing something stated on the menu, which is fine if they are out, would be nice to be told prior though, my partner was wanting pancakes so we saw there were some on the menu here, that was our deciding factor in coming in here over other places. He said the pancakes were awful, had a strange taste and were rubbery, he told the lady at the end and all that was said was, oh sorry about that. Even though they weren't finished and he brought it to attention, was still charged full price which was disappointing. The presentation was absolutely flawless though, shame the actually pancakes were terrible :(

Lovely atmosphere and the staff were very accommodating for the needs of my partner and her grandparents. Perfect place to be enjoying a coffee on a rainy Christmas afternoon!

Wow this food is amazing. Excellent presentation and great service also.

Really happy with our lunch @Bensons Cafe! 🍴Food was really great: 🍔We had the grilled chicken burger and chips, which was delicious 👌 💰 Price was reasonable. ☕️ Coffee was good. 🤵 Staff were friendly and welcoming. ------------- 🔄 Repeatability: Would definitely come back again.

Amazing food with the ambience. We had Calamari dish, it was soft not rubbery. Inside and outside area is wonderful. Very spacious. I just couldn't understand why the didn't offer us a place to sit near the window even though we asked. They said they are all booked but clearly those are not. Tables were empty. All my stars are for the food and the ambience.

We really loved our Sunday Roast at ‘Micawber Tavern’ … roast Porchetta with the trimmings…No your usual roast, was very impressive.. Yorkshire pudding great, duck fat potatoes 😋… ‘fancy’ greens, pureed carrots 🥕… Would highly recommend this place, but because of the high quality, kitchen takes time, but well worth the wait!! We will be back for the beef!!!

I love this pub! Only negative is that sometimes they have live music and it's REALLY loud. You can barely talk which isn't great. Otherwise food is fantastic and a good price. Staff are friendly and has a nice vibe. Range of seating options - high chairs aren't that comfy and different heights - otherwise the tables are great. Would be nice to have more booths.

Just random visit on the way to chestnut farm. I chose Micawber Tavern at first sight. It was really lucky to find this place. Beer in the forest. Had a Beef burger, pork ribs and 250gm porterhouse steak. Beer batter chips was super crispy and tasty. I had a piece of chips when it's served. I was surprised it was perfect! All the food I ordered, it was tasty 😋. I truly felt that Chefs at Micawber is thought after food really well. Variety of tap beers are awesome. I definitely come back for another round. It would be good to have beers or food when sunny day sit by the valley. Heal up your life in this place. My wife and kid, they were happy too

I've been up to Micawber a few times, and always have a great experience. Friendly staff, great range of drinks and food, and a second-to-none beer garden. They've recently dropped a tonne of cash on renovations, and the place looks great. Only downside is food can take a while to arrive - but that's part of the pub/tavern experience in my opinion. Highly recommend.

Great vibe. Live music. Awesome food. We went on a Monday. Food service starts at 5pm. So we sat down and order beer on tap. Guiness Beer for the win. The Buffalo Chicken Wings and Mussels the wifey swear it's delicious. The Pork Ribs was out of this world. This a must try if you are in the Dandenong area.

Really nice place - warm (they even have a fireplace), cozy and tasty. Good combination of traditional tavern’s food choice and some other stuff like mussels, seafood linguine and variety of steaks. They also have decent parking which can accommodate all the visitors!

Love this place, drinks before lunch by the babbling brook, no problems with drink service, lunch delivered in a timely manner although dessert and coffees for some reason were delayed and by that time we were the only people in the main dining area. Those who ordered the seniors fish and chips were very happy, for me I ordered the salmon which was new to the menu, absolutely delicious. Dessert for 3 was sticky date pudding, I tasted my husbands and was sorry I didn’t order one for myself. Staff were proficient albeit needed a bit of encouragement to smile. I’m I stickler for staff looking as though they enjoy their job and will do my utmost to make them feel it is a great day! Definitely recommend you come out and try this place, and we will return for sure.

We will give them 5 stars for the effort they did for the renovation and setup of the new Micawber. The live music was great too. The reasons we rate them 2 stars are: 1. As soon as we arrived the person who met us was not that welcoming. We were told right away that they are understaffed and they would appreciate if we could just order our drinks by ourselves in the bar which didn’t mind and happy to adhere. 2. We arrived to on time for our booking. Entrées were quick. However, our mains came an hour after we had our entrées with x2 follow up. The first lady we asked didn’t even bother to get back to us for feedback. The second followed up, we were told that because we have entrées they usually pushed back mains. This explains why others who came in later than us were served first. We hope they could have told us that and we could have just opted for all our orders to be brought at once. 3. When our mains came, there weren’t any cutleries. We asked but no one came to give us. We ended up taking the cutleries on the other table. 4. Food were average; nothing special. Their wagyu steak was dry and their parma was bland. We did enjoy their calamari and ribs though. They have quite a few variety of drinks too. We understand that it was a busy night. We are also keeping our honest review for others like ourselves check reviews before we dine in. For us, this place is good only to have a drink.

Had dinner with my friend on Thursday night and it was Taco Night! Blue Cheese Chicken Taco and a Pulled Port little scrumptious wonder - Delicious! Loved the atmosphere, people playing pool, catching up and having a good time. Will def' go back

Called to make a booking and phone rang out, so managed to make a booking online through the website very easily. Arrived and was seated straight away we had our main within 30mins of sitting down we were all pleased with our stakes and fish and chips. $132 for 2 stakes 1 fish and chips and 3 desserts. Not including our drinks at the bar.

Had a lovely meal in the beer garden on a sunny day amongst the beautiful tree ferns. Thoroughly enjoyed everything about this charming pub.

Can’t say a lot positive about the service at this place, then the food was a close second to the service so it made for a pretty poor experience. Which is a pity because this has always been a great pub until now. We walked in on a Thursday night here for a drink and meal in this iconic pub of Belgrave. As we stood for about 5 mins to ask for a table, we noted a number of staff in green shirts standing around and talking. On one noticing us they indicated to another who then looked at us and with some effort asked if we had a booking. We said no but were happy to wait and grab a drink. We were told to stand next to a table there and the guy walked back to the group of staff talking. Whilst waiting I ordered drinks which I had to explain to the girl at the bar what a Sauvignon Blanc was. When we finally got our drinks we continued to wait where the guy said until about 15 mins when one of the staff in green asked us to move. We responded with we were waiting for a seat and were asked to stand and wait here. She said there are no seats and it’s unlikely that any would be available. I looked around and there were more empty tables than full with some reserved prior to and well after our time here at 1800h. We moved to the corner of the bar to finish our drinks and go when another one from the staff came to us and asked if we were eating in. We said we had planned to but were told that there wasn’t a table likely so we were going to finish our drinks and go. She then said that there was a table free near the pool table. We took our seat and was told that there was table service. We waited for another 15mins and not one server has attended our table. I went to the bar and ordered another round of drinks and stated to order our meals when the bartender said that’s nothing to do with her, so I asked the gaggle of green shirts if we could get served at the table as we’d been sitting for about 25mins now. One of the girls in the green shirts then walked behind the bar and I went back to our seat and waited. 10 minutes passed and I asked again if we could be served. The girl in green huffed and went over to another girl who was serving a table of 10 and after about 10mins that girl came and served us. Kate was great and loved a chat, took our order, had us pay immediately (obviously a learning) and went off serving other tables that were slowly filling. We waited for our meals for about 20mins and when they came out they were pretty ordinary in flavour and seasoning. We got up and left overall disappointed in the service and food quality. We actually won’t eat here again and none of us finished our meals. For the price and service (lack of) it was very disappointing and pricey for what we received. The salads were warm and meals were cooked awfully. As someone who has run a restaurant and bar in a major centre, my advice is employ someone who has been in the hospitality game to assist your teams as it’s very apparent that they lack the basics of customer service and hospitality skills in general. Done and dusted with here and my advice is not to eat here and don’t expect service.

What a lovely place. A very busy tavern but able to get a walk-in table at the bar. The service was great and the food was excellent. Great price and size of meals spot on. The decor was lovely and had a historic German feel to me. Spotless venue inside and out, live music and in a beautiful surroundings of the Dandenongs. LOVE IT 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Took my parents , along with my son for lunch this Sunday. Firstly we had booked for the outdoor heated area. We got shown to a table of 2 by a very disinterested teenager. We then stood around waiting whilst they figured out what was going on. We then got told we could be seated inside instead or the beer garden. We chose the beer garden and were led to a table full of dishes and glasses not cleared. We stood around for a while waiting for it be cleared then finally sat down. We went to the bar to get some drinks and felt like we were putting them out ordering drinks with not even so much as a smile. We had to find a waitress to order food then waited almost an hour for food. Nobody came by our table to update us or apologise for the long wait. Food was great, but not sure it was worth such a long wait. At least one smile from one of the staff would have gone a long way to a better experience. Very let down and would be very reluctant to try again.

Very nice location and atmosphere. Wait staff were very friendly. Chicken parmigiana meat and crumbing was okay, napoli sauce flavour was a bit weird and chips were cold, flavourless and had barely any salt. Asked for no bacon on Parma but received it anyway. So very nice vibe, pretty average food

Lovely French Restaurant! Wonderful staff, delicious food. Make sure you top up your back account though, very pricey. We will be back!

A wonderful and authentic restaurant well worth a visit. I regularly go to France and Le Voltaire is a lovely little piece of it. Service was excellent and great variety on the menu. French wines available. The food is amazing. Even the side of vegetables tasted fantastic. Looking forward to visiting again soon.

Fantastic! Elegant! Magnifique! From the prompt kind witty service, to the "best garlic bread ever" (quote from my eldest) to the gourmet cheese to the exquisite crafted main meals and impressive specials menu going beyond the french classics, to the finely balanced desserts and then the live jazz that had us dancing at the table... I thoroughly recommend!

This place is absolutely amazing. Very friendly staff and warm feeling place. The food is cooked absolutely perfectly and they even share how to make it! I have seen comments about price, this is a fine dining restaurant. If you want cheap go to to hogs breath.

Enjoyed our time at Voltaire. Friendly and knowledgeable staff, the food was almost perfect. We ordered an eye fillet steak and a duck in a cherry sauce. The latter was a tiny bit overdone but otherwise tasted well. Our favourite was a dessert, Ile Flotante.

Expensive, but high quality food. Overall, you get what you pay for. Had the Rib-eye with wine sauce, french fries included in price.

My wife says I should share this because this isn’t her personality 😂 We had our 8th wedding anniversary dinner here last night. The food was phenomenal and our waiter for the night was attentive and kind. Not only did he handle us with care, he also provided a moment of discreetness as we had a cuddle on the bench seat (humour of course). We will be back, for more cuddling and perhaps a meal ;)

Lovely French restaurant in Belgrave, we dined here go a romantic dinner to celebrate our Anniversary. The staff were friendly and atmosphere delightful. To start we shared the scollops they were nice but seemed lacking in some seasoning. Mains we had the steak and the lamb rack. Both meals were enjoyed, the side of vegetables cooked perfectly and the fries were simply the best we have ever had. Finished off with chocolate pudding (delicious) and crepe Suzette was nice. Our bill was big but we did have 3 alcoholic drinks each. But we really enjoyed our night so happy to award the 5 stars.

Exquisite Food, Wine, and Service. A great gem in the heart of Belgrave. Definitely worth the drive for a fantastic experience. The wait staff were impeccable, particularly Erica!

Great food, best creme Brulee ever! The only negative is that prices are quite steep, particularly the alcohol.

Wonderful restaurant, friendly staff, nice design and atmosphere. We have tried several dishes and enjoyed them all. Particularly with mentioning are the Terrine, Scotch Fillet, and Beef Medallions. Prices are as expected from a high end French restaurant (about $70-$100 pp).

A delightful find in Belgrave. Gorgeous little restaurant full or atmosphere and an authentic approach. Lovely young lady looked after us with a professional but friendly approach. The food was the star, as it should be and what a delight it was. I normally could not indulge in 3 courses, yet we did and it was magnificent. A sign of great food is the next day not feeling full even after indulging. An absolute quality establishment and can’t wait to visit when in the area again.

Good street parking - Interesting Vietnamese restaurant - first impression walking in - the front door mat looked dirty, worn & 100 years old, we were hesitant about walking in, the windows were dirty, gave me the impression that this place looked & felt unclean. The space itself looks like an old fish & chip shop with the fryers to the side. I sited 3 heaters in the place - none of them were on, it was freezing. The waiter came to us & gave us a note pad & pen to write the numbers for our order then come up to register with said notepad to order & pay?!? (Interesting concept) We were brought over some very small paper cups & a bottle of water. Not many gf options, I opted for flat rice noodles (thinking they’d be gf) only to be told that they contained wheat flour as well (don’t call them rice noodles) I opted for a laksa with tofu & veg, it had minimal veg & the tofu was sliced ever so thin. My husband had fried rice which was very bland & duck curry, he said it was ok. The toilets were dirty. This place needs a really good clean!

Four of us had dinner on Friday 16th June 7.15pm. The rice 2 very large paper rolls were tough the skins had either not been soaked prior to assembling or had been left out to dry. There was one minute prawn in the end of each rice paper roll. They were served with a plum sauce the whole taste was bitter. The fried spring rolls (pork) were burnt at the ends. The honey chicken and cashew main dish was sickly sweet and the cashews had been replaced with half salted peanuts. The only edible dishes were the beef soup and the fried fish balls (served with raw onion). It was the worst meal experience we have had for many years and although the prices might have gone up which is absolutely reasonable these dishes were not worth it at all - very disappointing. I don't expect the standard of Vietnamese cooking to have dropped so markedly. I like many people have been to Vietnam many times and have loved the freshness and zingness of what are essentially simple dishes based on good ingredients. We won't be back until they get chefs or cooks who can actually cook.

The food was delicious. Very very good. Was also very reasonably priced and the staff were friendly. I would realistically give a 4 star because the place needs a bit of a spritz. However to counter some of the very harsh reviews I have read I have given a 5. Will definitely be back!

Excellently flavoured spring rolls, and an excellent beef broth in the pho. A good size and a fair too generous amount of meat. Service was a little awkward, in terms of the dishes coming quite a way a part and there being quite a delay between the pho and the garnishes, (although the waiter was fairly young so I’m sure with time he’ll be excellent as he was very polite and very quick upon any request). Pricing was as expected. Overall, I’m glad to have great Vietnamese food close to home and when I return to test the pork on broken rice I hope it’s amazing as that’s my favourite. 😁

Just coming back from a trip in Vietnam it was refreshing to learn how authentic the Pho is they serve at this place. The portions are generous as well. Veggie Pho is not on the menue but if you don’t mind beef stock you can have it without meet. Staff is very friendly. We are looking forward to go back soon.

This was easily one of the best Vietnamese meals we've had, and I am so glad we did not look at the reviews first. The Beef Pho was absolutely delicious and the Sizzling Squid with Lemongrass and Chilli was perfect. The wait staff were polite and keen to do a great job. Easily better than a 5 star experience. Well done.

Always delicious & fresh meals!

I went on a solo trip with the kids here tonight, I was nervous to try somewhere new with small children but it was a great success!! The food was AMAZING!! the vibe, ultra low key, not too bright, plenty of seating, busy and popular. Food = Clean, quality, good food, with full flavour, cooked perfectly. I had the chicken phô. Omg! One of the best I've had. The gf (gluten free) spring rolls we're delicious too. And the kids loved the fried rice. Overall a great experience, friendly staff, great food, will definitely be back again, and bring friends!!

Really disappointing, we have eaten in house many times before but this time weordered take away. The food was awful and one dish we couldn't even eat. Total waste of money unfortunately.

The grilled food tastes terrible. It's like they never clean their grill. Avoid. Menu pictures look much better than the food. No service at all (plastic cups, write your own order, no napkins [only tissues], no glasses or ice). Very very bad overall.