Abacus Bar & Kitchen

Great flavours, portion sizes, and service. All staffs were very sweet and hospitable. Sous vide octopus lacked a bit of flavour and was tough to chew, but squid ink linguine was absolutely delicious. Would visit again for the pasta! Revisit after 2 weeks: Came back for the bottomless pasta after enjoying their regular menu, but the food this time was just average. Still, I liked that I got to try different options for a good deal! However, the experience was let down by the heat—it was over 30 degrees, and they didn’t have the AC on. I was sweating while eating and ended up leaving before trying the last pasta out of disappointment. Staff service was exceptional though. Our server was incredibly attentive, making sure we were ready for the next dish and checking in to see how she could help us feel more comfortable.

Friendly service. Love that this place knows how to split bills like they do in North America. Decent decor and atmosphere. Food was kinda hit or miss. The salmon appetizer didn't really give earl Grey at all, and is served cold. The mushroom appetizer was delicious. The lobster cigar was better than a typical lobster roll but nothing special. Rabbit was cooked like a ham which wasn't terrible, especially with the pesto pasta but maybe overpriced for what it was. My friend was a little disappointed in her fish. Dessert was pretty much a health bar, full of seeds. Not bad, but really unexpected. Cocktails were good. Presentation was excellent as you can see from the photos and prices were reasonable so I would still give the food 4 stars.

I’m Italian and this pasta was absolutely amazing! The taste of the tomatoes sauce was strong as the taste of the prawns. Pasta was cooked perfectly. Service was good and the staff friendly. The atmosphere was good! I love that it is very bright and the design is great too. Just one suggestion, I would change the playlist choosing one more soft.

Beautiful interiors & ambiance with great, attentive service and delicious food! We had the Sirloin Steak and Grilled Flathead and both were fantastic. But our favorite has got to be the Chocolate Marquise. Chef’s kiss!

My girlfriend and I came here during one of their bottomless pasta nights. Our waiter was incredible, he gave us the tips and tricks of the trade to make the most out of our night and he was very funny too. The food was incredible, and the great thing is you get to try everything to see what you like and dislike. I fell in love with the bolognese, it was rich, tangy and sharp. I wasn’t too fussed on the other options, but i’m glad i got to try them regardless. Portions were a little small naturally. We did have to wait a bit for our food and drinks. We really enjoyed our experience there.

This cafe looks really nice - I wish I’d come sooner! I tried the spanner crab crumpet, which is now my favorite thing here. I also had the chilli folded eggs, but be careful - the chilli is super spicy! The coffee was tasty, and the staff were friendly. If you like good food and coffee, you should check this place out.

The overall experience was decent, but a few areas could be improved. The service lacked finesse and knowledge, and the food took longer than expected to arrive despite the restaurant not being too busy. When the food finally arrived, the presentation didn't meet my expectations for a restaurant of this calibre. However, the flavours were good, but not exceptional. On the positive side, the atmosphere was enjoyable, with good lighting and a pleasant ambiance. Overall, it's a decent restaurant with potential for improvement.

first time dining using the app Table First for 50% off the bill. Food was delicious especially the lobster cigar & duck croquette. Cristian (the manager- if not mistaken) was being so hospitable. He made us feel very comfortable and welcomed! We had a really great talk after our meal. Definitely would come back for our next date🫶🏻

No nonsense Friendly and professional servers,nice view facing the street view. Dropped in the noontime and breakfast items were still on, my friend ordered a meat plate "Dirty Steaks", mine was a dish with egg and sausages with lamb shoulder meat, all very well prepared and delicious! Highly recommended! Melbourne, Australia.

Stopped in here for a dessert this evening and this dessert was their special dessert partnering with another restaurant. The description was intriguing so we tried it. Very interesting blends of textures and flavors. Get a chance to try this and I think you will like it.

Mediocre food at sky high prices. Ordered the eggs on toast, croquette and hasselback potatoes - all were so incredibly, unbelievably bland. It's pretty hard to mess up eggs on toast too - just a little salt and pepper would've gone a long way here. Everything tasted like nothing. I'm from NYC so I'm used to paying steep prices for average stuff, and this blew me away with how mediocre it was. For a brunch place you'd think they could do eggs right but I was proven wrong. Skip this!

Decor, ambience ,Padre coffee, this place ticks all the boxes, service was amazing and I can't wait to try the food and wine later in the day! A must see and I love the Noosa style bench seat for people watching on Chapel street

Having missed the brunch menu we came in for a late lunch / early dinner when the menu changes over at 3pm. The space just lends itself to the eye, very open and inviting. Greenery and cool lighting, perfect for a warm summer day. We went with a pizza topped with shaved wild boar, sausages, rocket salad, something crispy and thinly sliced along with bits of cheese. It was extremely tasty! What was interesting was it came with scissors to cut yourself. The pizza is uber thin (aside from the crust) so it's not hard and a different philosophy. The thick cut chips were chunky to me but duck fat flavour paired with the lime aioli worked well. Lastly the Caesar Bloody Mary was a spicy treat when served with a whole sliced chilli. Service started out really well with friendly and attentive wait staff. They seemed to have gone on break towards the end of the meal, when it was hard to get their attention. Once you are served, you will need to flag them down for more water or just head to the front when you are ready to pay. With all the staff hanging around the counter, they could have done a better job at a quieter time in the day. Overall it was a pleasure and I would return to try their brunch menu or another tasty dish at night.

I went here on the recommendation of a friend after seeing photos of the pumpkin croquette and Chilli scrambled eggs. My friend arrived to a large open venue with a live DJ (eat sleep DJ) and opens eating area. We were greeted by a host who told us there would be a five to ten minutes wait. There were a few tables facing the sun that looked quite uncomfortable. You would literally be sitting sideways trying to eat. They had a couple of round tables that weren't for sharing. After 15 minutes we got a seat at the bar facing Aldi's. I ordered a skim cappuccino which was slightly sour and very strong. Not for me. My friend got a refreshing orange juice. I got the chilli scrambled eggs with charcoal bun and seaweed. My chilli scrambled eggs were spicy but that's all I could taste. The charcoal bun was too rough to cut into. Tasted burnt. I've had nice buttery charcoal bread before. But this was dry and very burnt tasting. The eggs were not buttery and weren't nice. The seaweed combination was nice but i felt like it was lacking flavour otherwise. My friend devoured her chia buckwheat crepes which were smothered in chocolate sauce, broken bits of Tim tam, lots of strawberries and very yellow looking poached pear. Service is very good. They clear tables quickly and do split billing but i feel that i didn't make the right meal selection. The toilets are upstairs and very clean. Reminds me of an office building.

Abacus is hard to miss if you've been down Chapel Street, it's a big unit on the corner and when they fold back the windows in summer, it dominates the block. Tables are set in smaller groups, providing much needed intimacy, in an otherwise grand space. The finish is undoubtedly high class and the gorgeous attention to detail, such as the hessian sacks of sugar, really add to this. Abacus offers both a day and evening menu, as well as some great looking options for those Friday drinks. Unfortunately it was a little early for alcohol when we visited so we sampled their coffee and day menu. Both the batch and nitro coffee were enjoyable. The batch is a pleasant, mild blend without the bitter undertones of many batch brews. It's delicious and easy to drink. Now I'm not usually a fan of Nitro but Abacus' blend has a light sweetness which worked well, and I actually found myself leaning toward this slightly over the batch. I opted for the pumpkin croquettes, and avocado, served with feta, black beans, corn and a poached egg. I was initially concerned it would be too sweet, but the smooth pumpkin croquettes, and delicious, ripe avocado, were nicely balanced with the huge chunks of feta, and the salty chopped tomatoes. For someone who usually swears by bacon on all savoury breakfasts, this was an incredibly enjoyable vegetarian meal that also plated beautifully. My other half went for the cape clear rashers, which in sharp contrast to my dish, are a meat eaters dream: alongside the chunky rashers are pigs cheek, crackling, blonde sausage, a chunky chutney, poached egg and toast. Again, it looked gorgeous on the plate and he found the elements well balanced - with those rashers being the clear hero of the dish - closely followed by the crispy crackling. Other parts of the dish were well cooked, and it gave a lovely fine dining twist to a traditional brunch. Dishes are priced at the higher end for brunch (most are $18+) but I think you'd agree they are well worth it for the quality on offer. Although considerably stuffed after our brunch, we managed to squeeze in one of their chocolate fondants each. These are the perfect little finale to your brunch, or a naughty treat with one of their delicious coffees. Despite feeling somewhat "fancy", Abacus has a real laid back vibe. Helped by the comfy seating, and the large space, it's great for those long brunches with friends, that overdue business meeting that you know is going to need a LOT of coffee (their bottomless batch at $6 is a bargain), or those chilled out afternoon drinks after a tough day. It's lively, but not loud, busy but not crowded. Service was highly attentive, yet not invasive. Cafe/bar/restaurant - I'm unsure what to classify Abacus as - it has the atmosphere of a swanky bar, the food of a great restaurant and it's coffee will more than hold it's own against most of Melbourne's cafes. It's a great laid back, all rounder that's well worth making the trip to Chapel Street for a visit.

Relatively limited menu, but with some tasty options, and a funky modern decor suited to South Yarra. However, many of the options were pricey (three small speck and gruyere croquettes for $19), and focussed more aesthetics than actual taste. On top of this, the coffee was adequate. I had the 'Fish Pan-fried' for $23 and I was expecting big things. Beautifully served, with a deceptively large portion. One piece was crispy and deliciously tender. However, the main portion of fish still had fins attached, which not only made it quite difficult to remove the fish bones, but also meant there wasn't very much fish left.

Nice restaurant High ceilings Variety in food, discovery should be fun Regular prices

Abacus recently opened in South Yarra. It's an open, simple and high ceiling restaurant with lots of trees facing the busy Chapel Street - easy to spot and easy to fall in love with. The interior is simple and cozy with bars and DJs.

Had a great coffee, I recommend sous vide cold brew. Great atmosphere unfortunately the food was a little too far out there. I ordered the grilled octopus, and I got a large chargrilled tentacle with hardly edible beach succulents occupying the plate.

Unsure of what I wanted for breakfast this morning, Abacus hit the spot. Very elegant, healthy breaky. Reasonably priced in a great atmosphere.

Decent brunch spot. Simple but good. Loved the fresh squeezed grapefruit juice but I thought the price was too high for everything and also they wouldn't allow splitting the bill. What is this, Europe?

This is a new opening bar on Chapel St . There are spacious space and opening windows .Wonderful ! But because of too much customers ,the ordered food is provided too lately .But the Latte is wonderful .

In my recent visit to Melbourne I walked by this restaurant several times. Finally I found time to grab a great late lunch. I was quickly seated by the door to observe the action. As an American single traveler, many dont know what to do with me. I asked the waiter what he recommended and he said fish taco. It arrived quickly and totally did not disappoint. The restaurant has a wonderful vibe with the beautiful hostess who caringly took care of everyone...including several young girls with their giant baby strollers. (So Unamerican!). The Taco I tore apart and had to google the chef of this place as the taste of it was AMAZING. Fresh and tasty, sweet and crunchy...each bite flavorful. I again took the waiters recommendation for dessert..he brought the panacotta which was yummy. Its a fun simple restaurant with great feng shui. The service was excellent and they clearly strive to accommodate all...families, couples..singles. it appeared people spend their afternoons here...and I can understand why. Please try the food...enjoy the vibe and get the full experience. If I lived in the area I would easily be a regular here. Americans...try it!

Really friendly staff and a nice selection of food. I went for breakfast and their coffee was delicious. I also ordered their autumn special pumpkin tagine. This had generous amounts of pumpkin and the roasted eggplants were to die for! Only the coconut yoghurt was not to my taste (I would prefer natural yoghurt instead). Had a nice breakfast for one here.

I had the avocado and pumpkin croccquets , it was made to perfection. I love it !!! I would most definitely recommend this cafe

I arranged breakfast with friends to meet up early on Sunday (9am is early for a Sunday) and their bookings system didn't allow reservations on the weekend! So we rocked up and people are out but there are vacant tables but according to one of the wait staff the tables are reserved to our amazement! Apparently this is the first day reservations are taken so we lucked out! After last minute sorting a table fortunately materialized and we were sorted but it took a bit of effort and only as we planned to move on to another cafe. The service was good however I wouldn't recommend their Ballarat breakfast, the place is a little too funky, music could've been turned down a bit and it felt like a bit nightclub-ish! Amazingly the table next to us which was reserved as we were told sat vacant for 50 minutes before some one turned up which we thought was rather interesting considering staff were certain of their full status! When we finished up there was no bill splitting which took the girl at the checkout more time to explain rather than just splitting the tender! In this era groups go out and want to split bills and it doesn't take a mathematician to calculate and transact! The long and short is that this cafe doesn't offer anything special other than being popular for the sake of being popular! There is plenty of options around the area so don't waste time on venues that are too special which this one definitely is! The coffee is definitely average and is not poured like a barista would and a good coffee is integral for me at least! I don't recommend this venue following today's experience as there is plenty of competition and better food/coffee elsewhere! If you're a poser and food and beverage is not important then this is your place!

Gorgeous, high ceilings, leafy cafe with warm, modern design. Coffee is good, but service is inconsistent. Large coffees available dine in only if you get the right waiter in the right mood... know what I mean? Funky music playing, great vibe, but very loud. (Ie don't bring grandma.)

Coffee was as bitter as the taste the service left in my mouth but this was variable, some staff are really friendly. The drinks are far too small for the price or their value but the decor is well designed for the airiness of an island feel if you can just be left to enjoy it.

July 21st - Food overall was mediocre, but we came in 10 minutes before the kitchen closed so I knew BOH would be pissed and accommodated my expectations to fallow suit. But the steak sandwich was closer to medwell when I ordered midrare, the plating for the octo was different quantities and all over the place for the 3 orders we had. The server we had took our order then I was cut I'm assuming, because we had 0 fallow up by her after our food was ran. Instead we had a depressingly unprofessional hostess check on us maybe twice for the last hour of our stay, who when I commented on my meat temp being off replied with, "OMG you didn't liiiike it?" I didn't say that child, I said the temp was off. Not wanting to deal with her incompetence I simply asked for it to go, to give to a flat mate who wouldn't care. When she brought it back she had the gall to say "here's the sandwich you didn't like but wanted to take away." Fallowed by an eye roll, at this point I was looking for a floor manager. Asked another server for the bill and a manager, waited 15 min neither came. Went to the front to have the check settled, the same hostess couldn't find anything I ordered on her own POS, and literally point out for her what I ordered on the screen, she honestly could have just printed us check and had us circle items but she was too flustered. I really can't believe she was ever hired for a position in the service industry. During all this mess the GM which I eventually found, had 0 floor presence apart from a few tables at the front who he seemed to know personally. Honestly from manager to manager, figure out what you need to motivate yourself to seek quality service.