Lûmé

The tasting menu was just amazing! There are was approximately a total 13/14 selections of dishes served out by the knowledgeable waiters and waitresses. Each dishes were thoroughly explained from the ingredients up to how they were prepared and cooked. Don’t be startled by the serving sizes, by the time you are half way through the tasting menu you are well and truly getting almost full! The interior is quite spacious and architectural with an open view of the chefs prep kitchen which was just a great sight. A visit only for the special occasions but definitely must be added to the to do list! Highly recommended and is one of my favourites!

The restaurant is beautiful and the service was attentive if not a little inauthentic. Some of the food was amazing, beautifully served, super delicious with complex flavours and perfect textures. A few of the dishes were really not tasty. The matching wines weren't to out taste and seemed a bit try hard with the first three being beer, sake and sherry. Didn't leave much room for nice reds. At this price we're comparing with other top notch restaurants and it fell a bit short

A modern high end fine dining experience with a warmly lit interior creating a relaxing atmosphere. Was seated in one of the tables overseeing the chefs carefully preparing the dishes in the kitchen. The menu started with a complimentary sweet sparkling beverage, followed by starters, entrees, mains and desserts which took around 2.5 hours for the dining experience. Every dish was beautifully presented and the flavour profiles were amazing. Some of the standouts include the creamy potato snack with the contrasting crispy shell, the savory brininess from the abalone caviar dish, the creamy sauce that paired well with the John Dory fish, and the best duck dish I had as far as I can remember. The olive ice cream which may sound weird was actually delicious with a mix of textures from the smooth ice cream, airy cream and soaked up sponge cake. Love how two of the courses came with a generous side of bread, freshly made in-house. The wagyu beef was perfectly cooked and tasted great but it didn't have a unique characteristic which stood out to me compared to the other dishes, and the celeriac cream didn't enhance the flavour of the steak. Overall the dining experience was worth the price; amazing food that will leave you full and satisfied and friendly and professional service.

Had their 13+ course tasting menu last night and it was amazing Unexpected flavours and textures with incorporation of indigenous ingredients and flavours. Restaurant ambience was good, neutral toned minimalist interior gave it a modern vibe which fit well with its inventive menu Staff were friendly and despite being a solo diner I did not feel like they were attempting to rush me It’s fine dining so the price might not be accessible to everyone. But it’s actually relatively cheap compared to other places I’ve visited

Beautiful restaurant, with delicious food full of flavours. The abalone and John Dory were the stars for me - both perfectly cooked and wonderfully balanced plates. Really enjoyed the flavour and texture combinations of the wagyu and celeriac, and the duck with cherries. Not sure I necessarily understood the heirloom tomatoes or the sorbet dish. The food was all beautifully presented (absolutely in love with the crockery) although there wasn’t any particular wow factor. Would suggest there’s value in replacing the cheap plastic doors in the bathroom - it detracts from the fine dining experience.

Went to Lume in July (2022) Located in South Melbourne and indeed a Fine Dining. The Tasting menu came in 4 sections. Snacks, Entree, Mains & Desserts. Portions were reasonable, flavours were absolutely amazing and well balanced. The current menu is seafood dominant but still the beef was really well positioned. Almost every dish had its own sauce added in at time of serving. The wine menu by glass was a great collection. On arrival we were offered a house made cordial type drink which was chilled and very welcoming. The aviation cocktail is a variant of the original gradient purple texture but the taste is close. Overall a relaxed dining experience and worth the money.

I've never been a "foodie" but the food here has changed that. I've had two of the menus (the plantbased Ecosystems menu and the plantbased Autumn Harvest menu) and both were mindblowingly beautiful. The flavour combinations were so unexpected and yet every meal is expertly brought together. My absolute favourite dish from the most recent menu was the burnt celeriac, which I didn't expect at all! The presentation is stunning, the staff are incredibly friendly and helpful, and the cocktails are delicious! I definitely recommend coming here.

A hidden gem in South Melbourne. We had fine dining here with the short course option and ordered the extra charcuterie. All dishes are well presented. However, 3 out of 9 courses are exceptional. Be aware of booking in advance and around 3hrs dining experience. They had welcome drink which is unique and refreshing. Cocktail and whiskies are nice too. Friendly staff described each dish. Relaxing ambience. Indoor setting with glass roof makes the place wide and has good natural lighting before sunset.

I was extremely disappointed throughout the entire day. The level of service and food did not match the price at all. Clothes were simply hung by the restroom door without a designated storage area. Despite repeatedly requesting food without any ants and still found ants in the dishes. We had tasting menu, total cost around $600. (2pp) When asking the waitstaff for something, it took a long time for them to bring it, and after finishing each dish, it took ages for them to clear the table unless requested. I have dined at many excellent restaurants in Melbourne, such as Attica and Vue de Monde. I had high expectations for Lume, but after visiting, I felt that the higher the expectations, the greater the disappointment.won't visit again.

The atmosphere is not bad. The food is average to me. Only the dish of duck made me impressive. Wine is special on ingredient but taste is ok . All services re good except one Asian waitress is not too patient on us.

I cannot fault Lûmé! The food is wonderful, the drinks matching brilliant and inventive, and the service was spot on! I can't wait to go back! The Saturday lunch service was fairly quiet, but we were well looked after. The set menu was very well priced given the amount of attention given to one of the dishes - Pearl on the Ocean Floor. I loved the red wine paired with the fish dish. Also the cocktail with I think the roast pork. Such imagination!!! Will be making a booking for my birthday!

We dined on a Saturday evening where the only option available was 'The Road' ($170 pp); the complete Lûmé experience of 14-16 courses. Reservations are completed online and pre-paid in full with a 5% gratuity included; the intention of such a system was to minimise no-shows (note: beverages consumed on the night will be in addition to what is paid). The online reservation system only allowed for a maximum party size of 6 while we had 8, which Lûmé kindly accommodated after contacting them via email. We normally dread going anywhere in South Melbourne, Fitzroy or the like, due to the lack of parking but was pleasantly surprised to find Lûmé was located in a quiet street with plenty of one hour parking after 6pm, Mon-Sat, available just outside the restaurant. The restaurant itself can be easily overlooked and is located within a pair of terraces with a simple signage at the door (note: Lûmé is pronounce "loo-may" and not "loom" like I had been calling it for weeks leading up to the dining experience). Upon entering the door, we were greeted, jackets were taken and stored away and we were led to a beautiful undercover courtyard with clear ceiling to let in the natural light. The space was comfortable and brought about a sense of relaxation. Service throughout the night was impeccable; every staff that interacted with our table did so with a smile with a little humour thrown in. While not every dish gave the 'wow' factor in taste and/or presentation, there was no denying that each dish challenged at least one of the five senses (and that is what you pay for at Lûmé). Our favourites were the ones that challenged more than one; eyes that see and expect one thing, the ears that have heard the description of the dish and the tastebuds that do not taste what the eyes and ears expect. Overall I enjoyed the dining experience (tip: don't wear tight clothing, it's quite a large degustation!) and although it's not somewhere I would go frequently given the hefty price, it is somewhere that is worth experiencing the techniques, combination, the cleverness and the innovation of the dishes on offer. Dishes that make up this review (* marks my favourites): Sea corn taco* Oyster and peach vinegar Spring egg* Pearl on the ocean floor* Carrot honey and calamari Abalone simmered with rice and emu ham Potato bread and eel honey Octopuses barbecue Duck smoked over melaleuca then brushed with rose honey* Cauliflower cheese La Sirène Praline and pear caramel Meyer lemon A simple piece of vanilla Follow me on Instagram for more photos: @fo0die

Lume opened last year by Shaun Quade, JP Fietchtner and Sally Humble with an ambition as high as they wanted it to become one of the best restaurants in the world. Fietchtner and Sally have left but Quade with his previous experience at the Royal Mail Hotel, Quay, Biota Dining and Urbane is running the show really well. It's located in a former burlesque lounge. very creative in food and mix match ingredients

Since this is so close to home, I could come here and sit at the bar anytime for small plates on days I want good food, but too lazy to cook. We had heard about this place but didn't plan ahead to make reservations for the tasting the menu. Instead we sat at the bar and had the chef's selection. This was less expensive, but gave us a good review of the menu and the overall atmosphere. There were some hits and misses on the food, but overall very good and I really appreciated their experimentation on food flavors. I always have to give kudos to chefs who try new flavors because that makes them unique from the crowd. Hits for me were the duck liver parfait with chocolate, smoked King George whiting, duck legs with blood plum and orange sauce, and for dessert the sweet corn catalana with popcorn ice cream. The catalana is cream dessert that has been poured into a corn mould. The popcorn ice cream is so creamy but with a light popcorn taste. I don't know how the do it, but they should make more of it. This was exceptional! The misses were fried duck nuggets and the asparagus with coconut. The duck came out dry and hard so maybe they need a different preparation for it. The asparagus was slightly green in flavor and I know some people like that, but that's a negative for me. I still don't know if I like big chunks of coconut in my roasted veges. I have to try that re-invented in other ways. The atmosphere is laid back and we really had a nice time at the bar getting to know the staff and peeking into the open kitchen. There is a also a nice outdoor section. Overall this place is good and I am curious to try more food from the chef so we made a reservation for their tasting menu. I will let you know how that goes...

Impeccable service. Amazing menu. Gorgeous venue and aesthetics. Wish I could afford dining there once a week!

We arrived at 2pm for our degustation lunch, to celebrate our one year anniversary, and we left, maybe 3-4hrs and 15 courses later!.. What an amazing dining experience, super attentive waiting staff, great open kitchen watching the chefs do their thing, whilst enjoying the lovely sun coming through into the dining room, to a great soundtrack (nick cave and the bad seeds) Of course the food menu changes with the seasons etc... there were some great flavour combinations that really worked, with some quite inventive takes on presentation also. The wine selection was out of this world and we had plenty of knowledgable help in deciding what to get. Extra shout out to the desserts! We will be back to try there ala carte menu which we saw looked quite impressive.

Honestly incredible. Really great value and the food is so innovative. The banoffe coffee!! My sister and I were vegetarians but they still catered to us as if we were meat eaters. Bringing us 7 times cooked beetroot and very vego friendly stocks with our soups. Was a great night!!!

Had the full 15 course meal $140 with matching wines $140 well it wasn't really wines it was assortment of drinks. The drinks were fantastic. As for the meal each course looked amazing, I just wished they tasted as good as they looked. Lots of hit and misses. I have read all good things about this place, as for me it wasn't up to it. Lots of dishes I think were inspired by Japanese cooking but they missed their make. Great concept but I will be going somewhere else next time.

Had great expectations for this new restaurant, travelled a long way to be there last night. $140 for 15 courses, 6 of the courses were terrible. Really made me question where the chefs were going with the flavours. Have they tasted the food? Wine matching were a real let down, sake, cider and stout overpowered the food. Real shame!!! Maybe a few more years away from the food being outstanding, the ambience and look of the restaurant on the other hand is first class!

The best place I've eaten at in a while, if ever. Spectacular service and even better food.