Navi

Visited in Nov 2025 A visit to Navi had long been in my cards and I finally was able to get a reservation during my recent trip to MEL. Given Navi’s popularity, I went in with high expectations and I must say that the restaurant lives up to it. The menu is a tasting menu comprising 13-14 courses (including the amuse bouche and petit fours). The amuse bouche courses were fantastic, which resulted in a great start to the dining experience. After the starter courses, the main menu started with a chawanmushi which was brilliant. Every course leading up to the main course was quite unique in its preparation and flavor profile. The main course of “3 types of duck” was absolutely delightful and my personal favourite course. The meal ended with a couple of dessert courses and petit fours which we also loved to bits. Service is top notch. The restaurant staff are very kind, polite and jovial. They explained each course in detail and engaged in conversations in case we had any questions. The restaurant was also able to cater to a specific allergy I had. The only thing I would say which can improve the overall experience is if the restaurant was in a bigger space. The tables are very close to each other, and hence the noise level is in the higher side, and the privacy of any conservation can be compromised. All in all, this is a brilliant fine dining establishment and I would 100% recommend a visit for those living in or visiting Melbourne.

Navi has been on our list, and we finally did it! We celebrated our anniversary on Saturday night. From the outside, you’d have no idea of the beauty inside — gorgeous, intimate ambience with the perfect lighting and noise level. Every dish was different and a delight — beautifully crafted and full of variety of flavours. Just when we thought we’d picked a favourite, another dish topped it. The standouts for me were the black garlic and salmon roe macaron (wow!) and the elements of cornfed duck — cooked to perfection and simply delicious. Oh and the venison too👌 Atmosphere and food aren’t complete without great service, and we can’t fault Navi on that. The staff were well-presented, pleasant, and knowledgeable. What stood out was the team approach: we were served by 5-6 people, including chefs — something quite unique compared to other places. It made the experience special and showed the consistency in their service. Thank you, team Navi, for making our first visit to celebrate our anniversary memorable. We will definitely return!

Excellent. I really enjoyed my experience here, the food was fantastic with some stand out dishes. The service was really good too, not excessive but the right amount of proactive attentiveness. The atmosphere is awesome, the place is spacious and you can see the kitchen from all around. Food highlights have to be the cod with the caviar, the duck sampler and the steamed egg. The flavours and textures... Not worth trying to describe it would just treat yourself and experience them first hand. I also have to say, THE BREAD. Oh my days, the bread is unreal with that butter, multiple plates consumed between the group. We did the non-alcoholic wine pairing and truthfully, whilst interesting, this was not my cup of tea (bad pun intended). We also celebrated a birthday and were pleasantly surprised with a customised dish presented by the kitchen. Navi was an amazing experience, we intend to return at some point, particularly if they change the menu. I will eagerly await finding out what the menu looks like next!

We’ve been lucky enough to dine at Navi twice now, and both experiences have been exceptional. The level of care and thought in every detail—from the beautifully balanced dishes to the intimate, welcoming atmosphere—makes it feel like a truly memorable dining experience rather than just another night out. On our most recent visit, they surprised us with a handwritten birthday card at the table, which was such a thoughtful touch and made the evening feel even more personal. The service is attentive without being intrusive, and the little moments—like being served fresh herbal teas to end the meal—really elevate the whole experience. It’s those gestures that show how much heart goes into what they do at Navi. Every dish is crafted with creativity and precision, and you can taste the seasonality and care in each bite. Navi isn’t just a restaurant; it feels like a celebration of food, people, and place. Highly recommend for anyone wanting a dining experience that feels intimate, considered, and genuinely special

The hidden gem. If I could give more stars I would! We went for lunch to celebrate our 3 yrs anniversary and couldn't be happier with our choice. From the attentive service to the incredibly delicious food. The atmosphere is cosey, intimate and romantic. Highly recommend 👌 Thank you for the lovely surprise note from the whole team and tea bag. It was a nice gift little 🎁 We will definitely be back.

I was genuinely impressed by the interior—it’s much more elegant than you’d expect from the outside! 😻 The staff were lovely and showed real passion when introducing each dish, which made the service feel warm and welcoming 👍 This restaurant came highly recommended by my friend, who spoke very highly of their experience at Navi 🤩 I was honestly excited to try it! But I wonder if the disappointment I felt was because the current menu might be different from what they had 🤔 For a $190 set menu (+$110 wine pairing), my expectations were high, and sadly, the food didn’t quite live up to them 🧐 While everything was beautifully plated—tiny, cute, and creative—nothing truly wowed me or felt memorable at this price point 🥺 The overall experience was nice, and I appreciated the effort in presentation and service, but for the cost, I hoped for more in terms of flavour and surprise 🥳 A pleasant evening, but not quite worth the splurge for me 🥲

We had lunch at Navi and it was a very pleasant experience. Everything was cooked to perfection and we could feel some different textures, aromas and flavours that we have not experienced in other fine dining venues in Melbourne. Chef Julian Hills runs the restaurant and he was at lunch service running everything with delicacy. We paired our menu with the alcoholic and with the nonalcoholic drinks and it is a must, you would have a better experience tasting food with these pairing drinks. I would like to highlight that we were celebrating our anniversary and they include a customised dessert and signed card by all the staff. Very sweet from all of you, it made our day. Thank you, Tatiana

Extremely pleasant experience at Navi. Hats off to the team - service was top. Food was good - enjoyed almost all the dishes. The duck, the chicken cutlet, the pallet cleanser and the ice cream were 10/10 dishes. Helpful if there was a written menu to properly understand the dishes.

Navi. A degustation celebration. Highly recommend. Each mouthful was flavorsome and delightful. The Black garlic salmon roe macaroon was so good I wanted to take a dozen home to share, but no take away options. Then tiny smoked eel, native thyme between 2 super thin apple slices was a subtle and supurb flavor and texture experience. The white asparagus with lions mane, nasturtiums with tiny tea cured egg yolk when enjoyed in small morsels gave you a full taste and flavor sensation both subtle and full bodied and totally enhanced by the egg yolk. The Murray cod on muscles, green strawberries and olive oil was totally delicious and light and moist. The Bellarine lamb on chargrilled lettuce, saltbush and anchovies was just another highlight in an excellent meal. It was the best lamb dish I have experienced. Perfectly cooked, totally moist and every mouthful better than the last. Cherries and flowers with sorbet to cleans the pallet. Small but very satisfying. Buckwheat koji loquat and Anzac caramel was a smear with an ice cream texture. Not too much in flavor and a delightful finishing dish ! And there were petit fours - chocolate with miso caramel and a wonderful mandarin pate fruits like a miniature Turkish delight which I totally forgot to photograph but it did look as good as it tasted. This was just the Saturday afternoon graze. Navi does an extended lunch menu and further extended dinner menu. They also have paired alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks. I was fortunate to sit at the bar and watch it all being put together. The chefs were wonderful and fully enjoyed every morsel of the food and atmosphere.