Serai

Service, atmosphere, special G&T, Werkstatt Riesling 10/10 Set menu, bathrooms, brown butter ice cream 8/10 Oysters 7/10 The staff here are incredible & the vibes are impeccable! My friend & I had the best time! The set menu has so much food that I thought I would explode

We flew down from Sydney for a weekend of delicious food. We had the Chefs Table and it was an interesting take on Filipino cuisine. The service was casual and friendly. The stand-out dish for me was Selat Lumpia tarts (I still think about them today). The mains portions was so generous we had to get takeaway. All in all a great place to visit when in Melbourne!

Absolutely loved Serai. I hadn’t tried Filipino food before and although this is a modern take, every single dish was delicious. The kangaroo and mcscollops being the highlights! The service was amazing too with the wait staff advising on different dishes that may work together and suggesting cocktails we may like.

You’d first notice that the place is a bit dark but the mood & ambience is great! Excellent customer service, cozy & relaxed vibes. But the main thing here is the food - mostly grilled & cooked over fire! It’s so good! The portions are huge, and though not super authentic Filo, the flavour notes have hints of Filo and they are excellent! It works! I loved everything I ordered - lechon, squid & claypot rice. It’s one of the few places where I continue to eat even when I was full. Moreish food! It’s tucked away in an alley but it’s very busy - you will need to book. Highly recommend!

Nice dining experience, highlights 🌟 include the selat lumpia, claypot rice and the cassava cake. Cocktails also had an interesting twist. If the dishes had more variations in taste, it would be even better. Once you've had a couple of dishes the sweet, sticky flavour gets a bit old (sticky lamb ribs, cabbage tocino, pork belly and salt baked chicken all merge into one...). Would recommend sitting inside as there's more of an ambience.

As a Filipino, I was excited to experience Serai’s take on modern Filipino cuisine. The restaurant’s concept of blending traditional flavors with contemporary techniques is intriguing, but unfortunately, the execution fell short of our expectations. The evening began promisingly with the succulent oysters bathed in warm butter, a classic combination executed to perfection. The Selat lumpia, a creative blend of smoked pineapple, spiced coconut, and caviar, was another highlight, showcasing a harmonious interplay of flavors. However, the subsequent dishes were a mixed bag. The Cabbage ‘tocino’ was a letdown, with the cabbage being very soggy and the dish feeling overpriced for the portion size. The King prawns, though cooked well, were simply presented on a piaya flatbread slathered with bagoong, lacking the complexity promised by the description. The Lechon, a centerpiece dish, was a major disappointment. The pork belly was excessively fatty, making it difficult to enjoy and almost inedible. The banana hot sauce and ‘Tanduay’ rum accents failed to elevate the dish. For $58, we expected a lot better. The Bagoong rice, a staple of Filipino cuisine, was underwhelming. It lacked the distinct bagoong flavor and the egg yolk didn't do anything for the dish. It tasted just like regular fried rice. The service was another area of concern. A significant delay in receiving the menu and inattentive wait staff marred the dining experience. While Serai has the potential to deliver a unique and exciting culinary experience, our visit left us feeling underwhelmed. With several misses in both food and service, it is difficult to justify the high price point.

Delicious menu, generous portion size to share for two. Great cocktail and wine list. Definitely recommend the ordering dishes from the cold and wood fire section. Will definitely come back!

Excited about finally trying a proper Filipino place! We ordered the grilled prawns, kangaroo bone marrow, caviar on toast, pork belly and casava cake. All dishes are amazing and enjoyed the meal. Really nice vibe and place as well. Casava cake was a real surprise and served in a pandan leave so adds a smoky taste - perfect for cold weather!