Serai

Such an amazing experience! We booked a table for six for dinner and were seated right away. The service was superb from start to finish. Staff were friendly, attentive, and genuinely helpful. The team recommended a few dishes for us to try, and everything they suggested was spot on. They were incredibly accommodating, too. We ordered the following: 1. ‘KINILAW’ Wild Kingfish, Smoked Green Apple, Chicken Chicharron 2. Seared Kangaroo “KILAWIN”, Wood-roast Bone Marrow, Toast - we were surprised how flavourful and nice the taste was! 3. Wood Roasted Pig’s Head “SISIG” Tacos, Egg Butter, Calamansi - a crowd favourite! 4. Gippsland Lamb Ribs, Sticky “ADOBO” Sauce 5. “INASAL” Woodfired Flatbread, Chicken Skin, Annatto, Duck Yolk 6. “SHAWARMA” Claypot Rice, Wagyu Beef, Garlic Yoghurt, Duck Egg - love everything that is happening in this dish! 7. “PRITONG MANOK”, Banana Ketchup 8. ENSALADA PIPINO” Smashed Cucumbers, Watermelon Radish, “Bubuk” For the drinks we ordered the Red Horse (Beer) and Cocktails: Sus Maryo Spritz, Tipaklong, Pakwan Two Three Overall, everything from the food to the service was absolutely amazing. Highly recommend!

5 stars because we want to see Filipino restaurants and Filipino food succeed. There are definitely things that could be improved, but this is definitely a great start. The food is very accessible in terms of flavours, textures, and formats. Hopefully the chef’s next venture will be even bolder. Definitely come with friends so you can try more dishes. The drinks aren’t bad either.

Absolutely loved this modern Filipino dining experience! Every dish was full of flavour and creativity — from the tender grilled squid and melt-in-your-mouth pork to the perfectly caramelised flan that ended the meal on a sweet, silky note. The plating was beautiful, and you can really taste the care in every bite. Cocktails were stunning too — vibrant, balanced, and made the whole dinner feel special. The service was warm and attentive without being intrusive. A perfect spot for sharing plates, conversation, and a little indulgence. Can’t wait to come back and try the rest of the menu!

Never had perfect food until now. Coming from a filipino background the food was astounding as they fused it to a western setting. So much flavour in each bite and thought of carefully. And to top it off the chefs table and the chef jason was just an amazing experience, so engaging and just genuinely nice. Such a great insight into filipino culture for those that have never experienced it.

This place connects with the local ingredients and Filipino culture, I love this creativity in every dish I’ve tried. The staff are so friendly, knowledgeable and helpful, the foods they recommend are always spot on and the quality and flavor is very surprising. Overall I love this restaurant so much! Highly recommended!

Gave Serai a go after hearing Gordon Ramsay called it his favourite spot in Melbourne — had to see what the hype was about. Overall, a solid 4/5 stars from me. Started with the Karekare hashbrowns — crispy, golden, and topped with salted duck egg. Simple but elite. The Sisig tacos (Ramsay’s pick) were packed with flavour and texture, definitely a highlight. The McScallop burger (2 for $24) was like a refined seafood slider — tasty, but not mind-blowing. The crispy chicken skin flatbread delivered exactly as expected: crunchy skin on toasted bread, rich and satisfying. The charred cabbage ($26) was surprisingly good, but hard to justify the price. For mains, we had: Pork Belly ($58) – great balance of flavours, not too sweet Chicken ($58) – cooked perfectly, juicy and tender, but definitely expensive King Whiting ($50) – very strong smoked/gamey flavour, lots of bones; not for everyone Wagyu ($62) – enjoyable but not particularly standout We finished with two claypot rices ($28 each), which worked well to balance out the richness of the mains. Service was great and the food was well-executed overall. The flavours were bold, the plating was clean, and the vibe had a modern Filipino-Australian fusion feel. I’d just come back from Bali (where the fine dining scene is strong), so expectations were high — and Serai held up well. ✅ Worth a visit if you're after something different in Melbourne CBD, just expect to pay a bit for the experience. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This restaurant focuses on local ingredients with a Filipino twist in terms of the cooking. The result is a combination of ingredients that locals are familiar with but new ways of tasting them! We ordered a few things, and we have to say they really know how to cook their proteins. The lamb and the duck were both so wonderfully juicy, and the sauce they served went perfectly with them without overpowering the flavors of the meats. Our favorite thing, though, was probably the prawns - they were just bursting with flavor The claypot rice also great, but could be better if we got some of those cracked/burnt rice. Honestly, the portions are a little small for the price you're paying. The service was really friendly and knowledgeable, but it did take a little longer for the food to come out. Food - 7 Service - 8 Vibe - 8 Price - $$$

We spontaneously dropped in for a few drinks and ended up staying for dinner. We had the most unique and delicious dishes, everything was truly incredible! We were very impressed with the service from Nick and the wine recommendations too. Highly recommend Serai for your next dinner with friend or date night!