The Meatball & Wine Bar - Flinders Lane

An absolute gem tucked away in the city — and hands down one of the best pre-theatre spots in Melbourne. Only a 5-minute stroll from Regent and Athenaeum Theatres, it’s intimate, cosy, and has that perfect tucked-in-European-wine-bar energy that makes you want to linger longer (even if you’ve got a show to catch, be careful as it’s so nice you wouldn’t want to leave). The meatballs? Insane. I’m talking life-changing levels of good. Huge selection, from classic beef to spicy pork, chicken, lamb, even fish - and you can mix and match with different sauces and bases. Everything we tried was a winner. Service was warm and genuinely lovely - attentive without being overbearing - and the European wine list? Immaculate. Great by-the-glass options too if you’re just after a quick pre-show sip. Perfect for a date night, catch-up, or a solo glass of red and a meatball moment. Will 100% be back (probably before every show I see from now on).

🍷 Meatball & Wine Bar is the ultimate spot for meatball lovers! @meatballwb 🇮🇹Get your Italian food fix here! 🧆🍝✨ 🌟This hidden gem serves up the best pasta dishes in town! Our order included: 🍄 Beef Brisket Meatballs w/ Creamy Gnochi 🍅 Italian Tomato Tagliatelle w/ Beef Meatballs 🍔 Crispy Pork Belly Sliders 🥕 Roasted Veggies & Goats Cheese 🍨 Sticky Date Pudding 🌟The beef meatballs are melt-in-your-mouth tender and full of flavor! 🧆❤️Don't forget to try their signature sauces - they're a game-changer! 💣 🌟We went all out with the "ALL Chef special dishes" and it did NOT disappoint! Meatball & Wine Bar is perfect for a night out with friends or a romantic evening! 🕯️🍷 Have you visited Meatball & Wine Bar? What's your favorite dish? 👇

Wow. That’s honestly the first word that comes to mind. I’ve been dreaming about those meatballs ever since I visited, and I’m already planning my next trip back. Years ago, I dined at their original location on Swan Street in Richmond and still remember how good it was—but for some reason, it took me way too long to check out the Flinders Lane spot. I’m so glad I finally did. This visit was a spontaneous decision, which made it all the more memorable. We were a group of three and managed to get a table without a booking (lucky!), but I’d definitely recommend reserving ahead. They do take walk-ins, but it was packed, and you might end up outside or sharing a table. Now onto the food—incredible. I asked the waiter for their most popular dish and went with the classic spaghetti and meatballs. No regrets. The meatballs were unbelievably tender, practically melting in my mouth, and the pasta was perfectly coated in sauce—rich, hearty, and comforting. The portion was just right (my plate was spotless in minutes). I also love that you can customise your meatballs—have them with pasta, polenta, or even mash. There’s something for everyone. The interiors deserve a special mention. With exposed brick walls, timber finishes, and low, moody lighting, the space feels intimate and warm—exactly the kind of place you want to escape to during a Melbourne winter. It’s got that perfect mix of rustic charm and urban edge, creating a cosy yet stylish vibe that makes you want to linger over a glass of red. Overall, this place just gets it right. Delicious food, a well-curated wine list, and a vibe that hits the sweet spot between casual and elevated. A must-visit for anyone who loves a classic done right.

We’ve been wanting to visit this place for ages, and it was worth the wait! Even without a booking, the friendly staff accommodated us with a cozy bench table. We ordered the Beef Balls with Italian Sauce over Pasta and the classic Spaghetti Meatballs, and both dishes were fantastic. The meatballs were juicy, flavorful, and perfectly cooked, and the pasta was spot on. Their cocktails were impressive too. An all-around great experience, with excellent food, friendly service, and a warm atmosphere. Highly recommended, and we can’t wait to come back!

An upscale Italian choice for weekday lunches. Got the $30 express lunch with the pork meatballs, tomato sauce and pasta which came with a drink (alcohol/wine is an option). The food was great and the customer service was better. The waiter was friendly and happy to provide suggestions. Expect to spend $30 for a weekday lunch here. No card surcharge. Split bill available.

We stopped by to enjoy a pre theatre feed alongside some nibbles. Service was great, attentive, knowledgeable, and helpful, guiding us on recommendations and sharing options. Beef Carpaccio was the group favourite, flavourful and light. Second would be the creamy mushroom gnocchi, easy to share, moreish and delicious. We had to try their signature meatballs and they didn't disappoint! The let down dishs were the burrata and mac & cheese. Burrata was on a bed of bread crumbs which had an unpleasant overpowering olive oil favour. The mac and cheese had a very strong lemon flavour leaving us a little confused. Overall, the vibes were bustling and the good out weigh the bad. I'd still say it's a nice little spot , just stick to thier classic meatballs and you can't go wrong.

Okay. The spaghetti meatball bolognese is absolutely divine. The best meatball bolognese I’ve ever had. The aracini meatballs as well - so crunch on the outside creamy on the inside. I wish I had more stomach space to eat more!! It was amazing!! Also the interior of this place 👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼 Came here w my partner very romantic vibes Highly recommend and will 100%% come back

🍷 Limencello 🍽️ Burrata Soft Mozzarella Pouch w/ Hazelnut & Pistachio (still thinking about this) 🍽️ Pork Meatballs & Risotto Bianco w/Creamy Mushroom 🍽️ Giant Pork and Veal Meatball w/pan fried gnocchi I’ve walked past this so many times not realising that this was tucked away on Flinders Lane. Good filling feed before the footy. The Burrata was memorable, keen to go back to try it again and maybe some other dishes too.

Wait staff was very attentive, moved us inside from an outdoor table when they noticed the wind pick up. The choices of meatballs made it hard to decide. We got chicken and quinoa - both were good!!! The sauces were also delicious. The only downside is the restroom. Downstairs - out of the way and a little smelly. But there are plenty of public restrooms on the area.

Ah, Meatball. The name alone sets expectations for hearty, unpretentious fare and a warm, generous spirit. Imagine my surprise, then, when I ordered a Coke Zero and was treated to what I can only describe as an avant-garde interpretation of hospitality. Picture this: a third of a can, gingerly decanted into a tall, skinny glass filled with ice, as though it were the house's finest vintage. My first sip was a tantalizing game of "how fast can you drink before it's all melted." But Meatball wasn't done with its performance art. When I requested a refill, I thought, surely this is all part of the experience--like a free-flowing river of cola joy. Alas, when the bill arrived, it turned out I'd been charged for two servings of this micro-pour. Somewhere in the Meatball backroom, an accountant was high-fiving the bartender for this ice-to-syrup ratio profitability hack. Don't get me wrong--the meatballs might be fantastic (wouldn't know; I was too busy budgeting for a third Coke Zero). But Meatball's commitment to elevating soda to artisanal status has left me both parched and oddly impressed. Next time, I'll BYOCZ.

We sat at the bar for lunch and had an amazing experience with Elise leading us in what we should look at on the menu and specials and giving us advice on wine pairings. The food was exceptional! Loved the giant traditional ball over pan fried gnocchi and the truffle chicken meatballs over Napoli sauced perfectly al dente oricchiette. Wow! What amazing flavors. Loved everything about your balls out restaurant!!!

We got the lamb meatballs and my better half got beef, mine was low carb so it was on roasted zucchini. Everything was fantastic, they are open late and I strongly recommend reservations.

Hours of operation are wrong. Minimal effort to ensure customer do not waste time and money on ubers.

Meatballs is a decent choice of restaurants in Melbourne. The food and bar menu is somewhat limited. In what has to be a first, we were informed that the bar only had one shot of Ketel One remaining. Huh? The explanation was that they primarily sold the other two Australian vodkas. Weird. We ordered pork/beef meatballs with red sauce on pasta. Meatballs were good. Pasta kind of clumpy. Mushrooms were good. Staff was nice.

Great balls. No doubt. Not so great customer service. Slow also...case(s) in point: - was not even asked for water or drink order for over 10 minutes while sitting at the bar (we were the only 3 girls at the bar) - were not asked if we wanted our entrees when they were actually ready! Our apps were close to done but until we asked, they didn't tell us our food was ready. The pasta+balls option could have been better with just a little bit more sauce. It was not enough to support 3 big balls sitting on a bed of pasta. Also one of the staff had little idea if what the menu was (maybe he was new...). He didn't know what the house pasta was & he didn't know if it was house made!

Last day in Melbourne, I was wondering around for lunch joint and stumbled upon it. Little did I know, it happened to be next to the sandwich shop I like(Kinetic Cafe). There was a noticeable "Meatball" sign hanging in front. And the venue's name has "meatball"... They must be really proud of their meatball then. So, I ordered. There were 3 big meatball bedded with mash potatoes. They were bit dry for my preference but tasty. Portion was quite satisfying. Waiter was very attentive and my overall experience was pleasant. I'd definitely come back here to try another dish. And preferably at night so that I can try their wine.

A small joint with, well, great balls! The meat ones of course! I had the 'giant' single ball and it was awesome. Great variety of different balls and if you don't like balls; there's always chicken to choose as well! No, if you are a vegetarian, I will kindly recommend to stay out of this one, cause there's really not much options. My friend she doesn't like cream or cheese, and even then she can only have the chicken wings and nothing else, so yeah. The joint it self is a little small, but closey. Not tight. It is very dark so you will never know if the place is dirty or if thigs are under cooked. Lots of rustic feel settings. Lovely joint. Recommend to try!

Interesting name that accurately reflects their menu. Lots of options available. Order the Spaghetti & Meatballs Chicken Meatball Sliders and Herb Bread. The spaghetti & meatballs was delicious the sauce was flavorful, pork meatball were seasoned well and the pasta was cooked perfectly. The sliders were very good. The chicken meatballs were tender and flavorful as well. This is a great place to grab a drink or two and enjoy the food.

Definitely a scene--dark and blasting music inside and out. You order your type of meat, red or green sauce, and a bed for the meatballs. I went with chicken, green pesto sauce, on a bed of polenta--perhaps not what I'd want regularly, but it was unusual and interesting. It was quite good. There was a bit more sauce than i wanted but not everyone might agree. The polenta was creamy and good. The wine selection was weirdly limited, there was no Sauvignon blank, but whatever they have me instead was close. I needed to get in and out quickly, so I told hem and they accommodated, although I think they're pretty quick generally.

Been wanting to try this place for a while but have been turned off by the long lines. Finally decided to try as we were walking past and luck was with us as my friends and I were walked in and were escorted directly to a table for 3. But from there my meatballs started to roll down hill quick fast - We had to wave down a waitress as we were forgotten after we were seated. The toilets were smelly. I ordered the pork meatballs with the pasta of the day...the pasta was served cold My friend ordered the beef meatballs with vegetables...the waitress advised the veggies were beans, the meal arrived with broccoli Ordered the garlic bread and it honestly arrived on our table as a door stop - it was so hard ( beyond crunchy) I am suprised I did not loose the crown on my tooth eating it. The bottle of wine was bloody terrible too they didn't have the Pinot Grigio on the menu and the waitress 'recommended' an alternative, it was very harsh and made us feel unwell! Overall my other friend  had the chicken meatballs with potato mash and they were delicious. Both the pork & beef meatballs were full of flavour (but not so much the rest of the meal).

Excellent delicious food, efficient and friendly staff. We went to try out Chin Chin but the queue was way too long! So we gave this place a go, and I was absolutely satisfied with the change of plan. The food was delicious as well as the service. The spaghetti was great and the walnut spinach salad was even better

The ambiance is hip with dim lighting and a mix of high tables for 4ppl, outdoor seating, window seats and a long bar. As you can guess, all of the dishes are centered around various types of meatballs (beef, chicken, pork and veal, fish and even vegetarian). I had the beef balls with house pasta (pappardelle) and Italian tomato sauce. The meatballs were some of the best I've had. Even some of the most raved meatballs around are still a bit dry in the middle, but these were not. The pappardelle was cooked well, but the serving of tomato sauce was so scarce I wonder if they were running out. There was barely enough to cover half of the dish. We were both stunned when it was placed in front of us. There was also a pool of water at the bottom of both of our dishes. Not sure if the pasta had not been drained enough or they were trying to water down the sauce. It wasn't a deal breaker, but still surprised it left the kitchen like that.

The staff was super-friendly and there are a number of outside tables which are great when the weather is nice. Plus, you have unlimited license to make all the ball jokes you want (that they haven't already made). As a vegetarian, I didn't love the veggie balls - it wasn't so much fake meat as quinoa treated liked a pasta accompaniment. The red sauce and pasta was good, but the combo just didn't work for me. The beef balls were fine, but much better with their house chili sauce. The highlight was the Aperol Spritz, which was made with a popsicle - so refreshing on a hot day!

As a business woman traveling on my own, it's nice to sit at the bar of an obviously popular restaurant and be treated as if I was a long time regular. Meatballs did just that and helped me forget some of the anxiety that comes with being a solo diner whose only entertains reading an ebook while waiting for a warm, delicious meal. The food was absolutely delicious - I highly recommend the beef meatballs with house pasta! The service was impeccable resulting in a truly nice dining experience

Delicious food.... the pasta was so good and the pork meatballs hummm... the place was clean e the people so nicely

You know, I could take the easy route and fill this review with innuendo and double entendre... but let's face it, most of my reviews have that so this one I'm going to write completely straight. Poker faced. This is SERIOUS business folks. (attempts to look serious) Instead, let me say that when I was taken here for lunch recently I was very excited when I sat in front of the menu. I can't wait until they open for dinner so I can graze a little more and try some of their wines which you can get by the glass, 250ml and 500ml. Genius. There's five types of balls to try - pork, beef, chicken, fish and veggie. Yup, vegetarian meatballs. Vegeballs? Fauxballs? I tried the pork and beef and was surprised that they managed to get so much flavour in there without a whole lot of fat. This is premium meat, no gristly "weird" stuff put in there to fill out the mince, and it turns out that they're baked rather than fried. Choose the tomato sauce and get them served with the "market greens" (I had broccoli) and hey presto that's a pretty healthy, high-protein lunch right there. Of course, get me on one of my less virtuous days and I'll be getting the creamy sauce and the soft polenta because I'm pretty sure that they'll nail that too. And let's not forget the cheese. Oozingly soft mozzarella that tastes like the fields in spring and smoked mozzarella that is worth "accidentally" stabbing your dining companions for so you can have the last piece. You definitely need to have that to start. I'll be back. Soon.

While it's long since been a favourite for dinner, we popped in recently to suss out the new breakfast menu for the Finders Lane location. You can call in your order and pick it up on the way to work if your a local as well. The breakfast menu is a bit non traditional as it offers toasties (even bolognase ones) for breakfast but you'll also find some 'closer to traditional' dishes with a bit of a spin. Not a bad place for a meeting in the city as well if you want to do a quick and easy coffee and bite to eat, seems popular with the corporate crowd during the morning hours.

OK I don't usually do this, but I'm literally writing this review, at the Meatball and Wine, halfway through the meal. Recommended by fellow Yelper in town at the Elite Event not 2 days ago, I was looking forward to coming here already. Arrived early and solo, I was comfortably sitting in front of the bar and greeted by the bartender. He's nice enough to offer help, just to make sure I know how to order, but I had already made up my mind. I went with a beef meatball + white sauce + house pasta combo. I also double checked with the staff to make sure the portion is large enough for a skinny Asian. Ordered a glass of pinot grigio, so that it fits the name meatball and wine. And then, food was served in front of me and after the first bite, my face must have looked so amazed. The bartender asked how was it, and I said I'd never had any meatball taste that good before, and I actually meant it. Particularly because I never liked the usual beef meatball with tomato sauce combo, so the option of having white creamy sauce instead was just gold. The housemade pasta was really good too, and I felt very welcomed even though I was dining alone. Seats are filling up pretty quickly as we speak (actually now it's full just before I hit the submit button), so be early or make sure you got a reservation.

First thing's first: I don't like meatballs. However, my friends were going and insisted it was good so I said: "Why not? How bad can it be?" Oh boy how I was wrong. The place was aesthetically beautiful and the service was phenomenal. Our waitress was very knowledgable about the menu and tended to all of our needs. So I applaud her. The place was pricy. I had a really difficult time deciding what I wanted. In the end I shared with a friend and we got the chicken meatballs with white sauce and pasta. Pasta serving could've been bigger and more flavorful. The only way I could afford this place was to share. The next morning I woke up feeling ill, and a few hours later I got the stomach flu. Fever, diarrhea, the whole shabang. There's no proof that it was this place that caused it, but it was the last thing I ate. So I would just caution you.

I expected to eat here for dinner, but fate took a turn of events and my partner and I came here for breakfast instead. What do you know, they were open. I am not a brekkie person, but since my partner was hungry I decided to have something. I order eggs on toast with an additional side of meatballs, cuz that is what they are known for. The eggs were scrambled and fluffy. I did find the meatballs to be a bit on the dry side. The taste was ok though. The coffee was good and our service great. But the meatball..I guess I should have waited till the dinner menu. Maybe it would have been better.

My boyfriend almost imploded with excitement when we stumbled across this place on a recent holiday in Melbourne. A restaurant specializing in varieties of his all time favourite dish - could it be true?! The waitress was a great help, and made us order the chicken meatballs with the salsa verde on smashed potato which was easily the highlight of the meal, and I would have never ordered it without her guidance. Oh and we started with a charcuterie plate which was perfection too. In keeping with their brand of awesome-meets classic-meets New York cool, they create a variety of ice-cream sandwiches on the dessert menu. We didn't get one, but I spent the rest of the day regretting it.

Absolutely amaze-BALLS! The plan tonight was to check out Cumulus INC, coming from Sydney with limited time I had already bookmarked all my meals but it was Friday night and there was an hour wait, which led to a stroll where I discovered this gem. There was 1 table for 2, as if it had my name scrawled into it's wooden top I decided to put my plans aside and experience what all the other sassy & cool Melbournians were feasting on... What a perfect surprise! We ordered the 2 specials; Mini Meatballs in chilli infused tomato sauce with Basil & the Beef Sliders with Zucchini Pickles & BBQ onion chutney & added abit of green with the Fennel & Orange with Candied Walnuts. So simple, wholesome and tastebud friendly! The menu is a step by step how to order, basically you choose from the sort've meatballs you want - beef, pork, chicken, fish, vegan. Then you tell them what staple you fancy - polenta, mash, smashed peas, pasta. And then what sauce you want it Ll drenched in - tomato red sauce, verde pesto or some white sauce I didn't pay any attention to. Love that you can have it your way... Make your own meal, love the freedom it provides!

We shared the beef balls, mashed potatoes and mushroom sauce. Really good food and even though the place was packed, you could have a decent conversation.

Very tasty meatballs though i think you have to go polenta not pasta to really enjoy them to the max.

Ooo, don't mean to be a downer, but I thought this place was a bit overrated. Nice location, funky space but $18 for three small meatballs and a few veggies wasn't really what I was expecting. When you think meatballs and wine, you think lovely Italian fare with big meatballs and flowing wine. A carafe of 500 mls of red wine was $34 (that's not even a bottle's worth). A small dish of "balls and all" includes 3 meatballs, 2 or 3 spears of asparagus cut up and a finger size piece of bread was $18. I ordered the vegetarian meatballs and market special veggies which was asparagus with pesto salsa verde sauce. It was tasty and not too pesto-y. The waitress was overly friendly and a bit fake. She really pushed for us to get entrés and dessert but we didn't want macaroons and ice cream for the high prices when we could go to ganache right around the corner with more options. They don't take reservations unless you have a group of 7, we had 6 so we booked for 7 and we were told that if a 7th doesn't show up, we'd be charged $10. This didn't actually show up on the bill, but apparently our girlfriend put her credit card down at the time of booking. Tad bit up themselves I think. It was good to go, but there are too many other places in Melbourne that we'd go back to before this (The Moat is a new fave of our group, we all agreed we'd go back there again over Meatballs).

The Meatball and Wine Bar do great meat balls there is no secret about that. But they now do breakfast. I was slightly skeptical when I first heard about it, but gave it a go. Following their meatball offering, you can choose from a range of egg balls (scrambled eggs slow cooked and formed into balls) sauces and accompaniments. They also do baked eggs with meatballs, sliders, corn fritters, and other non ball related breakfasts. I tried the creamy egg balls topped with pesto sauce and a side of avocado. It was delicious. The eggs were nicely cooked, not dry at all and the pesto packed some flavour and served with nice bread on the side. To top it off, the coffee was in fine form. I will be back. Probably for ball and non ball related eating.

Simple food done well. Went for lunch as was happy that we missed the rush as have had to wait for a table in the past. We were seated at a communal table with view of the kitchen and real like the decor. We went with the balls but was tempted by their Game of Thrones pork ball special. Meatballs is on the expensive side (which sometimes makes me question going) but their food is VERY tasty and their are lots of other menu options and they cater for vegetarians. Service was good and very attentive at the beginning, sadly have only given 4 stars as we had to wait to get out bill and couldn't get the wait staff's attention as they were chatting amongst themselves.

Ordered beef sliders and chicken meatballs in pesto salsa verde sauce which came with peas, amazing! Had the Aperol spritz which was good. For dessert we had Ferrero Rocher ice cream between ginger and pistachio biscuits! AMazing and well worth a visit! Waiter was very friendly.

I was quite impressed by The Meatball and Wine bar. The portions where large, the flavours where delicious and they make out the menu to be easy but having to make your own mind of combining ingredients is tricky for some haha It's actually quite straight forward. You get to pick a protein such as chicken, lamb or beef meatballs all of which are amazing and sit it on a carb of your choosing. They offer a creamy polenta, mash or a variety of pastas. I opted for the classic spaghetti meatballs seeing as I hadn't had one ever and it was everything I expected. Make sure you to check out their specials, a friend ordered it and it was delightful!

This please is cool. Meatballs and Wine. that it.. thats the menu. Pick your meatball (veggie too) .. what you want it to sit on .. noodles, veg, etc and what you want to pour over it. add some wine and you have a easy delicious meal OH and some great deserts.. also pairing nicely with wine

I have come back to Meatballs every single time I have been to Melbourne for the past 5 Years- which is about twice a year! Friendly staff and although there always tends to be a line to get in I see this as a good sign- lots of people love it! There's something for everyone as well, I would recommend the 'veggie balls' on mashed potato, they're super delicious. Be prepared to wait if you're going for dinner! Usually about half an hour or so on weekends. Some weeknights I've been lucky to get in straight away!

Super good food. I tried The Meatball when staying at the Hyatt around the corner. My boyfriend had been here before, and was excited to bring me along for the food. I went pretty standard, with the beef balls, red sauce, and potato smash. Really enjoyed the meal, the wine, and the music/vibe. Would recommend, and would return!

Gorgeous generous sized meatballs! Simple yet satisfying. You pick the meat you want your meatballs made of.. then the sauce tomato or green (I think this is pesto) then what you want them with.. pasta or potato or polenta! So easy and soo sooo tasty! Even though you get three meat balls on your plate they are more than enough! I had the beef with tomato sauce and potato and it was moorish! Definitely will be coming back.

Was in Melbourne for the evening (visiting from the States) and saw a good review of the place and decided to give it a go. Cozy atmosphere and the food was amaze "balls". My wife (who doesn't typically like meatballs) loved her chicken meatballs and I devoured my spaghetti and meatballs dish. Great meal - highly recommend!

This place is (excuse my French) EFFING DELICIOUS. We got the beef balls with red sauce on pasta and the chicken balls with white sauce on pasta. Amazing. So yum. The pasta was perfect. The balls were moist. It was delicious.

Flinders Lane is fast turning into a go-street for good food and wine in the CBD. The Meatball & Wine Bar deserves its' spot on this lane, even if it's a little more casual and nostalgic than some of the other options. 1. Choose a ball (oh the jokes that can be made...) - pork, beef, chicken, fish, or veg. 2. Now it's time for the sauce - red (Italian tomato), white (creamy) or green (pesto salsa verde). 3. Something for the balls to sit upon? Again, oh the jokes... Italian beans, mashed potato, homemade pasta, polenta or a veggie special fresh from the market. 1+2+3 = $18 The most difficult part will probably be trying to finalise your combination. Then you have charcuterie boards to choose from, a wine list that tempts you and of course, the whoopie mac dessert of ice-cream smooshed in between a giant macaron! Everything I've tried has been delicious but just remember all these extras will push that price up further. The Meatball & Wine Bar now only offer group bookings so I suggest you pop in early, put your name on the wait list and head to the nearest cocktail lounge as you wait for a text when your table is ready. I personally recommend waiting with a drink at Misty or Eau De Vie. Just remember that you will definitely want to order a bottle of wine at Meatball & Wine Bar too, so it may just turn into quite the boozy night. It's loud and can be a little frantic with packed tables but it creates a certain kind of atmosphere and buzz. I've also visited the New York version and I'm happy to report this Melbourne gem lives up to the hype here!

Great service and food, though very dark. We had a good pre-performance snack here when meeting with friends, highly recommended for this purpose - no wait to get in, just straight in and eat/drink. Waitresses were very well versed in the menu, both food and drink and we had a great experience. Had a plate of mini meatballs which came with three sauces which I highly recommend - I was surprised at how well they did the meatballs (despite the name), they were tasty rather than bland and didn't rely on the sauce. We also had the charcuterie board - exquisite.

Flinders lane Melbourne has become a hub of great restaurants and restaurants believing their great. Gone are the days of the laneway full of bars and clubs that opened till the wee hours with the youth dancing on the bar tops, and drinking flaming drinks till they either pass out or thrown out. Ahh the memories. Meatball and wine are one of many who helped reshape the lane into what it is today. A simple concept of good old fashion meatballs and a decent wine list. It was a Thursday night and we decided that we needed a fix of meatballs and being just around the corner we headed into Meatball and Wine CBD. As I said before this is a simple concept but done so incredibly well, from the interior of timber floors and exposed brink walls to the well trained staff on the floor and in the kitchen. We ordered our starters which was the whole chilli salami with warm bread. The waiter delivered our sausage on a wooden board and a sharp knife for slicing. I love a good sausage and this one didn't disappoint. Full of flavour and just the right amount of chilli. The only negative is there wasn't enough bread to go with the amount of meat. We then ordered our mains, which of course was meatballs. Here you can mix and match your balls with your sauce and it's bed. BUT you cannot mix a selection of balls it has to be the same three. Not sure why restaurants still refuse to be flexible but I'll leave that for another time. So we ordered the beef meatballs with a white creamy sauce with creamy polenta and pork with fennel sage and orange with a Italian tomato sauce serve on a bed of smashed potato. The beef meatballs: juicy and seasoned well, whilst the balls themselves lacked a little flavour, when combined with the white creamy sauce and polenta they truly shinned. The creamy polenta was to die for, and it was what it said it would be CREAMY, silky creamy, not a lump or grain in sight. The Pork meatballs: Wow, where the beef lacked in flavour, the pork certainly made up for. The combination of the fennel sage and orange really synergised well. The let down here was the smashed potato. It just lacked seasoning. The Italian tomato sauce was another winner. Full of flavour and really went well with the pork meatballs. Meatball and wine you have proven that simple doesn't have to be boring, and a humble meatball can be such a success.

we're from nyc where the bar is high for italian food. we've also traveled to italy. started with the delicious, generous serving of buratta, I had the spaghetti and meatballs, flavorless sauce served on slightly overcooked spaghetti, meatballs, which I guess they're staking their reputation on, were just bad. After I ate a couple bites of spaghetti, I noticed the bottom of the plate was full of greasy water. My suppositions is that the pasta wasn't properly drained and the fat from the meatballs saturated the water. Disgusting! The dish was served with garlic bread, which was made with far too much olive oil. If you'd like to eat here, my suggestion is to order wine/beer and food that's kept far away from the kitchen, like barrata and salami.

I wanted to check this place out for dinner but unfortunately we didn't have time. We did however do breakfast here. I ordered the free range eggs with quinoa toast and smoked salmon. Very good. My partner ordered the same but with a breakfast ball instead of salmon. It's one of their meatballs, which I'm guessing is famous. Not bad. I would have loved to check this place out at night. It probably gets packed.

They have really great Spaghetti and Meatballs. Very nice and helpful staff at a fair price.. I'm going back for more tonight.

The trend in Melbourne to not take bookings and have communal tables is annoying. This place made it EVEN worse - they lost our number when we put ourselves on the waiting list. The food? It's fine. It's expensive. The service? It's fine. The whole place? It's fine.

Didn't really know what to expect when dining here. We came with family, including our 86 year old grandmother. I love the concept of the menu, quite easy to choose and the night we dined we had a ver special on the special board! Chicken meatballs with truffle oil and polenta! Amazing. Rich but amazing. Such a great choice of wines to chose from too. Only part I didn't really like was that it was very dimly lit and the music was a tad too loud. I am a fan, finally!

The worse food ever! Ordered the fish meatballs which looked like sludge on a plate and tasted off! The waited gladly changed my meal for the chicken balls which were equally as revolting! Very disappointed as this place used to be amazing... on a positive note, the waiter was accommodating and polite.

Balls, balls and more balls! I love me some balls, in and around my mouth, dripping with sauce, especially when they big and juicy and served on a plate. But let me start from the beggining to how I got me a handful of these mouth watering balls.... My cousin and I were initially trying to get to Hardware Societe but we noticed that they were going to close soon. I had never been to the Meatball and Wine Bar before, but I was running out of ideas, it was recommended by a friend, and close to Flinders Street Station. When we arrived, there was a bit of a wait, but it wasn't long before we nestled into our chairs and against the wall. The restaurant has got the ambience and music down pat so perfectly. After drooling over the delicious menu options, we settled on a meat and cheese board as our entree, with a summer bellini each, the pork and fennel meatballs with pesto sauce and summer vegetables, and the citrus fennel salad. In hindsight, we ordered A LOT. The meat and cheese board was divine with two types of meat (large rounds of salami and prosciutto), pickled cucumber, two types of cheese and some bread. There is some chili oil on the table which I would strongly recommend using on the bread. They sell them as well, which I now regret not purchasing. The main attraction were the meatballs. The pork fennel meatballs were absolutely delicious! The brocolli was quite fresh. The citrus fennel salad was a lovely accompaniment to the heaviness of the meatballs. I'd definitely come back again to try the rest of the menu!

These are hands-down the best balls you'll ever have. Meatballs, that is, because I'm not going to make judgements on the personal life choices of anyone reading this. My all-time favourite combination here is is the Angus beef meatballs on tomato sauce over a bed of soft mash. The spuds are cooked to perfection, the balls are extremely filling and good quality, and the sauce is just the right blend of liquidy goodness and flavour. Large portions, good, dimly lit atmosphere and friendly staff make this a great place to go with your friends for a classy but not pretentious dinner.

Had my heart set on going to Chin Chin tonight, but I'm glad there was a two and a half hour wait!! WHO KNEW THERE WAS SO MUCH TO LOVE ABOUT MEATBALLS!! When we arrived we were told there would be a 45 minute wait, but then the host offered us a high table against the wall, which for two people was actually perfect. It made talking easy and private and but gave us a good view of the whole place still. I enjoyed Pork meatballs with tomato on smashed potato. Classic, but the fennel and orange in the meatball made these OUTSTANDING! Not that I've had a lot of meatball experience but these were so delish I would have been happy with them and them alone. It all went down great with a glass of red recommended by the lovely waitress. Even though it was packed the service was fast and friendly! I can't wait to come back and try more balls!