The Moat

The food was excellent, and the atmosphere was elegant and pleasant. However, I couldn’t help but feel slightly rushed as our stay progressed. Staff promptly cleared our glasses as soon as they were empty, and while we were still engaged in conversation and had not yet finished eating, a server approached and asked if they could take the plate. I found this a bit intrusive and disappointing, which unfortunately affected the overall experience. While the restaurant offers a refined setting and high-quality cuisine, the service lacked the level of courtesy one would expect from such an establishment. What started as an enjoyable visit ended on a rather disappointing note.

Moat is a BEAUTIFUL place, tucked away just across from QV. Absolutely loved the burrata and olives we had there! The vibe is amazing and the food matches the ambience. 10/10 would recommend!

The. Vibes. Are. Immaculate. A cosy atmosphere compliments the details of the dining area: gingham-clad tables intimately spread across the space whilst being softly illuminated by candlelight. This is the type of restaurant that you wish your partner or situationship would take you to. We started with focaccia and cocktails, carefully delivered by the wonderful Annie. Make sure that you order the specials, as the handmade pasta is a compliment to the chef and their kitchen. The attention to detail from the kitchen and waitstaff speaks volumes to the quality of the dining experience. They ensure to keep your glass full, and you will keep your plate empty.

I have been here a few times now and every single time without fail the food has been amazing. The atmosphere is so lovely and cosy and the staff incredibly friendly. I went for dinner again tonight, for the first time in a while, and I had an exceptional experience. The food was once again delicious (the Basque cheesecake in particular was outstanding) and the service was spectacular. We had the friendliest and most attentive waitress I have ever dealt with, she was absolutely amazing. Thank you for a wonderful evening!

We had dinner here before going to a musical, and I have to say, it started the night off on a high. The waiter we had was very friendly and helpful. Recommending some beautiful dishes and wine. We ordered the Burrata with olive xo & focaccia to start and for our mains, Ravioli of mushroom and Ricotta, and the Tagliatelle Con calamari e gamberi. Absolutely beautiful food. Hats off to the chef.

Had such a great experience at the Moat! A very intimate and cozy atmosphere. Servers did a top notch job in making sure we were well taken care of. Burrata was quite salty and ocean trout was quite simple. The lemon pasta special and mushroom ravioli are must haves! However overall nailed the pasta and dessert. Will be back soon. 😊

We had dinner Saturday night celebrating my sister's birthday during our family weekend trip to Melbourne. The service was exceptional and the food was amazing! Make sure you save room for dessert! Thank you to all the staff for your attention to detail, friendly chats and accommodating approach to our requests. It was a joy to dine here! You are fantastic!! We'll be back!

I still love gnocchi night…but happen to try dessert last time!! A year later and still consistently good, with a great selection of wines. The staff are very friendly and professional.

The food was amazing as was both the service and the ambiance. Highly recommended if you are at the State Library Victoria.

3.7 A cold Monday night in Melbourne but it was lovely and warm inside The Moat. The decor was warm and inviting too. It's predominantly a sharing menu here. We had the beef ribs then roast chat potatoes with rosemary and aioli. Then we had a serve of chicken and feta meatballs served on a crunchy coleslaw. All dishes were tasty and exactly as described on the menu. Nice wine list too. I had a Chain of Ponds rose which went down well. While the restaurant wasn't well patronized on a Monday night, the staff remained impressively upbeat. Our server was both pleasant and stylish. This is a lovely warm space for a meal before or after seeing a movie as we did at Melbourne Central. It's a nice restaurant.

Moat at The Wheeler Centre is a new restaurant and bar which is part of the State Library complex. The entrance is found on the south side of the State Library building on Lt Lonsdale Street. The welcoming green astroturf gives a great garden feel and the food is also lovely. We had the veal carpaccio and quinoa salad both of which were excellent. Also its a great place to have drinks with friends on hot summer days and nights.

Little piece of heaven, underground. This basement restaurant is very homey feeling. Located under the Wheeler Building, it has bookcases filled with beautiful books, funky lantern type lighting and gold leaves painted on the walls. The 4 of us ordered the warm olives to start, Canadian scallops, asparagus, meatballs and one of the salads and were completely satisfied with all of them. The asparagus and meatball dishes had warm bread on the side and the salad was served in a large, shallow bowl and had quinoa, rocket, mint and other bits in it that was very fresh tasting. The scallops were wrapped in prosciutto and were delicious. The vino was flowing, the atmosphere was good and I had the Bali to Bangkok martini that was so delicious, I'm going to go back one day after work just for that! It's vodka, kaffir lime and chilli. It had a kaffir lime leaf in it and shavings of red chillis. Superb! Will be going back when it's a bit nicer to sit in the patio area outside.

Perfect little slice of Melbourne, with mulled wine for a child winter's night and a really nice Calmer Sutra wet chai... Tasty :) Food was also excellent - vegan vegetable Thai curry in my case - and the staff were also lovely. I did accidentally stuff up giving them a tip though - paying with card I thought I needed to tap first then give tip... Then realised too late it was the other way around! I'll make up for it next time... Because I'll definitely be back!

Just discovered the moat, conveniently located halfway between a friend's workplace and mine. The place itself is pretty neat, it's just a pity that the outside area is also the smoking area... I had the baguette with beetrot, roasted pupkin and feta, and it was quite good and filling. My friend had the veggy penang curry and really liked it too. We'll be back to try out more things :)

Great for Friday night drinks and also cold winter day lunches. Mostly the staff a lovely although one of the waitresses can have a special attitude! Love the mulled wine served in a beautiful tea cup and the espresso martini is done well. The snack plates are excellent - good value and tasty. We normally get the potato skins and they're fab!

The Moat is a great example of one of Melbourne's little hidden gems. Literally hidden below the beautiful National Library that looms above, The Moat is the perfect place to slip into to escape the hustle and bustle of the city above. The service and food is consistently good with choice of small, medium or large plates depending on your appetite and size of the dining party. Meals range across a variety of flavours with features of curries, asian dishes and southern/Mexican flavours. Personally I can recommend the Beef and eggplant ragout and the Confit Maryland Duck. On my most recent visit they had a function booked later in the evening which we were warned of upon entry. We were able to order quickly and received our meals in good time. We were out before the function started yet at no time did we feel pressured or rushed by the staff.

The first thing I notice is the space, and how welcoming it is. Warm and inviting, yet subdued, it provides comfort of privacy, yet one also feels at ease in the intimate surroundings. Interior design is well executed- warm. Far too often we see ultra modern, bleached, sanitised, and clinical spaces, with too much polished concrete and drab and dull fittings with white everything. Hospital like spaces that are stripped back to an inch of their life ain't good. Not the case here. No such prevalent use of reductionist dull. It seems like a calm yet efficient environment, it's welcoming, and I can only imagine what its like at full tilt. The menu is streamlined and of excellence. To label it as "simple" or "basic", would do injustice to the food. That being said, I got lost in sea of temptation- menu wise. There is also great offerings on the drinks side. The bar is well selected, sticking to strongly established favourites. The menu is a decent offering all round; the hardest thing is deciding on what to eat. One is spoilt for indulgent food choice. Consistent quality, with a lot of options on offer means something for everyone. In short there are many different occasions or visits one could come here for and they'll all be well served. It's a great place to do anything for any kind of meeting.

The Moat's food is very tasty, as is their wine list. This review relates only to coffee and service - both of which are sadly of inconsistent quality. It is a cosy spot to hole up in on a winter's evening, but I'd advise lowering your service expectations and not ordering a coffee. I did have a lovely fresh peppermint tea though, so can recommend that instead!

I like the Moat because it rhymes with goat!!! All right, I just said that to be silly! In all seriousness though I really really liked this place. I went there the other day for a meeting with someone and I found the atmosphere really friendly and really cozy. It is downstairs in a basement type room and reminds me of the sort of restaurant/pub/beerhall type place you go for a goulasch and dumplings in the former Czechoslovakia or Hungary! I have no idea if they have goulasch, but if they did then Id give the place 6 stars out of 5!!! I arrived early and took a seat and waited for my colleague and read a book - during this time the staff put no pressure on me to order anything or anything like that - they knew of was waiting for someone and just left me alone - it was a nice touch. When I did have a hot chocolate it was absolutely delicious - adding some more points to my opinion of the place! The interior is also rather classy and is extremely comfortable! All in all a very nice place and somewhere I certainly want to go back to!

I came here the other night with a friend before we headed out somewhere else. The decor of the place was really cool and fitting for it's location (the Wheeler Centre and State Library). We got the cheese board, and it was excellent quality, quantity and variety. The bread was still warm too!

Went here with friends and had a nice evening. Loved the decor - very warm and inviting. Staff was friendly. Food was good (especially a fan of the warm roasted beetroot salad). The "Moondarra Wagyu bresaola, goat cheese custard, beetroot cured watermelon and olive dust" was unique in name, but not as exciting in practice. The Sicilian eggplant stew was also good, but only came with two (2) slices of baguette.... And when we asked for a third slice (since the menu was 'to share' and we were three people), we ended up getting charged an extra dollar for it.... A bit disappointed by this. Might go back, but more for the decor and feeling of the place than anything else.

Finicky food presented with care; unpretentious, inviting atmosphere; warm and friendly service. My gripes: really noisy later in the night, and I specifically asked for a perfect Manhattan with a twist and it was missing the bourbon cherry. My date's beer was served in a beaker, though, and my drink came with a darling little paper perched on the rim, made from a page ripped out a book of plays. Kind of adorbs. We both ordered the lamb shank, which was presented in the form of a pressed brick of braised lamb. I was expecting the actual bone, so it put me off until I actually took a bite. I've had better; I've had much worse. Bottom line here is presentation and small details, though sans bourbon cherries.

Finally got to have a meal here. I had the Sicilian eggplant stew for lunch which was very tasty. The great thing was that there are many gluten free menu options including bread on request. Pity they don't put it on the menu. I do enjoy the space a great deal. Will look forward to exploring the menu further.

I had wanted to come to Moat for a long time, and didn't know what to expect. Thinking it was a cafe an noting more, when I overheard colleagues talking about boozy lunches there, I figured the place must have something going for it beyond coffee and muffins. Oh how much more there is :) It was Tuesday after work for a quick drink with an out of town friend, and the venue was a hit. Great location, nice fit out and feel to it, decent service and an interesting menu. We sat outside and it was windy, which was less than ideal as it felt a bit wind tunnel-ish, even in the sunken 'patio' area. I can recommend the roast potatoes, which are amazing, even though we got served fine sugar instead of salt to garnish them with! It was actually kinda nice with the olive oil. I'll be back

Moat is the perfect literary cafe and wine bar. Hidden beneath the State Library of Victoria and the Wheeler Centre (another must visit place), Moat knows what it's customers want. There is plenty of space during the day to relax with a expertly poured coffee and read a book, have a chat with friends or a quiet business meeting. They are also lovely about writers sitting with their laptops quietly tapping away for a few hours. The staff are friendly and passionate about what they serve. They also really love the written word too so if you are reading a book be prepared - the staff probably have read it too and will have a fun chat to you about the story or the author. For literary nerds like me you are almost guaranteed to bump into a travelling author over a glass of red wine in the evenings if they are in town for a Q&A at the upstairs centre for writing (Wheeler Centre). The food is on the expensive side in general but the quality is exceptional. Most things are made in house and the chefs really know their stuff and love to show off - your taste buds will thank you. All in all, Moat is a lovely relaxed place to sit with small groups or on a romantic date at night and talk about books (candle lit tables anyone?).

Your first test is to find this place, while it isn't as hidden as many hidden gems I still managed to walk past it at least once a week for about 3 years. The cafe appears to be a converted storage room from the State Library and when I'm there the clientelle is always business people having quiet business lunches. The coffee is decent, the food is reasonably good and the waiters leave you alone when you're deep in conversation.

Crumb here for your 21st! I mean I'm not gonna force you to but I'm just recommending it. I'm not qualified to actually review these places haha. Big ups to the Bonet's

I decided to try Moat's coffee this morning. Given the general standard of coffee available from the many establishments in and surrounding the QV centre across the road, I was quite disappointed with Moat's effort. If you're after a good coffee, probably best to steer clear of Moat (at least for now). That being said, the venue is nice. There's an astroturfed area out the front with several small tables which would be perfect for a quiet beer or lunch (depending on food quality).

I arrived early to meet with friends and was told that normally people book but they could find us a three top. We sat near the bar and when I asked for a Manhattan was told that I could chose from the cocktail menu. No Manhattan so I asked for a dirty martini. It was good but barely three mouthfuls of alcohol not a good start. The service was actually the worst service I have ever had in Melbourne. Almost every single time we wanted anything we had to flag down a staff member. When they did attend the table they were very nice but really it's not cheap and the servings are small. We only had apps but really very small servings for 18 bucks a pop! I would go back to give it another try because the few mouthfuls of food I had were good but the service needs to lift its game!! The space is great and very cozy!

Great place for a drink and a bite to eat. Awesome staff and fun atmosphere. The espresso martinis during happy hour is a fantastic deal. Ask for a Sicilian wine to make the floor manager happy

Outstanding food! Must haves are the beef brisket (not something I would normally order, but smokey and luscious) and the duck curry. Service a bit patchy but the food makes you overlook it. Go.

Best Dish Forward: Parwin goat curry Honorable mention: Cheese Board Listen team, the space is the coolest thing probably about the moat, the kind of place where its patrons would call it a milieu. But at the same time it pulls a diverse range of educated wankers, conservative politicians, domestic celebrities and the best of breed cougars, solid midnight weekday location.

Had my 21st dinner here. Absolutely great food and great staff! They helped make it a smooth and enjoyable night.

A unique little European/French bar and restaurant tucked under the state library. This place is perfect for a quiet catch up or romantic evening. Nice attentive staff and great choice of drinks and food. Ideal for a cosy, winter night

I came here looking for a cozy cafe and it was exactly what I wanted. I came here for breakfast and ordered my first meat pie tart and it was delicious. I loved the dimly light library living room atmosphere. Not sure what the chef was cooking for lunch or dinner service but it was mouth watering. Too bad I didn't come back for dinner i'm sure it would have been tasty.

Bad employers. Respect for staff is disgusting. Offered a full time work, only to be asked to come in for 5 'trials', then to be fired via sms after christmas, to let me know there was no job going back to when they reopened in January. Poor form, I had expected a lot moe from Paul, but alas.

Hidden gem. Great coffee, menu is eclectic but food is divine. Great service and fantastic atmosphere. Love the furnishings and the attention to detail. Would definitely go back.

Had a meeting at the Moat. Was attending a media function in the Wheeler Centre above the Moat. Really convenient. My client had a low fat latte and I had a hot chocolate for $8 all together. We sat outside and were able to order the hot drinks through a cubby hole window. There is no table service so you have to pay at the window and get your own drink when a bell rings. It was a nice day and the venue below street level. We were able to have a good discussion & come to a preliminary agreement with our client.

Lovely service, moody lighting, great library themes atmosphere and delicious food. Good value too- the meals are good sizes for what you pay. I loved the quirky design touches of this place. Greatly enjoyed dinner here! Would visit during the day too.

Great late night spot for a snack and a vino (so cosy and surprisingly unpretentious) - Went here late after MIFF 2014 on a Monday night and while I got the impression our waitress was hoping for an early close the barman went above and beyond to make us feel welcome - even bending the 'kitchen closed' rules to make us roasted rosemary sea salt potatoes with aioli.

Visited the Moat for the first time this morning for a coffee. The outside area looks nice and would more than likely be a great place for a cold beer on a hot afternoon. In terms of the service it was quick and friendly, unfortunately the coffee was not up to tastes of myself and my colleague. I look forward to enjoying a cold beverage there in the future.