Monster Kitchen and Bar
What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Monster Kitchen and Bar
Review
About
Monster Kitchen And Bar Recognises The Importance Of Sustanability. Our Journey Continues, To Champion Vegetarian Cusine And Celebrate Our Love Of All Things Veg. Calling On All The Talent, Skills And Experience Of Our Culinary And Service Teams, We Have Turned The Innocent Veg Into The Life Of The Party. Also On Offer Is An Eclectic Range Of Cocktails, Wines And Spirits. Be Adventurous And Do Something Different, Fabulous, Unconventional And Never Boring. That's How We Roll.
Features
CUISINES
International, Fusion, Australian
Meal types
Breakfast, Dinner, After-hours, Drinks
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options
FEATURES
Accepts Credit Cards
Free Wifi
Full Bar
Highchairs Available
Parking Available
Reservations
Seating
Serves Alcohol
Table Service
Wheelchair Accessible
Location
Parking Available
Can a gluten free person get a good meal at this restaurant?
Reserve a table
Save this restaurant
Hours
Open until 10:00 AM
Sunday
7:00 am - 10:30 am
Monday
6:30 am - 10:00 am12:00 pm - 10:00 pm5:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Tuesday
6:30 am - 10:00 am12:00 pm - 10:00 pm5:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Wednesday
6:30 am - 10:00 am12:00 pm - 10:00 pm5:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Thursday
6:30 am - 10:00 am12:00 pm - 10:00 pm5:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Friday
6:30 am - 10:00 am12:00 pm - 10:00 pm5:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Saturday
7:00 am - 10:30 am12:00 pm - 10:00 pm5:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Contribute
We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
3.7
949 reviews
Excellent
362
Very good
240
Average
164
Poor
103
Terrible
80
Genevieve M
Wagga Wagga7 contributions
Oct 2024 • couples
Dinner at Monster tonight was delicious. We had the “Feed Me” menu for two with the wine parings.
An outstanding vegetarian menu and wines served by friendly knowledgeable people who knew about both wine and food.
I am disappointed at the change of interior design at Monster. The beautiful, whimsical furniture, lighting and wall decorations have gone!
The room is flat and boring now with only the fabulous terrazzo floor and a pair of chandelier’s reminiscent of the original room in 2016.
Sorry to see the magic gone.
Written 16 October 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Janet O
Melbourne26 contributions
May 2022 • none
A great design that accoustically works well where we sat dining. The vegetarian and vegan dishes were delicious. We really enjoyed the Yam Pandesal, the Burratta , the dumplings, spice roasted cauliflower was also delicious. All food came out perfect timing. However, the service was unorganised, showed no leadership nor working knowledge of space and menu. Wine list not up to date. At the end of the night we had to seek out our bill then wait to pay it at the bar - in fact we had to wait to receive the correct bill that was ours and then we got to pay the 10% public holiday surcharge which I totally understand and am normally happy to pay but in this instance the poor quality of service just did not justify it. There was no apparent management nor leadership on the floor. Would not return nor recommend.
Written 3 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stu G
Melbourne330 contributions
Feb 2020 • family
The 8 course set menu was great. An excellent combination of seafood, vegetarian and meat dishes. They were able to easily switch a couple of dishes due to dietary requirements. We were all very satisfied (full)!
The wine service was poor. We got given a menu but then no one came to take an order for quite a long time. After asking to order and getting a nice Chardonnay (it’s a very good wine list by the way) we were not served for drink again, despite empty glasses. I asked if we could buy another bottle, it was served and then no one visited again to top up glasses. I had to go to a side table to grab the bottle and top up our glasses.
Another annoying aspect of the night was that they were setting up the restaurant space for hotel buffet breakfasts while we were still dining nearby! This certainly made the evening feel a bit “unspecial”.
Written 29 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LizaD42
Canberra55 contributions
May 2024 • business
Visited for a business breakfast and will never return. Once seated there was no service at all and after 15mins had to seek a person to give a coffee/tea order. Multiple tables were doing the same in order to put in a food/drink order. The restaurant was not busy at with the wait staff busy chatting rather than serving. The orders were not filled as requested with specific food preferences, food once it reached the table was just warm and the serve sizes did not represent value for money. One meal being scrambled eggs resulted in a serving of about 4cm square of scrambled eggs and one slice of cold toast with no butter.
Written 8 May 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
960rachelk
8 contributions
June 2024 • friends
I had been waiting to visit Monster kitchen as I had heard such great things. I won’t be back.
While the food was fantastic it did not make up for the terrible experience.
Firstly we were placed out the back in a room with no soul or atmosphere. When I inquired if I could move they begrudging found us an empty table but then told us we could not have the set menu as we were sitting in the wrong area.
They changed their mind and allowed us the set menu but took forever to bring us our wine and we were expected to serve ourselves.
To add to the terrible service the waitress tried to clear our plates when we were obviously still eating.
I spent a large amount of money and while the food was great we were made to feel like we were a nuisance.
Very disappointed.
Written 22 June 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
snail
1 contribution
Mar 2024 • friends
i have frequented monster for years and have noticed recently that management and staffing seem to have changed. prior to this change, i had multiple negative experiences that almost deterred me from going completely.
to my relief, the new team are friendly, attentive, professional and offer a level of relaxed yet efficient service that i expect from a restaurant like monster. i am encouraged to come dine more often now that i know i will receive a higher, and more consistent level of service. thank you staff!
personally, i frequent monster for the atmosphere. it feels special yet relaxed, somewhere i can catch up with friends whilst enjoying good quality vegetarian food.
respectfully, i do not expect a high level fine dining experience and that is ok. the prices reflect this and i appreciate the casualness of having the option to sit in the lobby as well as the dining area. regardless, the food (for the most part) is really enjoyable and i have had some especially beautiful, stand-out dishes over the years.
i encourage those who have had a negative experience in the past to give monster another shot.
Written 7 April 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lina M
Durham172 contributions
Oct 2024 • couples
We're foodies from the U.S., and we had a wonderful meal last night at Monster. We had previously attended a group dinner there and decided to try the restaurant. Our evening started with a well-made Negroni and a glass of prosecco. The food was divine - flavorful, creative, and hearty enough to please my carnivore husband. We enjoyed the Padron and Manchego Coquetas as our appetizer and shared the Burrata with fresh tomatoes and basil oil and the Spinach Gnudi. The Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee with Macadamia Biscotti rounded out the meal nicely - be sure to spread some of the creme brulee ON the biscotti. Our service was excellent, from our seating next to the fireplace (cozy) by the friendly maitre d' to our waitress who checked on us periodically throughout the meal. Highly recommended.
Written 28 October 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LucyCecelia
Sydney7 contributions
Jan 2023 • family
Waiting staff that don’t know what the menu consists of and showed zero service instinct (I.e. if you don’t know what a dish is, you go and find out).
Overly salty food that arrived semi warm with sauces that don’t work. Really disappointing experience. Definitely wouldn’t recommend or return. Asked for bread (hoping for something befitting of a decent restaurant) only to be served with two slices of packet bread.
Written 12 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
gabrielpCBR
Evening LucyCecelia,
Sorry to hear your experience with us was so flawed. I will pass on the feedback to the team and kitchen so we can work on our service standards and menu items.
Thanks
Aj Smith
F&B Manager
Written 3 February 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
philippigou
Canberra9 contributions
Mar 2024 • business
Vegetarian restaurant and the entrees and mains were good. The dessert I had (chocolate mess) was really poor. The service was terrible with dishes arriving out of order. The wine list was ok at best. Really high markups. Also the Chardonnay around the $80 to $90 range were really boring and the next price was about $165 - nothing in between.
Written 22 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stephen & Sue
Canberra2753 contributions
Oct 2022 • none
Monster’s decision to go 100% plant-based has actually lifted the food to new heights even for people like us, who are not vegetarians.
Not only does it do great food for vegans and vegetarians, even those who wouldn’t normally choose these dishes will be delighted by the food.
Most of it is also GF, so this place ticks all the boxes if your family has problems choosing a restaurant because of dietary restrictions.
Service is good, the layout nicely spaced, and the absence of meat means the prices are great value for the quality of the food and service.
If you’ve never fancied vegetarian food before, Monster will be a very pleasant surprise.
Written 22 December 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
gabrielpCBR
Hello Stephen S,
Firstly thank you so much for the kind words regarding our menu items, the chef and his team work hard to create dishes that hero vegetables and create a fulfilling experience. We hope to see yo again when we do a new seasonal menu!
Thanks
Aj Smith
F&B Manager
Written 3 February 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Shenz
1 contribution
Feb 2022 • friends
Monster has great decor but the service is terrible. They got our order wrong, refused to provide cutlery with our meal (demanding we instead get up and get it ourselves), and, to add further insult, they tried to force us to pay for our meal while we were still eating and before we had a chance to decide whether we would like to order a coffee or tea after the meal. Suffice to say we took the cue about being unwelcome in their establishment and paid and left, and went to buy coffee at a friendlier venue around the corner. Monster is the worst dining experience in Canberra.
Written 26 February 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RossY415
Brisbane519 contributions
Mar 2021 • none
We were staying in house and really keen to try Monster. The design of the whole hotel, including the restaurant is original and has a fine eye for detail. The concept of sustainability is a good one. We had a great table by the window, the menu read well and service was friendly on arrival. We ordered two glasses of champagne as a pre-dinner drink, they took 20 minutes to come from the bar adjacent to the restaurant. We have since heard from local friends that they go to the bar to buy drinks and take them back to the table as this is apparently a frequent issue.
The first course that we shared was the best. Smoked beetroot tartare with horseradish emulsion was fresh and simple, I could have ramped up the horseradish but that is a minor issue. The rest of our meal was cold mush. The roasted hokkaido pumpkin was seriously overcooked, the burnt bits weren't edible. The grilled head of cauliflower was cold and water-logged, the macadamia satay was too milky and bland, the fermented chilli raita was a highlight but couldn't compensate for the overall quality of the dish. It was like a luke warm congee with cold cauliflower. The slow roasted heritage carrots with smoked kelp was unbalanced and tasted like less than fresh fish and the sauerkraut was an additional flavour detraction. Overall it was an unpleasant dish and we didn't persist with it, leaving most of it untouched on the plate. The mains came out within 5 minutes of finishing the entrees. They seemed to have been precooked and poorly re-heated or had been sitting for too long. Other tables around us left unfinished food and those with wines by the bottle seemed to have difficulty attracting staff to top us their glasses. We were out within an hour. Ironically we ordered a vegetarian course at most of the other Canberra restaurants we went to on this visit and they were consistently superior to Monster.
Written 3 April 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nick F
3 contributions
Jan 2023 • couples
Monster is amazing! This was our second time there with the summer menu. Even if vegetarian is not your thing, it’s really not mine! It’s so delicious! The head chef Matt has created and outstanding menu that celebrates vegetables and not how much vegetables can be like meat, so none of that fake meat stuff. Jake has been our server both times. He’s is knowledgeable about the menu, wines and is the epitome of customer service. I cannot recommend Monster, Matt and Jake highly enough. GO THERE!
Written 27 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
gabrielpCBR
Hello T35HLnicholasf,
Its great to see you come a second time when Vegetarian isn't your thing and you had a great time. Matt has done a wonderful job on this menu and Jake definitely knows how to make guests feel welcome and show them a memorable time. I will pass on your kind words to them!
Thanks!
Aj Smith
F&B Manager
Written 3 February 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
flyingsteen
Pambula74 contributions
Feb 2025 • couples
Looked great and had lovely nibbles in the bar area. Luckily we got a table, where they had set the restaurant up. order dinner and wine no problems. Then waited an hour food to arrive. Steak was ok but lukewarm, potato gratin wasn’t cooked and inedible, beans horrible and cold. I would recommend going somewhere else until they sort out the kitchen.
Written 24 February 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jess A
1 contribution
Feb 2023 • none
The food and staff made our night amazing. We were able to catch up with friends in a funky restaurant with outstanding food. We loved Ruby who helped us through the menu, recommending the amazing miso eggplant and the zucchini flowers. Thanks Monster!
Written 4 February 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
gabrielpCBR
Hi O437TOjessa,
I'm glad to hear we made your night amazing! I will pass on your kind words to Ruby and the kitchen team and we hope to see you again!
-Aj Smith
F&B Manager
Written 15 February 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Showing results 1-15 of 946
As Featured In
Best moderately priced restaurants
See all
Best nearby
We rank these hotels, restaurants, and attractions by balancing reviews from our members with how close they are to this location.
Best nearby hotels
See all 
Best nearby restaurants
See all 
Is This Your Listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim Your Free Listing