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Hours
Sun
11:00 am - 11:30 pm
Mon
12:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Tue
12:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Wed
12:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Thu
12:00 pm - 11:00 pm
Fri
12:00 pm - 11:30 pm
Sat
11:00 am - 11:30 pm
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.
Ratings and reviews
3.5
RATINGS
Food
Service
Value
Atmosphere
Details
Someone from this business manages this listing.
Learn More
CUISINES
Bar, Australian
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options
Meals
Lunch, Dinner, After-hours, Drinks
features
Does this restaurant have live music
Details
About
A charming riverside pub along Southbank, laid back and buzzy, with a public bar, dining area and huge beer garden terrace looking over Melbourne city views. Serving up great food & good wine, cold beers & cool cocktails. Catch up with friends for an after work bevi, lunch with workmates or relax on a Sunday arvo in the sunshine, doesn’t get much better than Ludlow.
CUISINES
Bar, Australian
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options
Meals
Lunch, Dinner, After-hours, Drinks
FEATURES
Reservations, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Wine and Beer, Visa, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service, Live Music, Waterfront, Dog Friendly, Gift Cards Available
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3.5
711 reviews
Excellent
205
Very good
252
Average
130
Poor
55
Terrible
70
Swell Traveller
Melbourne3635 contributions
Mar 2020 • none
Pre: COVID-19 March
I have been trying out a range of restaurants along Southbank / Southgate and came upon this one with my friend and they had a $20 lunch special, as do many of the restaurants along the Yarra River.
There were a wide range of choices. My friend went for fish and chips and I had the pork slaw salad. Both items can be found on their main menu at higher prices. I think it's a great way to get the public to try out items on their menu and encourage return visits.
The portion sizes were great for the money we paid and accompanying the meal was a choice of a drink - my friend ordered a flat white coffee and I a sparkling wine.
The fish and chips were amazing according to my friend and she would order them again, in fact she couldn't eat it all and shared some with me - I would have had the fish grilled, but it was a tasty treat nevertheless.
The pork slaw I ordered was really dry. The sauce sprinkled on top of it was really nice but the meal could have done with a heap more of this. The 4 pieces of pork on the plate were tasty but cold and tough to eat. The slaw itself was fresh and crunchy.
*Note: I did pass this info on to the waiter as a suggested way to make the meal even better
The waiting staff are quick to sit you down and order taking happens within a timely fashion They are super friendly and accommodated our need to move seats.
This place is quite large and the interior is highlighted by a huge bar surrounded by a range of seating options, We sat outside so we could people watch and it was a lovely day to look out over the Yarra River.
A place worth a visit for lunch or dinner or for a drink from their extensive bar!
Written 8 April 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.
Fabio P
4 contributions
Feb 2020 • friends
I was out with a couple of friends in Melbourne and we had dinner in this lovely place in Southbank just by the river. The whole atmosphere is very nice and the view is just amazing. We went for steak night which is a great deal of steak, fries, salad and a drink for only $20. The food was very good, especially the steak, and our waiter Noah gave us a great service and checked on us all the time. Despite the place being busy, we didn’t have to wait at all to be served.
Tips: try the pistachio falafel, delicious.
Written 9 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.
Venue_Management_TA
Hi 195fabiop,
We appreciate you taking the time to leave us a review.
The Ludlow team is pleased to hear that you had such an enjoyable experience at our venue. We're especially pleased to hear that the efforts of Noah played a role in said experience. We will be sure to pass your comments onto him as we know how much he'll appreciate the feedback.
We look forward to serving you again in the future.
Kind Regards,
The Team at Ludlow
Written 13 February 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Global Review 2025
Australia200 contributions
June 2021 • couples
We had lunch here and it was all pretty average. The restaurant wasn’t busy but service was very slow. Quality of the food was OK but nothing special and the steak we had ordered as medium came as well done. Coffee and dessert was better.
On a positive it’s in a good location by the river and they do a lunch special menu for $25 including a drink.
It was the first time we’d been here but left feeling it had been average and wouldn’t rush back.
Written 23 June 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.
LudlowBar
Hi There,
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review, we really appreciate your feedback.
We are disappointed to hear that the service was slow, but glad you enjoyed your coffee and dessert. Hopefully we can tempt you to return with our lunch and dinner specials!
Thanks,
The Ludlow Team
Written 24 June 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Jansen1615
Singapore4 contributions
Jan 2020 • none
We were 3 persons visiting Ludlow Bar on 21 January at 7pm and were guided to our table by a lady who actually showed no interest in making us feel welcome. After sitting at our table for 20 minutes without receiving any service I had to get up and ask if it would be possible to place an order for food and drinks. The food was mediocre at best with a Sirloin steak ordered medium and served well done and the rest very tasteless. It really took a long time for the food to arrive so I decided to eat the well done steak instead of sending it back and wait for a new. We didn't have enough cutlery and napkins at the table and had to ask for this as well. We would have liked a dessert but because of the slow service and the quality of the food we decided to go somewhere else for this. I asked the waitress for the bill and after waiting for 15 minutes for it to come I had to get up and ask if we please could pay. I gave feedback on the spot when paying and our drinks were taken off the bill. This gesture was appreciated but doesn't compensate for a very unsatisfactory dining experience. The location and surrounding are great and comes with potential and it's a pity that it's spoiled by such poor delivery. Maybe a case for Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares?
Written 27 January 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.
Nicoops
Melbourne9 contributions
Dec 2020 • none
Having no family able to visit us this year, we thought it would be nice to do something totally different for Christmas Day so we booked lunch at the Ludlow. We had a great table which was about the only good thing at the Ludlow. We should have known there would be problems when there were only two bonbons on the table for four of us and the drinks took 25 minutes to arrive even though we were in the first sitting at midday. The kids meals and the entree didn’t take overly long to arrive, but our sharing plate was very small. We both ordered beef Wellington which took over an hour after we had the entree to arrive and when it did, it was warm and the pastry was soggy (the beef was nice though). The desserts then took 1.5 hours to arrive!!! It totally put a downer on the day. You could see all tables were getting annoyed at the long wait and I think we actually did well with how long we waited, having read other reviews of what happened yesterday. When we paid we were told that they didn’t realise how busy they were going to be even though everyone had prebooked. They didn’t even ply everyone with drinks while they waited, they could have made a fortune! Terrible service and we will never go back.
Written 25 December 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.
Management
Hello Nicoops, Thank you for taking the time to leave a review. We are very sorry about your experience at Ludlow on Christmas day. We are deeply saddened to hear your day was so disappointing and we offer our sincere apologies for both the delays, portion sizes and other issues mentioned. If you could please send us an email with the full booking name and reference to hello@ludlowbar.com.au to discuss. Once again our sincere apologies.
Regards, The Ludlow team.
Written 27 December 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Nicola w
Leamington Spa7 contributions
Dec 2020 • friends
Restaurant was chosen for its menu that met our needs for a special Christmas Day lunch. However, it appears the owners put profits before service and it was more like fawlty towers. The front of house didnt start the day well - opening late, and then not knowing where the tables were situated. Our table for 3 had 2 christmas crackers - at $130 per head, the attention to detail was poor. At 12.15 we placed our mains and pudding order (choice of 3!). Starting platter was satisfactory. However, we then waited, and waited, and asked, and queried, and over 2 hrs later our warm mains arrived. We’d seen a number of tables give up and leave. Front of house spent their time hiding, avoiding eye contact, and never once provided proactive communication to waiting diners on this special day. It wasnt until 3.30 (!!) that we finally received our desserts. Waiters were eager to dispense drinks, but a lack of food service meant this was a memorable christmas day, for all the wrong reasons! It felt like the business wanted the $$$ at all costs, and didnt care for its patrons.
Written 24 December 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.
Management
Hi Nicola, We are very sorry about your experience at Ludlow on Christmas day. We would like to offer our sincere apologies for both the poor service and delays and other issues mentioned. If you could please send us an email with the full booking name and reference to hello@ludlowbar.com.au to discuss. Once again our sincere apologies.
Regards, The Ludlow team.
Written 27 December 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
TourismDr!
Greensborough41 contributions
Feb 2020 • none
The Humpty Doo Barramundi was absolutely fantastic, not overcooked which is easy to do, and served on a delightful green baby broad bean and asparagus bed softly doused in olive oil. The surprise was the deep fried zucchini. Partner had the rib eye with fat fries medium cooked and beautiful too! 10/10 as was the service by several staff. Admittedly we were early dinner, but they managed things well, as several large bookings came in. Desert was enjoyed by all, the chocolate after 8!
This is Melbourne at its best, caring staff great tasting, and well cooked mid range cuisine. Prices commensurate to all the other venues of similar calibre.
Written 24 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.
Stevenp
Melbourne345 contributions
Feb 2020 • couples
We vIsited this restaurant on Thursday night for dinner and were both disappointed and impressed. Let’s start with the positive - the service - our waitress was friendly, helpful and apologetic. Now about the food - we ordered the barramundi and the lamb shank and a side of thick cut chips. We should have been concerned when the food arrived less than 15 minutes after placing the order
(that’s probably how long it takes to deep fry chips). The fish was ok but the lamb shank was served cold and uneatable. It was sent back to the kitchen and we decided to eat elsewhere, which was disappointing as this restaurant is in a great location but is let down by poor quality control. With so many other options in this area we are unlikely to return.
Written 20 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.
Venue_Management_TA
Hi StevenpR3919DI,
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review.
Our team is disappointed to hear about such an experience at our venue. This is not an experience typical of Ludlow and understand the inconvenience and want to offer our apologies. We’d love the chance to gain more info from you, if you could please get in contact with our manager Shona at shona@ludlowbar.com.au it would be greatly appreciated.
Kind Regards,
The Team at Ludlow
Written 27 February 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Katrina V
2 contributions
Dec 2020 • family
With the year that has been 2020, we wanted a completely relaxed Xmas lunch void of cooking and hosting, we were excited to dine at Ludlow for the traditional Christmas menu and beautiful city views.
Arrived at 12.30 and by 3pm had only received our shared starter plate. Staff where almost in hiding and as tables started to talk to each other about their confusion and wait time, we realised there was a big problem. Many had after lunch commitments, including us; and so for over two hours anxiety and frustration built as we realised our lunch was a complete let down.
With persistence we finally got an answer, they were under staffed. Knowing this, they still went ahead and booked maximum numbers. So disappointing to see money was put ahead of prioritizing a very symbolic and significant Christmas day. We left 3.15, hungry and flat. A refund will apparently be granted but it won't correct the huge mistake management made.
Written 25 December 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.
Management
Hello Katrina,. We are very sorry about your experience at Ludlow on Christmas day. We are deeply saddened to hear your day was so disappointing and we offer our sincere apologies. Could you please send us an email with the full booking name and reference to hello@ludlowbar.com.au to discuss. Once again our sincere apologies.
Regards, The Ludlow team.
Written 27 December 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
itsthusharas
Melbourne10 contributions
May 2021 • friends
Went here for dinner on a Saturday night with friends, and initially the staff were very accommodating - providing us with details on how to order our food. We had an outdoor table, so a friend and I went to pay for our food inside before going back to sit down at our table.
Our drinks arrived without any issues, however it was a different story when it come to our dinner. My friend placed her dinner order straight after me, and waited over an hour for a meal that she paid for, but failed to receive.
Since it was a Saturday night, I suspect the staff were overworked and were busy. However, it is not an excuse that the waiter who served us told my friend that she never made her order, then reappeared 10 minutes later saying that the kitchen magically found her order, and would try to get it ready ASAP. By that stage, my friend was fed up, and asked for a refund - fortunately the restaurant staff obliged.
For my part, I ordered the sirloin steak which was okay, nothing to rave about. This was a bit disappointing, considering how much I paid for my food. The virgin mojito was pleasant though!
I don’t think I will be returning to Ludlow anytime soon - on the whole, I’ve eaten at better restaurants with better service, while paying similar prices.
Written 8 May 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.
LudlowBar
Hi There,
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review, we really appreciate your feedback.
We are very disappointed to hear about you experience at Ludlow. I can assure you that this is not the service that we are used to providing. We agree that one hour is most definitely too long to wait for your food and we are sincerely sorry for this. If you wish to send us an email hello@ludlowbar.com.au with further information we would be happy to discuss in depth.
Apologies once again,
Kind Regards,
The Ludlow Team
Written 9 May 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Nadira D
Melbourne5 contributions
Dec 2019 • friends
Took some friends from out of town on Friday(27/12) The Host was not interested in where we sat etc. , We ordered 2 jugs of cocktails which took over half an hour (this was about 9.30 when they weren’t too busy)after reminding then came back to say they were out of the spirit to make our cocktail. We said were in a hurry we had to leave to a late dinner appointment, and they promised to get to it in 5 mins. Another 20 mins later, we get the drinks, which was nothing much and we had to skull it to leave. Again the host was just not bothered!
This in contrast to Chin Chin where we went for dinner after, where they were so attentive with great food and service, highlighted the very bad start we had here at Ludlow. Slow and inattentive service
Written 6 January 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.
Venue_Management_TA
Hi Nadirad2014,
We appreciate you taking the time to leave us a review.
We're disappointed to hear that you weren't pleased with your experience with us. Weekends are generally when we see the largest amount of cocktail orders. Unfortunately, this can lead to longer wait times. We want to apologise that this was not communicated to you properly and hope you'll consider visiting us again in the future.
Kind Regards,
The Team at Ludlow
Written 9 January 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Nigel B
Chipping Ongar446 contributions
Feb 2020 • none
We ate dinner here on our last night in Melbourne and were able to get an outside table without a reservation. The restaurant is perfectly located on Southbank and has a lovely atmosphere with music that still allows you to talk to each other.
Service was prompt and friendly and the menu is excellent.
We particularly enjoyed the Barramundi and Pork Belly.
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.
Venue_Management_TA
Hi Nigel B,
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review.
The Ludlow team is pleased to hear that you chose to spend your last night in Melbourne with us. We're especially pleased to hear that you feel you made the right choice and that you had such an enjoyable dining experience. We hope you had a safe trip back home and that you'll think of us next time you're in town.
Kind Regards,
The Team at Ludlow
Written 2 March 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Tistru
Melbourne656 contributions
Dec 2021 • none
We visited on the Monday before Christmas Day. We were seated quickly, ordered drinks and the dips and bread. Drinks arrived very timely and then we waited, and waited (silly us for waiting nearly 50 minutes for the food). When we inquired about the dips the waitress went over to the kitchen and then came back and said she would have to chase it up. At that stage is was obvious that they had lost our order, so we paid for our drinks and left. Whilst the place was reasonably busy, there were tables available so it wasn't inundated with customers. This is a really good place to watch the passing foot traffic, but, not getting something as simple as dips and bread was very disappointing. Would think twice about going again. However, perhaps they were short staffed due to covid but..........again, it was just dips and bread, not hard to put together.
Written 2 January 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.
LudlowBar
Hi There,
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review, as always we appreciate your feedback.
We are disappointed to hear that you did not receive your order and we apologise that you were not communicated with correctly by our wait staff. We take full responsibility and agree that it shouldn't take 50 minutes for your order to come out. Unfortunately in this instance the order was forgotten which very rarely if ever happens at Ludlow.
We do apologise again.
Thanks,
The Ludlow Team
Written 9 January 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Helen M
Sheffield192 contributions
Mar 2020 • couples
Thought this looked a great place to eat and it was quite busy. The first wine I ordered was not in stock so I had to have my second choice. The chicken burger was all leg meat and not a chicken breast in sight. Nothing special, poor food, poor service.
Written 31 March 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.
CVandDC
Vancouver145 contributions
Feb 2020 • couples
We went to Ludlow 2 nights in a row, to try other dishes. The food was excellent and they had cool dishes. We had the kingfish ceviche entre, the Torched king salmon entre, the Baramundi (pictured), the Crispy skin duck breast and the Cauliflower steak. Great food and great service.
Written 13 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.
Venue_Management_TA
Hi CVandDC,
Thank you for taking the time to let us know about your experience at our venue.
Our team is pleased to hear that you had an overall excellent experience while visiting us. We look forward to having you back in again soon.
Kind Regards,
The Team at Ludlow
Written 13 February 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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