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CUISINES
International, Contemporary, Australian
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly
Meals
Dinner
features
Is this restaurant wheelchair accessible?
Details
CUISINES
International, Contemporary, Australian
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly
Meals
Dinner
FEATURES
Reservations, Seating, Table Service
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5.0
25 reviews
Excellent
24
Very good
1
Average
0
Poor
0
Terrible
0
Supers_2
Melbourne262 contributions
Feb 2021 • couples
Amazing night out. We’d booked a special set dinner with matched wines and while pricey, the quality of the food, wine and service was top notch. The menu was consistently great. Definitely on par with fine dining in Melbourne - make sure you get your reservation in when they open their books at the first of the month!
Written 27 February 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.
Niki K
1 contribution
June 2021 • none
Derek’s food & wine philosophy migrates into a sublime fine dining eatery for Ballarat. The intimate physical space & minimalist design adds gravitas, supported by the seamless & knowledgeable service. Thank you for bringing Underbar to this region.
Written 25 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.
Anne M
Canberra578 contributions
Jan 2023 • none
Our dear friend held his 60th celebration at Underbar. We had no idea about the dining experience that would unfold over the hours. The chef (unbeknownst to us) was Michelin trained but you wouldn’t have known as he was incredibly down to earth and made all of us feel welcomed and included. The staff also were highly attentive and clearly loved their job to ensure everything went smoothly. The food, the flavors and paired with wines was simply perfect. It’s such a nice change to have someone else choose and prepare a selection to enjoy and be surprised by each time a plate / wine pour was presented.
We will be coming back to Underbar and Hotel Vera. Two gems that will put Ballarat on the world map!
Written 25 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.
Monique R
Geelong49 contributions
Aug 2024 • couples
Brilliant Brillant Brillant *****
Fabulous service , great food. The molasses butter was divine with the best pumpkin soup I have ever tasted. A must try for anyone visiting the CBD in Ballarat. We will return !!
Written 21 August 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.
Wayne Domaschenz
Ballarat382 contributions
Jan 2025 • couples
A pricey restaurant but the money is worth it. The quality of produce is beyond anything else you’ll ever experience, especially the meat. Each dish is absolutely delectable and the numerous small portions mean you get to experience a wide variety. The dessert is fantastic and the atmosphere is very intimate. Great for an impressive date night.
Written 5 January 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.
5xOverseasTravel
Newcastle57 contributions
Dec 2023 • couples
Would previously have called this place my favourite restaurant in Victoria, with the food even better than some of the top restaurants like Vue du Monde. We have been here many times but unfortunately, the last time we went, they had reduced their drinks menu to exclude fresh cocktails, replacing these with pre-mixed offerings that were quite dismal. If you’re going to have 5* food and prices to match, a fresh cocktail and simple cocktail menu and offering is essential. I noticed there was only one waitor this time instead of the 3 so I imagine this has been done to cut costs. The waitor was a little slow refilling and offering drinks by not fault of his own, just undermanned for the 20 or so people there and likely, a result of the budget cuts. Would be back in a heartbeat if these two things were fixed.
Written 28 November 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.
rmsc91
Melbourne4 contributions
Feb 2020 • none
My wife and I dined at Underbar for the 3rd time Saturday night and chose to enjoy the wine paring experience. Its a small, intimate restaurant, and the meal is a gastronomic experience. Ballarat is lucky to have such a great dining experience available. Well done Underbar Team.
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.
BG1
Melbourne6 contributions
Aug 2023 • friends
A superb degustation menu - generous and tasty. Could not fault it. The service was excellent as well
Written 13 August 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.
5xOverseasTravel
Newcastle57 contributions
May 2022 • family
Nothing else to be said! There is a reason this place books out in minutes. If your a foodie, it’s a must
Written 5 May 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.
Bazlen28
296 contributions
Apr 2022 • none
Lovely small restaurant with amazing food. Seven courses prepared by the one chef. Each dish surpassed the last. Hard to get bookings but worth the effort.
Written 23 April 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.
Tass M
1 contribution
Apr 2022 • none
Fine dining experience at its best.
Perfect in every respect.
Second time now and will now be our regular pilgrimage as long as Derek continues to cook, we will follow him.
Thank you to you and your team.
Written 9 April 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.
Adnil
Ballarat37 contributions
Nov 2019 • friends
This was our second visit and, on vegetarian tasting night it was as divine as the autumn event.
Delightful, imaginative and beautifully executed food in a small share table (16 people) environment.
The degustation sizing, selection pace of courses and surprises are truly stunning. If you dare select the drink pairing as they compliment the food so well.
Derek’s small team are professional and charming.
We will be back to enjoy the next season’s delights.
Written 17 November 2019
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.
peternakan
Australia45 contributions
Oct 2019 • friends
I echo the positives written about the quality of the food made in earlier reviews, so sharing some practical observations.
Booking is easy - work out your potential dates before logging into the booking site on the first of the month.
For a first time visit I’d limit the party to a group of 4. As there’s no printed menu, a smaller group is better so you can listen up and pay attention to the waiters and hear about each individual course and wine match.
Our group of 6 were comfortably set at one end of the table and there was a good amount of space between us and the couple next to us.
We had a Friday 7 pm sitting and were farewelled at 11:45 pm. Saturday would be better for people who get to Friday and need a recharge after working all week.
Fast if you can: our spring menu on a chilly night was rich, complex and dense (eg a lovely rich broth, pork belly, prawn pannacotta, lemon curd).
If you’re a low salt eater you might want to make this known at booking. The creativity, presentation and detail put me in mind of Tetsuya.
Wine matching is good value - make this decision early. It’s an excellent list.
Bring a jacket or wrap in case you’re seated near the street window.
Ballarat is rich for choices of great places to eat but in my view, there is nothing like Underbar.
It’s in the Ballarat “CBD” and is only a 5-10 minute walk from the Ballarat train station - the Melb train to Ballarat is 70 mins, or by car, 90 mins (NB if you’re coming up Friday night add 30-40m to car for Melbourne peak hour) and parking a block up to Lyons St North.
Written 26 October 2019
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.
Anthony S
Melbourne20 contributions
July 2019 • none
Underbar is only open for dinner on Fridays and Saturdays, and accommodate up to 16 diners.
Food was beautifully prepared, the chef in full view during preparation. The staff (two) were highly professional, and served meals and drinks without fuss. They were knowledgeable about the wines served, giving an overall enjoyable experience. If you plan to go to Ballarat, this is a must, but book early as the demand is high.
Written 27 August 2019
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.
Sam B
3 contributions
June 2019 • friends
If you haven't been yet and are thinking about reserving do yourself a favour and go now.
Great food in a small restaurant with a personalised touch all round.
Written 15 June 2019
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.
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