+61 3 5989 8412+ Add websiteImprove this listing
Hours
Sun
11:00 am - 5:00 pm
Mon
11:00 am - 5:00 pm
Tue
11:00 am - 5:00 pm
Wed
11:00 am - 5:00 pm
Thu
11:00 am - 5:00 pm
Fri
11:00 am - 8:00 pm
Sat
11:00 am - 8:00 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.
Details
Someone from this business manages this listing.
Learn More
CUISINES
Australian
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options
Meals
Lunch, Drinks
features
Is this restaurant good for large groups?
Details
About
Montalto is a place where you can celebrate life and enjoy a moment out of the ordinary. Owned by the Mitchell family since 1999, Montalto is where seasonal, heirloom produce is grown, shared and celebrated. Montalto’s home estate of 30 acres under vine is the primary source for our premium wines, and the expansive kitchen gardens and orchards supply our kitchens in The Restaurant and The Piazza. Our award-winning winemaking team, led by Simon Black, create wines of exemplary quality and character, utilising winemaking techniques that complement the unique qualities derived from only the very best parcels of fruit taken from our five vineyards, in a style that reflects each vineyard site. Perfect to drink now, or to cellar, Montalto wines are to savour. Montalto acknowledges that we are located on the lands and waters of the Boon Wurrung / Bunurung people, members of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.
CUISINES
Australian
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options
Meals
Lunch, Drinks
FEATURES
Reservations, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Parking Available, Free off-street parking, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Wine and Beer, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service, Non-smoking restaurants
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.
4.0
870 reviews
Excellent
373
Very good
236
Average
110
Poor
70
Terrible
72
Scott H
1 contribution
Dec 2024 • couples
We went to Montalto for our anniversary, and notified them of our dietary requirements (vegetarian and pescatarian) when booking.
The service was good, and while most of the menu was vegetarian, their choice of vegetarian main course was extremely underwhelming and disappointing.
My partner had a very well seasoned and well cooked piece of fish, while the vegetarian option was a quarter of lettuce that had been pan fried and served with pesto, nothing more than a side dish being passed off as a main dish. A complete let down.
If this was 1990s I could expect this poor excuse as a main dish, but it’s 2024. Please do better.
Written 27 December 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.
Kurt R
Pittsburgh731 contributions
Feb 2024 • couples
Montalto is one of the few wineries in the area that offers a casual lunch, which is why we chose it. There are nice seating areas inside and out that overlook the vineyard. The atmosphere is welcoming and classy with fun music playing that maintains a casual vibe.
The lunch menu is mostly appetizers and pizza, which is just what we wanted with a glass wine. We enjoyed everything we ordered then took a leisurely walk thought the sculpture garden. I would recommend Montalto to anyone looking for a casual wine tasting and/or lunch in the area.
Written 1 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.
Caroline D
Melbourne437 contributions
Feb 2021 • friends
On advise of a friend we arrived just before 12 and put our name down to get a table for lunch, they don’t take bookings and wait is about 45 mins. While we waited we wandered thru the sculpture park, then came back and did a wine tasting ($10 a head and it is waived if you purchase wine). Staff were great with the tasting, gave us some info then allowed us to enjoy the wine. The tasting is 7 wines, would be great if there was a sparkling, rose, or sav Blanc inc on the tasting. The lunch tables are all set outside in the garden. Lunch and service was great, worth a visit bit if you can get there before 12 it is better.
Written 21 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.
Skysnan
4 contributions
Sept 2024 • friends
There are many excellent wineries on the Peninsula, but this is not one of them. Our set menu in the pizzeria sounded good on paper, but was not good at all. The entree was one (dry) arancini ball each with a slice of haloumi. The main for me was one piece of fish about a third the size of a dollar note, with a bowl of just green leaves. To add to this, the tables were so congested that we had to pull our chairs in every time a waiter wanted to get past, this resulted in my friend having a drink spilt over her jacket and pants (no sincere apology, cloth to wipe etc).
A birthday cake was brought to the table without a knife, we had to ask 4 times for one. Along with the cake we would have enjoyed a hot drink, but when told they neither had almond milk nor made chai lattes we declined.
Even worse, the ladies' restroom was in such a bad state that I let the staff know it needed attention - water (or worse) on the cubicle floors, bins overflowing onto the floor, handbasin benches covered in water, no fresh towels to use.
15 minutes later I went back, out of curiosity, to check and it was even worse by then, no toilet paper at all in one cubicle.
I was an invited guest to a birthday celebration - if I had been paying myself I would certainly have objected to the whole afternoon in no uncertain terms!
Written 24 September 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.
Sophie S
1 contribution
Feb 2021 • none
I was gifted a private picnic voucher that a redeemed today. While the private picnic itself was a lovely location and beautiful food, unfortunately from the moment we arrived the service was disappointing.
We arrived ten minutes early and headed in to the restaurant only to be told quite rudely to leave as they weren't ready yet and they opened at 11am.
A large line started to form, and upon entering, everyone waited in line until the staff got around to serving them. The staff were frantic and seemed very distracted.
We were taken to a bar for a wine tasting prior to heading to our picnic. The server, again, was very distracted and mid sentence would start talking to other staff and didn't seem very interested in explaining the wines at all.
We were then sent to find our picnic location. The map provided wasn't clear and we ended up going a round about way to our location as their wasn't signage advising where to.
When we arrived at our location we were delighted by the location, and excited to have a picnic. This part was lovely and we had one of the best locations. The wine we had selected had been delivered to our table ready for our picnic. Could not fault this!
On the map they'd advised that their were bathrooms near the picnic areas. As it turned out these were portaloos that weren't clean, and really took away from the fancy dining experience. We had mentioned we needed to use the bathrooms before heading down and were advised there were bathrooms over near our location, but had we known this was what was meeting us we wouldn't have relied on this.
After our lunch, we walked back to the restaurant, again not able to locate which path we should take to get back.
Upon returning to the restaurant, the chaos of the staff was still occurring. I approached someone at the cellar door and asked how to pay for the bottle of wine we consumed at lunch. This staff member was lovely and advised us that we also could get a coffee before departing as part of our picnic which no one had notified us of.
We went over to the coffee area and again, there was a line. There were 4 staff behind the counter and only one was serving despite their being a line of 6 people. Again, it was very chaotic back there. The people in front of us were purchasing bottle of wine for their table and the waiter said there were no cooler buckets. It was a warm day and something that is a basic requirement of serving wine.
I'd highly recommend the picnic portion of the experience, but for $200 the service doesn't stack up.
Written 28 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.
Jenni B
1 contribution
Apr 2022 • none
Just had the WORSE “fine dining” experience EVER. Seriously can’t believe the gall of Montalto. My husband and I decided that we would go to Montalto for my birthday to enjoy a “fine dining” experience. What a joke this turned out to be!!!!!!!!! Seriously…… I should have seen the warning signs right from the beginning when I booked online for a late 2:30pm lunch. I was contacted the day before the booking and asked if I could be flexible in the time we came in. I originally booked Montalto because they could take us at a later time, due to the fact that we had planned to catch up with friends before having lunch. We agreed to be flexible as we are understanding of the fact that we are living in a COVID’s world, so we agreed to change the time to 1:00pm as requested by Montalto. Although not pleased we understood.
Unfortunately from here things just deteriorated.
Due to the fact that I suffer from allergies Montalto advised that this was not a problem and they could easily substitute the seafood dished for something else. True to their word, they did substitute my meals, however they were very inferior to the other menu. I was given a small bowl of chargrilled organic homegrown corn to replace a bowl of pickled octopus and a roasted very bitter eggplant to replace a prawn dish. I must say I was gobsmacked and told them so.
After voicing my dissatisfaction, I was offered confit duck as a substitute. I am certainly a lover of confit duck but by this stage was really over the whole experience. To Montalto credit they did give me a discount on our bill however the whole experience was soooo disappointing. I am not one who usually complains but this time I could not let it go and I wanted to warn others who may have food allergies. On a positive note the staff were all very polite and tried to accomodate. Sadly not a positive experience and would not recommend for anyone who suffers food allergies.
Written 10 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.
PB3068
Melbourne429 contributions
Nov 2022 • friends
Went with friends to the Restaurant at Montalto and had a brilliant dining experience.
From the moment we arrived the service was friendly, attentive and highly professional.
We had the degustation menu and the food did not disappoint. The lamb and prawn dishes were my faves but all good was presented beautifully and was a explosion of flavours.
Not one course was “average” and we went away feeling very content with ourselves.
I have to say that the dessert (see pic) raised eyebrows from the menu but was a very interesting and delicious blend of flavours.
My friends opted for basically a “wine taster” comprising of three different “newish” wines which I heard were very nice. I had a 2016 Pinot Noir which was very easy on the palate.I was also offered extra tastes of two other wines so that as driver I got to taste but not go overboard.
The food, wine and especially the service made this a very enjoyable and memorable lunch.
Written 20 November 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.
Clk32
Shepparton73 contributions
Sept 2022 • couples
Lunch at the Piazza at Montalto winery was certainly a highlight of our trip to this beautiful part of Victoria. The staff are every so warm, friendly and attentive. They’re always willing to help and don’t just forget you after taking your order.
The food was amazing. Being close to the kitchen allowed us to observe the magic within. The happy kitchen staff got along well with each other and this was reflected in the high standard of the food. Everything was made with love.
Our salami pizza was superb, the crust was light and the pizza base was not thin nor was it too thick- it was perfect. The filling was amazing. The seasoned cauliflower was fresh and had a wonderful flavour and the prawn pasta was out of this world. It had soul! While we were there we saw this massive loaf of bread come right out of the oven. I grew weak at the knees. The waiter kindly cut us a couple of slices which we used to mop up the beautiful seafood prawn sauce much to the dismay of a couple of the patrons.
I also tried the grape cola - so refreshing. Speaking of refreshing… the chocolate choc top was tops! It had chocolate ice cream right down the length of the cone.
Both the wonderful staff and high standard of food made our afternoon very special. I cannot wait to return.
Well done Montalto. Bravo.
Written 20 September 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.
Oldjack
Greater Melbourne29518 contributions
June 2022 • none
My last visit was very good but sadly now a disappointment. A fixed menu at $110 was totally over-priced and so too the wine with Montalto's own wine at $67.00, far too high for average stuff that normally is priced at less than half the price.The various plates were not served individually but came buffet style for those on the table and what came was average at best with no style, little innovation. Maybe a little harsh , but for the price I expected much better and came away feeling I had been fleeced, an old expression that means been taking to the cleaners in more ways than one. The service ws fine and the noise level too high for conversation. However, the place was full and was churning out the cash--I hope it continues but I for one will not be back until things change.I was generous at three.
Written 18 June 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.
Helena
2 contributions
Dec 2020 • family
Come here every time I visit my mum as I love the food, scenery and fab service. This time we came and it’s wasn’t really busy, took 15 minutes to even be acknowledged to get a table, which we were happy to ignore. We then ordered one pizza and two wines, two coffees were brought over which we had to redirect to the right table. Our pizza was offered to the table behind us then they directed it to us to which point it was put down then picked up again to check we were the right table. We then watched the waitress take the same pizza to a completely different table and then 5 minutes later came to us saying it was ours however, it was cold. After all this, I had to walk up to a waiter twice to get noticed and order other drinks. Waited another 10 minutes being ignored by all staff to pay and when paying we were apologised to offering to take the coffees off the bill (which we never ordered)! No compensation offered after that mistake and to top it off, we were asked if we wanted to add tip for service! Won’t be returning for a while, pretty disappointing.
Written 21 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.
Natasha D
1 contribution
Feb 2021 • family
I was here with my family and closest friends to celebrate my 21st birthday at a beautiful location such as Montalto. Whilst the views were lovely, the service was not quite as much as well as some of the meals. To make a long story short, this event was meant to be a happy and joyful time and ultimately this was ruined based on being rushed by the waiters basically giving us 10 minutes to sing Happy Birthday and have cake. In addition to this they were going to charge us $8 for each plate to put the cake on?? Like what? Anyway, the main disappointment is that we were told there was a booking after us hence needed to leave, however we stayed longer outside and saw that there was actually no one there afterwards at our table that we left. I must say this really did ruin the mood as I was enjoying having everyone there and for it to be rushed simply for no reason is disappointing. Not to mention spending almost $2000 for the afternoon, it seemed pretty rude to have rushed us in such a way whilst giving them great business. Anyway, as I mentioned the location was lovely and the weather was beautiful however the service received in abundance to the money spent seemed very underwhelming and borderline regrettable.
Written 1 March 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.
nicgonzalez
Sydney71 contributions
Apr 2021 • none
Restaurant amazing - cellar door poor service
The restaurant was absolutely fantastic.
Amazing service and food
They catered for me not wanting seafood either with additional dishes
Will come back here again
Only short coming was the terrible customer service at the cellar door
I wen river to buy the wine I just tried at lunch and the guy was very rude when I turned down the offer to sit and do a wine tasting
I just wanted to try one or two not 6x
He then proceeded to be cold a rude to me
I just spent over $600 at the restaurant and then spent $300 on wine at the cellar
But was still treated like that.
Not on.
Written 25 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.
Oldjack
Greater Melbourne29518 contributions
May 2021 • none
With a new chef advising ( Matt Wilkinson) the food has returned to what Montalto always was and faith has been restored from the last visit some time back where the food was woeful.The service was professional and the food mostly top class for a casual restaurant. The sardine and king fish starters were excellent, but the steak ordinary. Pricing was about right although the wine could be cheaper as it is part of the winery. Overall a good experience and good to see Montalto is back.
Written 6 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.
Liv W
Melbourne8 contributions
Feb 2023 • family
If you're driving an hour from Melbourne for a special lunch or dinner expecting good service from an upscale winery, go somewhere else. The one star is for the view and presentation of the venue.
The staff provide service equivalent of an inner city Cafe - impersonal, arrogant and disinterested in accommodating our needs. The attitude is that you fit in with us so we can churn you through the system, and any kind of request like sitting near a window or finding a shady table outside is just too hard. Trying to give feedback fell on deaf ears.
Food was fine but not good enough to warrant returning.
Written 23 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.
646victoriae
62 contributions
Apr 2021 • none
We enjoyed a private picnic. We were on our way to the winery when we received a call from them just after midday asking if we were still coming! Apparently they usually start at 11 am and the food was waiting for us. I’m not sure why the urgency as the picnic is designed to last for most of the day and the food was perfectly safe in a large cooler box. And 11 am is more than a little early for lunch. Anyway once there we tasted a couple of wines at the cellar door and chose a bottle to take with us. A map directed us to our “secluded” picnic spot, although it was right on the edge of the sculpture trail enjoyed by many families during the course of the day. The table was set with crisp white linen and proper cutlery and glassware, and the food was delicious and plentiful and I must say we really enjoyed it. Our only disappointment was that we had to sit on benches with no backs for several hours and this was not comfortable, which meant it was hard to relax. Probably fine if you’re a bit younger. Blankets were provided and it was quite cold so we were glad of them. Overall an enjoyable experience. If we did it again I think we’d need to take our own chairs.
Written 12 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.
Showing results 1-15 of 843
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