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Meet the Chef
Restaurateur Jason Chan is quite used to the sight of confused-looking tourists hesitating at the door of his inner-city Melbourne establishment, Seamstress. Guidebooks clutched tightly, they are expecting to find a place of calm in the city where they can worship while on holiday. Instead, they've happened on one of the most popular restaurant and bar complexes in town and it's little wonder, says Chan, that they seem befuddled. "This building has had a very interesting past. It was a Buddhist temple for a while and is still listed as one in quite a few of the older Chinese guidebooks. People get a bit of a surprise when they turn up." Less embarrassing, though, than if the visitors had been expecting carnal, rather than culinary, pleasures. The 112-year-old building was once also the home of a well-known Melbourne brothel. Fortunately, Chan and his business partner Anthony Herzog chose to be inspired by another chapter in the building's life when selecting a decorating theme: for many years it housed a garment factory. Notoriously, in the 1930s it was raided by police for being a sweatshop. Chan was born and raised in Dunedin, New Zealand and is a fifth-generation restaurant owner. He recently sold Imbibe in Wellington and was part of the winning 42 Below Cocktail World Cup team in 2005.Restaurant menu
- Average price $65
- Crispy Brussels sprouts, white miso & lemon dressing with togarashi
- $9
- Asian garden herb salad with nuoc cham dressing
- $8
- Rocket & broccoli salad with pickled ginger & miso dressing
- $7
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Reviews
Food
Service
Ambience
9-10
7-8
5-6
3-4
1-2
Only users who have booked on the platforms or a booking module of TheFork group and who have dined in this restaurant can leave a rating, with or without a review.
David S.12 April 2022 • 10 reviews
4.5/10First, the waiter got our order wrong (a medium instead of small). When this was pointed out and admitted to we thought the issue was resolved - but when the bill arrived they stil
- Michael E.
30 March 2022 • 27 reviews
10/10The martini was great, food right up there with the best I’ve had, topped off by the excellent and personal service of Dimitri!!! My wife and I loved it.
- Marcus P.
26 March 2022 • 16 reviews
10/10Wow! What tastes abound in this place, tucked away upstairs! Absolutely divine! From the moneybag dumplings to the pork belly, seafood to cocktails, everything was amazing. Food me
- John H.
19 March 2022 • 8 reviews
9/10Cocktails to kick off the evening were lovely and waitress happy to advise on off menu options - great selection. The food was magnificent - great flavours and generous dishes. L
- Jason L.
22 January 2022 • 1 review
9/10Great little restaurant, beautiful food and knowledgeable staff. Excellent drinks menu to partner the rich Asian inspired flavours of the wonderful dishes we enjoyed as part of the banquet.
- Pru M
17 December 2021 • 10 reviews
7/10Lovely to be back to enjoy good service and a great range of interesting drinks / cocktail options. Favourite dishes: the wontons & the brussel sprouts
- Nadz A.
13 December 2021 • 7 reviews
6/10The food was nice but nothing to write home about. The Korean fried chicken should really be boneless. It was also quite dry. The "crispy" pork belly was anything but crispy. The s
- Krystle W.
30 November 2021 • 3 reviews
9/10Food was fabulous, server was really lovely and full of personality. The front of house when she greeted us looked like she would rather be anywhere but where she was which let it down abit.
- Elizabeth M.
16 November 2021 • 23 reviews
8.5/10So good to be back out in Melbourne! This is a great place with lots of tasty selections and helpful and friendly staff.
- Jason V.
15 July 2021 • 1 review
10/10This is an amazing restaurant to find and one i wish we had known about earlier. The staff were just the best and added to the experience!!! We will be going back again soon.
- Sue M.
9 July 2021 • 1 review
10/10We loved our dining experience at the Seamstress. The setting and decor are great and sets a tone straight away. We felt that the food and service were terrific.
- Jane C.
3 July 2021 • 3 reviews
9/10Seemed to be understaffed but drinks and food were delicious and served in a timely manner. Value for money, a cute little restaurant will definitely visit again.
- Jodie F.
25 June 2021 • 1 review
10/10Food, service, atmosphere was all delightful. Would definitely go again. Highly recommend the ‘feed me’ option. Oh and the Brussel sprouts are well worth giving a try
- Keith C.
23 June 2021 • 7 reviews
9.5/10Seamstress is a gem of a restaurant. Super share menu selections along with excellent knowledgeable staff. Nice atmosphere reflecting the rag trade background of the venue
- Justine L.
18 June 2021 • 1 review
3/10Cocktails were great but food was very average and overpriced. Took a very long time to come too! Really nice menu but disappointing in execution
- Paris C.
16 June 2021 • 1 review
10/10Good service ????????
- Lesley S.
22 May 2021 • 1 review
8/10The upstairs bar was cosy and intimate, with an arty vibe and good lighting- service was great and drinks menu good. Down 1 level restaurant was not so cool, ie plastic plants from
- Lauren T.
15 May 2021 • 1 review
10/10Great ambience, service, food, drinks and vibe...Luke the waiter was awesome. Upstairs bar has cosy, comfortable seating and isn’t too noisy. Will definitely be back!
- Matthew R.
9 May 2021 • 1 review
10/10Our family celebrated Mother’s Day together and we attended on a rare Sunday opening. The ambience was inviting, service friendly and food tasty and interesting . Highly recommended.
- Stephen m.
7 May 2021 • 2 reviews
9/10Initially staff were slow to offer anything to drink after we sat down, but after that service improved. The crispy pork belly is absolutely delicious. We each got a different dess
Tripadvisor reviews
488 Tripadvisor Reviews
More information
How to get to the restaurant
113 Lonsdale Street, 3000, Melbourne (VIC), Australia
Directions to get there
About the restaurant
Things aren't what they seam
The Seamstress Restaurant lives in a house steeped in history. This is one of Chinatown's hidden gems. At first it kinda feels like you're climbing up stairs into a forgotten attic but once you're there the space is a pleasant surprise. You see, Seamstress restaurant lives in a 120-year-old building that was once a textile factory and even an old Buddhist monastery. Now it's a jazzy restaurant that does modern Cantonese food with panache. It's a pretty sight to behold, and a break from the red and gold Chinatown standards. With bare bricks and light polished wood, this restaurant has a fresh and contemporary atmosphere. Here you'll find a lunching business crew and curious customers after an elegant dinner. Based on the dishes of China, the menu also makes some detours into the flavours of Asian, and each item has a small medium and large so you can build your own delicious course or share the goodness with friends. Forget raucous Chinese restaurants and getting nudged by yum cha trolleys! Come to Seamstress and make the most of Chinatown's best kept secret.
Best dish: 12-hour braised Berkshire pork belly, jicama salad and kohlrabi kimchi
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