Great bar, very cool vibes and the owner is lovely. A huge selection of drinks, a nice atmosphere and big windows that would open in summer for a nice breeze. In winter it’s cosy
J
James Dean
Google
3 months ago
5.0
Perfect little bar hidden away from the crowded city, love the chill atmosphere. A great place to bring a few friends for some drinks.
S
Sirius Quarks
Google
4 months ago
5.0
Great place to meet friends before a night out in the Melbourne CBD. Interesting selection of food and even better selection of beverages in an inner city bar. Great atmosphere unlike so many city bars that try to be swanky with overpriced drinks.
F
FoodPlease
Zomato
10 months ago
5.0
This place is a weird little dive bar hidden upstairs down an alley way which really adds to its charm.<br/>I loved going here with my partner and having a couple of drinks by the window looking out on the laneway. The drinks were great too.<br/>We are from Brisbane but we have been here a few times and really enjoy it.
G
Greatatuin42
Zomato
11 months ago
4.0
Good food. Reasonably priced.
N
Nicole Bowden
Google
2 years ago
5.0
Such an awesome bar for locals or tourists. The bartenders are some of the nicest people I’ve met. Good selection of everything including beer and spirits. Food was great too, I tried a katsu burger that was delicious. Great central location with lots of other spots around.
J
Jim Tan
Google
2 years ago
5.0
I had a great time at this place, staff is very friendly, made me a super nice sour whisky and share with me nice places for dinner.
I recommend anyone read this post to try their sour whisky with or without egg white.
I’ll visit again when I come back to Mel.
G
Gemma
Google
2 years ago
4.0
A quiet getaway from the hustle and bustle. Staff were really lovely and it has a comfy interior. We had the mushroom burger and cauliflower/saffron soup which didn't wow me, but it was really hearty and left us feeling rejuvenated.
V
Vidula Bhatt
Google
3 years ago
4.0
Nice ambience, placed in a small lane near Flinders street on the first floor of the building.
It offers good food and drinks. Seating for around 15-18 people.
G
George Forgan-Smith
Google
4 years ago
4.0
Great spot for a quick bite in Melbourne’s CBD. Hidden upstairs on the popular food street Centre Place, this bar/restaurant has a great view of the street below without the hustle and bustle.
Service was really friendly and I can see they do get busy on week day lunches.
There is an extensive bar so I imagine evenings can be a fun stop.
Menu was nice spins on lunch classics as well as some nice specials.
I enjoyed my meatball roll.
Well priced and it was a nice mini break between busy shifts at work.
Recommended.
W
Withaknifeandfork
Zomato
Jul 29, 2019
3.0
We loved 😍<br/>The breads and dips were delicious! It was the highlight of our visit!<br/>The meatballs in the sub were also very flavourful. <br/><br/>We disliked 😖<br/>The burgers/sub came with crisps which didn’t really go well.
J
James
Zomato
Jul 24, 2018
5.0
Haven’t been to this little place in a while and was so happy to see it was the great product I remembered. Had the juice of the day watermelon mint and the bagel of the week. Both excellent and my coffee was tasty too. The staff were super friendly and entertaining. Playing some funky disco tunes certainly made the brunch more chill. I need to come back more often! Thanks guys :)
T
Timinmelbourne
Zomato
Jul 23, 2018
3.0
Update <br/>I realised that I went to what I thought was Hells Kitchen to grab a coffee at the cafe at street level as the only sign I could see was Hells Kitchen. My bad. <br/><br/>Today I realised that Hell’s Kitchen is upstairs above the cafe so I went up to investigate this place. <br/><br/>This appeared to be American style bar judging by the food that I ordered on the specials board. <br/><br/>I ordered a Crocodile Po' Boy baguette. It had crocodile tail, lime mayo and coleslaw, tomato, in a baguette. The side was half a gherkin and some crisps (not hot chips).<br/><br/>This certainly was a different dish lol. I haven't had crocodile for a while, and this definitely didn't taste like chicken! <br/><br/>It had a more gamey flavour, quite pungent really. It was a bit of a shock hahaha and my first bite was quite chewy, and tough. <br/><br/>The coleslaw was quite dry and the crisps made this dish hard to finish. I asked for water and I was told that there were jugs of water on the side. <br/><br/>All I could think about was what GR might think about this place, minus the expletives hahaha<br/><br/>Oh and one last thing, try not to use the facilities!
K
Kimberley
Zomato
Sep 25, 2017
4.5
Try the Aloha pizza so delicious. Staff were friendly. Small venue with no happy hour so for two glasses of wine it was $17. Nice place to eat and run. Will go back for sure.
I
Ignatia
Zomato
Jun 28, 2017
4.0
Hell's Kitchen is a really nice place to relax if you want to take a break from the bustling street of Centre Place. As it is located upstairs, you can enjoy your lunch while looking down the street. My first experience here was great. I ordered Hello-me, which is a burger with slaw, cheese, coriander and golden raisins. It tasted unique — I'd never had burger with that kind of flavor before but it was not weird at all. In fact, I loved it and highly recommend Hello-me if you come to Hell's Kitchen. I also tried the Inglorious sausage, which has bigger portion than Hello-me but was not as glorious as I expected it to be. It was still good though, but I'd give Hello-me 5/5, while just about 3.8/5 for Inglorious sausage. On a side note, the service was good and very attentive.
S
Stu
Zomato
Apr 08, 2017
3.5
This is a great little lunch place for a Friday afternoon. When we walked in, the first thing we were asked wasn't "do you want a table?" but "do you want a beer?". The food was tasty as well. I could see meyself coming here on another Friday for lunch and not leaving until close. It's also located away from all the pedestrians on Centre Place with it being on the first level.
T
The City Lane
Zomato
Mar 27, 2017
3.5
Hells Kitchen is one of those most Melbourne of venues. To find it you need to walk down a laneway (Centre Place) then up a flight of stairs. Those who make the effort to seek it out will be rewarded.
P
Plaunge
Zomato
Nov 05, 2016
4.0
Friendly, good food, great spot above Centre Place. Always happy to head to hell's for a Friday lunch with a cheeky drink and a pulled pork burger.
A
Avolette
Zomato
Aug 19, 2016
3.0
A semi-hidden blink and you’ll miss it staircase next to Jungle Juice, that lead up to an eclectic bar that played some interesting music, had some pretty old school decor and displayed patterned wallpaper.<br/><br/>The Hells Red 13, a Cab Merlot from Northern Victoria (it was also the $8.50 house special), was delicious and quite impressive.<br/><br/>Would return for some after work drinks.
S
Shock Nwave
Zomato
Aug 07, 2016
4.0
Great atmosphere especially if you go upstairs and get a window seat. It's also an escape from the hustle and bustle noise of the lane below. The margherita pizza is nice and nicer when you place chilli flakes on it. Also they play good tunes. This place has improved since the last time I was here years ago.
W
Will Tran
Zomato
Jul 27, 2016
4.5
This place is everything. I enjoy eating the pizza here, they're on par with the pizzas at Lucky Coq in Prahran. Just close enough. 👏🏽 <br/><br/>Hands down bringing in the loveliest of service. This place is quite lowly lit, so anyone who plans to take a good photo for their Instagram feeds. This ain't the place unless the dark theme with flash on is yo thang. ✨<br/><br/>You pay beforehand before you sit down or you can sit down first but still gotta pay beforehand but really this doesn't matter because this place is chill as. Although, I'd pay first before the food arrives. 😊<br/><br/>
B
Bronimal
Zomato
May 12, 2016
5.0
It just occurred to me that I basically live at this place but have yet to review it! FOR SHAME! Now, on to more pressing matters, Hell's Kitchen is hands down, unequivocally, irrefutably my favourite bar in the CBD. <br/><br/>Being located in such close proximity to my place of employment does not bode well for the bank balance but, hey, what else is a millennial going to squander their income on if not liquor? And Hell's has this in abundance; the Bloody Marys made with house infused chilli vodka are the bane of my existence. Russ (the charming owner of this magnificent establishment) makes a Bloody Mary par excellence. In fact, he could profitably trade off this concoction alone. <br/><br/>But wait, there's more! He makes outstanding food too! As a vegan (ergo incapable of speaking from personal experience) I have it on good authority that the fried chicken is a thing of wonder. Get amongst it!
G
Grace Sia
Zomato
Mar 31, 2016
2.5
It’s hidden away upstairs in the busy streets of Degraves. You can get an awesome window seat and just watch people which is probably the best thing about this place. Menu is decent but not cheap for a café. In the end my friend and I ordered the equivalent of subways which were slightly better than Subway but definitely smaller portions. (Smaller portions is negative points in my opinion).
B
Bamposs
Zomato
Dec 08, 2015
4.0
For me this is one of the best two or three bars in Melbourne. A good scene and always excellent music. If you get a seat by the window you have it made.
T
Tay Tee
Zomato
Jul 03, 2015
4.0
Had heard about this place from a few friends but never visited. Friday lunch time I had the chance with a group of eight, to eat at this hidden restaurant. Service was great, friendly and humorous. From the beginning the waiter said our food may be staggered arriving, however wasn't too bad. The food itself was absolutely delicious. The entire group throughly enjoyed their meals, the atmosphere was nice and chilled adding to the quirky ambience of the place. Would definitely visit again!!
B
Ben
Zomato
Jun 28, 2015
5.0
Great spot! You can hang out upstairs and people watch at the people walking below. My fav here is the meatball sub. They also serve Mountain Goat beer for the afternooners...
H
Hula Jarmusch
Zomato
Dec 12, 2014
4.5
A Melbourne icon! And the food is the best it's ever been. Always playing good tunes too. Great joint
R
Regina.whish.wilson
Zomato
Sep 11, 2014
4.5
Favourite place in the city for a beer and a friendly meal. Hell's is the ideal city local for a friendly lunch and beer, or a cruisey boozey night. Manhattan vibes, great food (amazing tasty specials! Pulled pork rolls, fried chicken burgers! The adults "fillet'o'fish"! Drools!!), and great staff who make you feel welcome. Great decor, intimate tables, great art and murals, delicious wines and cool times. I reckon Hell's is the place to be on a rainy day or a sunny day. A quiet shot of fernet-branca (I'd get them to keep the bottle down - it's delish!) and a tasty pizza from Hell's is summertime dreams.
T
The Travel Journo
Zomato
Sep 10, 2014
0.0
Located in Melbourne most trendy laneway, Centre Place, Hells Kicthen is 2 levels of awesome! It also holds a warm fuzzy place in this journalists heart as it was the first cafe I ever went to in Melbourne! Way back when grey hairs were a thing somewhere in the future I visited Hell and was left smiling from ear to ear. Boasting some great feeds and fantastically fresh clean beer, Hells has been doing its thing for years. When it comes to coffee they do a good drop indeed and I have spent many hours upstairs whiling away on the computer taking in all the sounds that perforate the big open windows. It has some a great people watching spot upstairs that I think I have been a voyeur from for hours upon end. The staff are great and very hospitable and will let you know about all the local happenings. The feeling is hip! So hip that it hurts my brain to think about it! Go to hell and feel like you’ve landed in heaven and tell them that THE TRAVEL JOURNO sent you! Coffee: 3.5 passport stam
D
Donald
Zomato
Aug 23, 2014
4.5
Spunky joint maate.
T
TheRemix
Zomato
Aug 05, 2014
4.5
My first choice everytime for a post work tipple! Great vibes, tunes and always friendly faces. If you want to feel like you've arrived home after an ordinary day, then this is your spot! Only it's far better equipped to welcome you than your lounge room
I
Ishbelle
Zomato
Jul 09, 2014
4.5
Loved the food, coffee and decor - even if it is kitsch and cliched, it worked to get me in the door! Service ok - maybe it's had an overhaul since some of the earlier reviews were written? Loved the storybook menus.
R
R_temprest
Zomato
Jul 04, 2014
2.0
Horrible Service!. Unbelievably rude staff, my friend ordered a hot chocolate and asked if she could pay by eftpos to which the lovely manager responded "you're the most annoying customer I've had all day". Unbelievable.
K
Kianaminkie21
Zomato
Jul 03, 2014
0.0
Most shocking coffee date ever.. Experience instantly ruined as half an hour in a stylish mature gentleman, presumably the owner came over to us and berated us for simply buying a coffee, and told us we " clearly needed a lesson in going out". In an increasingly raised voice he told us it's not a library, and we need to leave immediately. Shocked. I told him perhaps he was irritated unnecessarily, as we were enjoying the place, and by doing so we would love to come back and buy more coffee and wine. He told us don't bother coming back because we were not welcome, and "people like you disgust me with your lack of appreciation for what we offer here". We were quiet, and in no way acting out of normal, coffee date manners. <br/><br/>Retaliating, we pointed out that the place was near empty and any business should be welcomed, and as we were leaving he yelled "Just go, F*** off!"<br/><br/>Had coffee with my girlfriend for the first time at Hell's Kitchen. Thought "I would love to come back and have a wine one night" as there is a great ambience there. Hell's Kitchen...Hell nooooo. The only Hell upstairs is the manager.
M
Manual Eater
Zomato
Dec 22, 2013
4.5
Nice place for a catch up and drink.
N
Nicholas Dircks
Zomato
Dec 07, 2013
4.5
I have eaten here too many times to count, often for slightly boozy lunches. The food and atmosphere is fantastic. Of particular note is the Pulled Pork Roll, which fortunately is on the specials board most of the time now, but there are lots of other menu items that are great too. The owner is great too - he recognises repeat customers/ regulars and goes out of his way to make everyone feel welcome (which does not always happen at other venues).
J
Jack
Zomato
Oct 05, 2013
4.5
Great place to chilli out
T
Thecafesnob
Zomato
Feb 08, 2013
0.0
The decor is cool. Think warm, red, earthy tones & paisley patterned walls teamed with floorboards. It’s cosy & you can easily find a little corner to shmooze in. The last time i was here, i was meeting up with some friends & i got there early. I made myself awkwardly comfortable at the bar & tried not to feel too self conscious of the fact i was at a bar alone.
C
Corza_21
Zomato
Jan 26, 2013
4.5
Great!. Went into this gem on Christmas eve. We had the chicken pita which came with a side of kettle potato chips which we found very different.... but we loved it. Chicken pita was the best I've ever had. Nice little spot!
C
Callum
Zomato
Jan 06, 2013
2.0
Stank of smoke. The bar is up a stairwell that comes from Centre Place. About ten hipsters standing there smoking, its fully covered so breaks the law. in the bar I could see and smell the smoke.
D
Dan From Melbourne
Zomato
Jul 19, 2012
4.5
Hell’s Kitchen is also a bar by night, and while I haven’t been at this stage apparently it’s a lot of fun for a spot to drink. If you’ve been there please let me know.
M
Mr Creosote
Zomato
Jul 10, 2012
4.5
Great place to escape hustle of city below and chill out with tasty, simple and delicious food, great coffee and good service. Perfect for lunch.
H
Harbs
Zomato
Jun 24, 2012
2.0
Disappointing. Staff were rude, won't hurry back.
K
Karma Clarke
Zomato
Jun 12, 2012
4.5
Great view, beautiful food. I love this place.
F
Foody11
Zomato
May 13, 2012
2.0
Waited for 10 minutes to order while the staff had a lovely chat. Dont bother.
G
Grumphy
Zomato
Mar 12, 2012
4.5
Had a great late lunch on Sunday afternoon here - spicy minestrone for the win! Not a bad wine range either, and nice chill music that suited the time of day without being boring. My only quibble is the $20 eftpos minimum - doesn't mix well with a low cost lunch special. a drink and the meal came in at $19 and would have been less if i'd had a beer. $10-15 would be a more reasonable limit, and it needs to be clearly signposted too. Barkeep was nice enough to let me use the card anyway though. Thanks!
R
Ramieleatsshootsandleaves
Zomato
Feb 13, 2012
2.5
Just because all we had was your average coffee, sit in, doesn't mean your service performance had to be below average...
J
Josh
Zomato
Jan 24, 2012
4.5
These people who complain about the food are obviously privileged people who demand an experience for their dollars in a bar. Hells Kitchen is a bar/cafe (the name is confusing) but locals and regulars know it as just "Hells" . when the bar opened 10 years ago there was a food focus but it is not so any more. there are so many foodie bars, restaurants in melbourne why bother competing. Hells kitchen usually only has 2 staff on, so if you expect gourmet food you are kidding yourself. The least enjoyable thing i have experienced about hells kitchen are the middle class mothers clubs that turn up every now and then and complain about every thing. It's a little bar and they play great music. They have the lowest turn over of staff out of any bar/cafe i have ever known. Hells Kitchen does not need you whingers because it is a real little melbourne bar with great local and international music (both live and dj's) and all the imitators will come and go around it. integrity is what matters, not bending over backwards to over privileged private school kids with modern and self inflicted eating disorders.
D
Dugfish
Zomato
Dec 11, 2011
4.5
Nice Czech beer on tap, food av. to good, interesting goth/industrial music but best of all quiet and lots of space on a Saturday night
R
Rachel Smith
Zomato
Nov 30, 2011
4.5
Love sitting at this place above the lane (away from mad lunch time crowd). friendly vibe and menu is straightforward, unpretentious and I find food always fresh and good. usually have one of the toasted pides, or half half. Also BEST homemade soups. But Today had the jerk chicken - most delicious lunch I've had in ages. Yum! Love it.
J
Johnny Suparocker
Zomato
Jul 22, 2011
4.5
Hell'sKitchen: been going for ten years. I recently read a bad review of Hells Kitchen, and felt compelled to reply. If you are a particularly annoying customer, allow me to let you in on a sad/hilarious truth: the more annoying a customer you are, the more incentive the staff have to tell you whatever it takes to get you to leave. As a chef, I have watched, and been very impressed with, the skill the staff at hells kitchen exhibit as they prepare meals on a two-hot-plated electric stove - during service. Allergies and food intolerances aside, expecting a full synopsis of ingredients from staff at a bar who are busy being barista, bar tender and cook, is a mite precious. Perhaps you should eat (given your clearly very specific - voluntary - dietary 'needs') at the plethora of vegetarian restaurants melbourne has to offer. Much love to all the staff at Hells Kitchen - you guys do a fantastic job.
B
Bobby
Zomato
Jul 18, 2011
4.5
Half and Half Woo-Hoo. Have been having lunch at Hells for some time now, and always enjoy the soup there.. I never fail to have a giggle when they have what they call "The Bad Boy" soup on the menu board. ( a spicy Italian sausage soup) Now they have started doing a Half and Half, which is half a soup and half a Pide, served with crisps and a pickle. Although its far from original idea,(popular at diners around the states) its pretty awesome dipping a toasted Pide into a gooey soup!
A
ALCorn
Zomato
Jul 09, 2011
2.0
Not the place to go if you want fresh food.. I had heard that this place had good food, and was excited to try it out. Being a pretty strict vegetarian I like to ask about the ingredients, especially for soups because they're often made with chicken or beef stock. <br/>However none of the staff present on the day I went there knew what was in any of the food. I thought this sounded odd and asked why - I was then told they don't actually make their own food, they buy pre-made soups and food and microwave to order, and apparently there are no ingredients on the packets. Umm... <br/>I just think in this day and age you should be able to tell your customers what they are eating if requested, especially with all the current awareness about allergies.
C
Cubicspoon
Zomato
Apr 30, 2011
4.5
Friendly. Can't say I've been tempted by most of the crap that is in Centre place but Hell's tickled something of my fancy so ventured in. Had the vego soup of the day. Reasonably priced, tasty and filling. Wait staff were friendly and it was good to see Mercury cider on the drinks menu.<br/><br/>Overall just had a good chilled out vibe and the food I had was reasonably priced so at least one thumb up.
S
Suedy
Zomato
Feb 12, 2011
4.5
Got the pizza and loved every bite! Fast service, and a great no-fuss atmosphere to kick back and chat with friends.
D
Dani-licious
Zomato
Oct 31, 2010
2.0
Dull & bland. Hell's is centrally located for myself and former work friends to catch up in the city for lunch. Sadly the food never impresses. Whilst the menu promises so much the meals fail to deliver. I ordered the chorizo & provolone cheese focaccia this time around which was oily, messy and without flavour. The lamb kofta I've eaten before is also quite ordinary. The tables spill your drinks which I would have an easy fix. I'll be recommending another meeting place after giving this place plenty of chances to impress without success.
D
D
Zomato
May 15, 2010
2.0
Rubbish. Was exited to check this place out given the positive review here. What a disappointment. Ordered chicken salad. Chicken was cold and dry, cucumber was frozen and the dressing was bland. My friend ordered a Chorizo pide. Very average. I would avoid. There are much better places to eat in the city.
E
Eat And Be Merry Crew
Zomato
May 06, 2010
0.0
Our experience at Hell's Kitchen was far from hellish, but unfortunately it also had no brownies ... but more on that later. The entrance Contrary to popular belief and according to the restaurant sign out front, Hell is upstairs (or this version of hell
M
MEL: HOT OR NOT
Zomato
Oct 23, 2009
0.0
I don’t think there’s many bars in Melbourne where you can order a gooey chocolate fudge cake at beer o’clock instead of a pint.
J
Jon
Zomato
Aug 31, 2009
4.5
Locating hells kitchen is a task in itself and the challenge is one of it's alluring characteristics. It is a must for a quick lunch or an extended after work drink with ur latest visitor from interstate. It is an ideal spot to vicariously observe the bohemian laneway culture of Melbourne while enjoying the layback but efficient and friendly service offered. The menu is simple but contains an enticing array of vegetarian dishes, which hark back to it's alternative wine bar origins.
