Lobster Cave - Cheltenham

A bit late for this review, but last month in May I brought my family there for a Friday lunch and we loved it. My parents are from interstate and my two aunts are from Singapore and USA and it was so good to be able to get together after so many years and have a nice day out for lunch. We all found the seafood fresh and delicious and the service was amazing from our server Elizabeth and the manager Sue. We ordered the Seafood Platter, plates of the Seafood Jewels, Oysters and Prawn Linguini and they came out quickly even though the place was full. We had a nice table and even though the music was a bit loud, the atmosphere was good. After our meal, Sue gave us port and chocolates to end our wonderful meal. We were also very lucky to win their Friday lunch promotion of a Golf Experience at X-Golf Mornington! Can't wait to go and experience it. Will definitely be back to try all their other offerings! It was great value for money as I had bought their vouchers which saved me 50%. Recommend to book weeks in advance as we couldn't get a dinner reservation so went for lunch which was a great choice as we went to the Brighton Bathing Boxes afterwards.

Had to give them a try, but we won 't be returning. Had a booking for 5:15pm but received a call a couple of hours before and was told to be there at 5pm to space out their arrivals . Bizarre. Started with 3 types of oysters, which were large and fresh. Shared a tureen of lobster bisque, which was tasty but a strange brown colour. Wife had lobster French style, asked for half, but got a whole big lobster which was overcooked and mushy and more like Thermidor than French style. I do lobster at home much better, and these guys are supposed to be lobster experts. I had an eye fillet steak which I asked for medium-well, but came out well. Was still tasty. The au-gratin potatoes cooked in a tiny pot were a joke. Fortunately the wine we chose was a winner, even if dinner was not. The overcooked lobster was $199 and total bill was $499. Not worth it.

We had a fabulous dining experience. The food is delicious and the atmosphere was amazing. We were served by amazing staff who went out of their way to please us. We were given complimentary chocolates, port and baileys. We would definitely recommend this restaurant.

I’ve always heard of the Lobster Cave and finally got around to trying it after buying some double value vouchers during one of the Covid lockdowns. Vouchers must be used in one sitting, so you feel compelled to get close to the face value. Servings are big, there’s no doubt about that and the ‘Perfect Starter with Prawns’ was almost a meal in itself. I love garlic bread so it was right up my alley a good start! The scallop mornay was also a large serving for a starter, alas it was bland and I could barely taste any of the 3 cheeses. After this we had the Oceanic Platter and the Fritto Misto. Quantity was certainly there but the Fritto Misto all started to taste the same and it wasn’t particularly light on the batter. Desserts are $20+ each and pre made and served in a glass and fairly disappointing. Creme brûlée was biggest I’ve ever seen in a restaurant but the chocolate mousse was as far removed from a mousse as I’ve ever seen. We overheard the table next to us ask for the dessert menu at the end of their meal but the waiter told them they had to vacate the table in 14 mins and there wouldn’t be time for dessert. These are pre made and refrigerated desserts that take no time to grab out of the fridge and bring to the table! Overall, service was a bit amateur and messy. One waiter poured the finger cleaning bowl all over my phone, the table next to us had a wine glass knocked over and smashed by another waiter, the table on the other side of us had a water glass knocked over by the finger bowl waiter and our waitress removed salad bits from a bowl with her hand. It seems like a lot of customers are there on behalf of these two for 1 vouchers, so surely they need a better process in place. On calling and reserving my table, the woman took my voucher number and details. On arrival, we said we had a voucher and then at the end of the meal two different staff asked if we wanted to pay by card or cash. Then they want to take your phone up to the counter to scan the code and it’s just plain messy. Sort this out. Finally, I asked for the receipt and was told it would be brought to the table but a few minutes later after not receiving it, I went up to where they’d scanned the voucher and the waitress was holding onto the receipt and having a chat with her colleagues. Lobster Cave positions itself as reasonably high end (admittedly with an expensive product), but the service was way below that. I’m glad I tried it but for a meal a touch under $400, we didn’t feel amazed.

I went lobster cave many times before Covid. Thanks to their EOFY promotion voucher, it bough me back again! We had the Lobster trio and Grilled lobster tails with chips as the Main. The food are fresh and sensational, the service is excellent and full of warm smile. We are so full to have any dessert! But I still remember many years ago their in house made ice cream was the best ever I had in Melbourne. I brought in our favorite wine with no cocktails! What amazing and forgettable experience! Yummy seafood!