The Moat

4.9

330 Reviews

$41 to $100

Italian

Make a reservation

2 people

Mar 8, 2025

7:30 PM

Booked 8 times today

Experiences are available.

Charming
Good for special occasions
Good for groups

Enjoy an Italian escape at The Moat, an intimate haven in the heart of Melbourne.
Set in the basement of the State Library.
Our new menu reflects the Italian heritage of our two owners, Paul and Rosie, and of our head chef Monica. Together, they have created authentic dishes that are hand-made with seasonal local produce, simplicity and love.
Our family welcomes yours to join us.

Private dining

Book your next event with us

View details

Additional information

Location
176 Little Lonsdale St, Melbourne, AU-VIC 3000
Phone number
(03) 9094 7820
Price
$41 to $100
Cuisines
Italian, Cocktail Bar, Mediterranean
Hours of operation
Wed–Fri 12:00 pm–10:00 pm Dinner Tue, Sat 4:00 pm–10:00 pm
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
Parking available at QV Centre
Payment options
AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
Delivery & takeout
Order direct

Experiences

Gnocchi Night!
A$40.00 per person
Multiple dates available
Join us every Wednesday for Gnocchi Night! Enjoy your choice of three pasta dishes, each featuring our handmade gnocchi, served with a side salad and a glass of red or white house wine for just $40 per person. It's the perfect mid-week treat!
Lunch Special!
A$35.00 per person
Multiple dates available
On Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays enjoy our lunch special: a plate of our silky handmade pasta and a glass of wine for just $35.
Chef's feed me menu
A$80.00 per person
Multiple dates available
for parties larger than 8 enjoy a family style feed me menu of the chefs favourite dishes. Let us know if we need to consider any special diets and we will make it happen

What 330 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.9

4.9 based on recent ratings

4.8Food
4.8Service
4.8Ambience
4.6Value

Noise • Energetic

Loved For

City Centre
Best Overall
City Centre
Best Food
City Centre
Best Service
City Centre
Best Ambiance
City Centre
Good for business meals
City Centre
Italian

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

The Moat offers an exceptional dining experience with "attentive service" and "delicious food." Its "vibrant underground" ambiance and "handmade pasta" are notable highlights. The restaurant is a "hidden gem" in Melbourne, perfect for both meals and drinks. A "favorite Italian" spot with a "friendly" and "knowledgeable" staff.

330 Reviews

G
Georgia
Victoria
5 reviews
5.0
5 reviews
Dined 1 day ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Fantastic lunch special - great value for money and the special of the day gnocchi with the lamb was to die for!
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Melbourne
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 7 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Our pre theatre go too. Italian. Never disappointed! Food divine, staff friendly, quick service.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Melbourne
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on February 28, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Wonderful staff great food and very gluten free friendly we always come here when we are in Melbourne
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S
Sally
Melbourne
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on February 27, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
The Moat is a hidden gem. Delicious food, lovely service - I have never been disappointed.
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L
Louise
Melbourne
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined on February 21, 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 3
Food was lovely and service attentive. I did ask that the play list be changed as I'm not a fan of rap and someone kindly obliged, which I appreciated. It's a great place for a drink after an exhibition launch at RMIT galleries, which is why we were there.
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j
justine
VIP
NT
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on February 18, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Exceptional from linen table cloth to warm service to hand made pasta. Every time.
The MoatResponded on February 26, 2025
Justine, thank you for your kind words. We are so happy to learn that you love spending time at The Moat and we look forward to your next visit!
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S
Sam
Melbourne
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on February 8, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Lovely bar with nice staff and good ambience. And close to The Wheeler Centre.
The MoatResponded on February 26, 2025
Thank you for your lovely review, Sam! We were honoured to host your book launch and we hope you'll stop by and see us again soon!
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C
Connor
Adelaide
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on February 7, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We had a great dinner here, the staff were all very friendly and really made our night, especially offering to take our photo
The MoatResponded on February 26, 2025
Connor, we're so happy to hear that you loved dining at The Moat and to learn that our team took such great care of you! Thank you for the five star review and we hope you'll dine with us again soon!
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E
Ed
VIP
Philadelphia
54 reviews
5.0
54 reviews
Dined on February 5, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Had a wonderful Gnocchi “night” dinner. Excellent wine and great servixe!
The MoatResponded on February 26, 2025
Thanks for joining us for our Wednesday Gnocchi Night, Ed! We're so happy to hear that you loved our handmade gnocchi and we hope you'll dine with us again.
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N
Nancy
Melbourne
5 reviews
5.0
5 reviews
Dined on January 31, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
The Moat is always an enjoyable experience whether dropping in for drinks or for a meal.
The MoatResponded on February 26, 2025
Nancy, we're so happy to hear that you love spending time with us! Thank you for your kind words and five star review; we look forward to seeing you again soon!
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FAQs

The Moat offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (03) 9094 7820.

The Moat is rated 4.9 stars by 330 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people

Mar 8, 2025

7:30 PM

Booked 8 times today

Experiences are available.

176 Little Lonsdale St, Melbourne, AU-VIC 3000

Additional information

Phone number
(03) 9094 7820
Price
$41 to $100
Cuisines
Italian, Cocktail Bar, Mediterranean
Hours of operation
Wed–Fri 12:00 pm–10:00 pm Dinner Tue, Sat 4:00 pm–10:00 pm
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
Parking available at QV Centre
Payment options
AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
Delivery & takeout
Order direct

The Moat

Make a reservation

Private dining

Additional information

Experiences

Gnocchi Night!

Lunch Special!

Chef's feed me menu

Menu

What 330 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

Review summary

FAQs

Does The Moat offer delivery through OpenTable or takeout?

How is The Moat restaurant rated?

Is The Moat currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Additional information