The Moat

4.9

326 Reviews

$A41 to $A100

Italian

Make a reservation

2 people

Feb 26, 2025

8:30 p.m.

Booked 12 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.

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
$A41 to $A100
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
Phone number
(03) 9094 7820
Website
http://www.themoat.com.au/
Payment Options
AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress
Private party facilities
For Private Functions please Contact Rosie via email: info@themoat.com.au

Location
176 Little Lonsdale St, Melbourne, AU-VIC 3000
Neighbourhood
Melbourne CBD
Cross Street
Swanston and Little Lonsdale
Parking details
Parking available at QV Centre
Public transit
Melbourne Central
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, Beer Garden, Cocktails, Delivery, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Happy Hour, Outdoor Smoking Area, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

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 326 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

Melbourne
Italian
Inner City
Best Food
Inner City
Best Ambience
Inner City
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.

326 Reviews

L
Louise
Melbourne
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined 5 days ago
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.
Is this helpful?
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 today
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!
Is this helpful?
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 today
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!
Is this helpful?
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 today
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!
Is this helpful?
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 today
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.
Is this helpful?
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 today
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!
Is this helpful?
C
Colin
Melbourne
6 reviews
5.0
6 reviews
Dined on January 23, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
The fish is so good worth the price a bit of wait but overall it’s very good
The MoatResponded today
Thank you so much for the five star review, Colin! We hope you'll join us again soon.
Is this helpful?
D
Daniel
London
7 reviews
5.0
7 reviews
Dined on January 22, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Lovely evening, food and wine were delicious! Very Melbourne…
The MoatResponded today
Daniel, thanks for choosing The Moat! We are so happy to hear that you loved your time with us and we hope you'll dine with us again soon.
Is this helpful?
D
Danielle
Melbourne
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on January 17, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
Food was delicious atmosphere engaging though bit noisy with larger party and table a bit close to accommodate. Smaller menu choices but all we had was amazingly tasty. Highly recommend the whole fish cooked in porcini butter.
The MoatResponded on January 29, 2025
Danielle, thank you for the five star review. We are so pleased to hear that you loved dining with us! We hope you'll join us again soon.
Is this helpful?
M
Meaghan
Dublin
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on January 15, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Favourite Italian restaurant in Melbourne! The staff are so friendly, knowledgable and helpful, could not recommend more and the food is divine!
The MoatResponded on January 29, 2025
Meaghan, thank you so much for your kind words! We are so pleased to be your favourite Italian restaurant in Melbourne and the team looks forward to seeing you again soon!
Is this helpful?

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 326 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a reservation

2 people

Feb 26, 2025

8:30 p.m.

Booked 12 times today

Experiences are available.

Order delivery or takeout

176 Little Lonsdale St, Melbourne, AU-VIC 3000

Additional information

Cross Street
Swanston and Little Lonsdale
Neighbourhood
Melbourne CBD
Hours of Operation
Wed–Fri 12:00 pm–10:00 pm Dinner Tue, Sat 4:00 pm–10:00 pm
Price
$A41 to $A100
Cuisines
Italian, Cocktail Bar, Mediterranean
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
Parking available at QV Centre
Public transit
Melbourne Central
Payment Options
AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, Beer Garden, Cocktails, Delivery, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Happy Hour, Outdoor Smoking Area, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
http://www.themoat.com.au/
Phone number
(03) 9094 7820
Private party facilities
For Private Functions please Contact Rosie via email: info@themoat.com.au

The Moat

Make a reservation

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

Experiences

Gnocchi Night!

Lunch Special!

Chef's feed me menu

Menu

What 326 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

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information