Monster Kitchen And Bar

Ovolo's "YEAR OF THE VEG" has been wonderfully executed at Monster, with the food remaining just as delicious as ever. Having a few plates to share after seeing a movie downstairs is a fantastic experience, and the scenery adds to the very unique vibe of the Nishi Building.

Hope to see more exciting events like May's Monster Mash in the future.

Had such an beautiful time here the other night. Absolutely delicious food and amazing service. Thank you AJ and Phoebe for making our dining experience so special. I’ll be back for sure!

I’m only giving an extra star for the food. We came around lunch time and it’s was basically empty. Stood right in front of our server who had her back turned and was on her laptop. She seemed disinterested and was slightly rude when we asked for the menus and she was carrying her phone around whilst she was serving meals. We’re disappointed as we’ve been here before and had a wonderful experience. You can get better service from McDonald’s.

Such a lovely place. The food was amazing and creative, the whole experience was delicious. Impeccable customer service. Highly recommend!

Food: 4/5 (flavoursome, unique vegetarian dishes)
Service: 1/5 (food served cold, inattentive staff)

We arrived five minutes before our booking for 2 people and were led to the bar area to have a seat whilst our table was being readied. 15 minutes later we still weren’t seated, so we wondered if they were running behind on reservations (unlikely to be the case, since the restaurant was only half full).

We ordered drinks and food shortly before the group of 8 next to us ordered. But somehow they ended up receiving drinks and entrees about 15 minutes before we did.

Our entrees and drinks were delicious, once they arrived.

There was about a half hour wait for our mains, with no check-ins from staff to refill water or order additional drinks, even though they checked on the group next to us several times. From where we were seated it was also difficult to flag them down, as much as we tried to. Throughout the night we also noticed staff members gathering at the waiter’s station chatting amongst themselves.

We found the mains to be delicious but the food was served lukewarm, borderline cold - disappointing considering we had ordered the roast pumpkin and twice-cooked potatoes.

Finished our mains and requested the menus for dessert; after about 10 minutes of trying to get service to place our dessert order we still couldn’t flag anyone down (despite there only being about 4 tables at this point) so we decided to just get the bill and leave.

Overall, the food was delicious and we would love to return, if the dishes were actually served hot. The service was completely lacking. Given that there are so many existing reviews that point out the subpar service, it would be great to see this addressed through better training for staff and more effective systems.

Slow service because they were so busy but amazing cocktails!

Very accommodating for a large fussy group. Great atmosphere and menu. Professional polite staff

I have not eaten at this restaurant. It was booked out. But I pressed my face to the window and watched the people inside, and let me tell you - if it tastes as good as it looks, then damn. Five stars.

The atmosphere is wonderful, the staff are lovely and the food is pretty great. I love the fact that a vegan diet is catered for. The service however wasn't as good as I was expecting. I also think a booking system is needed for people wanting to come to dine in rather than having to rock up and hope to get a table. A dessert wine was needed on the menu especially when you have such an array of wonderful food items. The cocktails were fabulous but I was disappointed with how many drinks were out of stock on the menu. From this experience I will be back for a drink as I'm still thinking about the cocktails and the atmosphere of the venue but I dont know if I would for the rest.

Great food, great service, great venue.

Had a nice dinner there Saturday night. Food was excellent, some interesting dishes that were not the norm but very well done. Service was excellent, always there when we were ready but not intrusive. Nice wine list with some good Canberra region wines. The place was nearly full but we still had no trouble having a conversation. Highly recommend.

I took my mum here to celebrate her birthday and we had a fantastic time. The food and wine were amazing and our waiter was fantastic. We were recommended the green tea dessert and it did not disappoint! Thanks for a great dining experience Monster!

All style, no substance. Very cool looking venue, but the food and drinks were average and overpriced for what you got. I expected better at this price point. The staff were polite and well meaning, but disorganized and slow. They insist on taking your order for drinks at the bar and bringing them to you later, which means they arrive a long time after you've ordered and paying for a group at the end of the night is difficult. Not a great set up for a bar where I want to be able to met friends in a group where people might come and go throughout at the evening at different times. I wouldn't go there again

Great atmosphere and the lighting was perfect for taking photos of food! But seriously the food was great. Definitely coming back again

Great atmosphere. The architecture & little nooks make the space. Great for cocktails if you are looking for a more intimate setting. My partner and I ate here for the first time last night. Portions are a little small for the price. We got one Bar plate, two shares plates, one dessert, and a drink each, this cost us $129 - we both admitted we weren't quite full. The food was of a high standard and we were pleased with what we tried.

Great location, architecture, fab art and interiors. Music is good too so a good vibe and food is very good. The wime and cocktail list is extensive. By the glass impressive. The Service lets this place down. Its tedious and slow so very slow. Not enough staff generally. People order drinks they cant flag down staff. An issue. Please lift your service game.

I want to give five stars just for the architecture. This is a fun place to visit - it has tons of fun little nooks and features. Really original, interesting interior design. Very good food, average coffee. Portions are smaller than average for the prices.

Waited 10 minutes before someone took my order, but food arrived very quickly, as in less than 10 minutes.
Wait staff was helpful and friendly, and checked back with me to see if I needed anything else.
Modest pricing if not a little bit pricey. For example, $6 for a pot of English Breakfast tea.

Great Chardonnay, great food, great decor. Cocktails were also lovely. Service was really bad. Staff were wandering around without concern for whether things we ordered ever came - I had to ask three times to follow up our oysters. I would give 5 for the food and wine, but the staff were not interested. A shame really.

Everything about my experience here was terrible. The service was terrible, the food took over 40 minutes unacceptable for a Tuesday morning. The sourdough bread that accompanied our breakfast was inedible, and it was very over priced.

Ridiculous poorest service I have ever met. Staff there looks like friendly but actually rude! I would go for a negetive rate if I can. Here is my experience I called for a reservation table for 3 people. The reception said they have plenty of seats there and I don't need a reservation at all. So I arrived at the restaurant 15 minutes later, figuring out that the only table avialable for that night is a temporary one at the dark corner. That's not what I expected. Wouldn't recommend this place to anyone!

I booked brunch for 8 people on 27 Dec 16. Monster is usually great for large groups as it has plenty of space, and the food is passable. However, on this occasion, we were very disappointed with the service.

My group all arrived promptly at the reservation time of 10:30. We were waiting to order for almost 15 minutes, as the staff did not come to the vicinity of my table at all. We finally managed to get the waiter's attention at around 10:50 and ordered food and drinks. Our drinks did not arrive until 11:30. Interestingly, a member of our group ordered a bottled juice and his drink came last as it apparently takes 40 minutes to retrieve a bottle from the fridge. We then waited a further 10 minutes for our food. We watched as another table attempted to leave as they too were quite disgruntled at the wait time and lack of acknowledgement from the staff of the delay. We tried to take on a more peaceful approach, and attempted many times to ask the staff to follow up on our order. Each time we were told "Sorry, I'm not the manager, I'll see what I can do but it's out of my hand".

We understand that that sometimes establishments may be short staffed, especially on a public holiday. However, I note that the place was only half full. Also, we were most disappointed with the staff members' refusal to acknowledge and manage our expectations that there is a significant delay.

To add insult to injury, they overcharged us in the end and we had to negotiate to pay what we had actually ordered - no more and, despite the poorly managed and unreasonable wait time, no less.

The food was exquisite, lovely staff and an all around good experience, but I'm a simple man with simple food needs. In this case larger portions.
This isn't a fault with Monster, just suited to a different type of diner.

We are 84 in Australian's Top Restaurants by the Financial Review! It means a lot to be recognised by the industry again. Thanks goes to those who voted and of course our beloved crew ❤️

Coconut tapioca, mandarin, lychee, lime.
Photo by Katie-Alice Laycock

We are celebrating our 4th birthday this weekend by bringing back the yabby jaffle! From this evening, we will be selling them as a special until we run out. Rush in for a little taste of nostalgia.

Monster turns 4 today! Like many a four year old, she remains beautiful and terrifying at the same time.

We are on the hunt for a COMMIS CHEF to join our kitchen team. If you are obsessed with food and are a pleasure to work with please email your CV to nicole.short@ovolohotels.com

Roasted pumpkin puree, cardamom, smoked maple ice cream, candied pecan, chai.
Photo by Katie-Alice Laycock.

Autumn Strings in the Salon is on 27 May.
The compositions of D. Thomas, Bernard Andrès and Gabriela Otiz will be performed by the Canberra Symphony Orchestra's 'Harp Ninjas'- Meriel Owen, Tegan Peemoeller and Stephen Fitzgerald.
Lunch and entry ticket available via Eventbrite.

If you are taking your mama out this weekend, be sure to book ahead.
You can treat her to something new from our breakfast menu, like our taramasalata, poached eggs, pide, dill, lemon.
Photo by Katie-Alice Laycock

We will be open late tonight for those that need a drink after the Budget.
Tall, Tan and Handsome- Crème de cacoa, Nocello, Mr. Black, absinthe, cream
Photo by Olia Balabina Photography

Gin cured ocean trout, apple, fennel, horseradish.
Photo by Katie-Alice Laycock

That's Amore stracciatella, mushroom, black garlic, brioche crumbs.
Photo by Katie-Alice Laycock

New to the breakfast menu- Ribbolita, slow cooked egg, Reggiano, charred sourdough.
Photo by Katie-Alice Laycock

Apple Pie- 666 vodka, apple, cinnamon syrup, grapefruit bitters.
Photo by Olia Balabina Photography

Monster will be open from 6:30AM to 11:00PM this ANZAC Day.
Photo by Anthony Basheer

Monster will be having a Canberra love in with the crew from XO. Sean McConnell (Monster Kitchen and Bar) will be inviting AK Ramakrishna (XO) into the kitchen to fuse together a menu and share a little banter.
The collaborative feast will be matched to wines by Bryan Martin from Ravensworth and Nick Spencer from Nick Spencer Wines.
There will be two sessions- 12:00pm lunch for the day dwellers or 6:30pm dinner for the night feeders.
... Dietary requirements can be accommodated. Please add them in the selected option when you buy your ticket or email us at events.nishi@ovolohotels.com.
Please also note that you might be sharing your table with other people you don't know (yet). Do you have a question?
Please contact Monster kitchen and bar on +61 2 6287 6287 or via email at events.nishi@ovolohotels.com
Imagery by Katie-Alice Laycock (freshsqueezecreative@gmail.com)
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Strings in the Salon: Autumn
D. Thomas, Fantasia on Themes from Carmen Bernard Andrès, Cortège et danse Gabriela Ortiz, Rió de las Mariposas
... Performed by the Canberra Symphony Orchestra "Harp Ninjas" -
Meriel Owen Harp Tegan Peemoeller Harp Stephen Fitzgerald Percussion
Salon music reached its apotheosis in 19th century Europe, with composers such as Chopin and Liszt associated with the style. Together, the Canberra Symphony Orchestra and Monster Kitchen and Bar pay homage to this tradition over four seasonal concerts.
Enjoy a two-course lunch (main and dessert) and a welcome sparkling at $85 or a simple entry ticket at $25, accompanied by an intimate performance from members of the Canberra Symphony Orchestra.
Dietary requirements can be accommodated. Please add them in the selected option when you buy your ticket or email us at monster@hotel-hotel.com.au.
Current 2018 CSO subscription holders are eligible for discounted tickets. Subscription booking reference number required.
Please also note that you might be sharing your table with other people you don't know (yet). Do you have a question?
Please contact Monster kitchen and bar on +61 2 6287 6287 or via email at monster@ovolohotels.com
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Raspberry Paradise- El Jimador Reposado, Chambord, raspberry syrup, pineapple, lime.
Photo by Olia Balabina Photography

We are open across the long weekend- 6:30AM till late. Drop by and stay a while.
Photo by Anthony Basheer

Got overcharged for the (as always) terrible service.

Got overcharged for the (as always) terrible service.

Got overcharged for the (as always) terrible service.