Flower Drum Restaurant Melbourne

Flower Drum has earned its place as a Melbourne icon for Cantonese fine dining, continuing to impress after decades of service. The ambiance is sophisticated and timeless, the food refined with impeccable flavours. Service is attentive, though formal. That said, it suits the restaurant’s classic fine-dining style. Overall, Flower Drum continues to uphold its reputation with excellent food and an impressive dining experience.

Nestled among the best in Australia , this Chinese restaurant is a haven for those eager to dive deep into authentic Chinese cuisine. We opted for the chef’s signature banquet, a six-course masterpiece that showcased the kitchen’s skill and creativity. Each dish was a revelation, earning a solid 10/10. From the first bite to the last, the flavors were vibrant and expertly balanced, reflecting the rich traditions of Chinese cooking. The staff, highly trained and genuinely passionate about their craft, enhanced our experience with their attentive service and honest recommendations. We left with our appetites satisfied and a longing to return. This restaurant isn’t just a meal; it’s a celebration of culinary art. We can’t wait to book our next visit!

This has been a staple Chinese restaurant in Melbourne for the longest time and being a family tradition for a solid Chinese. From entrees to main everything is very refined in tastes and feels like your eating clean and keeps you refreshed. Takes away from the more fatty approach to preserve a high quality of taste.

Flower Drum has been a Melbourne institution for 50 years since it opened in 1975, and in 2025 it's still as good as ever. Classic Cantonese dishes taken to the next level with premium fresh Australian ingredients and international wine list. BTW Shoutout to our multilingual waiter Derek who made our recent lunch exceptionally enjoyable 🙏🏻

I am from overseas, every time I come to Melbourne, Flower Drum is a Must Visit Restaurant. The quality standard is kept high. The taste is great and kept the same for thirty years. Everything is delicious in Flower Drum, and the service is excellent.

Exceptional dining experience! Thank you for accommodating our reservation to celebrate my nephew’s birthday (from Italy) The experience was second to none from when we walked in, to the speciali birthday plate. The food and the attentive service were much appreciated. We look forward to celebrating future special events at the Flower Drum

Thank you so much Flower Drum you are amazing. Our visit was exceptional from our arrival until our departure. The service, the food unbelievable. The staff were so attentive and skilled at their craft. 🏆

Food was good but everything is over priced. You can get similar quality in another restaurant in Chinatown and cheaper. Most of the dishes are very small so you need to order double serve. The customer service was fantastic, especially Louis , he’s very friendly, caring and helpful. The chefs might need to try not to yell as customers can hear from the dining area 😅

Heard about the great Cantonese food so we're very excited to try it. This restaurant is definitely catered to the big groups but is still good for just a pair. Do note - this is NOT fast Chinese. This is slower, more catered to the bigger tasting menu, 90-minute experience where everything is served for you table side. We decided to order a la carte as opposed to the tasting menu which we ended up loving. We had the - Dim sum: Prawn har gao (with and without chives), jiaozi pork and chicken (pan fried dumplings), and the Berkshire beef siu mai. All were great but the pork jiaozi was by far our favorite. Peking duck wrapped in a pancake (2 per order). This was ok. The skin was a little too thick, not providing the best texture against the pancake sleeve. Also seemed a little small for the price. Singapore noodles. This was our favorite dish by far. Sizable. Amazing flavor. Lots of shrimp, pork, eggs, and veggies with vermicelli noodles. Highly recommend. Great food, just note the above because if you're looking for a faster experience, this is not the place for you.

We ordered the 5 course meal. The duck and scallops were great. The rest of the courses were adequate. Service was mediocre and not friendly based on our waiter harassing us about a tip. He paid more attention to an adjacent table with an attractive woman. Flower Drum is getting by on old school reputation. It needs an update.

The flower drum is easily the best Chinese restaurant in Chinatown and potentially in all of Victoria

First restaurant we've tried in Melbourne and it didn't disappoint! Although this place is pricey, it's all worth it. We ordered The mud crab soup long bao, shrimp har gao and scallop sio mai for starter. Everything was fresh and very tasty. The pearl meat served on an oyster shell was exquisite! We ordered the wild Barramundi and the black angus eye fillet were so good that my wife said that they definitely "exercised her palate". The Peking duck presentation was beautiful and its taste was even better! For the people who love sweets, I recommend the mango crepes, served with fresh mangoes, mango purée and vanilla ice cream. The server won't let you go without trying their freshly baked almond cookies. These little things are so heavenly that it would make you crave for more. I'd like to end this review with a BIG shoutout not their staff. Everyone is so attentive!

The Travelmints team loves Melbourne's Flower Drum - it's a great restaurant to go to for classic Chinese fine dining. It's become a historic place, and we're lucky it's stayed open despite many other businesses suffering as a result of COVID. We've gone here almost every year with important guests to celebrate important events. It's almost become a novelty for us, and we hope they stay authentic - there's no need for an unnecessary revamp. As you'd expect, the food is classic. if you want Cantonese Chinese with amazing service, then look no further!

Flower Drum is a Melbourne institution. And it shows - but not in a good way. Seriously needs updating and it was a time warp in terms of ambience, decor and food. Very underwhelming food - small serves and not very tasty. I had a 3-course lunch banquet and it was simply boring. Peking Duck pancakes were fine, as was the san choi bow. But neither had that thrill of a fine dining establishment going that extra bit; just plain average. And the crispy chicken was tasteless and bland, and not crispy skinned. It needs a revitalisation both in decor, menu and food. Won't go back, sorry, and was not worth the price.

The food gets 4 stars. The price gets 4 stars. The service gets 5 stars. Frankly, that's why you go to Flower drum. Glasses magically refill with water, napkins dance onto your lap and food shimmies in while empty plates shimmy out, all without any interruption. In fact, it's like there are no staff, just quiet little fairies secretly making your meal perfect. If you haven't been before, go, you won't regret it. I recommend the $75 lunch deal (4 courses).

Perhaps the service is impeccable where the maître d will provide the best recommendation and the bus boy will meticulously pick up crumbs and toothpicks while you are chatting with your friends, but the price of food and what you get is not proportional. The fresh abalone we ordered tasted more like fresh geoduck. We ordered Chinese Gailan with ginger juice but to our dismay, this traditional Chinese veggies came in small portion with no taste of ginger juice. The next dish we ordered was pork chop and it was banal. It was quite disappointing that these simple dishes and tablestakes for a Chinese restaurant were poorly executed. That said, the fried calamari with five spices was nicely done! The scallops were very fresh. Since we came from Hong Kong, we quickly decided not to try their Peking Duck, not worth the price for two pieces of duck and crepes. Overall, we found that they were quite overpriced and the quality of food does not compensate for the price. But the decor is very elegant and reflects good taste for a highly respected Chinese restaurant in Melbourne!

Okay, the first thing that I should mention about this place is don't come here to have a quick bite to eat before a movie - this is not that type of restaurant. Okay, while we were lucky enough to be able to get a table without having to book, unless you are willing to come here early on a Tuesday evening, you do need to book ahead. As can be expected from such a restaurant the service is outstanding, however if you are looking for traditional Chinese food this isn't quite that type of restaurant. Oh, and expect to pay a decent sum namely because this place is designed for a full blown banquet as opposed to a single course meal (though they are happy to serve you that if you wish).

Amazing Chinese food in the heart of the city. Had heard about this place forever and always thought it'd be an expensive but tedious experience, but finally came for lunch one day and it was amazing. We had Peking duck rolls, soups, entrees, and vegetables and meat mains, and everything was incredibly unique, light and tasty. It is expensive but I wouldn't say absurdly so for how nice the food is. I'd return.

When in Melbourne, you must try Flower Drum. This was the best Chinese food I've ever eaten! (And yes, I've spent a bit of time in China). Seriously, there is nothing to complain about: only raves! One aspect that we particularly enjoyed was the ala carte option. You can literally order one egg roll or one dim sum if that's all you want. We wanted to sample the menu, so we were grateful that each order could be as small or large as you wanted it. The Peking duck was absolutely amazing, in my opinion & my son ordered two bowls of the hot and sour soup. We ordered quite a bit of food - dim sum, egg rolls, rice, pork... and everything was delicious. As other Yelpers mentioned, the service was the best! Never was a drink glass dry nor did a crumb sit on the table beyond the plate being removed. Every dish was plated beautifully. My Peking duck was rolled for me from the serving cart near our table. Location is also perfect! After a rich meal, wander China Town and the surrounding shopping areas. Check out the street art alleys! Absolutely perfect!

I'd never been here but had always wanted to come to this well known Melbourne icon. It's an extraordinary experience with the food and service hitting very lofty heights. We had the six course banquet and found every dish absolutely superb. The service hit incredible heights. It'd be close to to the warmest and most professional service I've ever experienced. I can't fault the restaurant. It was truly excellent.

I am a foodie and wherever I have lived, even in my pre-yelp days, I have always looked for the places which people rave and set my sights for a visit. The funny thing about The Flower Drum (the drum) is that whenever I have called for a reservation, I would have to plan three to four weeks in advance. Unfortunately, each time, something comes up from a business or personal perspective and I would have to cancel and reschedule. With Labor Day, there was NOTHING which would deter me from trying the fine flavors of this institution which has been in business since 1975. As I walked into the restaurant with my partner, we were greeted at the door and escorted into the elevator. The head waiter was at the ready on the restaurant floor welcoming us and escorting us to our table. He immediately asked us if we wanted water and we ordered some fizzy. The wine list post this (amazing) and provided the menus. Keep in mind all of these were performed by three different waiters - best service I have experienced in Melbourne!! I ordered the sliced pork with plum sauce for my app, crispy skin chicken with season salt and a tasty lemon sauce on the side with a small order of combo fried rice. I had an unforgettable oolong tea along with dinner. Each course was amazing with incredible flavors - the pork so tender, the chicken juicy, and the fried rice was perfect. The fried ice cream - amazing! I have had Cantonese in New York, San Fran, New Delhi (yes amazing chinese), LA Mr Chows and HK - this was one of the best only rivaled by HK. I would recommend this restaurant for those who want to provide an unforgettable experience to a loved one, business client/other or if you want to indulge in a Cantonese experience you will not soon forget.

Let's be clear that you come to The Flower Drum for a dining experience. If you are worried about your budget then the prices may take the edge off your enjoyment. If instead you are looking to enjoy great service, perfected dishes and an overall polished experience then you have come to the right place. We tried the 4 course tasting menu and loved every dish. There was no rush between courses which we appreciated as we were enjoying catching up with special friends. The service was unobtrusive but immediate - if you put down your empty wine glass it was removed from the table 3 seconds later. And we enjoyed watching our plates prepared next to us on a cart and then presented one at a time and explained. We are from NZ. I had heard about The Flower Drum from many visitors to Melbourne over the years. We finally ticked off that item from our Bucket List - and we were not disappointed.

This is a place where tradional celebration take place. We were here to celebrate Chinese New Year. Lion Dance is always an eight o'clock event. Therefore, we will have to dine strategically around the dance, because the Lion will come to your table and say 'Hello" ^_^ Flower Drum provides excellent customer services. In fact, there is at least 1 junior waiting staff looking after each table, and a senior waiting staff looking after 5ish tables, and a section manager looking after 7 or so tables. So whenever you put your hand up, there should be someone coming towards you. Apart from great customer service, the wine list has improved a lot lately. Thanks to Randolph Cheung (ex Asiana, Albert Park) joined this team. We had a few good recommendation from Randolph according to our customised menu of the night. Impressive. I don't think there would be any complaint on the quality of the dishes. Every dish put on our table, we just ended up with big smile. Thank you Flower Drum for the wonderful Chinese New Year dinner (thanks to Randolph, Donald, Tommy & Mick whom looking after us everytime) Drunken Squab is a must try. meow..............

The Flower Drum is as good as it gets for high-end Chinese in Melbourne. Exquisitely prepared Cantonese dishes matched with attentive service from tuxedoed waiters make this a winner. We decide to go all in and went with the $115 four course tasting menu with consisted of a delicate seared barramundi, a lettuce wrap pork dish, peking duck, and wagyu eye fillet followed by an overly sweet dessert (they also had deep fried ice cream on offer). The peking duck in particular was the standout dish. The best I've had in Australia. Tender and meaty duck breast meat, crispy perfectly roasted skin with the traditional accompaniments of plum sauce, cucumbers, and scallions, served in a pancake. The staff make the pancakes for you, so you can focus on eating. I'd go back just for the duck. The space is elegant and old worldly---in other words the Flower Drum is not a casual restaurant and it's worth dressing up for otherwise you might feel out of place. Overall, if you're looking for traditional Chinese food paired with top-notch service, the Flower Drum should be on top of your list.

Probably the best Chinese restaurant in Melbourne and why not it's bloody price my but this old chefs hat restaurant is a Melbourne classic with incredible tasting food. Atmosphere is quiet and sophisticated and quite the opposite of its Chinatown friends! Drinks are lovely and there's a huge wine selection. Gets a lot of high end customers and luncheons from business types. It's one of the best and most Famous Melbourne legendary places. Everything tastes great here.

The best Chinese cuisine I've ever had...the worlds famous pearl meat oyster was definitely an unforgettable......an all about the food place.....worth it to leave it to the waiters n enjoy what they prepare for you....they know best and are respectful hosts....

The things you've heard about Flower Drum are true: 1) it is very expensive 2) service is excellent 3) there is a dress code 4) lunch is a great deal on a relative basis (vs. dinner) The restaurant is tucked into a small lane in Chinatown with a slickly imposing red door. Make sure you don your spiffy duds as this is far more formal than most Melbourne eateries and a dress code applies (think long pants, collared shirts and proper shoes for gents). For lunch, there are 3 tasting options: 2 courses for $45, 3 courses for $60 and 4 courses for $75. We opted for the 3 course lunch supplemented with additional a la carte dim sum as we'd heard great things about the Mud Crab Xiao Long Bao $9/piece and the Prawn Har Gao $4.5/piece. While tasty, the skin on both were rather thick and not quite worth the sticker shock. We fare better with course 1: the Peking Duck starter. Our waiter attentively crafted 2 duck wraps and even shaped my dab of sauce into a vaguely duck-like shape. The duck meat was tender although I would have enjoyed some more snap on the skin Course 2: we found the Crispy Skinned Chicken with lemon juice and spicy salt to be far superior to the Grain Fed Eye Fillet w/ Black Pepper Sauce, The chicken was perfectly tender and the skin was crispy and flavorful, beautifully enhanced by the lemon juice and salt. While the beef quality was great, the sauce didn't really add anything to it. The veggie and fried rice sides were tasty. Course 3: if you order anything aside from the Peking Toffee Apple w/ Cinnamon Ice Cream, you're crazy! The apples are brought tableside and individually cooled and hand plated. The result is a beautiful plate of hot crunchy sugar shells filled with creamy apples. PARTING THOUGHT: the almond cookies to finish the meal were delightful!

Not sure what the hype is all about. We went to dinner here last night for 2 people and the whole experience was just meh... Service was slow and not very attentive. Had to flag someone down just to get a menu, a drink, the check... Expected more for this price point of fine dining. Food portions...think dim sum size. We ordered 8 different ala-cart dishes. Flavor was ordinary. No better than what I've had from my Chinese take-out back home. Special fried rice was really dry. $189 between the 2 of us at the end of the night, with drinks. Expected more for this price point of dining.

Finally I got the chance to dine at this well known and very well established restaurant. First impressions; there is a lot of polite silver service staff. The tables are spread out nicely so you don't feel like you are imposing on anyone else and vice versa. The bathroom is clean and spacious and on the way there you get to see just how big this restaurant is, there are a few separate rooms which all look nice and comfortable. Our party of four couldn't decide whether to have a banquet of four or six dishes so our waiter created a special banquet of five dishes. It consisted of Crab, scollops, deep sea fish, lamb and beef cheek. All the dishes were magnificent. The beef cheek was served with a truffle and seafood rice, amazing. Our waiter was excellent and explained each dish to us when it arrived. All the staff were friendly, polite, professional and non-judgemental. We chose our own wine; started with a champagne and then had two bottles of red and a dessert wine with our desserts. This is not a cheap restaurant and probably the wines are a little over priced. But what we paid was worth every penny as the whole experience was wonderful. Six dishes and four bottles of wine and a sparkling water came to $1000.50. We will definitely return soon. Love it.

Perfect service and very good food in the heart of Chinatown. After walking into the lobby of the restaurant, I was immediately greeted by a man who ushered me into the elevator to take me upstairs. The restaurant itself (and the food) was beautiful but understated. I appreciated that the waiter was so firm in his recommendations and I liked that the entire restaurant staff was quick to attend to me. The Peking duck wrapped in a pancake was the highlight of my meal. The duck was so moist and flavorful. It tasted like it was coated in duck fat in the best possible way. The pancake was essentially a crepe and was a great foil to the duck. I liked how each duck wrap was served separately -- the waiter brought me one plate then, after I finished my meal, he brought me another identical appetizer. I thought that was a nice touch. The first plate was so good that receiving a second felt like an extra treat. I also enjoyed the fried ice cream very much. The seafood rice paper roll was pretty good -- fried, flaky and extremely delicate fried coating with scallops dominating the filling. The wagyu was good, but not worth the extra $40 in my opinion. The shrimp (and possibly pork if I remember correctly) fried rice the wagyu came with was delicious. I definitely recommend paying Flower Drum a visit. I went for lunch and though I assume it's atmosphere is more like fine dining at night, business attire seemed to dominate the crowd during the day.

Flower Drum is iconic in the Melbourne food scene, but unfortunately not great for vegetarians. The vegetable spring rolls and dumplings have oyster sauce inside them, so it's difficult to find something to eat. However, the staff is very willing to change up menu items when they can to find something that works. I ended up having the crispy noodles without the meat, and it was good.

My husband had raved about this restaurant in the past, so on my first trip to Melbourne, it was naturally at the top of my list for dinner options! I've heard it's difficult to get into, but I didn't have any trouble getting a reservation for a weekday night online through dimmi. This restaurant is very old school traditional Chinese. Dark wood, screen prints, everything you'd expect from a formal traditional Chinese restaurant. The food we had was great--we just told the waiter to bring us things, and ended up having about a 5 course meal, mostly seafood. Everything was prepared beautifully and tasted amazing. The Peking duck was probably a favorite dish. The beef we had was some of the most tender I've ever been served. What I really need to rave about though, is the service. I've eaten in many top notch restaurants, and this was definitely among the best service I've ever had anywhere. The waiters are super attentive, and the minute you need something, you can be assured that someone will be there to graciously help you. Highly recommended!

Drumming to its own beat. Picture this. Earthbound entrance, unappealing lighting and a confusing entrance before jumping on the lift to quickly ask your partner if you're going to die tonight, "This is the right place, right?" Sure enough, when the doors opened, the warm lighting welcomed you to a grand view of red carpets that continued off to the distance with an army of waiters. Luxury fittings, generous spacing and gleaming wood detailing, it's sure to leave a lasting impression. The lasting impressions don't stop there, the professional service provided by the waiters was exceptional. Skilled, well-mannered and in-tune with the menu, it's pleasing to know that service like this is still truly alive. What's the food like? I'm glad you asked. It was my girlfriend's birthday and that required the Chef's 6 Course Signature Banquet. The entrees came out, one by one, we were presented with the Baked Crab Shell, S.A. King George Whiting and the Quail Sang Choi Bao. The Crab Shell was beautiful as it was delicate, the turmeric sauce and garlic told stories to your mouth that you haven't heard of before. The King George Whiting would make any king proud, served with spicy salt on a bed of enoki mushrooms. Pale, soft and you start to wonder why fish isn't cooked like this everywhere else. The minced quail meat cooked with Chinese sausage was delightful, the added shiitake mushrooms, bamboo shoots and spring onion served in a lettuce leaf, floated with flavours that could make your eyes roll like they're playing Ring a Ring o' Roses. At this point we were getting really excited to see what the mains would entail. The journey so far was nothing short of memorable and yet we had the likes of Sauté Seafood with Ginger, Peking Duck and Grain Fed Eye Fillet with Sichuan Sauce to arrive yet. Here it goes. The Sauté Seafood had crayfish, king prawn, scallop and pearl meat that was wok tossed with ginger and spring onion. A savoury mix of love and craft shines from its glittering surface, elegant and delicious. The roast duck, wrapped in pancake with cucumber, spring onion and plum sauce begged to be eaten multiple times, over and over. The plum sauce had exceeded any plum sauce I have tasted before, and if there was 100 of these, I would have eaten them all. The Black Angus eye fillet, with spicy Sichuan sauce, served with seasonal vegetables and rice was a fitting end to the main event. Treated like a king as the Sichuan sauce danced with the vegetables, the butter soft meat and rich flavour of the sauce ensured that you savoured the experience for that much longer. Then there was desserts, Fried Ice Cream and Banana Fritters, with gorgeous maple syrup and crushed berry sauce. The desserts are not in the same league as their savoury counterparts (unless you ordered the $135 Bird's Nest in Almond Soup), but they still tickle you in the right way, especially with the pile of almond cookies and Vittoria coffee that's provided. If it's your birthday, they will create a nice little surprise for you too :) Flower Drum is an experience with flavours filled with vigour and a huge endorsement for Melbourne and Cantonese cuisine. It's at the top of its game, one that if it ever disappeared, would leave a lasting hole of one people who never tried it, would have regretted if they knew what they had missed out on.

Flower drum service is the best in Melbourne! Food is great but the attention you get to have your wine poured or food cleared is great - the waiters hover without you realising they are there. The food is great, and a wide menu - if you want wine which cost the same as a laptop or TV, you came to the right place!

It's been 6 years since I was last here and it's still one the iconic restaurants of Melbourne The service is excellent and the food well it was simply stunning Then be dazzled with the wine list If your finding it difficult to select your meals and drinks, sit back and relax and ask for suggestions. I can assure you that the staff will do the right thing by you which is a rarity in this industry I took in the 4 course Banquet..... Wow!! This is Chinese fine dining at its best ! Enjoy

Late in the evening after a sherbet or two three of us stumbled into this place for a feed with an appetite that had a name of it's own. Traditional Chinese with an excellent wine list, the staff were remarkably tolerant of the slightly pissed gwai-loh. The food was wonderful - roast duck wonton, salt and pepper calamari, lamb pockets (a bizarre little mini pita-bread thing into which you spooned some spiced lamb) beef cheeks (truly wonderful - soft, fatty, on spinach with a shiny brown sauce) mixed dim-sims, and fantastic Peking Duck rolls. Highly recommended!

Came back here for the first time in twenty years so see if it's still the best Chinese in town. We both had the $45 set lunch. The Peking duck was outstanding and as good as anywhere in the world. Everything else was really average. My hot and sour soup tasted like the pork was old and way too much msg, the eye fillet beef was good quality but cold and no real flavouring. The fried rice was nothing special, twenty years ago the rice redefined fried rice! So a quick lunch for two cost $115 without alcohol. Poor value. If that's the best Melbourne has i won't be eating anymore Chinese food in melbs. Btw people reading this, if you know of a better place plz let me know.

Flower Drum- oh the hype. A few months ago I went to a wine dinner in Brisbane, and the lovely gentleman sitting next to me said I HAD to go to Flower Drum- it was one of the best restaurants in Melbourne. I looked up the place, looked like my type of food, and booked a table for myself. Fast forward a month and a half later; I was greeted at the door and shown up the stairs then brought to my table. Bookings are essential here. Service was impeccable. The lychee martini was excellent. As I'm perusing the menu, a very loud/rude/drunk person sits at the table next to me with a friend. I couldn't help but overhear this customer, and it seemed as if he was a regular- He knew and greeted all the staff! He was very crude the entire time, and it took away from the ambience of the restaurant and dampered my meal. The staff didn't do anything about it, either. I didn't bother asking to be moved, because there were no more tables. The soup dumpling as an appetizer was okay (4/10). The prawn dish was also just average (5/10). Desert (fried banana with ice cream) was nice (6/10). I had a better (and cheaper) meal at a dumpling restaurant in Chinatown!

I had dinner here this week with a small group of people. The food was quite simply sensational. The service was sensational. Best of the night - Peking Duck & Lobster with ginger, both memorable. This was a special occasion and that's what this is for most of us I guess, a special occasion restaurant - I hope there's another special occasion real soon!!

I made a reservation ahead of time which I highly recommend if you want to come here. I was here for lunch and tried the 4 course tasting menu. Everything was extraordinary - it probably was the best Chinese food I've ever had in my life. The ambiance was a little cold, and I was sitting at a table directly facing into the commotion of kitchen door exit - which they couldn't accommodate despite me asking to get another table (at the time of my arrival, there were 20 empty tables -sure, sure they were reserved for later...)

My wife and I had their spring tasting menu yesterday. It was our first night in town on a tour from the United States. Extremely disappointed. Service was very slow and it was not that crowded. Food was very bland. Plus at the price point they were charging a very poor value. So if you are used to quality restaurants from the USA I would strongly suggest you look elsewhere.

Mediocre food, portion stingy, with the price expecting more. bought glass of wine and got about 50ml of overpriced wine -- just stingy, small portion, overpriced

I discovered Flower Drum way back in 2003 when it was all of the rage, part of every "best of" list along with movies like Japanese Story and Gettin' Square and the eponymous The Secret Life of Us on television. I never remember Claudia Karvan or Asher Keddie dining at Flower Drum when they were not arguing with their flatmates, husbands and friends so perhaps the show foretold something a bit more ominous about both the dining scene in Melbourne and the fickle public. In its heyday, for a wayward visitor from Sydney who normally planned his Melbourne excursions with only a few weeks notice it was next to impossible to secure a table in the evening at this Cantonese restaurant. I had to settle for a table at lunch and usually it would be on a Saturday when I was nursing a self-imposed hangover that was still lingering from good times that were experienced at Circa the previous night. As my liver took more punishment over the last many years and Flower Drum started being shunned by the never-ending "best of" lists and awards ceremonies, a bit like Tom Cruise's career, I started to wonder why. There was no mystery as to the demise of my liver but for me Flower Drum losing its shine was indeed an enigma. I began to frequent Flower Drum in the evenings on Saturday of all times with very little notice because like Tom Cruise's star, the hype and awards waned and availability of a table was assumed. For me though the quality of the produce and ultimately the product that was served remained consistently top notch. I have never proclaimed myself as an afficiando of Cantonese food, but I know what is average quality and what is bad because of shortcomings with my body. Large amounts of peanut oil or soy tends to irritate my senses a bit and the result is an itchy nose and on rare bad occasions an extremely loud sneeze. Every time I have had the pleasure of eating at Flower Drum, my allergies have never been affected which is a testament to their cooking style. Over the years, the menu has evolved a bit. It has been cut down and a whole Peking duck is no longer available for purchase as per the menu, but you can always negotiate this menu shortcoming with the very attentive staff. It is easy to consume two perfectly prepared Peking duck pancakes and unless you indulge upon the spoils afforded by having a whole duck on-call to satisfy your taste buds and primal urges you will not leave satisfied. Dining at Flower Drum over the years inspired me to learn how to make Peking Duck myself, which was the subject of a previous blog post. The "Supreme" Shark Fin soup needs to be experienced at least once in your lifetime however at $160 per serve, it will turn out to be an addiction that you need to seriously monitor. It would be easier for a chronic smoker to give up the cancer sticks when compared to the desire you will have to keep coming back for more and more of this fabulous, if not politically incorrect soup. I alluded to the service earlier. Over the years, it has remained consistently faultless. Although some would suspiciously wonder why there is always a member of the floor team standing in your general area seemingly looking the other direction. The staff act like guardian angels (if you believe that rubbish, but I needed an analogy after all) to make sure that your dining experience is perfect. This includes always having a beverage, sauce, cutlery or masking a faux pas that the clumsy diner makes on the tablecloth. If you have a spare $500 you can announce with a few days notice that you intend to eat a suckling pig which would serve 6-8 people. Sadly, I have not gorged on this beast as of yet but it is on my to-do list of things to do this year. In 1975, Gilbert Lau opened The Flower Drum in Chinatown on Little Bourke Street. In 2003, Gilbert sold the restaurant to Executive Chef Anthony Lui, William Shek and Patricia Fong. Some would argue this was the critical event that led to the downgrade of Flower Drum on all of the magic "best of" lists that seemingly dictate what is good, bad and ultimately make or break restaurants. I do not believe this was the cause though. After seeing Flower Drum evolve gradually after the sale, it is my opinion that Gilbert Lau assimilated Cantonese food into the Melbourne culture in a bygone era where Cantonese food was more of an exotic offering mainly aimed at minority families. With this assimilation into mainstream Melbourne culture, I believe Lau had to conceal his identity as a chef in order to "get along" in a very competitive environment and as a result after nearly 30 years built a consistent reputation for quality and service. I believe when Anthony Lui took over, he brought with him a new identity for the restaurant and has taken it to a place that is slightly different but realistically just as brilliant and is not effectively understood by the reviewers and so-called subject matter experts.

Extremely fine Chinese food. Love how the byo has no costs. Some of the times have been At this place

ambiance//***** dark traditional red wood furniture is everywhere...from the screen prints to the seating service//**** you get what you pay for...personal attentiveness food//**** every dish was made with delicate scrumptiousness order wisely and enjoy ~*~ i was lucky enough to be invited by regulars who knew what they were ordering however if i were to go on my own.... for the price? wow?! sorrie it's probably EXTRAORDINARY in melbourne/australia, but....

It has a reputation as being one of the best chinese restaurants in the world. Can't tell you if that is true, but it the best one I've ever been to. It's pricey sure, but you leave feeling like you've been fed a first class meal. For me, the only downside is that the service is almost a little too attentive. I don't like feeling watched that much, but this is a minor criticism.

One of the best Chinese restaurants I've ever been to, and I've visited many all of the world, from NYC to Los Angeles to Shangai to Taipei. Yes, it's expensive but it's worth it. Inventive yet traditional, exquisite subtle flavours, fresh ingredients.

Experience and service is great- they saw that my husband could not use chopsticks and brought silverware without asking. Problems: food was to expensive for the amount that you receive and the lack of excitement on our tongue; it took 45 minutes for our appetizers to come out. I'm sure we could have found a great hole in the wall in the area for much less in cost. We have had some amazing Asian dishes particularly in the US and this place did not live up to its name unfortunately.

Everything here is 5 star. Eaten here with family, friends and work colleagues for over 20 years and never ever had a bad meal or dish. Once there was a rude floor manager, which we were very generously compensated, demonstrating they value and continue to value customers coming back. One of the best aspects is the wait staff will make you something creative if there's nothing on the menu that is of interest to you. Yes you will pay here, but every cent is worth it.

We were all highly excited by the thought of finally dining at the famous Fower Drum. By the end of the evening we were all deflated and left wanting. The food was good, but certainly not great. Presentation was sloppy and very basic, not inventively sharp or inviting. The waiters were attentive, however started clearing as soon as each guest had finished, leaving the others to finish alone...very bad manners! All waiters were clothed in old fashioned white shirts and black waistcoats and trousers. with short back and sides. This place is not retro on purpose but by default. Also, in multicultural Melbourne, ALL visible staff were Chinese. One has to question their hiring policy. The carpet in the elevator was worn and the general look of the place had seen much better days. Walking into the ladies bathroom was a modern, clean revelation. I felt as if I had entered another establishment. The bill was over $150 for drinkers and $90 for non drinkers, all female. For that price we can certainly have a much more memorable meal in many Melbourne restaurants. If I had been visiting from overseas (USA or Europe) I imagine this review would be much more scathing.

Okay so this is my personal favourite restaurant in Melbourne. It's got a lot of competition but for me it tops the tree. When ever there is an excuse it's my place of choice. This us because I have never been let down by their service or quality. It's a beautiful layout where from your first step in the door you're waited on perfectly. But the overwhelming urge to go back is always because of the food. I mean the menu is designed beautifully to share, which is always the best way to try a bit of everything. Personally I love peaking duck and am always left wanting more when I'm at the flower drum! But the other dish that would be my very close second is their steak. I have had good steaks but the ones I have had at the flower drum have always melted in my mouth with the most succulent of flavours! Their desserts are seasonal but I know one of the best ones I have tasted is the mango crepe so if it's one the menu I wouldn't pass it up! It's an incredible restaurant that ticks all the right boxes. If you haven't been to the flower drum yet, go it's a must!

I was told prior to coming here that this was supposed to be one of the best Chinese restaurants in Australia. Maybe it was due to this promise (and the fact that I had been in China recently) that we were quite disappointed. The food wasn't bad but it was not exceptional. The Peking duck was not terribly crispy though the meat was nice. Other dishes such as the duck won tons and pork jiaozi were also not bad but again not incredible. Dishes were not served family style but instead divided up in portions and served as it would be in a western restaurant. The service was somewhat slow (though it seemed the kitchen's fault), which was not helped by the complex re-plating of all the dishes, and the atmosphere was not as refined as I gathered from the yelp reviews - I think jeans are perfectly fine to be worn there. We were sitting underneath an air condition vent that the waiter kindly turned off for us. Definitely not better than good Cantonese food in China, which I think some reviews have claimed and not some of the best Cantonese food in the world. However, the complementary almond cookies at the end were to die for, which makes me think that their desert may be very good.

When we walked in, we were immediately struck by its opulent appearance and award plaques, especially the several "One of Best 50 Restaurants in the World" plaques. The menu is very innovative, offering various rare seafood and more traditional meat options. We settled on what the waiter said made Flower Drum famous...the baked crab shell, Peking duck, and pearl meat. We also ordered a seafood rice roll. Starting with the best and working our way down...the baked crab shell was terrific. It was made with turmeric, garlic and onion. Really unique taste with an Indian flair. The pearl meat in oyster sauce was tasty. The rice roll was ok. It consisted of various seafood but the unified product didn't blend into one taste. The biggest disappointment was the Peking duck. It was too dry and empty of taste without being smothered in plum sauce. Of note, the waitstaff is amazing. Very attentive, knowledgeable, and pleasant. The other aspect that needs to be mentioned is the cost. This restaurant is super expensive and the portions are rather small. All of the live seafood options are over $100 per portion. For this price, everything should taste close to perfect and the portion size should suffice hungry people. Flower Drum does not live up to the hype.