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Table Setting - Bistra, Carlton, AU-VIC

Bistra

4.9
4.9
116 Reviews
$41 to $100
Australian

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 18 times today
Experiences are available.
  • Good for special occasions
  • Neighborhood gem
  • Great for fine wines
Bistra is an Australian bistro serving quality food and wine; our fare draws its influence predominantly from British, French and Italian cooking and technique, and yet it is quintessentially Australian. You can expect generous, memorable plates championing seasonal ingredients and an extensive list of wines.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $41 to $100
  • Cuisines
    Australian, Bistro
  • Hours of operation
    Mon, Wed, Thu 5:30 pm–11:00 pm Fri, Sat 12:00 pm–11:00 pm Sun 12:00 pm–9:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (03) 9000 5607
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Neighborhood
    Carlton
  • Cross street
    Rathdowne Street
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Additional
    Gender Neutral Restroom, Private Room, Wheelchair Access
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Experiences

  • Mothers Day Breakfast

    Multiple dates available
    Bistra will be serving a concise à la carte breakfast menu for Mother's Day 2025, Sunday May 11th, between 9:45AM and 12:30PM. Lunch reservations will be accepted from 12:30PM onwards. Seating times for breakfast will be for 75 minutes, and we therefore kindly request that groups arrive together and on time.
    Mothers Day Breakfast Photo
  • Three Course Menu

    A$95.00 per person

    Multiple dates available
    For tables of 7 or more we offer an $95 per person, three course menu. The menu includes bread and butter to start, a choice of entrée, a choice of main course with sides, and dessert selected by the kitchen. All dishes on the $95 per person menu are drawn from our à la carte menu, and is essentially a reduced à la carte offering.
    Three Course Menu Photo

What 116 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
  • 4.9Service
  • 4.8Ambience
  • 4.6Value

NoiseEnergetic

Loved For

  • Melbourne

    Best Food

  • Melbourne

    Best Service

  • Melbourne

    Australian

  • Inner City North

    Best Overall

  • Inner City North

    Best Food

  • Inner City North

    Best Service

  • Inner City North

    Good for business meals

  • Inner City North

    Great for fine wines

  • Inner City North

    Australian

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Bistra delights with its "exquisite experience" offering "delicious food," a "sublime" wine list, and attentive service in a beautifully designed space. Guests praise the knowledgeable staff and "impeccable service," making it a "hidden gem" perfect for both intimate dinners and lively gatherings. Its atmosphere and "exceptional" menu choices make it a must-visit.

116 Reviews
  1. Nicola

    New York City2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    I cannot fault our dining experience at Bistra. From the moment we walked in and were warmly welcomed and shown to a lovely table in the window we knew we were in for a great night. The service from all of the staff was knowledgeable and exceptional, the food was absolutely world class, the wine list was extensive, discerning and considered. We had a wonderful, very relaxed evening and we're very much looking forward to coming back again soon.

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  2. Dharshan

    Melbourne20 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 22, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    What an amazing little restaurant. Excellent ambience, food, wine list, and service.... We will be back to try something different in the menu and wine list....

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  3. Sara

    Melbourne1 review

    5.0

    Dined on February 21, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Everything was outstanding. Food, ambience and service.

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  4. Chloe

    London1 review

    5.0

    Dined on February 20, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Incredible dining experience. The best food I’ve eaten in Melbourne, wonderful staff, really relaxed ambiance. Couldn’t have picked a better restaurant for my birthday celebration. I will be recommending Bistra to everyone.

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  5. Bill VIP

    London1 review

    5.0

    Dined on February 15, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    hands down my favourite restaurant in Melbourne. excellent service - warm and friendly. the food is superb from start to finish including the desserts (so often the weak spot of Melbourne restaurants). a good number of options and cooked beautifully. the wine list is off the charts. so many great bottles to choose from. could not recommend highly enough

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  6. jeremy

    Melbourne3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 9, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Fantastic cooking - simple but delicious, some of the best ive had in Melbourne

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  7. Rachel

    Melbourne1 review

    5.0

    Dined on February 5, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Incredible as always, the food was so delicious, cannot fault a dish. Wine (& wine service) was spectacular & service overall amazing- will be back soon!

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  8. Kerrie VIP

    Sydney9 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on January 22, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 3
    Food was excellent unfortunately very small space our table was too close to the loud table of 4 next door. Wines by the glass disappointing and very expensive.

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  9. Joseph VIP

    San Francisco2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on January 18, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Amazing food, service and atmosphere. We’ll be back to support this passionate crew.

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  10. John VIP

    London24 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on January 15, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Bistra is a gem. It is everything that I want a restaurant to be. From the instant you walk through the door you can sense that you are going to have a great experience and it doesn’t disappoint; warm and knowledgeable staff, beautiful produce cooked with love and fine technique, a delightful intimate space… Can’t wait for our next visit.

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FAQs

Bistra is rated 4.9 stars by 116 OpenTable diners.

Bistra does offer gift cards which you can purchase here.

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

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 18 times today
Experiences are available.
Google Map for Bistra

157 Elgin St, Carlton, AU-VIC 3053

Additional information

  • Cross street
    Rathdowne Street
  • Neighborhood
    Carlton
  • Hours of operation
    Mon, Wed, Thu 5:30 pm–11:00 pm Fri, Sat 12:00 pm–11:00 pm Sun 12:00 pm–9:00 pm
  • Price
    $41 to $100
  • Cuisines
    Australian, Bistro
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Additional
    Gender Neutral Restroom, Private Room, Wheelchair Access
Gift card

Gift card

Send gift cards instantly by email or print to present in person.

Send a gift card
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