Colonel Tan’s

Very good thai food, slightly fusion, in a spectacular hidden building.
Great not just for dinner but for a great end to end night!
Only downside: too loud to entertain any proper conversation

How can a restaurant attached to a venue often referred to as «Revolting Revolver» be so damn delicious?!
Undeniably one of my favourite places to eat on the southside, Colonel Tan’s is comparable to the likes of Chin Chin or Cookie — only without the hefty pricetag and fancy-​pants service.
I highly recommend heading in with an empty stomach and a good mate and ordering a bottle of wine and pretty much everything the menu has to offer. HOWEVER, personal favourites include the Betel Leaf Salad, Rendang Chicken Curry Dip and Roti Bread, Deep Fried Chilli Squid and the Popcorn Chicken.
There are a number of items on the menu that would be considered a ‘main meal’ for one if sharing isn’t your thing, but I really thing ordering a bit of everything is the way to go.
Much like the 24-​hour nightclub next door, Colonel Tan’s has a dingy and grungy look about it, so it may not be the perfect destination for your romantic ten-​year anniversary dinner… but it’s perfect for a yummy dinner with a group of mates on a Friday night.

I was a little hesitant to eat dinner in the nightclub revolver for reasons you can probably presume. I was pleasantly surprised to experience one of the best meals I’ve had in Melbourne with a vibrant atmosphere matched with moderate prices. The Thai food was authentic and inspired with a wide variety of curries and snacks.
While enjoying my post-​meal sangria, I glanced across the wall the see a COCKROACH the size of my springroll crawling up the brick wall at eye level. Needless to say, this infestation has spoilt this restaurant for me! If i wanted to hang out with pests, I’d just wait until revolver after-​hours. It’s a shame because boy, oh boy, was that coconut rice de-​LISH!

Oh my, I have found a new favourite!
Was super please with our experience at Colonel Tan’s. The food was really tasty and atmosphere was really chill with vibing beats playing from the DJ booth.
We enjoyed Corn & Coriander fritters, the flavory Grilled Thai Sausage and the Colonels Five Spiced chicken with a few pots of Kirin Lager on tap.
I must admit it was certainly a different experience eating instead of dancing at Revolver but I just loved it. Will most certainly be back to try the rest of the menu.

People had built this place up for me which is always a worry. Luckily Colonel Tan lives up to the hype. It is cool, seriously cool. Love the layout and funky beats. The menu is also well stocked. I had the pork curry which I mopped up with some rotti. Some seriously good comfort food. I popped in just before heading out with friends so perched myself at the bar. The staff were friendly and seeing that I was on my lonesome were happy to have a chat. I’ll be heading back there next time I cross the river!

Great food and atmosphere! Highly recommend it!
But not for a quiet dinner, as there is always music and lost of noise but that is the atmosphere.

Spicy & grungy. It’s Chapel St meets Brunswick st. Good food and good service. Can’t believe we have been in the area for 5 years and haven’t been before. We will be going back. P. S. there is a Street Fighter 2 arcade machine in the back — super awesome!

Created by the owners of Cookie this is a cheaper, trashier retro version, and it’s awesome.
Throughly recommend this one, and if you hate Revolver, just pretend it’s not there… that’s what I did!

I have a hard time understanding just how it took me so long to discover Colonel Tan’s. Whilst it probably isn’t the most authentic thai in town, what it lacks in that department it more than makes up for in atmosphere and tastiness.
My vote goes to the fried rice, which is unlike any others in town, and basically any of the curries. Yummo.
Bonus points awarded if you can get yourself a table on a Thursday night, where they make friendly with locals by offering 50% off.

This is a single dish review for Colonel Tan’s.
I know plenty of people RAVE about how amazing the Thai food is here.
I was dragged her to participate in a trivia night (where I ended up wanting to slap the Trivia host across the face with a metal pole), and so concurred to just eat when i got here.
Although I was thrilled to see MGD on the beer list, I just wasnt in the mood for thai. I spied a steak sandwich on the menu, and asked the bar guy «its stupid to get the sandwich in a place that specialises in Thai, right?» HIs response: «nah, i mean, its on the menu, right?!»
So I ordered it. It arrived and I was left dumbfounded. It was a Thai take on a steak sanga (not suggested on the menu). A TRIPLE decker of those small cheap white supermarket loaf slices, completely covered in butter. With some kind of cabbage and fresh cucumber layer, and a super thin, tough bit of steak. Fries were super crisp, but the saltiest I have ever had. Weird, greasy, tiny, unappetising.
Yeah, I might have failed by ordering this dish, but it shouldnt be on the menu. Unless it’s a practical joke.

If you have ever been to Revolver on a naughty night out, forget everything you ever saw there and keep an open mind.
Colonel Tan’s could not be more different, even though located in the exact same venue Colonel Tan’s completely transforms Revolver by day into an amazing Thai inspired tapas restaurant. The food here really does need to be seen to be believed it is incredible! Not surprising the head chef also works in the sister venue Cookie an highly regarded Thai restaurant on Swanston Street. Meal items at Colonel Tan’s include Beetle Leaf Salad with Snapper, Peanuts, Ginger, Chilli and Lime, Stir Fried Morning Glory with Fermented Tofu and Steamed Mussels with Curry, Basil and Beer. Everything on the menu is a safe bet, the flavours are rich and fresh and always leaves you wanting more.
I would recommend Colonel Tan’s to anyone who has a taste for Thai food, they also do a fun trivia night every Tuesday, but watch out if your there for a quiet meal as the trivia bunch get quite loud and competitive!

A tan is perhaps the last thing you’d get at this dingy nightspot crevassed behind Retro bar on Chapel Street. Instead, you can expect to find the über-​cool setting for a midweek drink and bite.
Younger brother to Cookie, the ever famous dig at first floor of Curtain House, Colonel Tan matches up in aesthetic details, delicious Thai food and of course some interesting and unusual drinks. You won’t find the almost infinite array of international beers and wines, but if you’re not so picky you’ll find one of the most laidback places in Melbourne.
Like most little brothers, this place is probably cooler than Cookie ’cause it’s for the masses. Similar to the likes of a Russian den during the underground, non-​violent years of the Revolution, the place is littered with mismatched furniture that seems either borrowed or stolen from nature strips. Dim lighting makes it hard to eat but easy to feel relaxed and mysterious.
Tan’s is only open some nights so check the site before you head off!