The Smith

Enjoyed it. Drinks were good. Food was good. Atmosphere and general setting was fine. Service was brisk and efficient with staff attitude relatively in check. I’m normally holed up in hipster places in the north. It’s different here. More of an advertising agency and sometimes idle rich hangout. There’s a cost to serving that clientele and it’s about 15−20%. It does not matter a toss as we were here for a very special occasion and had a mighty time especially as the place was classy enough to carry an Alsace riesling or two. Good for them and their people. I liked the place and I’d happily return.

Our lovely dinner was absolutely ruined by the obnoxious, rude and totally vile manager who demanded we leave our table because people were waiting for it. I get it, you need to fill tables however we were mid drink and aware of the situation. Her approach, tone and language was repulsive and not manager worthy. I feel sorry for the team who works for her.

OMG they have a touch door !!! A TOUCH DOOR !! I have never seen anything like it. You walk up thinking doors will automatically open, you stand for a few seconds before you realise there’s a large round circle on the door that says «touch me» — so you hesitantly reach out to touch the glass and BAM, the door opens !! Best invention EVER !! I’m such a sucker for gimmicks like this.
This pub/​lounge/​bar reminds me of the loads in Sydney that were absolute dives and have been reno’ed to the hills and back and almost instantly, coolest place to hang out. The vibe of this place is serious cool. It’s laid back, it’s casual but Melbournian’s don’t do casual so you won’t feel out of place if dressing up is your thing.
The food here is clearly asian inspired heavily focusing on the freshest seafood — ohh just throw it all at my face thanks. The oysters were firm and plump and had that alluring taste of the sea — I could have slurped on a dozen that night (and I would have if it was a Friday night, $ 1 oysters — spewing we missed it). The kingfish betal leaf was a solid runner up — it had a fiery freshness to it. Don’t even start me on the beef skewers with ginger and sriracha — YASSSSS the beef was tender it bordered on a pâté texture. Crispy chicken buns? Exactly that — crispy with a good amount of crunch, juxtaposed against those steamed buns — ufffff it’s all about texture here! The slaw with kimchi mayonnaise was a superb accompaniment to these dishes. To top it off, the group we were dining with heard that my friend was celebrating her birthday and to our surprise, organised dessert for her — they absolutely nailed it. A chocolate dulce de leche with peanut butter crème and salted popcorn came out with a candle and a song — I can’t begin to describe what this dessert tasted like — it was a chocolatey peanut buttery gooey pleasure in a glass.
OHHH the beer garden is where all the action happens — scored a free cocktail and who doesn’t love a freebie!

The first thing that caught my attention with this pub was the really cool sliding door. In the centre is a little black dot that says ‘Touch Me’. When you touch it, voila, the door slides open. The bouncer probably though I was a little strange because I just stood there watching people touch it, though he was pretty cool because he didn’t go crook at me for having a beer in my hand while standing outside (which is something that you’re not really supposed to do). Other than that this pub is okay, not really the best, but certainly not the worst. There is a small beer garden out the back, but that gets full pretty quickly, and there is an old balcony on the second level, but that is for functions only. However the seats outside are still pretty cool.

Food is amazing. Venue is very funky with touch free doors. Can be a little noisy on weekends though so not a great venue for an up close and personal date.

Coming back after a two year gap, it’s definitely time to update my review. This place is very different to my first experience. The décor hasn’t changed, it’s still a fairly slick modern-​warehouse fit out with a gastropub type menu.
The menu is very different however. Once a more upmarket European-​style, it’s since been scaled down considerably, with a lot more asian-​fusion influences. I suspect to suit the crowds a bit more and hey, that’s cool. You do what you have to do.
So what can you expect now? A fairly extensive (expensive) wine list, bites, share plates and a few larger main options. These can also be shared. Menu options that I tried tonight weren’t bad, but a tad overpriced for quite small portions. The mains on the other hand looked enourmous (spied at a neighbouring table) and there was probably less than $ 10 difference between them.
I would still send people here if they were in the area and looking to suit a rowdy group for a few wines and nibbles. Or, if you missed an episode of The Real Housewives, you could most certainly head here for the people watching alone. Oh, Prahran.

I was super impressed last night at The Smith. Such a great atmosphere with a stylish modern yet homey feel interior.
The Smith has a great cocktail & wine list and I can’t praise the food enough.
Really helpful and friendly staff who were very knowledgeable on the menu. Lots of different seating options too.

Well, that construction site is almost finished, and there’s
going to be a huxtaburger there. But I still haven’t made it
down for the food. Great spot for drinking though, and a great
venue itself. Sometimes you do have to endure a really long wait
to be served at the island bar, but, it’s a good bar. Good staff,
great drinks. Nice for going home drinks too.

Very impressive. Heaps of options with both seating and menu items. Take a look at the kitchen operation back there. Its enjoyable to watch! As is the bar area– plenty of knowledge and skill going on.
Im starting to think I just don’t like rabbit cause it was obviously prepared with care just like the other dishes we tasted. Ive already sorted out a couple of winners like prawn stuffed shiso leaves and the wagyu osso bucco fajitas. More to follow I’m sure.
The Smith has alot going for it. Its not cheap but worth it with the reasonably good size portions, great flavors & presentation. Wow its loud in there so I wouldn’t recommend it for first dates unless you have nothing to say.

I remember when this has been many a dark dingy pub (which I loved) through out the ages, and the guys have done an amazing job on the renovation, it really has a great pub/​restaurant cross over.
The light into the front room is just lovely, a great place to have a drink at the bar, and I only had a peek at the dining room but it looks like great set up as well.
We shared a few lunch grazing dishes, kingfish, rabbit and the fajitas and they were all superb. great flavours and lovely presentation. The guy that served us had a wonderful manner about him and a lot of knowledge about the food and wine so we asked for some «delicious wine, his choice» and he was awesome enough to bring back different glasses so we could try 4 wines through out the lunch with our dishes!
Will be back. Loved the place, the food and the drink.

The Smith is a classy and fresh restaurant that has loads of appeal. They have worked hard to get a really cosy, smart, casual, loungy, cool, elegant and sleek feel that would suit all patrons.
I love their décor where I do think it’s great that a place like this has set itself up so that all types or occasions can have an area. It’s perfect for functions or a group dinner where it seems to always attract a few people just having one-​on-​one drinks in one of their little nooks.
There’s a great social feel as well with all these elements combining and the fact they have communal tables and an open kitchen. I always get a lot out of the setting of these places where if I’m comfortable and happy then it’s amazing that the food always tastes better! With a flexible menu of ‘Mouthfuls’ (from $ 4.50), ‘Tastes’ (under $ 20) and ‘Mains’ (under $ 40), it’s worth a visit.