Stamford Park Homestead bring Victoria charm to the Melbourne Suburbs, unfortunately the cooking techniques also seem to be stuck in the past.

It’s truly a surprise to find a restored Victorian Mansion in the middle of a new and sterile housing complex. The building is beautiful and stately. Soaring ceiling and grand stained windows gave me some goosebumps upon entering.

The restaurant is divided into front balcony, 2 dining rooms, 2 private dining rooms and the massive undercover courtyard. Each area is as charming as the next, you can’t go wrong.

Unfortunately, service did go wrong. The wait staff were friendly but untrained and knew little. I had to ask for the menu, and then waited 20 minutes to order and then ask for water. Wines are pre-poured into a generic glass and plonked on the table. No explanation of the menu or the dishes. Generally pleasant but unhelpful.

Food was somewhat well presented but tasted like the year 2000. The quality of the produce is questionable too, the pork was dry and the duck seemed watery somehow. There was some attempt to crisp up the duck skin but it just made it jelly like. The flavours were okay, but nothing of note. From a distance, the high tea stacks looked pretty average too.

At 80 dollars per head for 3 course lunch, you really expect a little bit more service and better food. This really is a place that’s all style and little substance. Lucky for them, the building does all the work.

Rating: 2.34 out of 5

Kids Rating: 3 out 5 for the outdoor areas.