The Independent Gembrook 79 Main Street, Gembrook, Victoria 3783

"We tried many dishes here. The scallops were great really enjoyed that dish. The palm heart dish looked immaculate it was enjoyable. The serving sizes were both very generous. The salmon & calamari were both delicious. Loved the beetroot salad. The iceberg was ok the cheese flavour was too strong for me. Overall it's a great restaurant. The food is tasty, clean & fresh ingredients. Would recommend"

"I recently photographed an engagement party here and I must tell everyone that I couldn't be happier! Please note - this review is from the point of view as a photographer. Food was top notch, service was fantastic, but here I'm telling you guys little more details lol This venue radiates warmth (both as in colours and temp lol), artistic touches every corners and a friendly atmosphere that made everyone feel right at home. Stepping inside, I really loved the cozy fireplace and the inviting warm-toned interior everywhere! The attention to detail is awesome too! Carefully selected artworks on the walls adds a personality! The good blend of natural and tungsten light - but make sure you know what time of the day you'll be shooting! Bonus point if you carry flash with gels. One more thing! I wanna say great thing about the friendly and approachable staff members! They go above and beyond with care and enthusiasm :) I heard from the couple that from the planning stages to the day of the event, their dedication and professionalism shine through, making their, and my day seamless and stress-free. 10/10. The best gem of the gembrook!"

"Amazing food, great service. Friendly staff, Chef's menu is the best option for first timers, will never disappoint. Also very considerate with dietary restrictions. Highly recommended! Hidden gem in (pun intended) Gembrook"

"Great food, nice ambience and service. For mine, it's one of those menus where everything sounds great so you need to whittle it down to a normal meal, and we still ordered too much. Two of us went but it'd be much better with 4 or 6 to share more things but they do have a chef's menu with 6? serves, and most people would be happy. We'll go again to try other things. My partner was a little cold (it was an average cold Melbourne day) as we were in a corner away from the roof heating but nothing to complain about. I suspect with a full house it'd be a little noisy in a big room with hard surfaces but thankfully the staff didn't mumble. The service was great, they were attentive, confident and friendly without being boring or saccharin. The standouts for us were the scallops, the maple carrots, spiced chicken, beef and olive empanada, and caramel ice cream with candied pecans."

"This was a definitive experience! We booked in for my husband’s birthday dinner and it was an 11/10. The food was delicious and prepared to perfection. We had two cocktails and multiple dishes including two pastas for $250. The service was second to none, we were constantly checked in on and the chefs themselves would serve us our meals and explain each dish to us. The owner was also on service duty and was pleasant as he served us or cleared our plates. We highly recommend this amazing restaurant that really puts love and care into what they put in front of you. We couldn’t be happier with our experience here."