Mabu Mabu - Big Esso

4.5

353 Reviews

$41 to $100

Australian

Make a reservation

2 people

Jan 21, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 17 times today

Experiences are available.

Good for groups
Innovative
Good for special occasions

Big Esso is an all-day bar and kitchen located on the land of the Wurundjeri and Boonwurrung peoples. We are beyond proud to be bringing Indigenous food and culture back to the banks of Birrarung (Yarra). This River was once an eel breeding ground; where shark, dolphin and stingrays could be found. This place was a main source of food, hunting, cooking, and ceremony. By sharing food in this place, we hope to bring these stories back to life. 'Big Esso' is an expression in the Torres Strait. It’s a slang term that means ‘the biggest thank you.’ This is what you say when you really want to express your gratitude. When combined, ‘Mabu Mabu & Big Esso’ is what you would say before kicking-off a celebration like no other.

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
$41 to $100
Cuisines
Australian, Indigenous, Modern Australian
Hours of operation
Tue–Thu 11:00 am–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 11:00 am–11:00 pm Sun 12:00 pm–8:00 pm
Phone number
(03) 9121 0510
Website
https://mabumabu.com.au/pages/dining
Payment options
AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress
Executive chef
Nornie Bero
Catering
We offer a full catering menu. Please visit: www.mabumabu.com.au/catering
Private party facilities
Please get in touch if you would like to book our venue for private or semi-private events.

Location
Federation Square, Swanston St & Flinders St, Melbourne, AU-VIC 3000
Neighborhood
Melbourne CBD
Cross street
Swanston and Flinder Street
Parking details
Fed Square Parking is available via the Russell St extension.
Public transit
Directly across from Flinders Street Station
Additional
Beer, Beer Garden, Cocktails, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Experiences

Feed Menu
A$75.00 per person
Multiple dates available
Feed Menu

What 353 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.5

4.5 based on recent ratings

4.6Food
4.4Service
4.1Ambience
4.2Value

Noise • Energetic

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Mabu Mabu - Big Esso offers a unique culinary adventure with "innovative modern indigenous food" and "exceptional" service. Located in Fed Square, it delights with adventurous menus using native ingredients. Guests praise the "beautifully presented, delicious food" and the "phenomenal" drinks menu, featuring standout cocktails like the Coastal Negroni.

353 Reviews

J
Jan
Melbourne
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined 1 day ago
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 3
Delicious and unusual food in the heart of Melbourne, perfect for a casual dinner with friends.
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A
Alison
Melbourne
6 reviews
4.0
6 reviews
Dined 2 days ago
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 2
The food was delicious and came quickly but the restaurant is very noisy as it’s all hard surfaces and the chairs are a bit uncomfortable if you’re sitting for a while. I would certainly try it again.
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N
Nadia
Melbourne
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 4 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Wonderful to share outstanding First Nations cuisine in the warm and welcoming Big Esso!
Is this helpful?
S
Shaun
Melbourne
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 4 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Highly recommmend, if you only have time for one meal in Melbourne make it this for a delicious and unique menu
Is this helpful?
F
Florian
San Francisco
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 5 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Wonderful and knowledgeable service, fantastic dishes with great opportunities to discover new tastes and textures.
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J
Jessica
London
4 reviews
3.0
4 reviews
Dined on January 10, 2025
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 4
Very slow service our first drinks came out 40 minutes late, food was strange and it would have been nice to have some carb options, I think some dishes could be a better combination of more familiar flavours with less familiar to ease people into it Service generally very slow for all order. It was beautiful sitting outside and watching the sun set on a warm summer evening
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J
Joseph
London
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on January 5, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
In our opinion, if one like to try & experiment new foods, MABU MABU -BIG ESSO is the place for you. The Staff Member there is very helpful and explains the menu to a t.
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K
Kirsten
Melbourne
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on January 4, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Had a great time at Big Esso last night. The server was super helpful in helping us choose our dishes. Loved trying out the indigenous ingredients and experiencing new flavours.
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H
Hugh
VIP
Canberra
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on January 4, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
As a Foodie Trails guide, I am really enjoying exploring the new menu. All new menu items I have tried with my guests so far have been tasty, well presented and enjoyed. The service, as always was welcoming and attentive. Thank you.
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H
Helen
Victoria
2 reviews
4.0
2 reviews
Dined on December 31, 2024
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
We had the $75 Feed Me Menu. The quality and presentation of the food was excellent. Innovative modern indigenous food. The wines were reasonably priced and there were some excellent interesting gins and mocktails. Staff were friendly and good answering questions. There is an outdoor area as well but a little windy when we were there. Will return and recommend to friends.
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FAQs

Mabu Mabu - Big Esso is rated 4.5 stars by 353 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a reservation

2 people

Jan 21, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 17 times today

Experiences are available.

Federation Square, Swanston St & Flinders St, Melbourne, AU-VIC 3000

Additional information

Cross street
Swanston and Flinder Street
Neighborhood
Melbourne CBD
Hours of operation
Tue–Thu 11:00 am–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 11:00 am–11:00 pm Sun 12:00 pm–8:00 pm
Price
$41 to $100
Cuisines
Australian, Indigenous, Modern Australian
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
Fed Square Parking is available via the Russell St extension.
Public transit
Directly across from Flinders Street Station
Payment options
AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
Executive chef
Nornie Bero
Additional
Beer, Beer Garden, Cocktails, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
https://mabumabu.com.au/pages/dining
Phone number
(03) 9121 0510
Catering
We offer a full catering menu. Please visit: www.mabumabu.com.au/catering
Private party facilities
Please get in touch if you would like to book our venue for private or semi-private events.

Mabu Mabu - Big Esso

Make a reservation

Additional information

Experiences

Feed Menu

Menu

What 353 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Review summary

FAQs

How is Mabu Mabu - Big Esso restaurant rated?

Is Mabu Mabu - Big Esso currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Additional information