How is Mabu Mabu - Big Esso restaurant rated?

Mabu Mabu - Big Esso

4.5 (381)

$41 to $100

Australian

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

About this restaurant

Innovative
Good for groups
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.

Permanently Closed

This restaurant is permanently closed.

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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

What 381 people are saying

Mabu Mabu - Big Esso reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

4.5

4.5 based on recent ratings

4.6Food
4.5Service
4.1Ambience
4.3Value

Noise • Energetic

381 Reviews

D
Dara
Vancouver / British Columbia1 review
5.0
Dined on March 26, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
I will recommend this restaurant to EVERYONE I meet. The flavours were spectacular and we enjoyed discovering the ingredients, knowing that they are all locally sourced from the land. Such a beautiful concept to share within a metropolitan centre like Melbourne - the city is lucky to have you at its heart!
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A
Alexander
Melbourne1 review
5.0
Dined on March 23, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Creative dishes with unorthodox local types of meat and other local products. Nice atmosphere and amazing service. Highly recommended if you are visiting Melbourne and want to try some modern local cuisine.
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D
Deb
Melbourne14 reviews
4.0
Dined on March 18, 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 2
Beautiful and delicious showcasing of Australian produce, in a casual cafe environment
Is this helpful?
A
Adam
Melbourne2 reviews
5.0
Dined on March 16, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
friendly service, quick an food not from the world. Outstanding taste and presentation. Needs bigger table for 6 , as we couldn't fit all in one table. However that doesn't change my review.
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A
Angus
Melbourne1 review
5.0
Dined on March 15, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Amazing food. Friendly and prompt service. The sheer diversity of the flavor palate on each and every dish was on another level. The MFC (Mabu Fried Crocodile) and the Emu Steak were out of this world. And the oysters with the seasonings and garnish they specialize in took the already delicious fresh sea food to a whole other tier of quality.
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EG
EGold
Philadelphia County11 reviews
5.0
Dined on March 13, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Great dinner, good wine selection, friendly staff. We split 2 entrees and 1 main. I had never tried Emu before, but they made it absolutely delicious!
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Victoria2 reviews
3.0
Dined on March 9, 2025
1. Overall 3
2. Food 5
3. Service 2
4. Ambience 3
The good was outstanding and a great experience. However the service was average .
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S
Sarah
Seattle / Eastern Washington1 review
5.0
Dined on March 9, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 3
We loved our meal at Big Esso. The flavours were so interesting and everything was delicious. I have complex dietaries (no onion or garlic) and there were so many dishes for me to choose from. The staff were friendly and helpful. We’ll be back!
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D
Dean
Sydney1 review
5.0
Dined on March 8, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
6 of us has a good variety, some were vegetarian, and menu made it easy to accomodate requirements.
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F
Fiona
Melbourne11 reviews
5.0
Dined on March 5, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
We chose the Feed Me menu, which was great value and encouraged us to try some of the more exotic dishes on the menu, for example Crocodile tongues on skewers! We received a large range of dishes and each one was delicious and beautifully presented. The flavours Nornie puts into her meals are fantastic. Very enjoyable and original menu.
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FAQs

Mabu Mabu - Big Esso is rated 4.5 stars by 381 OpenTable diners.

Permanently Closed

This restaurant is permanently closed.

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.