The Little Mussel Cafe

Just a short walk from the Portarlington Pier. Food was OK. Mussels were really fresh. The Fish and Chips could do with more flavour in our opinion. Chicken parma was good. Plenty of indoor and outdoor seats. They have what looks like an outdoor private event space - looks beautiful with all the flowers and decor. Service was great - staff were very attentive and friendly. Toilets were clean.

Love going here always good food, but for some reason they stopped serving the MasterChef muscles which were my wife’s favorite 🥺

Absolutely beautiful!
Awesome staff, great atmosphere and beautiful fresh food!!
Highly recommend to check this place out ☺

Wonderful seaside experience. We chose the seafood tower as an indulgence and it lived up to our expectations. What could you possibly be tempted with after that; nothing l thought until l read the dessert menu with the homemade Vanilla Slice. Really!!. Fabulous thank you to the chef and staff. Truly memorable. Cheers Tim

Stoped in on the way home for lunch was fantastic spot food was delicious and reasonably priced great location and staff very friendly

What an amazing restaurant. Amazing service from the staff. Attentive, funny and prompt. Cocktails were amazing and food was delicious. And the view while watching the sunset just topped it off. Can’t wait to go again.

Absolutely fantastic dining experience. The staff with their menu suggestions and our outstanding meal. seriously the actual mussels filled a tablespoon and those at our table that didn’t chose seafood were still impressed.
We will be a regular visitor especially for the mussel chowder

Hubby and I just happen to find this place due to the town being so so busy during Xmas break. Fantastic find! The food was amazing. Hubby claimed best green curry ever.. spring rolls and fried rice were also delicious! The views eating on the deck were also good.

We booked a table after coming off the Ferry from Melbourne to visit the Portarlington Mussels Festival. Just a short walk uphill to the corner restaurant our table was waiting for us. Great place to catch up and have a fantastic meal. The Mussels chowder, Mussels in Chilli and Barramundi Fish and Chips were excellent. The King Fish Sushi with Chilli was divine. It was better than buying it in the Festival. For our large party of 16 we were treated to a gastronomic feast. Thank you Little Mussel.

Worth the trip to this amazing bowl of tastiness. Fresh, flavourful and good price. The mussel dish options were all equally fantastic. Paired our meal with a lovely local white wine. Over the moon that there was a gluten free option bread available.
Thank you team.

What a wonderful place! Great views! Fantastic food! Good service! We had oysters kilpatrick (perfect balanced) curry puffs (full of deliciousness) grilled fish of the day on a bed of rice with veges and a curry sauce (delicious) and Prawn Pad Thai (huge serve - prawns were so fresh) after all that yummyness there was no room left for desserts! Great job! Thanks for the hospitality! We will definitely be back!

First time eating at "The Little Mussel Cafe", and we came especially to visit on a chilly midwinter Sunday, after a day trip to the area.
Set in what looks like an old weatherboard cottage, the inside is warm wood and inviting. There is an outside deck with great views, but it was way to chilly and windy for us, so we stayed inside. There is a large bar on one side and the whole place has a warm homey feel. Obviously with a name like "Little Mussle", they specialise in that seafood which is locally grown. There is a great range of dishes featuring the local produce and a daily specials menu as well.
We ordered a few tasting platters, a sashimi dish and a steak. The presentation was colourful and mouthwatering, tempting the eyes and the tastebuds.
Everything was delicious, the only thing we thought was lacking was some carbohydrates. The one slice of bread for the juices seemed a bit stingy.
Everything on the platters was delicious and obviously as fresh as possible. The local mussels were the largest we've ever seen and absolutely delicious.
My steak unfortunately was dreadful.
Even though ordered as medium, it was medium rare, but so chewy and full of gristle, even with the supplied steak knife, I could barely hack my way through it.
Very disappointed in that.
The roast vegies with it were excellent though and were obviously the highlight of the dish.
I've still rated it as 5 stars overall, as the seafood IS exceptional, the staff were fantastic and the friendly, family vibe was enjoyable.
We'll be back next time we're in the area, with fingers crossed that my steak was an anomaly!

Food amazing! Staff wonderful!
I have eaten at the wonderful place a few times and have never been disappointed!
Tonight I was so happy! I was there to celebrate my 40th with my family and they staff were beautiful - the food amazing and they were so great singing happy birthday to me and making me feel special! Thank you little mussle cafe! And thank you for the message on my cake box!

As always, service was outstanding…..we were very well looked after.
Food was delicious….a local wine to wash it down.
Hospitality was great….attention to detail and friendliness.
Highly recommend.

We come by the Little Mussel Cafe every time we're in the Bellarine. It is an iconic part of Portarlington and a crucial place to visit -- just make sure you book over summer.

The food is spectacular. The seafood is so fresh, and there's a nice mix of gastronomic dishes (like their kingfish ceviche) and satisfying hearty meals (ANY of their largest dishes, but especially the mussels).

A recommendation: we love their mussels in tomato and white wine based sauces, but have you ever had mussels in a cream base? Try their French style mussels with cream, bacon, and spring onion for something beautifully different.

My three girlfriends from Melbourne thoroughly enjoyed every minute. The seafood and Asian food was amazing, the service was very kind, helpful and friendly, and our seating on the deck on a beautiful sunny day lifted our spirits and helped us relax, when we looked at the beautiful beach in front of us. Bravo!!!

The Little Mussel Cafe is back to full capacity and serving up some new items on their menu.
There are choices of indoor dining in the restaurant outdoor on the deck or beer garden marquee. We normally prefer the deck but book in restaurant and change to deck with views of the bay. if the weather suits and our table is free. The old Duke pub has been brought back to life since the Little Mussel cafe has taken residence and it is our favourite place to eat on the Pennisula.
The staff are amazing, so friendly and helpful.
We started with a cocktail today then ordered a couple of local beers and wines. Lots of fresh seafood dishes were on offer it was hard to choose. We went with the seafood tasting plate and chowder for entree ... delicious.
Main - hot chilli Mussels and coconut curry Mussels
Then we finished off with the biggest vanilla slice ever. Believe me if you order that make sure it’s to share.
There were all sorts of seafood on offer but we knew the mussels were just out of the bay so we went with those choices... all delicious. There are plenty of non seafood choices on the menu to cater for those of you that don’t do seafood (although I can’t imagine why you would) the tasting plates are a wonderful way to introduce you to the mussels believe me you’ll never look back
We are going back real soon to have the creamy curry Mussels We thoroughly recommend this fabulous restaurant but make sure you check the website for the opening hours and book before you go.

The service was amazing despite the fuse blown. The food was absolutely amazing, in particular the mussels - super fresh and generous amount. Kid friendly with a kids menu available.

Wonderful place with a very warm and friendly service, and very good food. The mussels were fresh and done very well. We went on a Friday night and as we were paying on the way out, we booked to come back on Saturday night.

Wait staff and blonde manager were terrific.
Barry unfortunately was very rude and appeared lacking to cope with his managerial role.
We would only return if Barry no longer at The Little Mussel Cafe