The Home Hotel, Launching Place

2170 Warburton Highway
Launching Place
VIC 3139

We've driven past the pub in Launching Place a few times, and the 'Home Hotel' chosen as a venue for Sunday lunch for 6 of us. From the outside it's hard to tell how what would await us. The sign in the glass above the door did provide a clue though...

It was definitely more traditional and cosy inside, with almost an English pub feel, although there were some traditional Aussie touches too. There were several other diners about, but it wasn't rammed. The menu featured some classic pub fayre, including steaks as well as some varitey. The specials list was as long as the regular menu!

Stu couldn't go past the chance to have his ritual Chicken Parma, a staple on every return visit to the country, and he wasn't disappointed on this occasion. 

The medium rare steak with vegies and roast potatoes, a special request which was easily accommodated, was highly rate. 

The special of duck on fennel and a rosti looked great, but was a little on the oily side.

I had the fish and chips, which was served with a good fresh salad. One of the pieces of flake was a little over done, but the other was great.

The service was good, attentive and efficient. The bill at just over $250 for 6 including a couple of drinks each and some coffees. It's a good place to stop if you are out and about exploring the beautiful scenery in the area.

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The Gertrude Hotel

148 Gertrude Street
Fitzroy,
VIC 3065

Brendan and I had strolled past the Gertrude Hotel after a previous lunch, and were interested enough by the recently renovated pub to return. As the name suggests it's situated on Gertrude street in Fitzroy, and was originally the "The Drewery Family Hotel" with a history to suit the area's colourful past.

Inside the front area still has a pub feel, albeit a stylish modern one, with stools and high tables, there were also tables outside on the wide pavement. It serves a range of interesting beers which I had to resist.

The restaurant area at the rear of the building has some original looking features, but also dark wooden tables and bench seats and leather seats.

Although we were ordering from the bar menu we were seated in the restaurant area where we received table service, there quite a few other tables occupied in this area and a one or two outside. After ordering we were brought some good quality bread, butter and salt.

We both took advantage of the Tuesday $12 special on the chicken parmigiana with chips and salad. I prefer chunkier chips, but the thin ones were super crunchy. The salad was fresh with a subtle dressing. The parma covered a big area but was fairly thin, and mine verged into the slightly dry territory, but not enough to stop me from devouring it all.

The service was certainly at a level above what I'd expect at a pub, certainly one serving food at the price of their specials! I'd be happy to go back again to try another lunchtime special, or in the evening/at a weekend to grab a beer with food.

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Saint & Rogue

582 Little Collins Street
Melbourne,
VIC 3000

03 9620 9720

We met up for a pre (docklands)  footy meal at Saint & Rogue on a Friday night, and it was pretty busy throughout, from the tables outside, through the bar inside and upstairs too, fortunately we had a table booked!

Housed in an older building, the establishment itself seems to have been around since about 2009. With its wood panelled walls and cathedral ceiling on the 1st floor the place feels a bit like an upmarket English pub. We got to our table and then perused the Dining Room menu.

We shared a couple of the 'small food' items to start, one being the Chilli salt and Szechuan peppered squid, with a lime and caper aioli. These were nicely flavoured, but a little tough the aioli was great.

The mezze Plate featured mixed dips, one hummusy another tzatziki like, some olives, some delicious smoked salmon, sausage, stuffed vine leaves, rocket and crostini, plenty to keep us all interested!

The mains on offer covered some pub standards and a few Italian and Asian inspired dishes. The char-grilled scotch fillet had the tasty blackened exterior and came with chunky chips, plenty of gravy or was it jus, garlic seeded mustard aioli and a mixed leaf salad.

The chicken Parma kept a connoisseur happy and of course came with chips and salad.

Initially it was hard to spot the meat in the arm duck salad with crispy shallots, soba noodles, water chestnuts and char sui sesame dressing, but it was there and the overall dish pleased it's recipient.

I had the prawn, lemon and saffron risotto which was topped with plenty of fresh parmesan and wild rocket, which were both needed to revive what was otherwise a fairly bland meal.

The service was friendly, withg a bit of banter from our waiters, when we could get their attention. It was busy anf to be fair the staff were doing a great job, and we still managed to get to the stadium just in time for a 7:50 kick off... The bill with drinks came to $170 for four, and I'd certainly pop back for a bite or a drink... the website also has some specials available at lunch and on some evenings.

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Waterside Hotel, Melbourne

508 Flinders Street,
Melbourne,
VIC, 3000

The Waterside Hotel is situated on the busy junction of Flinders and King Streets, however inside on a weekday evening it was relatively quiet. It's a good spot to watch the world and trains go by.

It manages to retain the character of a pub and some historic touches including stained class, whilst still being quite modern, and avoiding any seedy King street characteristics. The menu featured plenty of Aussie pub classics and several different specials offers running from Monday to Thursday. As well as the main pub, there is a dining room offering a different dishes. Upstairs there is also an outdoor area.

Despite my good intentions I couldn't go past the midweek offer of the 'long parma', a Melbourne bitter long neck and parmigiana for $18. The parma was huge, almost dwarfing the 750ml beer bottle! The crumbed chicken was well cooked, not too dry as it can end up some times, the bread crumbs crunchy, and the toppings of ham, tomato and cheese in good proportions.

The roasted veggie lasagna with pesto herb bread was a slight variation to the hotel standard. It contained plenty of vegetables in a rich sauce, with maybe just a few too many herbs, as the flavour was dominated by basil.A salad or something else on the plate might make it look a bit more enticing!

If you are in this part of town and fancy a classic pub meal in a relaxed environment, this is a good option.




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The Inlet Hotel

45 Great Ocean Rd  Aireys Inlet, 3231

The Airey's Inlet Hotel sits at the top of a fill overlooking Fairhaven with views all the way along the coast to Lorne and beyond. There's a big beer garden with plenty of tables, which can fill up in holiday season. It was a bit too cold to sit outside for dinner when we visited, but we still managed to get a window table with great views. Inside the pub has a built in the 70's or 80's vibe. It has a medium sized bar area and a large bistro space.

The menu is fairly limited selection of standard Aussie pub meal. We had the fish and chips and a parma. Both were decent portions and well prepared and presented, with good chips and salad. The flake was in a decent crispy batter and the parma had a good tomato sauce, ham and plenty of cheese, and the chicken was tender and moist.

We were going to share a desert, but the orderer couldn't decide so we ended up sharing the lemon tart and the sticky date pudding.

Both were fantastic and we managed to finish both. Both were at the right level of richness...

The pub is certainly worth trying if you are in the area, and if you are there at the right time the sunset is fantastic!

These shots are from a previous visit!








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The Metropolitan Hotel

42 Courtney St
Melbourne, 3051

The Metropolitan Hotel, in North Melbourne is built into the corner of the impressive former North Melbourne meat market. We ate in the bar, which was impressive enough, with some great stained glass windows, the dining room was even more formal and grand.

The menu offered fairly standard Australian pub food with a few more unusual dishes.

We shared the black pudding (for the two poms present) and  the salt and sechwan pepper Calamari, with garlic chips, pickled ginger and nam jim dressing for entrée.The black pud was great, not too strong and meaty but with the distinctive flavour still there, although the ladies weren't hugely impressed.the calamari was good, although some of the diners hadn't read the menu and were expecting a more standard salt and pepper calamari...

The parma's were large, came with plenty of chunky chips and a glass of salad on the side. All good except for the a lack of ham, which I was expecting. After some research it doesn't seem that all parma's have to have ham, but I've got pretty used to it as standard now...

The market fish - salmon got good feedback and came with plenty of rocket and a great salsa verde.

I tried a bit of the corned beef, it's actually the first time I'd had any of the non-tinned variety, and it was very different, tender and enjoyable...

The bill came to around $180 for 4 with drinks...





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The Elms Family Hotel

269 Spring St
Melbourne, 3002

The Elms Family Hotel hasn't changed since I first visited in 2001, and I imagine for a while longer. It sells itself as a family hotel in the city, and it delivers on that.

On a recent lunch time visit I took advantage of the $11 for a pot and parma offer that run from Monday to Wednesday. I'm a definite convert to the parma since arriving in Melbourne and this one didn't disappoint, being big but not ridiculously huge, with well cooked chicken (not too dry), crispy breadcrumbs, the right amount of marinara sauce and cheese. The chips were good, and the salad although basic was crisp.







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