Pub Of The Week: Railway Hotel, Melbourne
Railway Hotel
280 Ferrars St, Melbourne
VENUE:
Stand outside the Railway in Ferrars St, South Melbourne for a moment and look at this wonderful pub from a time long past. It is so impressive that you are drawn to head inside and see what is on offer.
The time long past theme strikes you immediately with a massive semi-circular bar that could accommodate 30-40 people around it to socialise before taking block to enjoy some excellent pub food in one of many areas within.
There are the tables surrounding the perimeter if watching the world go by is your thing; equally there is a smaller dining room, (private function for sure), a discreet pool room (a rarity in any pub, anywhere), through to an airy dining room, modern fixtures and fittings (with its own serving area) while the beer garden, with its thatched hut/Tiki village looks, greets and invites on warmer days.
Think of the fabulous beer garden at Windsor Castle and you have the idea.
What disarms is how much space is provided here to spread out; anathema to the suburb in which it is located.
The Railway is one pub to bank on if you have friends wanting to go to a Melbourn pub reflecting an era past. Indeed the critically acclaimed Tom Hanks backed war series “The Pacific” was launched here.
Enough of the nostalgia. Where the Railway shines out is its attitude to the present, with a range of beers, traditional and modern, screens everywhere to consume Sport (without the excessive noise), and staff who could not be more helpful.
Pokies: No
TAB: No
On a bitterly cold, nondescript Sunday recently, the pub was doing a very good trade.
Entrees. Lamb Koftas, seasoned with herbs and house made mint yoghurt sauce (15), Baked Camembert Bites, Plum Jam, (16), Cajun Flour Calamari, Tartare (15), are a sample of an 8 item starters list.
To the mains. Classics like Parmas, Burgers, Fish/chips all full plated are priced in the high $20s – low $30s; Beef/Guinness Pie, mash, gravy (32), or then a range of 5-6 specials make the menu appealing. Plenty to choose from.
Highlights were an entree of Pork Belly, right cooking of the meat, with a sweetness of a ponzu sauce combined with a Jalapeno Slaw. 6 meaty cubes, all flavours working in harmony.
The main was perfect for a day like this. Seafood Chowder, (29), deep broth, clams/squid/mussels with toasted sourdough to do the heavy lifting. Generous Serve, well executed. Paired with the Roast of The Day, (Beef, $30), full whack of proper Roast veg, confirms that better level Sunday Pub roasts are a thing of beauty.
Wine by the Glass averages out at $12, Tope Riesling and a blend from Terra Del Puerco, Barossa (Grenache/Mataro/Malbec) were tried and thoroughly enjoyed. Carlton Draught for the cleanser ($7/pot) was well presented, clean taste and good glassware.
When pubs have survived so long without any change to interior/exterior, and the offer just moves with the times without eschewing the past, it indicates that there is a confidence in everything they do. They just get it here. The public had spoken.
SCORE: 15.2