Pub Of The Week: Tony Leonard reviews the Micawber Tavern

Micawber Tavern

65-71 Monbulk Road, Belgrave.
9754 8660

When? April 21, 2023.
www.micawbertavern.com.au

VENUE

The Micawber Tavern, located in the beautiful Dandenongs, is a rare beast in Melbourne pub life and only a couple of others look like it in the state. (Swiss Mountain Hotel is one; Seven Creeks Euroa is another).

It works so well. The sprawling wooden homestead/English Tavern comprises many parts and works in harmony with the  beautiful ferns and gardens at the rear.  The Clematis Creek meandering along adds to the visuals, and whilst slightly remote, the Tavern is so popular that getting a Sunday booking is essential.

Don’t just turn up!

From the “rustic”  carpark (when it rains, beware), the Tavern greets you with an old style bar as centrepiece, bric a brac aplenty hanging from walls and ceiling, with tables and chairs covering almost every square inch. Get a table on the window, and gaze the gorgeous beer garden while you enjoy a well presented drink.

Truly a pub for all seasons.

And in spite of its quasi remote location, the Micawber provides all the specials we love in publife, e..g, Steak Night (about a tenner off), Curry Night, Trivia, Music, Happy Hour. No TAB/ No Pokies, but with the Fox Footy in the background, minutes quickly turn into hours here.

Great offer in food and drink, backed up by engaging staff, a period of 20 years had passed since the last review. Clearly having forgotten how good it is, it is time to state the following: Go here. You will enjoy.

FOOD/DRINK

Expansive menu, all bases covered from Brunch (full Irish Breakfast $22), to close at 10pm Sundays. Seven days, week in/out. (slighly later opening Mon/Tues).

Starters are very well portioned. Goats Cheese Souffle, (22), Buffalo Chicken wings w/Blue Cheese,(18),  . Mussels in Irish Cider, streaky  bacon , garlic bread (24).

Mains offer Roast Duck Leg, cabbage, pumpkin puree, bok choy (38), barramundi, couscous, cauliflower puree, romesco sauce (36), and a Irish Parma, w/black pudding, onion rings, McDonnells Curry sauce (legend), chips/salad.  Once again it proves that you can put anything with a Parma.

Plenty of choice in drinks, excellent Carlton D at $7/pot, with Balter XPA, Mercury Cider, and of course given the feel of the pub, Guinness and Kilkenny on tap.

Wine offerings are numerous with a fine Trentham Estate Cab Sav at $12/gl enjoyed.

The average prices are;

• Entrees – $17
• Mains – $29 (steaks higher up to $52)
• Dessert – $16

Tried was;

• Ham Croquettes, Slaw, Herb Salad. (3). $16. A very big starter with a lot going on. Chunky, rustic croquettes are larger in size than normal and clearly made in house. Good. The slaw and salad turn this basically into a tasty main, although a strange looking  fried piece of translucent (chicken?) skin  added to it. Still not sure why it was there,
• Porterhouse, 250g, Rare, Chips, salad, peppercorn. $36.  Bang on. Fine piece of Beef, cooked rare (hallelujah), great chips, this is how steak can be done at all pubs with the right care. In spite of the action taking place around us, this was delivered on time and thoroughly enjoyed.
• Roast Turkey, Roast Vegetables, Yorkshire Pudding. $36. Two thick rolls of turkey are dwarfed by a gargantuan Yorkie, with everything roasted perfectly, all supported by  a rich, dark pool of gravy.  At $36, this is at the top end for a pub roast, but the care and attention to detail, especially the roast potatoes,  was worth it..

SUMMARY

A long held belief that the best way to judge the public’s acceptance of your offer in food is to head to your local at lunchtime on Sundays. The right time for a family to get together, if the pub is jumping then you know that good times await.

In equal measure, if it’s very quiet, then the caravan has moved on and good luck trying to win them back/encourage new chums to sample.  In other words, it’s not much good!!.

Even after a long absence from a last visit, the Micawber was bursting at the seams. Everyone hellbent on having a good time, the staff ran off its feet but clearly enjoyed their work.  When these two parties meet like that, you know it’s something good and you’ve made the right choice.

And so it was. This pub with a drop dead gorgeous, typical Dandenongs backdrop, slightly off the beaten track is the focus of this small suburb/town. It is loved.

Not quite an hour from town, put the Micawber Tavern on your to-do list of pubs.

SCORE: 14.8/20