Pub Of The Week: Tony Leonard reviews the Mitre Tavern, CBD

Mitre Tavern

5 Bank Place, Melbourne.
9670 5644
www.mitretavern.com.au

When? November 4, 2022.

VENUE 

Happy to assert the following: The Mitre Tavern is the most popular pub in the CBD and easily competes in the popularity stakes with most out in the ‘burbs that do not have TAB/Pokies.

Seven days a week in drop dead gorgeous Bank Place, (it joins Lt. Collins and Collins), the hub for suits and tradies alike in town, the Mitre rolls on and on, showing no signs of easing up.

Very much part Tavern, part Christmas Gingerbread House, the exterior sums up it up perfectly: Old English pub, a ‘beer lane’ (Mitre Ln) to catch the rays in the warmer weather, while inside, low ceilings, heavily timber and deep rich velveteen walls/carpet, set the mood perfectly. Little spaces, nooks, crannies, set the atmosphere with a working galley in full view.

The tavern downstairs does the heavy lifting:  The steakhouse upstairs has become a beloved institution for those doing the somewhat archaic big business, big dining lunch (more praise that this practice  still exists somewhere in a pub rather than Chai Latte and IPads at 40 paces!!).

Staff is flat knacker as soon as the doors open for the 2-3 lunch rush and how it is pulled off, day after day, is an achievement in itself.

But in spite of this daily military precision, a fatal flaw occurred in the sequencing, with one main arriving seconds after the order was taken, followed by the entrée some 3 minutes later, followed by the second main around 6-7 minutes after that.

And so to catch up with a friend over lunch to socialise, it isn’t much fun when one has to start on the main, the other waits and then that’s repeated some 10 minutes later.

For a pub that is a solid as a rock beauty, this wasn’t good enough.

FOOD/DRINK

The Mitre offers an honour roll of pub favourites that have served them so well with prices being fair in keeping with the size and quality of the plate.

Spring Rolls, (4/14.9), Beef Dim Sims, Soy (15.9),  Garlic Prawn Arancini, Napoli, Parmesan (16.9) are 3 from 7 entrees, and there are 4 Burgers/Sandwiches, with chips,  priced in the mid $20s.

Classic main courses  such as Grilled Barramundi, fully plated (27.9), Peri Peri Chicken, (24.9)  Roast Beef w/ thyme,  chats, chimichurri (27.9) tread a familiar course.

You know what to expect as this pub’s vibe is as much meeting up with friends and having a drink as anything else.

Note: The menu on the website has changed significantly to the one presented.

Range of Taps for the Beer – Good Carlton Draught (7/pot), is the go to here, among a range of newer chums and the wine list is extensive and priced right. Pepperjack, TGallant, Cape Schack are stayers from the Treasury Wine list. Around $12pg, Leo Buring Riesling is ever reliable.

• Entrees: $15
• Mains: $27
• Desserts: $10

Tried was;

• Halloumi Fries, panko crumbed, sweet chilli dipper. 4/$15.90E. Long sticks arrive (admittedly 3-4 minutes after the main), well cooked and golden, and the unmistakable salty/cheesy taste is there, the cheese just yielding, good starter.
• Chicken Parma, Chips, Salad. $28.90. the Good: Generous portion of chicken, stack of cheese, looked a picture of pub happiness on a plate. The Bad: As we had just sat down after order, barely 30 seconds, it arrived! The order was everything at once but it beat the other 2 items out by plenty. The result was a slightly soggy offer that clearly had been sitting around. For how long? If dining alone and asking for asap, then fine: not when there’s two of you looking to share a meal and a chat at lunch.
• Roast Pork Loin, micro greens, smashed chats, balsamic glaze. $27.90. Sweet balsamic glaze and well cooked Charry Pork team beautifully and here no exception. Not sure the micro greens do anything, and another vegetable would have elevated again.  Still good solid pub grub.

Summary 

Around 15 years ago, I wrote my 7 rules for Pub Dining. My four main ones were;

#1: Never have the Pub Risotto. For sure there are exceptions but to have one person watch and manage this process is too consuming with plenty going on around and caring for a range of meals,

#2: Never have the Pub Pizza. Again, there are exceptions but if you want a pizza, go to your local Italian where this is a foodstuff they specialise in. Most pubs will bring in a commercially made base and dress it up.

#7: When all else fails go to the Steak.

However #5 is the one that rings true here. It was… ‘when your meal beats you back to the table after ordering, beware!’

And so it was after sitting down for 30 seconds, the ominous call of … ‘Parma on Table 16’. Yep that’s our table but hang on we just..………’Mate, it’s a Parma for T16’ was the insistent reply.

The Mitre Tavern is totally bomb proof and the first floor steakhouse is one of Melbournes great pub dining rooms, but horror would abound after ordering, say, the scallop entrée (24), that the Rib Eye (92) beats them out by minutes. It would not be allowed to happen.

And it shouldn’t have happen in the Tavern.

SCORE: 11/20