The Palace

This dog friendly pub was our first stop in Melbourne. The folks working there weren’t the most friendly, but the beer was cold AND delicious. Really, that is all I need. Plus, the other folks hanging out were as nice as can be. We ate the margherita pizza, which was quite good, but the garlic bread smelled so delightful I wish I would have chowed down on that.
If I am totally honest, the dogs were what made me really love this place. So many cute pups! Beer and dogs? Yes, please.

Well, ever since our first visit, and seeing all the fantastic-​looking grub that people were ordering, we’ve been dying to get back here! Alas, our visit this Sunday afternoon for lunch was, sadly, underwhelming. Again, we visited with our loyal family pooch, so that’s always a plus. There were a couple of other parties out in the garden patio with their pooches, as well; including, house bulldog mascot, «Billy.» Surprisingly, the whole joint was relatively dead for a Sunday afternoon. (Just a short drive to the Clarendon Street area, restaurants were hoppin’ with the café set!) After making our greetings with the other pooches, we were rarin’ to eat!!! We started with a draught jug o’ ale ($ 12) that was mighty refreshing, and both decided to go with the burger, fries and spicy pickles ($ 20). Fortunately, we weren’t in too much of a rush, as the service pace was very…, let’s say…, l-​e-​i-​s-​u-​r-​e-​l-​y… As I stated, the place barely had a dozen people total (besides ourselves), with four of ‘em sitting outside simply ordering drinks. Anyway, we’re American ex pats, so we forget to slow down sometimes (natch!)… We were enjoying being outside with our little girl, so we tried not to think of our hunger pangs… ;)
[Cue from inside: Ding, ding, goes the bell. Sounds this might be our food!!!] Waiter comes out, making a beeline for us with two wood platters (like cutting boards) that look mighty grand! Huge burgers and a pile of fries!!! YUM! Our mouths are watering!!!
Sometimes things look so much better from afar… On the outset, my burger looks huge… Hiding under that large sesame seed bun, though, is a patty that’s a good two centimeters smaller than the bread. The pile of fries must’ve been from the bottom of the bag as they were virtually all small pieces. (At least they weren’t overdone.) The spicy pickles were two gerkin-​sized cukes — not the large dill spears that’s the norm. (Again, though, maybe that’s an American-​thing — the large pickle spear…) And, too, the small — and I mean small! — side of garlic aioli was an additional $ 1.50 each. All this said, the hamburger was relatively decent. It was highly spiced — not unappetizingly — with, possibly, paprika or some other smoky spice. The thing was moist, but not juicy.
Service-​wise, both people who waited on us were efficient and customer service bent. Absolutely no complaints there. Overall, everything was decent. 2-​stars for the food. 4-​stars for the dogs! A-​OK is the average… :)

Went to Yappy Hour at The Palace on Saturday. What a great atmosphere from the moment you walk in. The staff is super friendly, the place is clean, lot’s of people having a great time. They have a good selection of draft beer with some local craft brews on tap. I had the Mt. Goat IPA, one of my local favorites. South Melbourne is turning out to be a hip place to hang out and The Palace might be a corner stone. Although I haven’t ordered food yet, watching the plates of food come out of the kitchen, my mouth was watering. The burgers look fantastic and the grilled ham and cheese smelled incredible as it went by my table. This place is a great place to bring your pooch and hang out in the garden, drink a few brews, grab lunch or dinner, and meet some really cool people. Can’t wait to get back and sample the food myself.

A dog friendly pub that host’s an fun, funny trivia quiz on Thursday nights. Standard range of booze and the usual pub fare that is manages to get the quality consistent week after week.
In all, a great, casual local for a weeknight at the pub.

The Palace has seen a lot of change in the last few years. Once a sensational gastropub by Luke Mangan, then a pub without the celebrity chef name, then it was the short-​lived SoHo and now back to The Palace again.
So what can you expect from The Palace as it stands now?
This is turning more into a pub-​pub. The sticky carpet is a far cry from it’s early beginnings, but more inviting to just drop in for a casual drink.
The courtyard is good in summer and is dog friendly, so it’s a haven for the locals and their four-​legged friends. It sets the tone for a casual place to be and the common love for dogs bonds strangers as the pups play.
I haven’t eaten here yet, but there’s a decent selection of craft beer on tap so I usually pop in here for one on the way through to say hi to the dogs (before the cigarette smoke turns me off and I head somewhere else!)

I have a large family. Three older sisters and a younger bro. I’d like to think this is due to my parents insatiable love for each other however, if I’m honest, is more likely due to the fact that my mum only last year learned that you could in fact get preggers when breast feeding (seriously).
Anyways long story short, we all live all over vic. South Melbourne was sort of half way. Reading the other reviews was a little confusing. Is it a pub or an Asian restaurant? I can confirm its a pub.
The food was fairly good. I had the pork belly and I was a bit disappointed. I was imagining the pork slow cooked that I could eat with a spoon. This wasn’t the case. It was a little chewy and the fat had not had the time to caramelise.
Saying that, every one else enjoyed the food. For me the stand out was the burger.
Now not too sure if they always offer desserts or if this was just for mothers day. I hope it’s offered daily coz I would go back just for this. The sticky date pudding, chocolate mouse and white chocolate mouse were all amazing. A great end of the meal.
The service was also excellent. The offered table service

The Palace wants to be a gastropub and it has all the usual hallmarks of one. An old pub converted to a modern interior, a good wine list, a small menu with an emphasis on steaks and seafood.
Sadly the reality does not live up to the promise. Yes the kingfish sashimi is a good appetiser but the rib eye for two turned out to be a charred, dry husk of a steak. Such a waste.
Service was like the curate’s egg — good in parts. The décor is quite nice and there is an outdoor area with another courtyard area soon to open. With a bit more are this could be a great option for dining out in Port Melbourne. Sadly, at $ 183 for two people, it most definitely isn’t.

We hear The Palace by Luke Mangan is now just The Palace, although we have high hopes for new head chef John King (ex-​Church Street Enoteca and Royal Mail Hotel, Dunkeld — click here to check out our review).
So it seems there is no time like the present to put up this post — to celebrate all that Luke achieved at this great South Melbourne eatery. We recently attended a wine-​matching dinner presented by Coldstream Hills Winery at The Palace by Luke Mangan.
The Palace is what Londoners like us refer to as a gastropub. A mutation of top-​notch pub with the addition of a new breed of chef willing to cook pub meals at a consistently high standard in a refined but unpretentious setting. There usually serve a pretty good drop, too. Plus boutique beers and ciders, you get the picture.
The place is in an unassuming building along City Road and walking through the doors you find it harbours a bar and seating area. Continuing through a doorway you enter the dining room proper but if you bypass this you get to a great outdoor seating area — I will definitely be back to try it out in the next few months.
The Coldstream Hills Wine Dinner was to take place in a separate are behind the bar where gold framed prints and large mirrors line the walls. As we were taken to our table we were offered to start with a glass of Coldstream Hills NV Sparkling. It was a great glass of bubbles that kicked off the first of four courses. Rob Hay from Coldstream Hills took us through the wines that were going to accompany the meal and gave us insight into the peculiarities of grape growing in the region.
We started off with a sashimi plate. This dish was a hit with everyone. New Zealand King Salmon on confit potato, ponzu dressing.
Sitting next to that was Kingfish sahimi, ginger eschalot dressing. Kingfish is the seafood of choice of WordMonkey and this did not disappoint her one iota.
To finish off the trio Scallop, cauliflower purée, black bean dressing, baby shiso. I tried to take my time to savour each flavour but as I was attempting to do that, all the plates around me were wiped clean in just a few minutes.
The next course for me was what I would term a revelation. People who know me know I have more than a slight aversion to anything ‘egg-​y’. Well, the second course had to be prawn omelette, bisque sauce, truffle oil didn’t it… I had an unhealthy urge for all the other ingredients. Well, after WorkMonkey said that if the dish passed my lips, the perfect combination of flavours would mask anything to do with egg. And for the first time in my life I not just swallowed egg but ate the whole dish leaving nothing on my plate. This was matched well with Coldstream Hills ‘Deer Farm Vineyard’ Chardonnay — nice and smokey to complement the truffle.
Onto the reds we went — Coldstream Hills Reserve Pinot Noir. Dear Lord, this was the stuff dreams are made of. If I could drink one red for the rest of my life, then start stocking the cellar. Yes — you may think I am going overboard but I have good reason so don’t knock it ’til you tried it my friend. This was served alongside Confit duck, Asian style brique pastry, char sui mushrooms, duck and ginger broth. The duck looked like it was encased in a spring roll and the pungent broth was poured over the duck and into the bowl. light, tasty and tender wrapped in a crispy shell. Yum.
To finish the evening off chai panna cotta was cleverly matched with Coldstream Hills Reserve Shiraz. Not normally one to opt for chai anything, this turned the tide and we wiped the decks with this light sweet dessert.
So there you have it — Luke Managan had a darn good gastropub going here. Watch this space for what the future holds.