Pub of the Week review: The Railway Hotel in Yarraville
PUB: Railway Hotel
WHERE? 35 Anderson St., Yarraville
PHONE: 9687 2034
SCORE: 13/20
WHEN? 15 April 2016
WEB: Find them on Facebook
VENUE
First time at Railway Hotel since it was the Blarney Stone.
Lovely modern refurbishment with all mod cons. A wall has been removed between bar and dining room and as a result, the pub has opened up brilliantly. Bar dominates front and dining rooms, freshly painted, banquette seating, lovely polished boards/sealed concrete. Dining room provides at table service and has lovely napery/cutlery. Water and bread brought.
This is a significant clean up/reno to the old BST and no resemblance to its predecessors is evident.
Small TAB kiosk is gone, but Fox Sports is there. Parma night ($15), Steak night ($20) is popular amongst the locals.
The Railway is a neat pub befitting the status that Yarraville now holds.
MENU
The menu has been ramped up and the prices accordingly in some items. Duck spring rolls (16), Grilled King Prawns (16), Pea and Ham Croquettes (14) are some of the starters, while Chicken and Bacon Risotto (26), Slow cooked lamb ragu w/pappardelle (27) are mains doing different. It’s modern pub grub that is striving to be a bit different: good on them. Parma is $22.50, Burger, full whack, 21.50. Entrees $14, mains $28.
TRIED
Lobster and Prawn Tortellini ($28/5 good sized pasta pillows), tomato, onion, dill brandy cream sauce. Good. The meat of the shell fish was fresh, tasty and importantly, was distinguishable, with the cream sauce a nice support.
Pork and Beef Rib stack, caramelised apple, slaw ($30). Okay. To be honest, a dish that neither over/underwhelmed. Meat was plentiful and came away from the bone easily, the flavour was fine but didn’t knock me out of the park.
DRINKS
Asahi was tried; great glassware, great taste, fine start to the lunch. Comes at a premium price. Carlton Draught, some craft and cider so most tastes are covered. Wine list (local and imports) was about the mark you find in pubs nowadays; $9/glass and low $40s for a median priced bottle. Dalzotto, Fairbank, Are You Game? are popular entries.
SERVICE AND STYLE
Owner/operator pub gives it a friendly personal touch. Full service in the dining room. Happy pub.
SUMMARY
Borrowing from the classic Warren Zevon song Lawyers, Guns and Money, I feel the Railway is stuck between a rock and a hard place. I like the offer from the pub, but how does old Yarraville take to a glass of syrah at $10/ea and does it have the cut through with ‘new’ Yarraville and its cafe culture? Interesting times.