Railway Club Hotel

Overview

The Railway Club Hotel is a true Melbourne institution — with a happening bar at the front and an elegant dining room upstairs, it caters for all diners looking for a great host of experiences. The venue itself is charming with exposed brick arches, a Parisian salon of framed images on the wall and deep brown wood finishes throughout. It is elegant and sophisticated but still fun and carefree.

The menu begins with charcuterie boards with cured meats, chicken liver parfait, duck rillettes and caramelised onions, as well as classic starters such as salt and pepper calamari, rock oysters and house-made garlic bread. The mains include the ever-popular pie of the day alongside mushroom gnocchi and damn good chicken parma. If you're after seafood, look no further than the grilled tiger prawns with preserved lemon, garlic and chilli.

Most people venturing the Railway, however, are looking for something from the chargrill — featuring cuts such as a Gippsland pure Lackland porterhouse and a Cape Grim scotch fillet. Other steak specialties include a fillet mignon wrapped in bacon and served with hand-cut chips and mushroom sauce as well as the reef and beef with grilled tiger prawns and bernaise. You select your cut from a display fridge and sit back, knowing the chefs are going to grill up something spectacular.

Wine-wise, Railway Club Hotel has an expansive list that features Aussie hits like Torbreck 'Woodcutter's' Shiraz by the glass and Henschke 'Hill of Grace' by the bottle. For something rich and European, look to the 2021 Arnuad Baillot 'La Montagne' Pinot Noir from Burgundy.

Images: Simon Shiff