V-Rating: VVV
Where: 280 Sydney Rd, Brunswick
When: Mon-Sun: dinner ’til 10pm, Thur-Sun: lunch
Tel: (03) 9380 4090
Prices: Mains = $14-16

The Retreat Hotel is a bit of a Brunswick institution. It’s a little bit shabby and retro on the inside with a massive beer garden out the back that on a Sunday afternoon looks like some guy’s big BBQ house party with DJ. The street frontage boasts four large tables that catch the afternoon sun – perfect for that lazy afternoon in Melbourne’s cooler months.

Settling in for the long haul one Sunday arvo I was expecting the veggie choice at the in-house restaurant to be poor. At best, I was expecting standard gastro-pub veggie choices such as a tomato sauce pasta or veggie lasagne. At worst, I was preparing to fall back on the emergency veggie “meal” of wedges and sauce. How wrong I was…

I was startled by the veggie range given the pub location. A lentil burger, a roast veggie stack on salad, a roast vegetable pasta, a vegetable lasagne and – catch this – a vegan pasta. Now, we’re not talking haute cuisine here but the carnivore choices (parma, fish and chips etc.) aren’t exactly three star Michelin offerings either.

As much as I wanted to give the veggie stack a whirl I couldn’t go past the lentil burger. I’m a bit of a lentil/ tofu burger junkie and, don’t forget, a burger goes oh-so-nice with a pint of Guinness. The burger was all I hoped for and more. The genuinely tasty lentil pattie was well balanced with the fresh salad and mystery dressing. As long as the mystery isn’t chicken stock I’m happy for the mystery to remain a mystery. The large burger and thick-cut chips to round off the plate made it value-for-money pub grub. My dining companions highly enjoyed their meat-based meals so The Retreat will satisfy both herbivores and carnivores with food+beer needs.

Share This