One of South Melbourne's favourite oldie but a goodie gastropub has now re-opened after undergoing quite the transformation. But while the digs may be new, the menu features the same honest and tasty Modern Australian fare. Alongside other classic pub favourites, the steaks have also remained on the menu with our picks of the Rost biff Kobe wagyu and Gippsland eye fillet forming the highlight of our meal. Both were excellent quality cuts of steaks and cooked to tender medium rare perfection with their years of experience in cooking steak. Since visiting, wood fire cooked pizzas have also joined the menu.
Great service & atmosphere, the staff were very friendly & the food was amazing. An added bonus was half price drinks until the end of August. Have already booked again
Just had a great steak at the Wayside
We used to be regulars but it went off.
It's BACK under new owners.
Sumac calimari was a great starter instead of the usual oysters.
Plans for the revival sound great.
Hope this can become our regular again.
Craft beers and a developing menu .
Tried the smoked porterhouse bites.
If that is what is to come we are on board.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
The Wayside Inn is a conveniently located gastropub, whose diverse offerings include a casual pub in the front section, a relaxed finer dining area towards the back, and an outdoor courtyard ideal for a few bevvies on a lazy Sunday afternoon.
Service is super friendly and knowledgeable, with an expertly curated cocktails list that are as impressive as the food. The Coconut & Chilli Margherita is a definite winner, with an aromatic smoky coconut hit mixed with delicious flavours of orange liqueur, zesty lemon, sweet syrup and a coconut and chili infused tequila.
Food follows a modern Australian theme, with influences from Asia and Europe to spice things up a bit. I thoroughly enjoyed the Japanese 7-spice Calamari, with a light batter encasing tender strands of calamari, sprinkled with a chili salt. The highlight from the mains section was the Five Spice Whole Duck, generously served with 2-3 people in mind to share. Served with sauteed mushrooms, pea tendrils and an orange glaze, this traditional French-influenced amalgamation of duck and orange is executed to perfection in this modern twist.
Seasonal Greens and Honey Roasted Heirloom Carrots provide the perfect freshness as side dishes, whilst the Young Henry's Hop Ale Chocolate Brownie delivers a decadently rich dark chocolate tone, lightened with the accompanying wile berry sorbet, chocolate sauce and hazelnut crunchy crumb - perfect for a chocolate lover like myself!
A venue that is unlike other pubs around Melbourne, Wayside Inn impresses with a contemporary ambience, enjoyable service and deliciously creative food and drinks that make you think you're sitting inside a 5-star hotel restaurant as opposed to a renovated gastropub.
I couldn’t be more impressed with the Wayside Inn tonight! We had a table for 22 and the staff did an excellent job of taking care of everybody. Thank you to Hannah, Michael, Quinton and the rest of the team for making our Xmas dinner so enjoyable!
We had drinks in the courtyard before dinner (Espresso martini’s were amazing) and the staff didn’t rush us in as soon as it hit 7pm. They were happy for us to continue enjoying the sunshine until we were ready to head inside. Once seated we were attended to immediately. Drinks, starters and mains orders were quick and accurate which was extra impressive because there were plenty of other patrons in the restaurant.
The food was just as I remember the Wayside quality to be. Fresh, well seasoned and the 8 steaks our table ordered were cooked exactly as requested.
Amazing service from start to finish, delicious food and good vibes all round. A great venue for hosting groups!
We had a nice evening here, all we ate was the oysters and they were really good, we were here during happy hour and got a cocktail just which was great value. The place was empty on a Saturday night, which is a shame because we left because there was not a lot of atmosphere, lets hope business picks up and gets a vibe.
Love the $10 cocktail jugs & $25 all you can eat carvery on Saturdays, new menu is delicious too Friendly staff, good service and courtyard is really nice on sunny days
Worth a visit to South Melbourne to visit this quiet but lovely place. Great alcohol list and great seating layout. The food was quite impressive with specials during the week that would bring you back.
Pros:
Fresh baked bread. Delicious butter. Need i say more?
Pork Belly - three delicious squares of pork belly in juicy apply sauce
Calamari - cooked just right and paired with dipping sauce (could have used a little more salt)
Chocolate mousse - a smooth desert sprinkled with honey comb and more
Eye fillet - if you are a fan of steak - they cook it perfectly. The sauce could be a little better.
The other dishes were good but not great and not necessarily worth the price (scallops, daily Rotis (pork)).
Will be returning here!
DO: The rib eye, Parma, wagyu and burger.
DON'T: Forget entrees and order the salt pepper calamari, chicken wings and scallops.
TIP: Dimmis have a 50% off special at the moment.
I've dined at wayside inn on several occasions and almost every time it has been flawless.
I booked a Xmas dinner last night for my staff and each and every one loved the place and food. 6 steaks cooked the way we all ordered. I had the New York strip cooked medium. Meat was tender and juicy and a generous serving of 400g. It came with hand cut chips and salad. In the past they did not serve chips with steak but have changed that lately which I love. They are affiliated with the Station hotel in Footscray but steaks here are slightly better.
I've come to the wayside in for dinner a few times. I can't understand why every chair in the place isn't occupied. The food is first class. We had some steaks that are on par with the best restaurants in Melbourne and the service is really good. It was nice to walk away thinking wow that was an amazing meal.
Had the steak sandwich. Pretty good. The smokiness of the sandwich definitely gave it an edge. Although quite a thin sandwich and the meat was medium-well which is more cooked than I'd prefer. Not too bad for $14 lunch special though.
A lot of the items on the menu look great but you definitely pay a premium for them and won't necessarily get as filled as you might want for a pub lunch.
I high recommended this place for a causal lunchtime bar meal at only $14 with a great selection of beers on tap what more could you want. Go the steak sandwich which I usually get its awesome for $14!
My husband and I came here for dinner based on the reviews and were very impressed. I had the duck cooked on rotisserie which was one of the nicest things I have ever eaten. The meat was soft and juicy, the skin was crispy and buttery, all the sides were cooked well and added to the overall flavour of the dish. The service and atmosphere was also of high quality. I will definitely be visiting again.
Excellent selection and quality of steak. Eye of scotch was perfectly cooked and tender. There is also a large selection of entrees and sides to share. Polenta fries were delicious. We went on a quiet night so there wasn't much atmosphere but highly recommend for a good steak.
The Steak Sandwhich will always be my favourite Lunch dish! They have a very limited options in their menu though. Good atmosphere and service is just ok.
Eaten in the bar side twice. Delicious both times!! Definitely recommend for great gastro pub food.
Happy hour is a bonus for an early dinner.
Absolutely love the Wayside Inn Restaurant! Have been here a few times now and have also organised a small birthday lunch celebration here and every time we go, the food is first class and service is amazing!
A favourite of mine on the menu is the Salmon with a take on a waldorf salad- YUM! Hubby always orders a steak and it always comes out succulent and perfectly cooked. Prices are a little on the exxy side for a pub but you get what you pay for and that's quality.
If you're looking for top notch gastro-pub in the inner city look no further than The Wayside Inn.
The 4.3 rating is far too high, a solid 3.5 though is deserved though. They only had the eye fillet in 200gm which is too small - don't they want to make more money by serving more meat?? I asked for a 300gm but they said it was already portioned. Took 45 minutes from ordering to receive our plates, and the restaurant was empty. Meat was cooked pretty well, for the price it is certainly a strong midrange contender for when you don't want to pay top dollar, decently good quality midrange meat.
Love the food and ambience of this place. The price is on the pricey side but on par with the presentation and taste. My steak was a bit over cooked but was still tender and tasted good. Highly recommend seafood platter. Bar menu offer good value.
Fantastic steaks! The staff are so attentive and professional, it's almost overwhelming for a pub meal. But the prices and the menu are reflective of a restaurant rather than getting a Parma at your local. It's in a weird location which feels isolated, but is actually very close to the Sth Melb markets. Highly recommended.
Nice venue, child friendly too (my 15mth old daughter received pencils and a drawing to colour in). Good food, service was okay (didn't place our entree order) and we had to ask a couple of times for our sides. Great steak though, still feel its sister restaurant The Station Hotel is slightly better.
Best food I have had in a long long time. The duck rotisserie is so damn good. Half a duck with stone fruit and sides is one of the better dishes I've ever had to be honest. YUM!!
I've been meaning to try this place out as soon as I knew about the connection it had with station hotel. I drive down city road fairly often and finely decided to plan a week night anniversary dinner here and I was throughly satisfied!!!
As a local we're blessed with great pubs around us. Wayside is right up there with the best. Perfectly cooked steak and chocolate fondant for dessert was A+.
Absolutely amazing food! I struggle to decide to try new things because of how good it is. I'd highly recommend the 1.4kg rib eye, chateaubriand, the onyx steak and the Aylesbury duck!
AMAZING. You wil not be disappointed, my steak was superb and my wife was shocked with how good her lamb was, the service was excellent the entree fritters and croquettes great very large serves maybe one between 2 people would be enough very well priced. The mains bit pricey but well worth it.
Caroline Yarras Edge
+4.5
Service is excellent and provided by the kind of waiters who work in hospitality as a career, not just a job to fund their uni years. Food delicious and beautifully presented. Most dishes are for meat eaters but there is enough on the menu to satisfy most vegetarians. Tables nicely spaced so you don't feel comprised by diners at the adjacent table. Will definitely return.
The steak is amazing! If you haven't been here I would definitely recommend it. Great attentive service too. My only complaint was my red wine was little too warm, but that's nit picking.
As a regular, I can honestly say that this place never falters. We have been here half a dozen times in the past year and every time we go, the staff are welcoming and attentive, the ambiance is warm and the food is delicious! After dinner there tonight, I decided that it is not only our local favourite, but my all time favourite.
After trying their sister hotel, the Station Hotel (which had an awesome lunch deal of an open steak sandwich and soup for $12 before), we were tempted to go here and try their steak sandwich too. Although it wasn’t disappointing by any means, we had just too good an experience with the Station Hotel. Perhaps we needed a little time between steak sandwich meals – we after all don’t normally eat so many in one week! We also tried a fish ball of some sort – it was quite nice and looked quite impressive on the plate.
Epicurean Of Southbank
+4.5
When I think of City Road, my first thoughts are getting the hell out of Southbank and down the road to South Melbourne or up to Richmond. I never have thought of it as an eating or drinking Mecca, but more of a means to an end riddled with places that will give my motorcar a tune up or replace the tyres on my motorbike, if I had one. So it was with great trepidation that I ventured down City Road on foot, past the golden arches on the corner of Clarendon Street and under the M1 into the more industrial area. Still, like an oasis in the outback, the Wayside Inn , stands resolute on the corner of Ferrars Street. Originally this place ended up higher on my "to visit list" after having a great experience at The Station Hotel in Footscray as the Wayside Inn is managed by the same group. When I started following them on Twitter, I frequently would be left salivating on Friday with their tweets about the suckling pig that is fresh off the roast every Friday so it is no surprise that is when
The customer service was good, however it’s possible that I’ve been spoilt by places like PM24. It was just in the small things, like having to ask for refills of water instead of having someone notice and coming before being asked, so it certainly wasn’t enough to lessen our enjoyment of the food.
For me, the real winners in this burger were the combination of the excellent pattie and the generous helping of the oft under appreciated beetroot relish. While maligned over the years in various nappy San and omo commercials, the tanginess and sweetness of the beetroot relish really does well to complement the paired back simplicity of the meat pattie. For mine, beetroot relish is like the Tony Parker of relish. It is a little bit foreign compared with its more famous counterparts like tomato, and consistently underrated despite always delivering the goods.
I like the casual feel and the food is hearty and delicious. Was there a few weeks ago, and here’s what we ate! I had the “ Glenloth free range chicken with roast accompaniments “. It was beautifully roasted chicken, lots of sauce and mash potatoes. It was so delicious! My boyfriend had the “ Rotissoire du jour – Suckling Pig “. Beautifully cooked and caramelised suckling pig with veges and a light sauce. For sides, we had “ brussels sprouts and bacon “. Sprouts were cooked perfectly (had a nice bite to it, not soggy) and of course bacon makes everything instantly better. I really like Wayside Inn for casual no fuss dining, highly recommend it! Go forth and dine! For more info and reviews: About these ads div.wpa>div { margin-top: 1em; } Share this: Share
We started with the Plateau de la mer Wayside Inn. On this platter: Scallops, Blue Swimmer Crab meat, Mussels, half Morton Bay Bug, Pipis, Prawns, Oysters and Calamari. I really enjoyed this super super much. And I am really glad this was recommended to us. Everything was very fresh and sweet.
We just can’t stop heading back to the Wayside Inn! Probably because they do such amazing food! Barilla Bay Oysters are perfect, wonderful, gorgeous!
While the big brother, Station Hotel, is well known for steak, the Wayside Inn's focus is more towards meat and seafood. Each day there's a different meat from the rotisserie.
I can't stop thinking about my meal from here.... What a find, this hidden little treasure has it all. Best steak I have had in a very long time. The sides to share melted in my mouth. Even everything down to the finer details, the salad and dressing complemented it all. Service and atmosphere was fantastic, but the meal as a whole was sublime. I will be back for sure.
What a find!!! The food firstly was outstanding the best steak I have had in a long time. And those hand cut chips! Beautiful salads. The chicken my friend had was melt in the mouth the salmon beautiful. Smart deserts little mouthfuls of a number of things which hit the spot. Can't wait to go back !!
Very Impressed. It was my first time back since the new owners had taken over. The staff were very professional, but not in your face. The food was even better than last time. We ordered a couple of the specials, as they sounded divine. The shin was rich and delicious, the bream fresh and perfectly cooked. Its been too long between visits, will be back soon! Keep up the good work Wayside.
Perfect. If your after the best meat meal this place is perfect. Food, service and ambiance is perfect. Only annoyance is the noisy concrete floor.
Recently ate at the Wayside Inn and was very impressed with the food & service. I will definitely eat here again!
Excellent service, spot on steaks, a big variety and very nice wines. I'm all over it!
Goldy goldfish. Awesome, will be back!!
Best steak in Melbourne. Where to start?
Attentive & charismatic staff, led by the the amazingly experienced Bruce.
Seamless service with a team of staff that make you feel at home.
Superb food - from the oysters & croquettes to the Wagyu rump & panna cotta. Decent wine list & your glass is never left empty.
One of the best steaks I've ever had.
A regular go-to for high quality food with attentive service.
Definate Favourite. My partner and I have had lunch here a number of times and nothing we have ordered has been anything less than amazing. From fish, to duck, risotto's and pastas - great food, excellent wine list and fabulous staff who know their stuff. We will continue to come in!
We used to live in Southbank and this place was our local favourite. We're not locals anymore (noooo!), but Wayside is still our favourite steak place and we will happily go out of our way for the always (I've been here about 30 times over the past 3-4 years), ALWAYS friendly service and the steaks cooked to perfection every time. We've booked, we've walked in, and we've also booked group dinners here and have always been happy. We've always dined in the restaurant area as opposed to the bar area. Food rivals Rockpool, but the ambiance and service are much warmer and more inviting.
Thanks Wayside Inn!! We're your biggest fans!!
Awesome lunch. It was fantastic and exceeded our expectations!
We went for lunch to celebrate my husband's birthday on the 29 October 2013 and the fabulous professional, efficient & friendly staff ensured everything went smoothly.
The menu was varied, the service exceptional and the food superb!
We are already trying to figure out when to visit again :-)
Always good. There are so many items on the menu that I wanted to try so I ordered all new dishes this time around. Let's just say I was very impressed with every dish and the service is always excellent .
The rotisserie suckling pig was the best I've eaten in a western restaurant sorry I have no pics to share, it was so good I demolished it before I had a chance to get my camera out.
They normally have very good steaks and I was a bit cautious of venturing outside their specialty but I'm so glad I did..
Fish Lovers Find. We were eager to try this one after hearing that Bruce previously from Arrivederci was now here. I ordered a steak which was perfectly cooked Med Rare and the others at our table ordered Fish and left nothing on their plate (except a few bones) The Court Yard seemed a little bit lacking in plants to take away the glare and add a bit of ambience but only an opinion and takes nothing away from the great food and service.
Happily recommend this one.
One Well Fed Lady
Just perfect. Professional and informed service, lovely dining room, perfect steak.
Great atmosphere, fantastic service and food. Pumpkin tart was a killer dish. Funky bar waitress also very positive and cheerful
All I can say is "oh my god"!!!!
Food is outstanding and the service is brilliant. A must try!
Very good service, vibrant atmosphere and yummy food. Generous portion sizes, however a limited menu.
Best of everything. Food was excellent and reasonably priced. Service and staff were great - very pleasant and very efficient. Will definitely be returning and recommending to friends.
I’m so impressed with the Wayside Inn, it deserves a review straight after I got home.
From the get go, it was an unpretentious and homely pub that was well designed, thoughtfully decorated and most of all greeted with a smile and really happy service.
We have children, and the amazing owner had a chat about when they bought the place and how they transformed it and it was a great story, with an amazing outcome.
Terrific food, tonight was parma night and for $18 what a bargain.
The kids steak was terrific too, cooked to my child’s liking and he wanted a second serve. The owner came and came the kids a fairy floss which went down great too! So impressed. Only $50 or so for an Arras sparkling too. We will be back
Nice spacious pub with great atmosphere, excellent customer service and good offerings from their menu. Keep an eye out on their daily specials that are great value for money every Mondays to Thursdays. Will be back again and again.
Highly recommended. The Daily specials ($18 w' a drink) are pretty impressive given the quality of the food and the selection of wines. Can't go wrong here, staff so friendly and owner is very welcoming!
Absolutely worth every bite. Prices are reasonable the quantity of food on your plate. Very friendly staff. Park just up the road as it can be scarce.
Dominikus Dicky Ambarjaya
+5
$18 for baby pork ribs with bear, its so cheap and amazing! You can play billiard while waiting your food coming then :) for playing just pay $4 per play. They have another promo everydays!!!
Dropped in for a happy hour drink whilst out for a walk. It wasn't busy so there was plenty of seating available. I chose to sit outside and the outdoor seating area was reasonable.
Quirky and undiscovered, great food, we loved the ribs and the burgers were popular. The chips were perfect. Could do better with the beer list.
Food was amazing full of flavour and good portion size
Customer Service was great only thing if I had to complain is that the mains came out to quick we were still eating our starter when mains came out
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