I've been coming to this delightful establishment for work lunches quite a lot lately and each time has been wonderful. The service goes above and beyond and the food it's delicious!
[rated 3.5] Average pub food but a good Friday night vibe.
We came by the Exchange Hotel on a whim for a drink and dinner. There was some live music that we really enjoyed. It wasn’t too loud so you could still have a conversation.
The Yorkshire puddings came with a squeeze of Hellman’s rather than horseradish mayo, the burger was pretty average (a common problem - too short on fat leaving it slightly dry and lacking flavour) but the parmigiana was up to standard and of a generous size.
The happy hour sparkling was pretty good too.
Given our overall pleasant experience I’d be back, but I’d be a little cautious with the food order.
If you looking for a Parma and chips place then this is it. They are huge and pretty damn tasty too. Chips cooked perfectly and side salad too. Plus great $10 glasses of wine. Place was buzzing on Friday night. Great pub visit
The King of Chicken Parmas
One of my favorite pubs in Melbourne due to it's great atmosphere and large rooms where you can sit with friends and have a few together. But it gets even better when you order the Chicken Parma, wonderfully cooked and enormous this is the parma that you imagine on your drive home after long friday, covered in cheese and served with a good helping of chips, this parma is a true treat.
Cinnamon's Food For Thought
+5
When i say chicken, you say parma!!! Boys n girls this place has nailed the classic parma! Not only is the portion HUGE, its super scrumptious too and there was no being stingy with the toppings either!!
The sunday roast pork was also the other hero meal (although the crackle wasn't crunchie but thats just me nitpicking)
this might just be my new sunday hang out!
Favourite dinner spot in Port Melbourne, delicious food and friendly service. Restaurant has a nice atmosphere, love the smoked cod gnocchi and the desserts!
Pleasant place to dine, visited on a Saturday night. Service was very prompt and pleasant. Big menu - something for everyone. We all enjoyed our meals although the portions of some dishes were small. They sent me an email later (as I'd made the booking online) asking for feedback. I said food was good, service was great, and if they increased the portion sizes we'd be back regularly.
A lovely pub to have a good quick meal. No issues with the food or service here.
Ended up going for a farewell lunch and there was no issues with anything. It's great to see that they offer a pre order menu that you can just order before hand and have it ready for lunch at a specific time
Have eaten here a number of times as a friend used to live metres away and locals night has dinner specials. Sit at the bar, have a few wines and a chat and enjoy your discounted dinner. For me I think the food is good but the portions are small. So definitely keep that in mind as I tend to order a main and an entree in order to be full therefore that $19 main deal can go south quickly!
These guys have one of the juiciest burgers in all of Port Melbourne. They welcome our kids every time who scoff the massive parmas while enjoying the sun outside. Nice and close to the beach its a great wee spot to stop for a Sunday arvo lunch and a bevvy
Great friendly staff. Great food!!! Good value for money!!! Also saw they do $10 expressions martini Monday- Friday 4-8pm. We got a share plate 3 items for $34
When the food is good, it's very good, potty it's inconsistent. I find it always a challenge to receive my steak med rare, it comes to the table Med/well, service is also at times hit of miss. I like the daily deals, well priced.
This place makes me laugh. I am a regular as I love the specials nights they have for food. Sometimes it's amazing and my steak is cooked perfectly. Other times it's overdone, the mash is cold or my chips not crunchy.
The wait staff are always happy to change it but a little more consistency would be nice. I like the wine list and the dining room option is a little fancier than just the pub area. Sometimes the bar staff lack the friendly flair you would expect but I don't take it personally.
It's a love hate relationship ;)
It doesn't seem to matter how many times I order a steak at the Exchange, chips or mash are cold and steak is over cooked however the staff are so accommodating and seem to fix things so I keep going back for more. Good atmosphere and worth checking out for a cheap feed on one of the many locals night.
The waitress who served us was extremely friendly. Parma was also very good. Great chips. Chips were really crispy. My overall experience here is 5/5.
Lovely venue, lovely waitress (Ezra) and the best parma I've ever had. Boyfriend equally impressed with Sunday roast pork. The wedges were fantastic too. Huge thumbs up.
DO: The Parma, the Burger or Fish and Chips. You simply cannot go wrong.
DON'T: Even think about getting the petite parma. Parmas are supposed to be ridiculously big, moist and topped with amazing cheese and ham - which this is.
TIP: As with all Pubs, they have specials on certain nights. We'd recommend Monday (All Mains $19) or Tuesday (Meat Club $15-$25 six cuts).
We were looking for a place to have some food with 5 people on a Tuesday night 9:15pm. This place was still open and said they were still serving food for another 10 minutes. We ordered on the bar, but they pointed us to the dining area for table service. When we went there, they said they weren't taking any guests anymore in the dining area. So back to the bar to order our food and drinks. The food is expensive (probably because of the location), but good. I had salmon, which wasn't much but it was nice ($31). The other food looked good as well. Some portions were quite big (like the parma). The service was friendly. It was a bit cold inside with the air-con blowing onto our table.
Been here a lot over the years Great place for a drink very easy going crowd 25+ age Eaten here also the chicken parkas are very generous I've had the kangaroo which is a nice but small serving Service is good nothing special Prices are on the expensive side for an unknown reason
We arranged to meet some friends and family at the Exchange for dinner on a Saturday night.
It was recommended to us because we had some dietary requirements.
Really I wasn't expecting too much. But WOW what a lovely surprise.
The cute little dinning room was lovely the service was really very good.
But the food was way better than what we expected, actually it was excellent.
Very good value, I loved my steak and variety of sampler plates which was just thing thing for our group.
Well done there team, nice work.
We will be back and will tell anyone that will listen.
Melbourne Foodie Lover
+4
great tasty food, and a happy environment/atmosphere, came here and definitely was not disappointed, food was really good and im glad we came to try it, great service and decor the food is really amazing what more could you ask for???will be back soon
Had the Parma here for a work lunch. Good Parma and it was a decent size. For a smaller serve ladies Parma also available. Chips and salad went well with the Parma. Recommended if you are in Port Melbourne
Good local pub food option. Great Parma options. Good value easy dining option on Bay Street. We will be back and highly recommend it. No complaints.
Lincoln L ► Lincolns Scholarship House
+4.5
My friend owed me a favour, so she was obliged to treat me to some chicken parmigiana. After a bit of research on the internet, I found that The Exchange Hotel's parma was ranked high consistently throughout several reviews and comparisons. I thought I would try it for myself. The best part? I wouldn't have to pay.
We arrived on a Friday evening and were offered a table in the dining area. It was in a separate area somewhat away from the bar. The atmosphere was significantly more elegant than that of the bar. The staff were also extremely friendly.
The internet was correct. This dish was absolutely outstanding. The cooking time was somewhat long, but well worth it. The parma was thick and a very generous size. It was coated in crunchy crumbs and perfectly cooked. Topped with lovely ham, melted cheese and napoli sauce, it was an absolute delight to eat. The parma was served with a side of chips and salad, both in two separate bowls. The chips were crunchy and well seasoned, full of flavour. The salad was also a pleasure to eat. The greens were coated in a light yet addictive dressing that actually made me WANT more salad.
For those who may not have a stomach that big, there is also a "ladies parma" available for $19.50, which is essentially the same dish but with half the parma size. For those without balls.
To top it all off, the beach is just within walking distance. Take a leisurely walk by the shore with your loved ones to settle your stomach.
I heartily enjoyed my meal at The Exchange Hotel in Port Melbourne. I highly recommend the chicken parma to those who would like to try a genuine Aussie meal. $25.90.
We had a friend down from Brisbane who was keen on a Chicken Parma. Based on some recommendations from friends we thought we would give the Exchange a crack. Good decision!! The Chicken Parma was simply sensational. It was plate sized, with a nice salad and perfect chips in their own separate bowls. The Parma was perfectly cooked with juicy chicken and crunchy crumbs topped with nice ham, melted cheese and lovely Napoli sauce. It was the perfect hungry sized meal and was washed down with a pint of Chancer Pale Ale. We were in heaven. The word is obviously out on this pub as it quickly filled up as dinner time neared so I definitely recommend booking a table in the dining room. You can of course eat in the bar if it is too busy. Parmalicious!!!!
A lazy Sunday afternoon meant no cooking and in need of somewhere tasty for lunch. Since the footy was on, it was a must to find somewhere where we could watch the game. MC said he could go for a good parma so I did a quick search and found the Exchange Hotel in Port Melbourne was meant to have one of the best.
This place had a nice and relaxed feel to it, loved the lights up above. Friendly service, and our food came out pretty fast. Although we booked a seat for dinner and they couldn't find our booking, the lovely lady at reception still managed to fit us in and seat is down. We will be back again :)
Amazing food and reasonably priced, the only issue is the time for the steaks. Every time it can take between 30 mins(when quiet) to an hour (when busy). We keep coming back though - the food is delicious.
Cant go wrong on Tuesday steak night! Cheap and delicious. Make sure you get there early as it gets quite busy for dinner! Lovely for after work drinks too :)
Went for lunch and split a porterhouse and a chicken parmi with a friend. A massive parmi and the pick of the two. Nice and relaxing bar, would defiantly come back again
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
Parmasofmelbourne. Last night we ventured down to The Exchange Hotel. Expectations were high heading into tonights parma night due to so many positive reviews regarding their Parma.
Monday night being locals night, the parma was priced at $19, instead of its usual $25.90 which is quite expensive for a parma but is expected due to where it is located.
After a long 20-25 minutes, the parmas arrived. We were impressed; big, thick birds all round, but did they taste as good as they looked mmm.
We dug in.
The chicken itself was definitely the star of the dish. It would have to be some of the freshest chicken we have tasted. So soft and juicy, just how it should be.
The crumbing is also worth a mention. They were absolutely perfect, not to thick, not to thin and crunchy as ever.
The napoli was a bit disappointing. It was very standard, nothing special. There was no where near enough of it which made the parma very dry at times.
Similar situation with the cheese. The mixture of tasty and mozzarella was really good, but again, there was not enough of it. Together, you could hardly taste the napoli and cheese. A lot of naked parma around the table also (Not so much in the one pictured above).
The chips on the other hand were incredible, thick cut chips; crunchy on the outside & soft and fluffy on the inside.
The veggies again were very good, no complaints their. Cooked perfectly and seasoned with some olive oil. Also separate bowls for chips and veges/salad is always greatly appreciated.
Overall, we must say, the parma was a bit a let down . The parma was great, but just not as good as we expected it to be. Especially after last weeks Portland hotel parma, expectations were high. But any who, Size wise the parma ticked all boxes, but whilst size is important, we are all about quality and value and i must say, we would not travel down there and pay the full $26 for that parma again. Its definitly worth a shot on a Monday as value wise its great for $19 , but any other night I would rather go to another pub nearby in the cbd which serves up a tastier Parma.
7.5
Epicurean Of Southbank
+4.5
The Parma was delivered about fifteen minutes after placing the order. It was huge. Dressed in ham, napoli sauce and cheese, it certainly complimented the Kosciuszko Pale Ale that I was drinking. The chicken was remarkably moist and cooked perfectly and matched with the coleslaw that I ordered as one of my two sides well nicely.
For those keeping score, that puts the parma you are about to read about in the new #1 position. I love you Pumpkin. I love you Honeybunny. The exchange fell onto our radar through general internet browsing, a lot of times I will open up the Map , pick an area where there is no dot, and check to see if there are any pubs in the area that serve up a parma. The Exchange was picked and we headed down. I made the booking via the websites online Dimmi booking system, which had disastrous results last time we used it to book Ha
Proud to call this my local. Arguably the best parma in Melb, and a 350g eye fillet on Wednesday nights for just $19?
You can't beat this pub!!!!!!
Drove down to Port Melbourne on a surprisingly sunny August Saturday and had a fond memory of eating here before. Was nice and relaxed, meals where delicious although should taken advantage of pay multiple bites orders.
Great burger yum yum and my wife really enjoyed its lady Parma. Only downside and not to its fault we came too late and missed the pork belly. Service was fried and swift. Pieces were fair, bathrooms could use a tidy!
Popped in today for a cheeky Monday lunch. I ordered the $15 porterhouse, comes with chips, salad and a beer or wine. Best value steak in town! It was at least a 400g piece of meat and cooked perfect to order. This will be my standard tight arse lunch venue
Very local hotel. Went for a pot (pots) and a parma with 3 mates last Thursday.
The atmosphere in the bar was as usual vibrant and the staff were friendly enough.
We sat in front of the fire which kept us toasty. As 4 mates it was really good to catch up and have a drink and a laugh.
The parma whilst on the pricey side approx @ $26 was A+. You've paid $22 for terrible parmas so when you get nice crunchy chips, decent salad and a good size juicey parma your happy enough.
Always enjoyed having drinks at this pub. well done!
Love. Love this place, close to the water - good food and cute staff!! Not many places in Melbourne with a sea breeze, but the Exchange does. Great pre drink venue or dinner date...
Had the parma last night for dinner with mates and it was awesome!
Excellent. I don't not what these people are whinging about in some of these previous posts as we have always found the staff to be amazing. I think they went to the wrong pub! There is one guy there especially who seems to have his finger on the pulse - Darran. My daughter has allergies and he couldn't do enough to accommodate us all. The champagne was delicious, the food was served quickly, the crowd in the front bar was pleasant and the whole atmosphere of the pub was great. Whether you are a mum or single - it wouldn't matter. We are definately going to be regulars!
My favourite pub in port Melbourne. They are always welcoming and make me feel at home. Great Parma and excellent selection of beers. Telling all my friends to come.
This is a great little pub with the best parmas we have ever eaten. From the crumb, to the sauce to the cheese, what a great parma! The chips were also out of this world. Big meals too! Good drinks selection, lovely atmosphere and friendly attentive service. A unique place to eat. We shall return.
The BEST. I have been to the Exchange several times, with friends, colleagues and family. I have never been disappointed once. They have a great variety of food on the menu and the chef's are only too happy to accommodate personal requests.
My friend is a bit of a steak freak and he has never had a bad steak here and always comes back. But for me, the Sunday roast, the Parma and chicken are to die for.
Full credit to the head chef (Tim, I think that's his name) for ensuring a consistent service for food.
In conclusion, the food is 'cracking' here and my friends, family and colleagues have never been disappointed....
Great work guys....
Dined at the Exchange Saturday night with my partner and parents. The waitstaff were extremely accommodating when we requested a change of table, showing no sign of it being any hassle at all. My partner had the lamb, myself the gnocchi which was the perfect portion size and absolutely beautiful. My father was after a calamari main which was not an option on the menu but our waitress happily organised it and my father was so very impressed and appreciative. Both waitresses all evening were attentive but never pushy. All our meals were fantastic and we hope to return again soon. Thank you for a lovely evening.
Yummy. Came with a group of six for lunch on a Saturday. Went straight to mains and all tried the famous parma. Had heard and read about this dish. Happy to say it was as good as it gets. We all managed to finish them off. We decided to stay on as the friendly staff said it gets quite busy. Good looking crowd started to come in and the venue turned into a place that you did not want to leave. Will have a sore head tomorrow.
Very good. Came here on my very rare date night. As soon as I walked in I was made very welcome by the staff. They must have known that it was a special night as they were at the table only when needed. Never had an empty glass and the plates were cleared promptly. By the way you have to try the chicken Parma. Amazing!
What an awesome experience. In for dinner, had the eye fillet. Cooked perfectly, tender and the mash was beautiful. My girlfriend had the Parma, one of the most impressive I've ever seen. Can definitely understand the hype surrounding what I've heard is one of the best in Melbourne.
Staff super friendly and attentive, felt very welcome and comfortable in a classic pub environment.
Very classy venue, will be back for sure.
Came into the exchange to celebrate a friends birthday. What a fantastic choice that was, service was great the staff were more than helpful. Steaks were cooked to perfection, Parma was huge and the desserts were to die for! Will be back for sure!
Sunday Roast. Hands down the best roast in Melbourne! Moved to Port Melbourne a few months ago and The Exchange has been my local ever since. Great roast lamb on Sunday and the burger is killer as well as the biggest parma i have ever seen.
Overall great place with awesome bar tenders and White Rabbit on tap... perfect!
Great place. Awesome service, really great place to take a group for a meal. Good food.
A real winner. After visitiing the Exchange for the MFWF in March my partner and I revieved vouchers to come back and dine at the Exchange Hotel.
We had not booked a table on a Friday night but were greated and seated the moment that we asked if there was a table. The service on Firday night was beyond amazing and the food matched. The 2 girls seemed to have the entire room undercontrol despite the venue being busy. The entire team (Bar and Restaurant) seemed to work well together and looked to be having fun.
We will be back and very soon.
Recomend this place to everyone.
I recently moved to Port Melbourne and my real estate included a voucher for the exchange in the welcome to the area pack! $100 score!!! I decided to visit the local pub and I was truly amazed! Good food, great service. I will definitely come back.
Amazing food, no takeaway, poor service. Am a regular here (for the parma, of course) and there was an occasion where I couldn't finish my food and was told that they don't allow takeaway. What kind of establishment at this day and age, especially serving large portions, does not have a takeaway system? Also very disappointed at the service here. Waiter was very inattentive in a few occasions I was here. Sometimes they even disappear out back even though they noticed our plates needed clearing/bill was ready to be cleared! The only reason to be here is for the consistently good food, nothing else.
Perfect night out. Ive been a regular at The Exchange Hotel for some time now and it always proves to be a winner!
Hosted a dinner earlier in the week, i had the chicken breast- great flavour and cooked to perfection. Food servings are generous, the steak and chicken parma will give anyone food envy! Service is welcoming, prompt and of a high standard.
I continue to come back to this pub for birthdays and dinners and for good reason. We all get in, theres no entry fee, food and drinks are great.
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