We started our long weekend with an afternoon visit to Transport Public Bar. Since there wasn’t much open on the Easter Friday, we were expecting it to be quite busy, however there were only a few tables seated when we arrived.
FOOD
Transport Public Bar has all your classic pub food including a variety of dishes prepared to share.
We started with the classic Beer Battered Fish and Chips. The chunky chips were amazing, and the fish was cooked well, however the batter was a bit too much for the small fillet inside. They do a really good job of making the fish look large with the amount of batter used. The tartar sauce was a perfect creamy consistency with just the right amount of tartness. The dish was presented with a small garden salad, which was a nice touch, however I think a creamy coleslaw would have done the trick.
I went with the Quinoa, Lentil and Nut Salad, which was a massive serve. This was served with toasted pumpkin seeds, parsley and mint atop sliced tomato. I wasn’t too fond of the mint, however the toasted pumpkin seeds were a beautiful treat. Portion size was quite large and could have been shared between two people.
For the table to share we also ordered the Lemon Pepper Crumbed Calamari. They tasted beautiful and had just a hint of lemon to add a refreshing note to the dish. Definitely worth ordering!
ATMOSPHERE
As we did visit on Easter Friday, we weren’t expecting there to be much of a vibe, especially for a lunch service. It definitely has the pub feel with high ceilings, TV’s mounted on the walls and a massive bar wrapping around the one side of the restaurant.
The decor is quite modern with a beautiful concrete bar, polished chrome piping running throughout and floor to ceiling windows overlooking the Yarra. The space is separated into a few different sections, which consist of the restaurant area, the bar/dance floor area for the night crowd and the outdoor patio area.
SERVICE
It’s hard to judge the service here as you need to walk up to the bar to order your food and to get your food once ready. The only interaction you really have with the staff is when ordering a drink from the bar. Overall, they seemed quite friendly.
