Ponyfish Island — Restaurant in Melbourne

Well this place looks lovely but unfortunately my husband and I chose to leave before we even sat down due to being made to feel uncomfortable and unwelcome by a member of staff. We have just arrived in Melbourne from Sydney this morning after getting up at 3am for our flight and have spent the day exploring the city. We were starting to feel hungry so decided to pop in for some food. We were greeted by a gentleman in a white polo shirt and black lanyard who immediately asked to see my ID. I thought to myself 'at 34 I'll take that' and happily presented him with my full UK driving license. He then asked if we had been drinking prior to our arrival, feeling a little embarassed I said 'Oh god do I look drunk?' and made a mental note to pop to the bathroom to tidy myself up as soon as we were sat down as we had not been able to check into our hotel yet, while assuring this gentleman that I was merely tired from walking around all day after our early flight and needed food to perk me up. He also asked my husband the same question while asking him to remove his sunglasses even though there were many peple sitting by the riverside with sunglasses on. My husband also told him that we had not been drinking and were after some food. Now having spent years in working in bar and restaurant management myself I appreciate these questions need to be asked sometimes so we were more than happy to answer them. As we continued further into the bar to find a table he started walking with us and asked me again 'how much have you had to drink today?' after we both had just categorically and coherently told him that not a drop of alcohol has passed our lips today. Doing your job to maintain a comfortable and safe environment is one thing but to outright accuse a guest of lying is just downright rude and unnecessary. We were not acting out of order or showing any signs whatsover of being drunk, apart from being a little tired which I had already explained. This further questioning made me feel very uncomfortable and unwelcome but being too tired and hungry to argue my case and not wanting to cause a scene I told my husband that I'd prefer of we ate elsewhere. Only after leaving did it hit us both how rude and arrogant this staff member had been. I know management probably won't care as we 'are just tourists' but it seems some of the staff in this establishment could do with some retraining in...

You find the coolest places in the most unlikely locations. Beneath the pedestrian bridge over the Yarra to Southbank (#evanwalkerbridge) a quirky and somewhat pop-up bar serving cocktails, beer, wine, coffee and tasty snacks is ready to charm you. Navigate the slightly steep steps down to river level where the bar is anchored to the base of #theyarrariver ergo, it’s not floating. Hence it has had a flood or two over the years. On one of my Tourist In My Own Town (TIMOT) days, I ventured here after a few hours at the #immigrationmuseum Melbourne had turned on another one of its blue sky days and the #ponyfishislandbar was the ideal spot to stop for a refreshment. Bar staff Max and Tom clearly love their job. The banter between them, in between serving their guests and serving food made for a relaxed and laid -back atmosphere. The tide was on its way out and so the kayakers started heading back to land, the “tinnys” putt-putting back to their moorings but the larger cruise boats laden with tourists still cut a swathe down the middle of the river. @ponyfishisland is an ideal warm weather spot to hang out with friends. If you’re lucky enough to land one of the padded seated areas with the best views - go for it. Otherwise, the stools lining the edge of the structure also offer a welcome perspective of all sides of #theyarrariver and views over Southbank and Melbourne City. If you’re hungry, there are light snacks on the menu such as pizza and toasties. #ponyfishisland will always be one of those kitschy places I’m drawn to even for a quick stop to catch my breathe and be grateful that I live in Melbourne. Note : Wes Anderson’s The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou features the Ponyfish so maybe that’s where it got its name from.

#tripadvisor #tripadvisorreview #tripadvisorreviewer #googlelocalguide #googlelicalguides #letsguide #thewanderingreviewer...

I'm hesitant to write this review. There's nothing wrong with this place, but not every place suits everyone and this one wasn't one that suited me. It's a bar. Not a pub/restaurant. Just a bar.

The location itself is spectacular. The entire structure of the bar is attached to one of the supports for the walking bridge between Southbank and the CBD. Great views all around, and certainly a nice place to sit (when the weather is nice) towatch the rowing teams practice on the river. I'm not sure how quickly that comfort would evaporate if it had started raining. The bridge itself provides limited cover, but not completely, so probably not the best place to be sitting outside if there was more than a light drizzle.

As for the ambiance, I thought the trance/dance music was a bit too loud and completely out of place for a venue with barely space to walk and no place to dance. I was reminded of a wannabe clothing store at a shopping mall that plays dance music to try to seem cooler. That doesn't work for me when I'm shopping and it didn't work at Ponyfish either. Every patron was talking to others in small groups, and the music just made it harder to do what everyone had come there to do, which was to meet friends and colleagues after work.

I never saw a food menu, and don't even know if they had one. I did try to order a cup of tea and was told they didn't have that. I ended up settling on an expensive glass of soda water. Prices were high, selection was limited to basically alcoholic drinks only. I guess that makes sense considering their limited space and ultra-premium location.

None of this is actually bad, if that's what you're looking for, but it's a bar, and just a bar. Considering the limited selection, distracting music and high prices, it's not a place for me. I'm clearly not their target...