Rising Sun Hotel — Restaurant in Melbourne

Appalling and disgusting!!! As a resident of the area the Rising Sun Hotel in South Melbourne is the only pub in Melbourne I know of where you are able to smoke & vape within a metre or so of patrons trying to enjoy their meals in a dedicated meals area because the Hotel owner John doesn’t want to upset regular smoking patrons! Unfortunately for us at the start of our meals a large table of approx 15 young drinkers (not diners) were seated within a metre or so of our table & other dining tables & within minutes there was copious amounts of vape smoke wafting over our tables. When we complained to the only security staff he spoke to the group but it soon became obvious that he was wasn’t interested in ensuring that they respected that other patrons were eating and were negatively affected by their smoking as the group quickly recommenced & he did nothing even though he was sitting 3 metres away. Then the ultimate act of bullying occurred to my wife as she returned from the restroom and exited from the door back to the outdoor eating section where one of the offending group, a female turned to her at an extremely close proximity and blew vape smoke deliberately & directly into her face. As a 50 something year old female to be assaulted in such a way after repeated complaints were made to Hotel staff is appalling & unacceptable. Subsequently the Hotel owner John came to our table & told us to leave it alone and move inside to an overcrowded lounge midway through our meal which we declined to be uprooted midway through our dinner Then to add insult to injury the pushing & manhandling conducted by the inept security staffer towards my wife after having smoke blown into her face is unforgivable. The reason given by the Hotel owner was he didn’t want to lose any business from the group because they’re locals. Well, sorry John we’re locals too & you’ve definitely lost our business as well as the numerous referrals that we’ve given over the years. GOOD LUCK RISING SUN! You are obviously out of touch with Victorian smoking laws, not to mention the laws of decency! Hopefully Melbourne City Council can set you straight on your obligations...

Ordered Roast of The Day (Pork) and Sticky Date Pudding. Ladies on table next to us said what I ordered looked delicious. I replied I was eating Babe. She giggled and replied I'm not babe. It's Roast Pork. Im a Carnivore from the Dark Ages. Minted Peas, Cauliflower with Cheese, Thick Cut Roast Pork with Gravy and Apple Sauce. I was dribbling like Pavlov's Dog as the waitress set it down in from me. Compliments to the Chef. Indulgently I ordered the Sticky Date Pudding. Loved the presentation. Moist, Springy with a Sweet Caramel Sauce with a scoop of Vanilla Ice cream. Felt very content afterwards. The waitresses were attentive asking if we would another drink once our glasses were empty and good humoured when I asked them for an Accessible Menu. There was a warm vibe in the dining room from the conversations around us. The music upstairs that filtered down was a little too loud for my liking. My adult children and myself were able to hold a light hearted conversation however they suggested I should get my hearing tested after I misheard several words. I lost them in the background music. I would definitely go back to Rising Sun in South Melbourne. I enjoyed the vibe, my meal and most of all the company of my two adult sons. Even they were impressed with the quality of the food. It was a great day. I deducted One Star because of Accessibility. I worked in Community Services and as a Disability Advocate. I think there is room for improvement in that area. Five Star Establishments in my opinion need to Go Over and Beyond My Expectations including Accessibility to score Five Stars before people with a Disability have to advocate for themselves what their needs are. I went for a social meal not in a professional capacity. I gave Rising Star Hotel 5 stars for Food, Atmosphere and Service. I deducted One Star on behalf of my friends with a Disability as I believe my friends (and people with a Disability) should be included without always having to advocate for their Access Requirements for Inclusion in...

Family friendly and safe environment for women. Named after and aligned with the ANZAC legend and their logo of a half-rising sun above an Aussie digger's slouch hat. (See photo giving some history of the business.) My local pub, providing modernised classic pub fare turned gourmet with generous servings. Great atmosphere when busy, particularly Friday lunchtime. Lots of TVs to keep you connected to various sports, no sound, yay! Live music throughout the week. The menu specializes in various steaks, but does have gluten free and other vegetarian dishes, changed to reflect the seasons. A specials menu is available.

The Friday I was there, I chose the Ricotta sage gnudi with garlic, spinach, mushrooms, cauliflower and gran padano. A light vegetarian dish most suitable for a hot day. GNUDI (Wikipedia definition): is an English-adopted Tuscan word for the Italian term "nudi" (naked), the idea being that these pillowy square balls of ricotta and spinach, sometimes without spinach, in this case the added sage, are "nude ravioli" consisting of just the tasty filling without the pasta shell. (A bit like a tiny semolina pastry, quite light to eat.)

Dessert that spoke to me was the Vanilla bean crème brûlée with biscotti.

Along with a pot of crisp apple cider to keep me cool, it was a nice lunch. Being surrounded by goodlooking men didn't hurt either! Great service by the girls.

The day after, which was a lot cooler, I attended for the evening mealtime. The Chicken Kiev with mashed potato and broccolini was simple yet delicious, but did not have garlic in the herb butter inside. I guess not everyone enjoys garlic, I certainly avoid it when possible, so that's a smart move by the chef. For dessert, you can't beat the Vanilla bean panacotta, lemon curd and meringue, a delightfully light summer dish. Again, all accompanied by a crisp apple cider. I went home...