Wayside Inn — Restaurant in Melbourne

We recently had our wedding lunch function at the Wayside Inn. From the start we couldn’t have been happier. Upon our enquiry we were immediately contacted by Cherie, the functions manager. She was welcoming and friendly, and quickly ascertained what we were wanting for our function. From that first enquiry right up until our function, Cherie was continually attentive to our needs and never left us feeling like we were unsure as to what was going on. So by the time we turned up to the Wayside, we felt confident in having a lovely function. What we did not expect was the venue manager Ben standing out on the street waiting to greet us! It was such a wonderful start and made us feel so welcome. We were then led upstairs to a lovely function room, with our own private bar and bartender, and an outside deck with city views. The welcoming feeling continued with Ben offering us all some excellent wines, and cocktails before we sat down to eat. Nothing was rushed, and we were made to feel that our own pace was fine. When we did eat (a la carte menu) we absolutely loved what we had! Scallops or a beetroot salad for entree, possibly the best scotch fillet steak I’ve ever had for lunch (or chicken – which apparently was good, but why didn’t you get the steak..?), and then the most amazing crème brulee for dessert. Sweet! The service was fantastic, attentive but not obtrusive. Ben (venue manager) was there the whole time ensuring that everything was to our liking. The food was brilliant, service excellent and the wine was delicious. Could not have asked for anything more. Thank...

We came here on a Thursday at 5:45, and were seated immediately.

The first thing I noticed on sitting down was the smell of vinegar and the slight stickiness of the table, I think they might clean their tables with a vinegar solution. The waitstaff were very prompt with asking if we were ready to order, so prompt that we needed an extra minute or two!

Since we came on a Thursday, they had a special of a $25 steak with either a beer, cider or wine. We chose the cider, and also ordered a chicken parmigiana. The dishes arrived after maybe 15-20 minutes, and were piping hot.

The chicken parmigiana was excellent. Crispy chicken with a flavourful crumb coating, well seasoned Napoli sauce (we think they might make it in house) and well browned cheese. It came with a side of well seasoned chips, and a standard garden salad.

The steak was as pretty good for the price, decently sized with minimal fat, and came with the same chips and salad, plus the cider and a pepper sauce. We ate, paid the bill and left within 40 minutes.

At the end of the day, the food was really good for the price point, as we spent $52.88 for two people. Unfortunately, they were playing very loud music which was rather off putting, and the smell of vinegar made me a little nauseous.

Also, we paid by card, and were charged a surcharge. My understanding is if you are charging a surcharge, you have to disclose that somewhere in the menu, but I couldn’t see any such disclaimer.

At the end of the day, we would definitely come back for the food, not so for...

We'd been here a couple of years ago—beautiful white linen tablecloths, attentive wait staff, wonderful steaks—a real special occasion experience. Decided to return for a birthday celebration and what a disappointment. A boisterous main bar filled with shouting aggressive patrons stopped any chance of talking or being heard—with no effort by anyone in charge to get them to take it down a few thousand decibels. Gone the white linen and attentive, knowledgable service, replaced by a cheery waitperson who announced half-priced drinks (yippee?). Add to this a chair with wobbly legs, an uninspiring menu, and plain tables, and it makes for a disappointing celebratory experience. If you order one of the main meals, be prepared to like lemon. The fries tasted of lemon, the chat potatoes—also lemon flavoured, as was the steak and veal schnitzel. When asked, the waitress agreed that yes, the chef used lemon pepper on the steaks and lemon myrtle on the potatoes. Unfortunately the veal schnitzel was tough, too thick and the crumbs soggy. The cappuccino at the end was very good, the outside garden would be cute in the summer, but we definitely...