THE CLARENDON

209 Clarendon St, St Melbourne - ph: 03 9686 5205

Came here the other day for a quick dinner after work. The pub was about half full on a Wednesday night, which was perfect - no need to wait for a table or for service.

Hubby ordered his usual pub combo, parma and pot. To his surprise, week night specials at The Clarendon consist of 4-5 options of pub meals + drink for $15. Parma, of course, was one of the options, so he got his good value for money.

A sizable chicken parmigiana was soon brought to us. I normally prefer it when the tomato sauce is lying under the cheese and you get some nice toasted cheese on top. For me, there was way too much tomato sauce on the dish, which made it a bit soggy.

Chicken itself was moist and well cooked. Chips were alright.

Chicken parma served with chips and salad + pot ($15)

Although the picture description says parma with 'chips and salad', hubby asked for 'chips and chips'. For the readers though - I just want to say that you can actually be a bit healthier and get some greens with your meal :)

I didn't really want a big meal, so chose the pumpkin and beetroot salad - not one of the specials...

Roasted vegetables salad - roasted pumpkin, beetroot and pine nuts, spinach leaves and fetta ($18)

The salad was pretty bland. The pumpkin and beetroot were well cooked and tasted nice, crunchy pine nuts added a nice texture to the dish and the fetta added a salty tang. All good base elements were there, but it definitely lacked an exciting dressing - some lemon, vinegar, honey, herbs would make a real difference.

Overall, I would is was not that bad for a pub meal. Reasonable price for the specials - check. Quick service - check. Few options of beer on tap - check. Good food - err, not bad; check.

Wouldn't recommend driving to South Melbourne for it, but worth a try if you're in the area and interested in the week night specials - parma, burger, pasta - I thought my salad was bit overpriced for what I got.