A lazy Sunday afternoon meant no cooking and in need of somewhere tasty for lunch. Since the footy was on, it was a must to find somewhere where we could watch the game. MC said he could go for a good parma so I did a quick search and found the Exchange Hotel in Port Melbourne was meant to have one of the best.
ATMOSPHERE & SERVICE
We arrived just after 12pm and the space had yet to fill up, which meant we had a preffty good selection of tables to choose from for a good view of the game. We took our seats at one of the high top bar tables right infront of the TV and ordered our first round of drinks.
The pub has been recently renovated to create a more modern vibe with a few different dining spaces. Walking in, you are greeted by their large feature bar area where all the ordering takes place. Moving past the bar, there is a large dining space that is more formal that the pub setting out front.
The formal dining space has a large wooden barn like ceiling, classic white walls and a hand full of tables with more elegant chairs. This is the perfect space for private events and larger groups.
The service was friendly and attentive throughout the afternoon. Since they don’t offer table service in the bar area, our main interaction was just with the bartender who took our food and drink orders.
FOOD
I am not one to normally order a parma, but I thought since we were at the place serving up the best parmas in town, I should probably give it a go!
I loved how they had a ‘Petite Parma’ on the menu, which was a half serve of chicken and a smaller serve of chips with a green salad. MC went with the full portion size, which was unbelievably large.
Our food was out within 15 minutes of ordering and that was pretty much all we saw coming out of the kitchen the entire afternoon. A piping hot breaded moist chicken breast covered in ham, napoli sauce and cheese was placed down infront of us. MC’s parma was so big that the chips and salad had to be on the size of the dish.
Everything about these parmas were amazing! The crumbing, the napoli sauce and the perfectly cooked chicken all worked together to create a mouth watering lunch. I can definitely see why everyone says they have the best parmas in town.
I’m usually not one to say this, but I am actually excited for our next visit to The Exchange Hotel so I can indulge in another parma!