Blue Train

Mietta's Eating & Drinking in Melbourne 2000

Contributors' Choice
Page 138

Come here for breakfast and sit outside overlooking the river, or inside and watch the staff preparing for the onslaught of the day. They serve a phenomenal number of meals here. The large central bar provides a good focus and the busy train station atmosphere combined with Brunswick St inspired cool makes for fun and good value. Weekday mornings there are fewer staff on and service is slower but the food that comes is well-plated and generous. Come here in the evening and you'll be overwhelmed by the mainly young crowd and the amount of smoke and noise which they generate. It's recommended, however, as a good place to come with a group of people who might not want to spend money. The menu is sufficiently varied to allow for all tastes and budgets. This makes it good for kids too. There's plenty of variety in the seating and standing situations. There's the stools at the bar, the elbow height benches, the couches round the fireplaces and the more conventional tables and chairs inside and out. Blue Train is a unique concept which has been adapted by the same owners at Automatic and is being copied by many in and beyond Melbourne.

Mid level, Western end
Southgate, South Melbourne
Melways reference 2F:F7
Phone: 9696 0111
Opening hours: 7 days 7am-1am
Licensed
Accepts credit cards
Seating Inside: 200, Outside:150
Features: kids encouraged
Favourites: Yellow lentil with warm wood oven bread & a side of coriander & tomato salsa $5.90, Wood fired pizza with smoked salmon, goats cheese, roasted red peppers & fresh chives over napolitana sauce $11.90, Hokkien noodles wok seared with fillet steak, fresh bok choy & cashew nuts in ketjap manis soy $9.90