a little odin-aray
Prelude
With a couple of MPR members absent on overseas assignments, the task of assessing the Odin was left to the remaining 6 MPR members. After being dropped off in the car park, one couldn't help but feel the ghosts of a bygone era speak to us. The wind whispered tales of punch ups between best mates, the sound of cortinas doing doughnuts and many an inter-office romance being sparked up behind the bottle shop. The spirit of an old fashioned Aussie pub once lived here. The vibes were good.
First Impressions
We entered via the sports bar entrance where a small but bustling crowd of curtain salesman and steel fabrication suppliers were enjoying a few after-work drinks. There was a good number of bar stools and tables leading into an adjoining open plan TAB. The bistro section had its own entry from the car park and was sectioned off from the rest of the pub. No big screen to speak of, but a few smaller screens hovered over the bar were showing the live Rugby and AFL games. So in a word, it was comfortable. The front sportsbar is quite small but the beer garden allows for some extra seating and space. Given it was a bit of a blustry night, we chose to stay indoors.
Settling In
A table nestled in the corner of the TAB section, which was surrounded by several screens and TAB-touch terminals was calling our names. We perched ourselves on the stools, accompanied by a few jugs of 150 Lashes and began our analysis of the situation. The crowd seemed happy and the atmosphere was friendly. There was only one female of interest, who seemed more interested in anything else but the guy she was with. The overall bar area, although quite small, spills out to a beer garden and pool room for an overflow of patrons. The renovations have focussed mainly on new carpets and modernised TAB facilities as well as the updated décor in the bistro, which occupies more than half of the pub's premises.
So we were able to bet on and watch races from our seated vantage point with easy access to the bar. We couldn't watch the footy from where we were seated, so luckily it wasn't a game of high interest.
The Food
We were shown toward the back of the restaurant where we offered a table with prime viewing of the footy. Nice! The mood was cause for celebration and one of the members suggested a couple of nice wines to accompany our meal. Unfortunately, the wine list wasn't befitting of the occasion, however we are encouraged to make a short walk to the bottle shop to grab wines of our choosing, with a modest corkage charge of $3 per bottle. We did.
The menu featured a good selection of classic dishes. Nothing too out of the ordinary The waitress highly recommend the Scotch Angus fillet – an offer most of us went for. Other opted for a mixture of twice cooked pork belly, crab pasta and asian beef salad. All meals were cooked well and of restaurant quality and the waitress was friendly and helpful. Aside from the bucket on the floor next to us catching droplets of water from a leaking ceiling, the meal experience was pleasant.
Overall Score: 40/60
Sport Viewing – Not a great footy viewing pub. There are screens about to watch the game, but without sound and mainly at a distance. 4/10
Food – Above average quality with good portion sizes. Prompt service. 7/10
Beverages – The bar is limited to your classic beers on tap and some imported options in bottled beer, however Johnny Walker green label scotch at $10 each is superb value. 6/10
Service – Bar staff were helpful in sorting out a betting anomaly and bistro staff very accommodating. 8/10
Atmosphere - Bland. If it wasn't for the TAB, we'd probably have been bored out of our brains. Sort of pub more suited to catch up with a few mates after work on the way home or a place to take the cheese 'n' kisses for a nice meal with the kids. 5/10
Punting – Didn't think the Saint could be equalled in this department, but the Odin's facilities are small but far superior to any venue we've visited so far. 10/10
Guest Reviewers Comments
"Not sure what all the fuss is about. It's a pub. It has a TAB. It has sport. It has food. What else do you want".