"There will always be ladies who lunch. Always. And apparently they live a long time." Elaine Stritch
I think I may have used that quote before, but never mind - I like it and it's applicable to yesterday's experience, when a small group of ladies of a certain age, gathered together to have a fun day out beside Melbourne's river.
The venue was Afloat - a so-called floating restaurant, just below Melbourne's Flinders Street station - the epicentre of Melbourne's suburban rail network. And yet we didn't hear the trains - and I don't think we were floating either because I think this is a pontoon constructed out over the river, rather than an actually floating platform. However, there were no large-scale super noisy building works this time to mar the experience, and the venue was also rather better than Botanica - our previous riverside experiment - further down the river and on the other side.
We were a small group this time as well, as various other invitees were, shall we say, indisposed which covers a wide range of reasons why they just couldn't come. Which was a little sad because they were missed, but also in some ways a small group is better because you get to talk to everyone, not just who you are sitting next to and opposite.
The day was not quite perfect. It was a little cool but that's my fault for not wearing a long-sleeved top. However, the sun shone mostly with some cloudy moments, and people were out and about. Andit wasn't so cold that I was shivering.
Afloat is large - our table was number 461 - which probably means table 61 in section 4 rather than actual table 461 - but nevertheless that's a lot of tables. There are two layers as well as being a very long pontoon which is divided into different sections that include a bar type area, an open area and various more luxurious lounges - like the bit I photographed below right. We were seated at the far end, but right next to the river.
Full marks for the venue really because even if you had your back to the river, you could still see it through the large mirrors on the wall opposite your seat. And the river was a large part of the entertainment.
A couple of gripes however. It's one of those places where it's all done with QR codes, unless you go to the trouble of finding an actual paper menu and then order from the bar, which in our case was at the other end of the place. We did do the QR ordering, but only after acquiring the paper menus. We may be old, but most of us are actually capable of handling the technology. We'd just prefer not to. Worse than that, however, was the fact that nobody told us, as we entered at the far end, to pick up a set of cutlery plus napkin and plates for our entrees on the way in. We only discovered this problem when the first appetizer of arancini arrived with nothing to eat it with, and the shared plate of vegetables, dips, etc. arrived with no individual plates to put them on. Marginally annoying. If you were familiar with the place, as I suspect many of the customers were, then you would have been fine. Last minor gripe. No coffee. We had to leave and go above to Arbory, which I think may be owned by the same people and which is just at the edge of platform 13 in the station above. At different times we also made the long walk to the bar to buy a bottle of wine. Although maybe we could have ordered that too.
What about the food. Well in some ways - and only going on what we ordered - it was a mix of excellent through OK to just acceptable. And here I should mention that each year Afloat changes its cuisine. Last year it was Mexican - this year it's Italian, so pizzas and pastas - none of which we ordered, so I can't comment, and a range of other offerings.
We began with a platter of this and that, some olives and this amazing flatbread. Not only was it incredibly puffed - and it must have been very quickly delivered to us to remain so puffed, - but it was also delicous. Quite outstanding in fact. The vegetarian platter was varied - roast vegetables - great - carrots - raw and very difficult to cut - dip - well we disagreed on that, some liked, some did not. And I gather Leoni's arancini were also pretty good.
Mains? I didn't photograph them all. An entree size dish of prawns, a baked vegan risotto, fish and chips for me, and a baked snapper with a sauce which I think included fennel and basil and pine nuts. Verdict on the latter - absolutely delicious. My fish and chips was overdone and the risotto was apparently OK. The prawns looked delicious I have to say.
But lunch is never just about the food is it?
It was Valentine's Day, although there was not much evidence of that in the restaurant itself other than this rather nice moment that I captured. Mostly at our end the tables were filled with groups of happy people, including some, I think Indonesian, tourists on the table next door, with whom Clare chatted quite a bit, and who took the photos that I have of our group. No the Valentine's Day action was out on the river - from the large double-decker boat which was obviously decked out with linen covered tables for two to the small motor boats constantly passing by - mostly with couples. I should have taken more pictures of these, but just caught one, not particularly romantic looking pair, but also a lovely group of young ladies, sipping bubbly as they went by - and a family of Indians, photographed by Leonie. A very colourful contrast to the rest. And also a group of Asian kayakers wending their way downriver.
Such a great spot, such good company. We reminisced about how all of that development that you see on the left-hand side of the river above, simply did not exist when we all first moved to Melbourne - well three of us - the other two had been here all along. And now the walk, as far as you can see, and beyond, is lined with cafes and hotels - and trees - as is the side that we are on. Melbourne was a boring backwater when we came here in 1969, now it is a vibrant and fun place to live. and for many years was voted the most liveable city in the world. It's still up there, but not quite at the top I think. Ahead of Sydney anyway. I didn't mention the hundreds of young girls we all noticed as we arrived in the city, wearing either shorts or very short skirts, obviously all dressed up and going somewhere - but where?
But I can't forget the swans who swam hopefully close - right underneath our table, possibly looking for food, and who slowly wended their way down the river following the boats but never straying too far away from where there might be some food.
Theoretically we had our table for just 2 and a half hours, and maybe we did, but we arrived half an hour early, due to our having inadvertently caught the earlier train, and were nevertheless able to access our table. I'm sure we were there for the full 2 and a half hours, because we took our time, maybe more, and chatted endlessly about this and that, and then we had another half hour or so with coffee. So that by the time we got on our trains it was almost 5 o'clock.
I would heartily recommend the venue. Just pick up those knives and forks and a paper menu as you come in and choose your dishes carefully. Maybe we should have had pizza? There aren't many places where you can enjoy a free show as you eat and chat and reminisce. Relax and forget all the bad things about life, the universe and everything really.
Thank you ladies. And why is it that ladies seem to enjoy lunch and socialising in a leisurely kind of way more than men?
"People who say they're too busy to have lunch have a false impression of their own importance." John Howard
YEARS GONE BY
February 15
2023 - Black garlic
2021 - Those hotcakes
2020 - Define easy
2019 - Bahari - the Hellenic palate
2018 - A wonderful book
2017 - Back to basics
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