Published:
June 29, 2024
About Mail Exchange Hotel
Steaks, burgers and seafood dished up in a cosmopolitan pub with a cocktail lounge and a courtyard.
Dine in
Takeout
Delivery
Service Options
Highlights
Bar games
Great cocktails
Live performances
Sports
Trivia night
Offerings
Alcohol
Beer
Cocktails
Food
Food at bar
Hard liquor
Wine
Amenities
Restroom
Wi-Fi
Free Wi-Fi
Crowd
Groups
LGBTQ+ friendly
Transgender safespace
Payments
Credit cards
Debit cards
NFC mobile payments
Accessibility
Wheelchair accessible entrance
Wheelchair accessible restroom
Wheelchair accessible seating
Dining_options
Seating
Atmosphere
Casual
Cozy
Planning
Accepts reservations
Parking
Paid parking lot
Paid street parking
Map
Mail Exchange Hotel Reviews
Yum! I love this gorgeous old building with original steel beams inside. The hotel is in the basement, but it’s not dingy. Although it’s an extensive place with many places to eat, drink and meet, it’s intimate and welcoming. The food was absolutely delicious. The pork cutlet was juicy and not dry. The pasta was very flavoursome, both meals were. Cooked to perfection. Good choice in the menu. Staff were very accommodating, even though we walked in with the after footy crowd. Best to book if you have a large crowd. Cool event room (with window to the street traffic) and pokies are available too if that’s your thing.
- John “Lennardo” Harris
30 Sun 2024 at 09.04 am
We had a nice Counter Lunch and Drink 🍻🍷 , nice generous serves, I had the chicken parma, my partner had the fish & chips,nice quality I thought the breadcrumb coating was a little to thick though, other than that it was very nice,.
They have a Beautiful Big display for the football in their main room which was good.So a meal and each a drink each Only One was Alcoholic $78 Hmmm🤔
- Guinea Pig
30 Sun 2024 at 09.04 am
We had a large group (around 23 people) and we were in our own room! Splitting the bill and paying for our own was made easy by the friendly staff. The vegetable Korma was *delicious*!! If you're going to have the Eton Mess, recommend to share it with someone. It's bigger than it looks and very rich, sweet
- Alan Bradley
30 Sun 2024 at 09.04 am
We booked for a party of 6 after recommendations from other friends.
Unfortunately it wasn't to our expectations. Some meals were a hit like the mushroom tart and the pan seared chicken breast, however the salt and pepper calamari and the eventual arrival of the buffalo wings didn't hit the spot.
In the defence of the Exchange they did apologise for the missing wings and did remove them from our bill.
The Exchange staff are all friendly and the restaurant was clean and tidy!
- Steph Jenks
30 Sun 2024 at 09.04 am
Very enjoyable, well-sized food that was quite reasonably priced. Drinks and food came out quick and the service was great. Atmosphere was perfect, and it is in a great location.
Will definitely be coming back!
- David McFerran
30 Sun 2024 at 09.04 am
Very crowded footy nights so book before hand. Vegan linguine and lamb shank both very nice but portions on the small side. Pricing fair for what you get and service was efficient on a busy night.
- Jo SB
30 Sun 2024 at 09.04 am
This was our first time here, and definitely coming back again. We booked a table for dinner and were greeted by very friendly staff.
We ordered the vegetarian Linguini in tomatillo’s salsa, and the Chicken Parmigiana with fries (they call them Bad Boy chips!). Both were cooked to perfection, and we enjoyed them very much.
Great beer selection, and an amazing vibe. This place is huge!
- Carolyn Hanel
30 Sun 2024 at 09.04 am
This was one of very few venues open in the city for lunch on Good Friday - and we were very impressed with the food! We were there prior to attending Carlton's footy match at nearby Marvel Stadium, and it was a great place to get the footy atmosphere as the majority there were adorned in Carlton gear. We'll definitely be back again!
- Vandana T Sivadas
30 Sun 2024 at 09.04 am
This place has a beautiful ambiance, within such a beautiful old building. Watch sports, gamble, share food with friends and family, while you have drinks. It was a nice experience for us friends. The staffs are very welcoming. Even when they are busy, they make sure they serve us with a smile on the face and very politely. Highly recommend place for a fun hangout, gamble, drinks and food.
- Geoff Jones
30 Sun 2024 at 09.04 am
Second time in a few weeks to visit this pub/restaurant before the footy.
Quite easy to book a table online for a specific time.
The bar area that we walked through to the restaurant was crowded with a great atmosphere.
We were shown straight to our table. There were other footy goers there wearing their colours.
A waiter soon appeared to take our lunch order.
We ordered the Pork Ribs and also the Atlantic Salmon.
The food was very nicely cooked and tasty. Very satisfactory.
The cost at $34 each main course was very reasonable.
Altogether a very nice experience at this restaurant, and we will be returning for pre-footy dining.
- Russell Dixon
30 Sun 2024 at 09.04 am
Recently met my son for lunch prior to the football, I’m in a wheelchair and was very surprised by the service and attention given to me from all the staff beginning at the front door. Excellent management.
- Jan Coffey
30 Sun 2024 at 09.04 am
Our experience at The Mail Exchange was as wonderful as it usually is. All staff were amazing but In particular the staff who took and delivered our lunch orders and manager who went out of his way to ensure the audio visual was setup perfectly, and even googled for me when I wasn't sure how to set my PowerPoint presentation on loop!
Couldn't have been more pleased.
There could be a little more variety on the menu, with a few more vegetarian options and snack items, such as soup and toasties, but everyone seemed to enjoy their lunch.
Thank you so much!
- 4Mil
30 Sun 2024 at 09.04 am
👍 Nice relaxed place to hang out with friends while waiting for trains. The desserts were yum - very sweet, the passion fruit tart personally needed something "more" on the inside instead of straight puree, but overall, it's quite a big space, sections to have some drinks and watch the footy or head over to the dinning room for resturant food.
- Pat Gatto
30 Sun 2024 at 09.04 am
My family and I had the pleasure of visiting after a football game.
The food and service were both exceptional and we will definitely visit again.
It was a 10 out of 10 experience!!
Well done everyone from entry to existing thanks see you again soon.
- Thirsty Herb
30 Sun 2024 at 09.04 am
Its a ok pub if your want to have a Punt or watch the footy with a bit of atmosphere, but don't eat here!
I ordered a Chicken Parma and for $30 it was horrible. It was a processed Chicken frozen filet that had been deep fried. The thinest slice of chicken between 5mm of bread crumbs. (See photo) was doughy to eat and I couldn't finish it. Salad was a packet mix. Staff all looked disinterested. Not a great experience.
- Andrew Sanderson
30 Sun 2024 at 09.04 am
I think this place must have the nicest doorman in Melbourne! I visited it twice, And the manager was also very friendly and actually made our cocktails, also bringing them to our table. This bar has a comfortable lazy vibe in a nice environment, i liked it.
- Daniyeru
30 Sun 2024 at 09.04 am
In-Depth Review:
Start of Service 5/5
*Greeted by the security guard at entrance. Surprisingly he is very friendly, first point of contact with a friendly approach gives you a welcoming vibe. Very good service.
Food 5/5
*Wagyu Burger: Surprisingly for a hotel/gaming pub restaurant, this burger was really good! Bread was not too soft, not too hard or dry, cheese was a nice choice for the soft, yet tasty seasoned wagyu patties which were great in flavour.
*Pides also were generous in portion and were excellent in taste and filling.
*
*
Value 2/5
*The cost of the wagyu burger was almost $30, came with chips, was on the steep end of the price range, however you do end up full after the chips and the burger!
*Pides were $17.5, also on the very high end of the spectrum in terms of pricing.
Atmosphere 5/5
*A darker themed bar which includes pokies, seated table restaurant, lounges, friendly security. I'd bring colleagues or friends or even dates here. Very versatile venue.
End of Service 5/5
*The first and last point of contact is the friendly security guard, along with the excellent food service, I'd definitely be back here. I was here for about 1 hour waiting for colleagues and you can kill time here and be in your own zone or be with friends.
Overall 5/5
*Based on the above criteria, this venue is 5/5 for its versatility, able to go alone, or in a group or a date with great food, fun pokies and great service. Well done!
- A J M
30 Sun 2024 at 09.04 am
Had pork ribs absolutely delicious. Wish the bones had more meat. But all in all a pleasant experience. Staff were attentive when serving. Tables cleared promptly. Thank you for a great dinner
- Mitchell Sleeman
30 Sun 2024 at 09.04 am
Had an amazing experience at the Mail Exchange Hotel. The staff were fantastic, fast service and they cater to people that have allergies as my mother in law cannot have capsicum/paprika. They avoided using both those ingredients in everyone at the tables dishes. The food was wonderful. Affordable price and great atmosphere.
- Craig Ough
30 Sun 2024 at 09.04 am
Great place to sit back and watch some sport, venue has great bar and tab as well as pokies.
Typical Melbourne vibe with great Melbourne staff who are only to happy to help.
There are even escalators at the entrance how flash lol
- Juni Posadas
30 Sun 2024 at 09.04 am
Great food and vibe! A typical sports bar at thw lounge area but very spacious. Lots os pub choices and a number of local beer and wines. Casino is also a nice touch. Servers were nice and fast too. Fish and chips and Chicken Parm are worth ordering!
- Noo Foster
30 Sun 2024 at 09.04 am
Good pub in the cbd.
Parma was good. All areas were clean. Staff are friendly.
- Foodie Files Melbourne
30 Sun 2024 at 09.04 am
Food was serviceable, the burger was definitely better than my previous experience with the parma. Great proximity to public transport but atmosphere is lacking as the dining area is pretty dead (though the gaming area is buzzing)
Update
We were back at Mail Exchange tonight for dinner pre attending The Lume and I was seriously disappointed. I ordered what turned out to be probably the worst parma I’ve ever had, definitely processed style chicken you get from the Coles deli with some terrible out a jar sauce on top. I didn’t even eat half of it.
The chips fared better and were nicely seasoned but some were chunkier than other others and the fatter ones weren’t as well cooked. The only positive I’ll highlight is the security guard was the most vigilant I have ever seen any venue be in checking covid vax and even asked for my ID to confirm it matched my certificate
Original review
Having worked practically opposite this place for years I've eaten here on many an occasion. While the menu is pub food the interior is not too bad inside with the pokie machines kind of segregated to one spot and the dining room relatively uninterrupted by their neon gleam and electronic dinging. There's also an escalator inside (random).
I generally order the salt and pepper calamari which interestingly comes with a spicy pineapple dipping sauce. The portions aren't the largest but I'm pretty sure I eat way more than a normal person should so they are probably the correct nutrition sizes. The reviews on here are fairly scathing but remember the type of establishment this is. I think it's perfectly fine for pre football drinks or dinner and given its proximity to Etihad stadium I do believe that's exactly how it's treated
- Brenda Seow
30 Sun 2024 at 09.04 am
Big shout out to Christine, their manager, for organising my private lunch last weekend. It was easy to communicate with Christine despite her being busy. She made great recommendations and fulfilled all my requests on that day to cater to our small group of people. Extremely flexible with everything. Food was served right at the time we requested. Service was amazing. Price is very reasonable. Highly recommend!
- Sharon D
30 Sun 2024 at 09.04 am
Awesome underground bar close to Southern Cross Station. Plenty of space to sit, it has a great vibe. There's several large screens for watching sport if you're interested. Friendly service. 👌
- Noah Ward
30 Sun 2024 at 09.04 am
Ample, comfortable seating, lovely little escalator located at the front entrance if you are too munted to stroll up the stairs.
There is also a plentiful number of pokies machines to pass the time while you wait for the countrylink XPT service to Sydney...
- Jane Lovelock
30 Sun 2024 at 09.04 am
Always the perfect cocktails 🍸. Maybe the BEST espresso Martini EVER!
GREAT place to relax and wait before catching a train too
Also the bathroom is just so amazing. What a place
- Joey
30 Sun 2024 at 09.04 am
Always love going here. The food is consistently delicious and the place always clean(tables, smoking areas, pokies). Relaxed watching the footy with beers before having cob loaf and steaks in the formal dining area. Highly recommend this wine - see photo.
- Shell Belle