Since its opening we have been perhaps half a dozen times. Steve likes the beer; although he has commented there's a wider choice at The Rainbow but we prefer the understated coolness of the Marquis.
The first time we ate was with my sister and brother in law who were visiting from UK over Christmas. It was a scorcher of a Summers day and we sat in the sunny outdoor area on the first floor. A small deck area but that is fit for purpose.
My sister and I ordered the roast chook to share and the boys had burgers. The chicken really is remarkable. Golden and crispy skinned it comes jointed and the meat is so juicy and tasty. Resting on a bed of potatoes it also came with a boat of green sauce. We thought the sauce wasn't necessary as the flavoursome chicken was just perfect.
The meal ended with chocolate cake with a peanut butter cream and as you can see in the picture above, that went down well too!
The meal was so good that my sister and brother in law had to tell my cousins and parents about it so that when they came to Melbourne, we had to have another meal here. Oh how hard that was! This time we were a big group of 9 including the little one and it was late afternoon early January. We were able to take the big table in the back of the ground floor which is almost like a private dining room.
We feasted on roast chicken, steak and had side dishes of more chips, potato cakes and the deep fried school prawns which are small tasty, salty, paprika-y and crispy morsels - perfect beer food. And everyone agreed the chicken was top notch.
And we have returned for the chicken. The last time we were here (end of Feb) the roast chook was still on the menu but it was served with gravy and on top of baby carrots. Probably a seasonal change ready for Autumn. And it was pretty darn good with the gravy. Soul nourishing food!
Since then, we have also enjoyed Tuesday night steak night which is excellent value. Our family has much love for the Marquis!