The Duke of Wellington
Location: 146 Flinders St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia
Featured Items: Chicken Parma ($36 AUD), Fried Chat Potatoes ($13 AUD)
Note: A historic Melbourne pub. The parma comes with fries and a side salad. Prices are in AUD.
Verdict: A delicious, tender chicken parma with great tomato sauce. Skip the chat potatoes and enjoy the fries.
After brunch, we stayed in the hotel for a bit and then decided to have an early dinner at the historic The Duke of Wellington on Flinders St. This pub is a real piece of Melbourne history. The building dates back to 1850, and according to the Victorian Heritage Database, it has the honour of holding the longest running hotel licence in Melbourne. Eating in a place with that much history makes dinner feel a little more special.
Chicken Parma ($36)
I finally got the infamous chicken parma ($36), or is it parmi? Keep reading, because I have a story about that below. Whatever you call it, it is a delicious dish. The tender, crispy chicken schnitzel is covered in a rich, tangy tomato sauce, bubbly melted cheese and a dusting of parmesan, and I love the tomato sauce. The golden fries on the side are perfect, and a fresh rocket salad rounds out the plate. I'm happy.
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| Chicken Parma ($36) with fries and a side salad |
Parma or Parmi? Our Friends Cannot Agree
At the start of this trip, I told my friends that I was looking to try a parmi. One Victoria native was quick to correct me: it's parma. Then a colleague from Canberra jumped in and said it's parmi. Hahaha! I said we only have one Aussie pub in Vancouver and they have it as parmi, so I thought it was straightforward. It turns out it is not, and it is hilarious how my friends continue to debate and discuss it.
For the record, a 2020 YouGov survey found that Australia is split almost evenly between parma, parmi and parmy, but Victoria is the one state that mostly agrees, with 72% saying parma. So when in Melbourne, I will be saying parma, and I will happily let my friends keep arguing about it.
Fried Chat Potatoes ($13)
We also ordered the fried chat potatoes ($13), just because. Honestly, skip it. The crispy golden chat potatoes look lovely, but the fries on the side of the parma are better.
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| Fried chat potatoes ($13), good but skippable |
Final Thoughts
The Duke of Wellington is a lovely spot to try a true Melbourne pub classic in a place full of history. Order the parma, enjoy those perfect fries and save your money on the chat potatoes. Prices are in AUD.
Parma, parmi or parmy: which one do you say, and who in your life is ready to argue with you about it? Tell me in the comments, because I am collecting opinions!
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