Given that chicken parma is probably the city's most recognisable meal and a fixture in Melbourne's pubs, we set out to try as many as we could throughout our stay. We agreed on criteria to use in judging parmas, and every winning parma had to fulfil all of them. Perhaps you inquired as to whether or not the chicken is fresh, flavorful, juicy, and tender.
Does the crumb have a pleasant crunch and flavour profile as a whole? Is the cheese bubbling and browned to perfection? Is the ham robust, enhancing the meal with flavour and depth? Do the finest ingredients make up the sauce? Are the chips, salads, and beer as good as they're made out to be with parma?
As a result of extensive thought, we submit the following list featuring six of the town's finest and the personalities they symbolise, in no specific order. There are now no eating establishments available to the public, though we have heard that numerous bars and taverns are still serving traditional parmas. Although staying in and watching Netflix is no substitute for socialising at your favourite drinking establishment, a rooster disc can help with almost any problem.
Similarly to the demise of the hospitality industry, pubs in Melbourne also feeling the pinch. Many businesses have closed their doors permanently. While some communities rely largely on their liquor store, others have set up impromptu grocery stores. However, the kitchens of some businesses are still operating, and they offer the usual pub fare for takeout. It's also parma night at several of our favourite eateries.
A parma from of the corner takeaway won't replace a night at the pub, but a good old rooster disc would work in a pinch. The following are some of our top picks.
Parma Cuisine In Melbourne
If you aren't already familiar with The Cricketer's, you need to change that immediately. There are many tempting items on the restaurant's menu, but are you willing to forego the parma? Or at least during the initial excursion. Maybe the second one, too. Furthermore, they could be third or fourth depending on your disposition.
One breast of free-range chicken packed with ham, Napoli sauce, and melted cheese. Beer-seasoned chips, because proper nutrition is of the utmost importance. No? There's salad on the side, so there's that. Your work has been much appreciated by the residents of Port Melbourne.
The Royston
The Royston alleyways host the renowned Richmond Wednesday night market, not far the Bridges Road evening trivia and one Melbourne's finest parmas.
The chips at the Royston are served on the side, which is convenient if you prefer not to bury them under your parma.
This is to our liking. Their breadcrumbs are just the correct amount of crisp, and the chicken is perfectly proportioned to the crumbing. Don't worry, ham lovers; the ham flavour in the this parma is substantial without being overpowering.
The Local Taphouse
The chicken parma at The Local Taphouse, according to the head chef, is a simple meal that demands precision cooking. Simplistically worded, it makes perfect sense. This is why the parma at The Local Taphouse is among the finest anywhere in Melbourne.
A parma consists of a free-range chicken breast topped by ham that has been timber for a distinctive flavour and then baked with good, limburger cheese. Despite being on the smaller side compared to a number of the other parmas on our list, it still fits all of the other criteria for an excellent parma.
The Cheeky Pint
If this chicken breast had been a teenager, it would have people make fun of all the other parmas because of how enormous it is. It's more expensive than average parmigiana, but the generous portions are worth it. Also present is the moisture necessary for chewing white meat.
Wedge potatoes are supplied and are a nice change from the usual hot chips.
Newmarket Hotel
There are a few methods to get to the Newmarket Hotel. Short for "Little Fella," this parma is indeed a vegetable. Also, our "BIG Fella" parma will have you in and out in no time.
For $26, you get an overflowing platter of parma, an overflowing plate of chips, plus a small caesar salad. We took the time to make sure the cheese was not skimped on and the chicken was substantially more delicious and crispy than average. You shouldn't miss out on the parma and potluck nights.
The Empress
The Empress's parma has earned a reputation for being finer than that of most other restaurants. A few examples of these substitutions are the use of panko in place of ordinary breadcrumbs, prosciutto in place of ham, or roast potatoes as an accompaniment in place of chips. Put in an order for a six-pack of speciality beers and make an evening of it.
Great Northern Hotel
The Northern, a traditional pub in Melbourne's northside, is known for its consistently delicious, and therefore widely liked, parma.
Bar regulars recommend stopping in on Mondays for $19 parma night, which offers its selections like an eggplant parma but instead simple feel more at ease and assured. The fact that dogs are welcome at the restaurant is sure to spark your curiosity and pass the time while you wait for your parma.
The Birmingham Hotel
This place has been renovated from its previous life as a dingy dive bar and furnished with hip industrial decor. Rest assured, though, that the $10 countertop lunches and giant screens showing football remain the standard.
One of Melbourne's best parmas, Birmingham, can be found behind its inconspicuous facade on the bustling corner on Smith and Johnston Street in Collingwood.
Parma connoisseur website Parma Daze has consistently rated Birmingham's parma as Melbourne's greatest parma since 2016, lending it considerable respect. This award-winning classic delivers on its promise, serving customers a parmigiana with delicate layers that all shine brightly as you bite in.
There are six unique parma offerings, so everyone may choose their favourite. In addition to the delicious parma, the accompanying salad and chips are a pleasant breath of fresh air after the heavy meal.
The Cheeky Pint
Slab-sized parmas at The Cheeky Pint on Los Angeles's Melbourne are helping to make the oft-repeated phrase "the west is superior" more convincing.
The parma at The Cheeky Pint on Barkly Street comes with a heaping helping of chewy wedges and makes a stunning presentation on a basic cutting board, with food flowing out of every edge. Fasting and several cups of coffee are recommended before doing this activity.
The Palace Hotel
Here it is, true parma fans. Simple, but satisfying, thanks to the addition of a spinach salad. More than anything else, eating this parma will cause you to lose access to local watering holes, but there's a good reason why ham, cheese, and tomato sauce have stood the test of time.
Imperial Hotel
This is the best pub in Melbourne's central business district to watch the Premier League, and Liverpool fans will feel well at home here.
The Imperial is a nice, clean, and comfortable classic English pub that will remain open late for any of the matches you request if you call ahead of time. The pub favorites are affordably priced, the portions are generous (the parma is the length of a Frisbee), and the service is warm and welcoming.
The largest rooftop in the city opened this year, providing drinkers with breathtaking views of Parliament and easy access on sunny days. With such a White Rabbit inside one hand and a plethora of normal beers from the taps below, you can score goals at the Imperial.
The Grace Darling
There is now a new member of the parma club. This is because, in comparison to more standard mozzarella-style cheeses, the raclette gives the breast a more distinct flavour and aroma. The $18 vegan eggplant dish is a great value and tastes great.
The Quarry Hotel
The chicken parmigiana at the Quarry Hotel has been lauded for its generous portion size and tasteful distribution of toppings.
Those in pursuit of the "renowned parma" at The Quarry, a popular bar off Lygon Avenue in Brunswick East, will not be disappointed. This dish consists of schnitzel covered in sauce, mozzarella, and ham. The greatest parma in Melbourne? Is that a joke. You'll have to choose.
Park Hotel
The Park Hotel, located in Abbotsford, has been open since 1864, and it has no intention of closing anytime soon.
Look no further than this refuge, with a dog-friendly, set of photos beer garden and the greatest parmas around Melbourne's northern suburbs. Let's cut to the chase: the parmigiana here is superior to that of a standard bar, and the breaded is deep-fried in perfection inside a crunchy breading & served with refreshing cabbage fries rather than a monotonous, over-dressed leaf salad.
The Great Northern Hotel
Distributing and devouring this parma in your backyard will not quite match the magnificence of a Great Northern's beer tent on a beautiful day, but it will come even close. Though tight, the $15 Monday special is reasonable given the lower capacity. In addition, the steak-cut shape of the chips provides a great middle ground between the shoestring and wedge cuts.
Flying Duck Hotel
Single-story Victorian terrace homes with picket fences and colourful, meticulously maintained front gardens can be found in Prahran's calmer side streets, away from the tumult of Chapel Street. Because of its central position and spacious beer garden, the Flying Ducks Hotel is a popular hangout for locals.
After an absence during which its ownership was changed and it was renovated, The Duck is once again open, and it is just as pleasant a place to spend a Sunday evening as it was before.
The front bar takes inspiration from classic English sports pubs. Light from the many windows keeps the space from seeming like a dark cave, despite its two massive screens and rooms stuffed with the newest and greatest sports memorabilia.
There's a separate lounge with leather chesterfields and a fireplace if you'd prefer drink beer than watch the game. The other side of the space is devoted to a lovely eating area, with bright red chairs with yellow orchid arrangements complementing the polished floorboards and uncovered brick.
But the enormous beer garden out back has become its own attraction, with customers coming from all around town. Shade is provided by four stout old palm palms over a red brick patio with wooden picnic tables. Covered in glass, the atrium's exquisite floor tiles and dangling art make it a year-round destination for outdoor meals. On Sundays, this area becomes a veritable parking lot for baby strollers while their youthful owners relax with adult chat and a glass of wine. Two young males, dressed head to toe in denim, stay out of the way of the kids while they play darts and down jugs of the cheap stuff from the rear. It looks like everyone here is delighted to share what has to be one of the greatest outdoor areas in the area.
If you're hungry, choose from pub classics like burgers, tenderloin, or wings coated in a sticky house sauce with no rosemary but instead chives. We also offer a selection of heartier options, such as a chicken dish prepared with polenta, herbs, and coriander jus. What's on the children's menu? That's fine, no worries. What do you think of some salted and peppered calamari? The truth is, you already are aware of this.
Here, the chefs seem to have hit the happy medium between merely good food and slavish devotion to the gastropub notion. Table service is an investment, so it's refreshing to know that team in denim apron is well-versed in their craft and eager to please.
The Flying Duck is still too fresh and glossy to feel at home for a few weeks. There's good reason to believe the revamped version will continue to be a favourite amongst locals, given all the new additions. You need to help with the early breaking in period.
The Hawthorn Hotel
The Hawthorn, a popular campus pub, was where many townspeople and students celebrated their coming-of-age. A date at the Hawthorne Hotel's parmas is, thus, a classic activity on par with the numerous happenings which take place there.
The Hawthorn's take on the dish is a golden cheese-coated masterpiece with nothing but a pile of beer-battered chips lying beneath it to pay respect to the original. Every Thursday is parma night and trivia night, and the combo couldn't be better.
The Napier Hotel
The Napier Hotel, almost as old as the nearby Fitzroy Town Hall, is located just nearby. Although it has changed much since its 1866 founding, the bar has kept its lofty ceilings, elaborate plasterwork, and stained-glass windows. There are taxidermied animal heads adorning the walls, and shelves are stocked with statuettes, vintage toys, and other knickknacks.
During the hot summer months, customers appreciate the powerful air conditioning, but most people eventually make their way to the back, shady courtyard. Dusty Fitzroy Lions paraphernalia decorates the main bar room; the table centrepieces even match the team's colours. Napier, thankfully, is not only known for Australian football.
The upper gallery is staffed by local artists and features quieter surroundings in order to encourage friendly conversation.
Traditional steakhouse fare is represented by items like the Bogan Burger, which comes with steak, pork ribs, chicken (both grey and turquoise flocking), a side dish, beets, feta, tomato, papaya, and a hash brown, and thus is topped with such a daiquiri umbrella adding flair.
Don't worry excessively about the flavour; it's less of a meal or so of an endurance test. The side content consumers may access, which at most isn't attempting to kill you, eventually becomes more enticing than the burger itself.
Neither is the variety of beer; in addition to the eleven on tap, there are many more in the refrigerator to satisfy every taste. The Napier is the ideal Australian watering place because it combines a relaxed atmosphere with traditional features while avoiding the pitfalls of pokies, stag dos, and sticky carpets.
The Exchange Hotel
This facility is so white and pristine that if you weren't seated amongst a group of parma fanatics, you might think you were in a hospital.
You can't dispute the fact that The Exchange is among the best in Melbourne; the crumbed & feta chicken there has been recognised for some time and has even won the occasional award. On any given night of the week, you may grab a glass of champagne straight from a cold tap whilst listening to live performances or DJ sets.
The Leveson
The updated Leveson now offers a birthday free lunch to regulars as part of its membership programme.
Conclusion
Important information includes the fact that chicken parma is a staple in Melbourne's bars and is the city's most recognisable dish. Parmas were evaluated on a number of factors, including whether or not the chicken was fresh, flavorful, juicy, and tender; whether or not the crumb had a pleasant crunch and flavour profile; whether or not the cheese was bubbling and browned to perfection; whether or not the ham was robust; whether or not the sauce was made from the finest ingredients; and whether or not the chips, salads, and beer were as good as they were made out to be with parma. In addition, Melbourne's pubs are suffering from the decline of the hospitality sector, and some have already closed their doors for good. Whilst several restaurants have closed their doors, their kitchens are still open and serving the standard pub meal for takeaway. In no particular sequence, here are six of the best of the town and the personalities they represent.
Parma Cuisine, often consisting of a free-range chicken breast topped with ham, Napoli sauce, and melted cheese, can be found in some of Melbourne's finest restaurants, including The Cricketer's, The Royston, The Local Taphouse, The Cheeky Pint, and The Newmarket Hotel. The beer-seasoned chips and salad on the side make the slightly higher price tag for the parmigiana worthwhile. Because even something as seemingly straightforward as chicken parma requires careful preparation, the best versions feature wonderfully crisp breadcrumbs and portions of chicken that are just the right size to complement the coating. The smoked ham adds a particular flavour to the chicken breast, which is baked with some excellent limburger cheese. Rather than the customary heated chips, they are offered on the side and are a welcome difference.
Content Summary
- We made it our mission to sample as many chicken parmas as possible in Melbourne, as they are easily the city's most iconic dish and a staple in the city's pubs.
- We settled on a set of criteria to apply when determining the best parmas, and each one had to meet all of them.
- You may have wanted to know if the chicken is recent, tasty, juicy, and tender.
- Following careful consideration, we present the following list, which includes six of the town's finest and the characters they represent but is otherwise not arranged in any particular fashion.
- There are currently no restaurants open to the public, yet we have heard that many bars and taverns still offer classic parmas.
- Rooster discs are the answer to most problems, but they can't replace going out with friends at your local watering hole.
- Pubs in Melbourne are suffering alongside the rest of the hospitality sector.
- While a rooster disc and a parma from the local takeout can't quite replace a night out at the local watering hole, they'll do in a pinch.
- Dining on Parma Dishes in Melba You should immediately rectify your lack of familiarity with The Cricketer's by visiting the establishment.
- As for the Royston, The famous Richmond Wednesday night market is held in the alleyways of Royston, not far from the evening entertainment on Bridges Road and one of Melbourne's finest parmas.
- If you order a parma at the Royston and don't want to bury your chips under your meat, you can ask for them on the side.
- Typical Watering Hole The head chef of The Local Taphouse says that the chicken parma is a straightforward dish that requires careful preparation.
- Because of this, The Local Taphouse's parma is undoubtedly one of the best in all of Melbourne.
- A parma is made with a free-range chicken breast, some ham that has been timbered for a unique flavour, and some nice, limburger cheese cooked in the oven.
- It may not be as big as some of the other parmas on our list, but it still meets all of the other requirements for a great parma.
FAQs About Parma Food In Melbourne
Chicken parmigiana is typically served in Australia with a side of chips and salad, although there is some dispute as to whether the chips should be served under or next to the chicken. Its popularity has led to a specialized chicken parmigiana restaurant opening in Melbourne, and chicken parmigiana is the subject.
Chicken parmigiana is typically served in Australia with a side of chips and salad, although there is some dispute about whether the chips should be served under or next to the chicken.
Chicken parmigiana is a staple pub food in Australia, and it was introduced to Australia in 1950. In Australia, chicken parmigiana is served with chips and salad. Chicken parmigiana was started serving in Adelaide restaurants in 1953. This dish was originated in Italy, but it is widely famous in Australia.
AHA's (Australian Hotels Association) Best Parma has been awarded to Clemo's Paradise Valley Hotel. With a combo of the chicken/ ham/ cheese and sauce. The Paradise Valley Hotel is more affectionately known as the Clemo by locals; this pub takes a traditionalist approach to the parma.
Chicken parmigiana (pollo alla parmigiana in Italian!) is known in Australia as Parm, Parma, or Parmi.