Tony Leonard reviews the Royal Mail Hotel, Yea

88 High Street, Yea.
5797 2515

When? February 28, 2020.
www.royalmailhotelyea.com.au

VENUE:

In the rural township of Yea, one of the gateways to Mansfield and the high country, is the very neat and tidy Royal Mail Hotel.

Celebrating 170 years in business, the rustic old styled exterior gives way to a thoroughly clean and modern inside front bar, highlighted by a blue baize, circular pool table with a warning that read (something like), ‘When using pool table please be careful not to put cue through the window’.

The bistro looks fabulous with big comfy black padded seats, black lacquered wooden tables, brightly washed walls, all serviced by a small bar that serves both areas. Indeed the facelift continues with an excellent L shaped beer garden and play area for the kids.

Food is stock standard pub grub, dotted with some daily specials and while the beer and wine follows the CUB/Treasury Wines lists, there are some locals supported in both drink menus. A small TAB sits quietly away while the staff are happy to engage.

The pub also provides some neat looking accommodation if you are spending time in the area, making the pub a well put together package.

The Royal Mail is a nice mix of the new and old.

FOOD/DRINK:

The menu is small, with the standard selection of pub grub, coming fully and heavily plated.   A range of daily specials supports the standard menu (steak sanga, schnitzel, sanga at $18), put if you want to lash out there’s a Surf and Turf, a 350g Scotch (sourced from the local butcher), with garlic prawns, fried calamari, garlic cream sauce, for $44.

Pizza for $23, with the ‘Landmark’, chilli con carne w/jalapenos, guacamole, corn chips being a bit different.

Wine list has the favorites at very reasonable prices, e.g., Pepperjack $9/pg, T’Gallant Pinot $8/pg, Jamiesons Run $7. The pub honours a local – Sedona Shiraz at $9/pg, which is very fair.  CD is $4.9/pot, (handles too), and they look after the beer very well.  Mansfield Pale, Hargreaves Hill are some locals available by bottle.

The average prices are;

• Entrees – $14
• Mains – $26
• Dessert – $10

Tried was;

• Bacon and Chorizo Croquettes, jalapeno dipping sauce. 4/$14. Good starter, coming as four big, cigar shaped croquettes. Bacon dominated the chorizo, but they still worked well together,
• Ranch Style Beef Sausages, Mash,Veg. $18. 3 mid sized snags, tautly packed, plenty of veg – carrots, broccoli, beans, onion/gravy made for a massive meal.  Still not sure what Ranch style is/was but it was a different taste.
• Thai Green Chicken Curry, Rice, Veg. $23. Thai flavours were noticeable, the chicken came as large pieces, rather than smaller bite sized. Again another big serve.

SUMMARY:

For such a small township, Yea’s locals and visitors have three and a half pubs to choose from. (RM, Grand Central, Country Club; the half is the Peppercorn, which I was told is more restaurant/accom/bar).  The RM was chosen as it is the first to greet you coming in from Whittlesea/Flowerdale.

The long held axiom of country pubs being one of over generously portioned meals applies here to the point of being too much, but if that’s the way they like it up there then more power to them.

As I repeat myself once again to the good folk at the RM, and by extension to others who have websites, please keep them up to date with changes to menus, opening times et al.

Pleasant trip to a pub that’s working hard to satisfy its customers.  Happy to report it is.

SCORE: 13/20