This post is sponsored by Yumtable
I thought it was about time I made the next stop on the Pubs for Vegetarians tour, so we booked a table at the Retreat Hotel in Abbotsford using the Yumtable App. The app lets you search for tables at restaurants by location and then book directly through the app, which is super handy.
You can also restrict the search by price range and cuisine, and best of all lots of participating restaurants also list specials for booking through the app (or online interface), such a free main meal or a certain percentage off you bill. Cheaper meals means eating out more often, works for me!
One of the things I really liked about searching through the app was that almost all restaurants have a menu uploaded so you can check them out without having to jump back and forth between different websites. Although, the menu for the Retreat Hotel didn’t quite match the actual menu when we got there, so I’m not sure they are necessarily always kept updated. Therefore, I’d probably recommend using the menu as a guide to price, cuisine and the like, rather than necessarily the food you will definitely have to choose from.
Actually booking through the app is really simple, you just sign up, choose your time and number of people and then you’ll get a confirmation email with all the details inside. Super quick and straightforward, just as it should be!
Now, on to the food!
We started with a pint of Mountain Goat each (well, we weren’t far from the brewery so it seemed appropriate!) which will always go down well, then set about perusing the menu.
It was a cold and rainy one in Melbourne so B went with the Crumbed Eggplant ($19) which was layered with cheese and napoli, topped with basil, slow roasted tomato and ricotta, and served with a side salad. This was a really delicious dish, the eggplant was really well cooked and they didn’t skimp on the ricotta on top by any means! The slightly crunchy crumb on the eggplant was a nice balance to the otherwise mainly soft and cheesy toppings. It was a perfect warming dish, that’s for sure!
As for me, I went with the Tofu Burger ($16) from the specials board which consisted of Asian style tofu with lots of crunchy lettuce and coriander, served with a stack of shoe-string fries.
This was absolutely delicious, to the point that I let B try a bite and I wasn’t sure I was going to get it back! There were huge slabs of tofu inside the burger, all of which were incredibly well marinated, and not just on the outside either! Whilst I normally wouldn’t choose iceberg as my lettuce of choice it worked really well in this case as it provided a great crunch factor next to the soft tofu and burger bun. I also normally would choose a fatter chip over a shoe-string style but these were hot, salty and nice and crispy on the outside, so I was more than happy to eat my way through these (well, B at his fair share as well!).
Overall we had a really tasty meal, and when it came to pay the discount we had gotten through the Yumtable booking was already noted, so it wasn’t left up to us to mention which was great. I always get so awkward asking for those kinds of things! The Retreat Hotel is a gorgeous little pub with open fire places and a nice old-style dining room, so it’s definitely worth a visit if you’re in the area. We’d happily go back, and we’ll definitely be using Yumtable again too!
Have you tried Yumtable before? Maybe give it a try to visit the Retreat Hotel!
Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Yumtable, but all thoughts and opinions are my own. Full details can be found in my disclosure policy.
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I Spy Plum Pie is Liz, an early 30s kiwi-born, Melbourne raised girl who is passionate about the environment and sustainability, food, exploring and learning new things. Join me on my journey to a happy, sustainable life!
Veggie mama
April 25, 2015 at 9:26 am (10 years ago)What a clever app!
Veggie mama recently posted…The Dusty Bookshelf Challenge – Level: Fail
I Spy Plum Pie (admin)
April 28, 2015 at 7:28 am (10 years ago)Isn’t it! Anything that makes going out to eat easier (and cheaper!) is a-ok with me!
Katherine
November 1, 2015 at 12:11 pm (9 years ago)The only thing is, is that it does not allow table bookings for one 🙁