Melbourne’s popular old restaurants: The Swagman, Sizzler, Holly’s Cafe
Remember when you could enjoy an $8.50 lunch at The Swagman in Ferntree Gully or ripper family smorgasboard fare at Smorgy’s? Yep, they just don’t make restaurants in Melbourne like they used to. Here’s some of our city’s old favourites.
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From the live floor show at The Swagman, to the all-you-can buffet at Pizza Hut, we take a look back at some of the old restaurants that were the hot spots for a good night out in Melbourne.
THE SWAGMAN
The popular Ferntree Gully restaurant burnt down in the early hours of May 27, 1991. The Burwood Highway smorgasbord restaurant had operated for 20 years and was a Melbourne institution, offering a vibrant floor show and performances from international rock stars.
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In the 1980s, you could enjoy lunch for $8.50 and dinner for $16.50. On Knox Leader’s Facebook Rennae Benjamin called it “the best restaurant ever, nothing has come even close” while Kali Nihta said it was an “awesome” entertainment venue.
Giovanna Barbanti said: “Loved the Swagman, was good value for fresh food and entertainment” while Bill Farrell said: “Saw the Ink Spots there. I think they were the grandsons of the originals. Also Kenny Ball Jazzmen over from England. The Swagman had the best dancing girls in Melbourne.”
Judy Leeden said: “Friends met at The Swagman for a blind date with nearly 20 other friends. Must have worked as they’ve just celebrated their 39th wedding anniversary.”
Caroline Carlson Corbett said: “It wasn’t just for adults but for the families as well. Food was excellent and wonderful entertainment. Would love to see it come back.”
REMBRANDTS
The venue on Burwood Highway in Wantirna South opened in 1979, with owner Vincent Lopes announcing it was intended to be a showpiece for Australian entertainment and a theatre restaurant in the true sense of the word.
Many debutante balls and weddings were held there before it closed in 2007. More than half the site was sold to St Andrew’s Christian College in 2009, and the school continues to use it.
On Knox Leader’s Facebook page Emma Jane said she had attended had many teen/young adult dinners at Rembrandts. “Nothing like that around any more,” she said.
HOLLY’S CAFE AT KMART
Many visitors to Kmart in years gone by would fondly remember Holly’s Cafe. On Kmart’s 50th birthday diners reminisced about the cafe’s popular chips and gravy and called on Kmart to bring the cafes back.
Former Kmart employee Duane Turner recalled the days when Kmart Burwood was home to Holly’s Cafe as well as a chicken bar, with staff having to cook chicken on a spit on top of their other tasks.
PIZZA HUT
Who could forget the fun of dining in at Pizza Hut? With an all-you-can eat buffet and amazing dessert bar including soft-serve ice-cream, it was a popular venue for teenage birthday parties in the 1990s. Jen Straub said on Facebook she remembered The Pizza Hut on Burwood Highway, Ferntree Gully, being popular. Pizza Hut veered away from dine-in restaurants in Australia and New Zealand in the 2000s in favour of takeaways.
SMORGY’S
Many families would have fond memories of visiting smorgasbord restaurant Smorgy’s in the 1990s. Flaming torches at volcano-inspired entrances greeted diners as they entered the Polynesian-themed buffet restaurants.
SIZZLER
Sizzler was another all-you-can eat buffet restaurant popular with families. But with no outlets left operating in Victoria, fans are now forced to travel to Queensland, NSW or Western Australia to get their fix of seafood, steak or burgers. According to the Sizzler website, customers are free to control the volume, nutritional balance and variety of each meal by ordering from the grill and helping themselves to Sizzler’s famous soup, salad, pasta, fruit and dessert bars.
PINK CADILLAC
People living in the east may remember visiting the Pink Cadillac bar at Knox shopping centre for a cocktail or a game of pool.
On Knox Leader’s Facebook page Natasha Kidman said: “In my older years I really loved the Pink Cadillac at Knox. I had my first date with my now husband there 22 years ago.”
Beck Thompson said the venue had “a great atmosphere” while Tania Brecht said: “I spent many nights at the Pink Cadillac at Knox. Drinking fancy cocktails, playing pool and eating burgers.”
Diners also fondly remembered Leo’s Spaghetti Bar at Knox.
THE GREEN ACRES CAFE
The cafe on the corner of Ferntree Gully and Stud roads was bought by Hayidee de O Aguilar in 1955. It was a favourite for day-trippers to the Dandenongs. Accidents were common at the intersection, and plans were drawn up to widen the roads. A war of words developed between Mrs de O Aguilar, the State Government and Knox Council. After a 15-year battle it was decided the cafe would have to make way for the new road project.
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