Kingborough pub’s glow-up
Kingston Beach’s Salty Dog has had a serious refurb. Think cheesy lasagne, fresh abalone, a beachside beer garden, and a 120-seat restaurant – plus a fro-yo shop on the way. Delicious, fun, and worth every minute of the wait!
Are you a person who prefers crispy edges or a softer middle section when it comes to baked goods? Personally, I love a crispy edge – especially when it’s a cheesy one that’s been baked beyond molten to a dark, golden deliciousness. So I was thrilled when a cast-iron pan for one landed on our table, full of a beef short-rib lasagne ($36.90) that had been baked to perfection. I could scarcely wait for it to cool down and immediately dug in – and was rewarded with a mouthful of rich beef ragu, creamy bechamel, sheets of pasta and that cheesy prize. But let me backtrack for a moment.
After months of extensive renovation work, Kingston Beach’s Salty Dog is back in full swing. No longer just a beachside pub, the Salty (as it’s affectionately known) is now a multi-faceted venue with a dog-friendly beer garden, a 120-seat restaurant that opens up to the beach that’s just across the road, and a soon-to-open frozen yoghurt shop called the Frosty Dog. There’s also a completely refurbished car park (IYKYK) and an enormous palm tree that also features in the brand new logo.
The Salty Dog is local to us, and my husband and I have been going there for years. Co-owner Adriano Mignanelli’s personal brand of hospitality has always been a big drawcard, and with a new look and an expanded footprint, there’s even more to love. The quality of the food has always been important for Mignanelli, and the new menu certainly has something for everyone. When we visited on a recent Sunday night, the restaurant was packed with family groups, couples and friends, seated at brightly striped booths or pastel-hued tables. If you’re a larger group (up to 10 people), ask for the elevated, velvet-upholstered booth that sits at one end of the bar and feels like a VIP area.
The menu offers low-key classics like buttermilk fried chicken wings ($19.90), traditional fish and chips ($31.90), a classic double cheeseburger ($29.50) and a 300g chicken parmi ($31.50). There are also plenty of more upscale offerings such as a miso-glazed mushroom salad ($29.50), confit duck leg ($38.50) and a crispy skin pork belly ($37.50). I mentally bookmark a couple of dishes for our next visit, then order the lasagne, while my husband goes for a 300g Cape Grim porterhouse ($48.90).
But first, our shared starter of wild-caught abalone ($32) that comes thinly sliced and sauteed with soy, mirin and ginger sauce. It’s beautifully presented on an abalone shell and is tender and flavourful. The sauce is so good my husband drinks what’s left, straight from the shell.
The abalone is caught by Mignanelli’s co-owner James Polanowski, also a director of Candy Abalone, which specialises in dried abalone. This fresh dish, a market special, is a wonderful start to our meal.
As previously mentioned, the beef lasagne is excellent – made with shredded short-rib rather than mince – and the ragu is rich and moreish. A fresh leafy salad on the side makes this a complete meal. My husband’s steak is also outstanding – cooked as ordered, and it comes with a choice of sides and a sauce. He went with garlicky potatoes – craggy and lightly smashed and a green salad that’s fresh and lightly dressed. Other options are chips and slaw or greens with potato mash. The garlic and herb butter is a nice addition to his already succulent steak, and mustard and horseradish are quickly supplied on request.
True to its pub roots, the Salty Dog has 14 rotating taps that include local, national and international beers, a local cider and two cocktails. I suspect the cocktail taps get a workout during the bottomless brunch events ($62 for two hours) – that’s right, the Salty is open for breakfast seven days a week as well! If you fancy a beachside breakfast with a view, you can’t go past a morning spent here noshing on everything from almond and cinnamon porridge ($16.90) to an Asian-inspired pork belly omelette ($26.90) or buttered thyme and garlic mushrooms ($23.90).
We finish our evening with a serve of burnt Basque cheesecake ($14.90). The pleasingly blackened exterior hides a rich and creamy centre that’s offset by a side of crumble topped with preserved cherries.
The Salty Dog’s glow-up has been well worth waiting for, and we can’t wait to spend more time by the beach starting right now – no need to wait until summer!
SALTY DOG
2 Beach Rd, Kingston
Opening hours: Sun, Mon-Thurs 8am-9pm, Fri and Sat 8am-10pm
ON THE MENU:
Wild-caught abalone, $32; beef short-rib lasagne, $36.90; 300g Cape Grim porterhouse, $48.90; burnt Basque cheesecake, $14.90.
Beachside brekkie bliss on the Eastern Shore
