Howdy all. Today’s review from destination Melbourne is of a nice little place to stop, the Brighton Baths in Middle Brighton, one of Melbourne’s most expensive suburbs. The Baths are naturally on the beach and housed in an Art Deco building (sadly only it seems Art Deco on the outside) and you enter from Beach Road/the Esplanade. On the other side of the road huge multi-storey houses perch high on hills looking over the beach and Port Phillip Bay.

As I write it is the very end of January I on this day I shot a Vlog where I visited the Brighton Beach Boxes and even had a bit of a swim. And this seemed the logical place to have lunch. And the location is hard to beat! Not only do have a decent beach to one side, on the other is the Middle Brighton Pier which has a number of boats moored there. Sadly, I couldn’t walk along it because of repairs. But otherwise it’s the perfect spot for a wander to work off what you’ve just eaten.

I was a little worried about being under dressed. I had a collared shirt on but I had my daggy ‘at home’ shorts and sandals to complete the ensemble. This is Brighton remember and I thought there might be a dress code. And then the manager said he wasn’t sure if he could let me in. I had this thought about dress code in my mind and I was taken aback… but then he said it was because of the team on my shirt and I realised he was joking.

There’s a nice looking bar in there, but the inside dining area wasn’t very full because there were two outside areas, and that’s where I was hoping to sit (and did). There’s one on a sort of balcony and you sit above the bath’s part of the beach with has a sort of walkway around it. You can only swim or walk on the walkway if you go to the baths, not the restaurant. And I got the last table in that area. There was also an outdoor area around the front which seemed a little more casual.

The service was variable. The manager and a couple of staff were really friendly but my meal was delivered by someone who seemed very disinterested in their job.

I ordered the “Baths Iceberger” – a beef burger with tomato, lettuce, cheese and a really nice sauce. The reviews are variable and not particularly high for this place, so I was a little unsure about how I would find it, and then the burger was delivered and it didn’t look amazing. The burger bun was white and uninspiring. However, after a couple of bites I realised it was actually really nice. Mostly because of the sauce, which they may have gone a bit heavy on making it a little hard to eat with my hands and I finished the thing with a knife and fork. Please don’t judge me! The fries were pretty nice too but needed salt.

Looking at the menu and it seems the main focus at The Baths is seafood, and considering its location, that makes sense. This is a sort of typical Australian sort of menu in many ways, with a influences from different cuisines including Italian. There’s a fair wine list too, a few beers – being in Brighton it’s not surprising.

The location is the main feature, but I think it’s a good place for a drink and lunch. The food looks like it wouldn’t blow you away, but it seems decent. Service – variable as I said. If you are in the area there aren’t a lot of options, although there’s a couple of cafes on the Esplanade just a minute over the road. To get the this part of Melbourne the Sandringham Line train goes to Middle Brighton and Brighton Beach stations and it takes less than 30 minutes. Walking or cycling along the coast is very pleasant and if it’s warm enough you could swim. The water is warmer than I thought it was. All in all, the Baths are not a bad option. You could also visit the baths themselves after or preferably before visiting the restaurant.

Thanks for reading today, hope you’re well wherever you may be – May the Journey Never End!