The Montpellier Public House

On those rare weekdays you have off from work, what do you choose to do with your time? Those precious daylight hours which you would otherwise spend commuting to work, doing work and trekking home from work. A sleep-in perhaps, followed by a lazy day lounging about home? Or a day of being out and about enjoying the sunshine?


The husband and I had one of these rare days to ourselves just before going on a recent holiday, which provided the perfect opportunity to try The Montpellier Public House’s $35 lunch special. Yes, really – three courses of food for only $35, available Mondays to Fridays from 12 til 3pm, at Matt Kemp’s revamped Balzac.

The menu changes seasonally and we find we’re spoilt for choice for first course “Small Plates”. Our selection of ‘Pork pie & piccalilli’ and ‘Pigeon & foie gras scotched egg’ arrive on the one serving board. The pie is served cold and is filled with a dense terrine-like mixture with a lightly-spiced piccalilli of corn and tiny cauliflower florets providing crunch and tang. The lone scotched egg is rich with foie gras and runny yolk and much more filling than its petite appearance might suggest.


Our second course “Large Plates” appear and we start to wonder how we’re going to fit in all this food! The fish and chips are served with beautifully buttery, mushy peas (because butter makes everything better!) and creamy, tangy tartare sauce which is perfect for dunking the thick-cut fluffy chips into. The batter on the fish is crispy, if a little heavy, but it’s the fish used which I’m not particularly fond of due to its oily texture.


The ‘8 hour braised shoulder of saltbush lamb, spring veg & barley’ is surprisingly light in comparison but very filling with its generous serve of meaty chunks.

Then there is still dessert! The Eton Mess is thick and creamy with plenty of vanilla seeds flecked throughout. I’m not a huge fan of cream so I wouldn’t have minded more strawberries and crushed meringue pieces. The ‘Profiteroles with hot chocolate sauce’ are equally as generous with vanilla in their filling and the runny chocolate sauce completes the crispy pastry affair.


And, recently The Montpellier Public House has announced an extra option to their prix fixe lunch where you can opt to have two courses for only $27.50. Perfect for those who have trouble fitting in three courses of food! So, what more reason do you need to go try it for yourself?

141 Belmore Rd (junction of Belmore Rd & Avoca St), Randwick NSW
Tel: (02) 9399 9660

Opening Hours (dining room):      Sun & Mon  CLOSED
                                                Tues-Sat  6pm until late

The Montpellier Public House on Urbanspoon

*EDIT*: As at May 2012, The Montpellier Public House is closed for business.

happy eating!

22 comments:

  1. What an excellent deal that is! The desserts look particularly good. I just wish they were closer to the city for a weekday lunch.

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  2. That's great value, if only I could have a day off work to try it! That Eton Mess looks divine! I've recently become a big fan of seeing vanilla bean flecks in my desserts.

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  3. Oh, so it's downstairs for the 3-course lunch, is it? It all looks like pretty hearty fare! Love fish and chips with peas, but I wonder what fish they use...

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  4. I know hey! I never get to try those lunch specials as well. My idea of lunch is sitting infront of the computer in my office while inhaling my sandwich. :(

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  5. Many of my favourite things are on this list. I'll start with dessert - I LOVE Eton mess and my son has been bugging us to make meringues, so done. I love the sound of the foie gras scotch eggs - I have some foie gras in my fridge, a gift from a wonderful French friend.

    When I have a day off, I usually go food shopping, to the places I rarely visit, as well as bookstores. I ought to add visiting restaurants to the list! Stay well dearie

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  6. Days off during the week are the best...it feels so luxurious when you know everyone else is getting on with work. It looks like you had a brilliant lunch before heading off for your holiday!

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  7. It all looks good, but I really want to try that pork pie and those gorgeous thick and fluffy chips.

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  8. sounds like a great deal! like the look of that scotch eggs and thick fluffy chips!

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  9. You're making me drool! That chocolate sauce on the profiteroles. NOM!

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  10. What an amazing deal!

    If you don't much like cream though, why order eaton mess?

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  11. I am very very keen to try Montpellier. The $35 deal seems the perfect way to give Matt's new baby a go. I must admit on my days off, my perfect day would start with a sleep in, but then lunch somewhere with friends, yup, perfect day off. Oh and I would have eaten so much over lunch that the boys would have to fend for themselves for dinner ;)

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  12. WOW!!! That is amazingly well priced. I don't think I could have eaten that much heavy food for lunch so i would have to go for the two course special. :)

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  13. I've seen many posts on this place, it looks really good, especially that scotch egg! I'll have to go soon :)

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  14. I sure love a good deal and $35 is a great deal :) that pork pie looks fantastic I've been meaning to try a pork pie after seeing an episode of The Great British Bake off hehe

    Glad you enjoyed your lunch with your husband!

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  15. Can't wait for the next public holiday to have a day off for brunch and take lunch deals like this1!

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  16. What a deal and that food looks fantastic! I'm certainly hungry now.

    Can't wait for a trip south.

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  17. OMG!! this is sooo freaky!!!! My bf literally just emailed that we should try this place out because its kinda like London Pub food. I come on to stalk your blog and Voila!!! its about the same place!! AWESOMENESS!!! and gees i was gonna go for the sunday roasts but Damn!! $35 for a lunch... hehehe maybe a cheeky weekday meal would be better... although i need to take a day off first! lol

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  18. Pork pie and piccalilli looks great Rita. Plus I'm totally jealous of your OS trip and the time off! Although I've got time off, there are definitely limited places to eat around here in The Sticks

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  19. Oh yes that pork pie looks amazing! So much food too. Love The Montpellier too. I try to think of any excuse to take advantage of their set lunch, such good value.

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  20. Food looks simple, but fantastic!! On my weekdays off - I like to sleep in, but follow that with an outing/doing something in the sunshine, enjoy the day etc

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  21. Hey Bel, seriously good value, isn't it? Expected smaller serves of food actually.

    Hey retrodaze, I know, if only Montpellier was closer to me haha.

    Hey Tina, I'm not sure whether it spills into upstairs if downstairs fills up, but that's where we were seated on the day.

    Hey Trish, that's often my "style" of lunch too! =(

    Hey Kitchen Butterfly, I didn't discover Eton Mess until I was an adult but it's the best way to salvage a failed pavlova!

    Hey Anna, I know, and things are so much quieter and more relaxed on a weekday too! Makes you feel like you're on "proper" holidays =D

    Hey Dumpling Girl, the pie was glorious!

    Hey gastronomous anonymous, scotched eggs are the best! Especially when you don't have to face making a whole batch of them yourself =p

    Hey Cass, shiny chocolate sauce always looks sooo luxurious!

    Hey Lau, haha Eton Mess was the husband's choice and the profiteroles mine, however we always taste test each other's food.

    Hey Sara, it's all about leaving your usual obligations behind, isn't it?

    Hey Gourmet Getaways, we pretty much didn't have dinner that night...

    Hey JasmyneTea, have yet to try dinner here but lunch is exceptional value.

    Hey Fiona, so tender!

    Hey Daisy, I don't eat enough pork pies, I tells ya!

    Hey Food is our religion, or a Friday team lunch here would be nice, hey?

    Hey Maureen, definitely worth trying!

    Hey the dainty baker, if only I could make more time to indulge in lunch specials!

    Hey Gastronomy Gal, it was a long-awaited trip!

    Hey vintagemacaroon, I'd like to go back again actually...

    Hey missklicious, we need more sunshine! And days off work to enjoy food like this =)

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