pig & whistle tavern

our food experience here was great - hearty, heart warming english food served by the fire on a cold day! fish & chips, parma & pot pie were so good all plates were cleared! staff were probably a bit too relaxed & could probably do with some more restaurant training, although at the end of the day it is a pub and the food did make up for it! we had a wine tasting at the joined winery in the bar - the waitress really needs to go on a wine tour & see how it's properly done. also comments about past & present owners don't need to be shared with your customers. this alone let the whole pub down unfortunately.

a very satisfying friday lunch. my wife and i enjoyed a day in the dandenongs, including lunch at the pig & whistle. we just dropped in without a booking. it's a quaint tavern with an interesting old world ambience. the welcome from the staff was very friendly and efficient. we quickly had our selection of ciders and had ordered our meals. the waitress was very helpful in advising on serving sizes although we also had the assistance of photos on the urbanspoon site. we went for the signature dish of pork belly and the good old reliable beer batter fish and chips. for a starter, we shared a plate of lemon pepper crumbed calamari with a greek style salad - very tasty. fortunately we shared, because it was a very generous serving for a starter. the main dishes were also quite generous in size. the fish and chips met our expectations; the pork belly was very good but we have had more tender meat elsewhere. we were both "stuffed" but we wanted something sweet with coffee so we went with the sticky toffee pudding with caramel sauce - really yummy. we took our time over the meal so the generous servings were not a strain on us but we skipped dinner tonight! service was attentive and friendly. the room was not too crowded; while the tables are close to each other, the background noise of the hum of conversation gave us some privacy in our own conversation. overall, we enjoyed our experience and will be back there for more.

food, glorious food.. it could have been the weather: a cold autumn day late in may. not windy, but a crispness just after noon accentuated by the moist road and heavy fog that adorned mt dandenong last saturday, as we drove up for the day from melbourne.
it could have been the thick wooden tables, the warm, rich carpet that decorate this olinda establishment that contributed to the feel this gastropub emitted. or the open fire crackling in one corner, at which my partner at i stood next to while reading their hand-written specials board containing traditional yet bold meals, such as lamb shanks cooked in port, or a traditional british christmas affair: turkey and roast veggies swimming in gravy, topped with stuffing.
but before we get to the food, let's discuss their drinks.
a nice selection of wines were offered, though what makes this place shine is their selection of beers on tap, ranging from eurpoe's most recognised establishments to local micro-breweries, and a nice selection from little creatures's brewery.
i opted for a pint of german beer, which was rather stout, a great accompaniment for what was to come.
my partner decided on trying different pots from little creatures: a bright ale and a golden one. delicious in their own right.
then it was time for ordering food.
feeling rather hungry and not knowing what i would be about to experience i ordered a sourdough bread to arrive before lunch.
not long after i ordered, an enormous bread roll appeared, with a knife stabbed through its heart, and a regular selection of butter, olive oil and balsamic viniger as accompaniments.
the bread was still warm from the oven, it was crunchy on the outside and moist, warm and gooey inside.
if the meal was to end then, i would have left happy.
but shortly after my turkey (aptly introduced as "not quite christmas christmas meal") arrived.
a massive plate filled with gravy, turkey swimming therein, and more roasted vegetables that i would generally eat in a whole day, topped with delicious stuffing.
my partner decided on an irish steak pie. equally large bowl of food topped with flaky pastry hiding some of the most tender pieces of meat i have dare tasted, surrounded with fat crispy chips.

don't get me wrong. its deliciousness and charm comes not from the quality of food, presentation, or decoration of the locale. it doesn't come from its waiters, who don't wear ironed shirts and shiny shoes. it comes from its soul. it comes from knowing who they are and boldly adapting a menu to accompany their location, their demographics and clientele. it's a lovely place that i'll gladly visit again. and again. and quite possibly, again.
and i'm certain their food and service will remain consistent, as will the dandenong's crisp, cold days which will demand the services the pig & whistle offer.

don't order the pizzas. we ordered the "gourmet" pumpkin, pesto and feta pizza and it was a disgrace. i think they used a mccain frozen pizza and threw on a few cubes of pumpkin and feta, sprinkled some woolworths homebrand mozzarella and threw it under the grill. come on piggys!! just because you top the pizza with a few rocket leaves does not make it gourmet. if you're going to use crappy frozen chalky pizza bases then stick with plain old margarita and ham & pinneaple...and leave it on the kids menu. and don't serve it on a chopping board!!!

i can not speak highly enough about this place. the food is always delicious, the staff is friendly, the service is great and the atmosphere is just perfect. their pumpkin soup is possibly the best i have ever tasted. if you want a good meal for a great price i would definitely go here. have been many times and will most certainly go many more.

great little gem located up in the dandenongs have been here numerous times and never disappointed all i can say is get the pork belly it's amazing great selection of drinks and food a great little cozy place to visit on a cold night

been a while since i have been to the pig and whistle. thought we would book for a nice froday dinner.

on to the good things: service was great. really friendly staff that made us feel welcome.

unfortunately the quality of food was not up to par for the price. the chicken parma was ok, a generous portion with plenty of chips. but i was really disappointed with the pork belly. not sure how it was cooked but it had an odd texture and a really gamey taste.

i swapped dishes with my wife half way through (she is far less fussier than me) and she couldn't finish the dish.

a little bit disappointed with the experience. my recommendation is to avoid the pork if you visit.

lovely for drinks, don't bother for food!. a lovely outside area in the dandenongs for a few drinks! we also ordered food however a chicken parma arrived still raw pink in the thickest section, an apology was given however they made no offer to remake or refund the order. the interior is quite dark and a little creepy with stuffed foxes and various animal heads. trying to pay was ridiculous as the staff including management seemed disorganised and frantic at the register.

i would recommend for drinks outside but not much more, my friends and i won't be revisiting.

one of my favourite places to eat out! would highly recommend popping into "the pig" for lunch or dinner anytime. great during winter because they have a big open fire place to match their rustic traditional english pub fare. enjoy with a pint of newcastle brown.

a gorgeous old-style pub that is exactly what you want for a generous-sized meal. schnitzel is the size of a full plate and very fresh. atmosphere is authentic and interesting. service was attentive and menu was excellent and could cater for everyone. definitely worth a stop in if you’re in the area!

oink. i love the pig & whistle. go there quite regularly and am never disappointed. even when it looks as though there are two people working and they have a full house they still manage to be warm and friendly and are prompt with service. the food is amazing!!! i will keep going back and ill keep bring my friends. definitely a place that doesn't disappoint.

i went here saturday the 14th for my birthday with friends what a disappointment got there at seven we had only just opened the menu and the waitresses comes back ready to order no we say just waiting on two more people and haven't really looked at menu then she comes back and tells us kitchen closes at 7.45 being a chef my self i thought what a joke then it was push push all night i will never dine there again and will never tell others to go here again either very sad as it was one of my favourite places don't if it has changed hands but if it has it has for the worst from an unhappy chef

got the pork belly, pizza and pie. sticky date pudding for dessert. big portion sizes and very tasty. nice outdoor area for spring and summer dining!

i loved every bit of the roast pork belly and garden salad. i also had a parma earlier in the year when i stayed up there. definitely my goto for dinner 😋

loved it, friendly service, meal was spot on!