The seaside town of Portarlington has always occupied a special place in the hearts of husband-and-wife duo Peter and Ebony Roddy. Ebony grew up hearing about her parent's childhood vacations in the area, and the beachy locale was a frequent holiday destination for Peter over the years. When the duo — who are behind French eatery Noir in Richmond — were looking to start another business, it only made sense that they opened up shop here.
Pier Street opened its doors in 2020, and its schmick blue-and-white paint job can be seen from the ferry as it docks. The menu is contemporary Australian, with a heavy focus on seafood — and, of course, the famous Portarlington mussels. Diners can pop in for breakfast, lunch and dinner, making it the perfect pit stop for a pre or post-ferry trip meal, a catch-up with friends or a casual dinner with the family.
For breakfast, Torquay's famed Zeally Bay sourdough toast can be coupled with free-range eggs from Western Victoria or with your choice of spreads. Sweet tooths can get their fix with a rich, chai-spiced bircher muesli topped with peach and apricot compote, or a serve of warm Belgian waffles with passion fruit, mango and a dollop of chocolate ice cream. Lunch is mainly a seafood-based affair, and if you're bringing mates, you can opt for a share platter of fish and chips, seafood or crayfish.
For dinner, think dishes like seared rocking with edamame, peas, soba noodles and soy broth, braised beef oyster blade with parmesan polenta, zucchini and basil and spicy prawn linguine with tomato, garlic croutons and saltbush pesto. While there are a few dishes on the menu that could be classified as fine dining, the Roddy's aimed to create an unpretentious and casual beachside eatery that was approachable to all. It's safe to say they succeeded in that endeavour.
