As I’ve mentioned before The Tramway Hotel is where I met my husband – 25 years ago this year – so it holds a special place in our hearts.
For the last few years the menu has been really good, with a couple of great vegan options, so I was just a little bit terrified when the management changed hands and very soon they were advertising their “New Menu”.
We had to get along there to see what they’d done – and I have to say that after the Gasometer’s menu change a while back I was pretty wary, expecting the vegan options to be gone, or at least less prominent.
But it’s all good…in fact it’s great! They’ve kept my old favourite beet burger, but also added a whole lot of vegan options, including…wait for it…a pretty spectacular DESSERT!!! (In my experience, it’s rare to be offered a vegan dessert – apart from fruit – unless you’re actually at a vegan or vegetarian restaurant.)
What I ate
I had actually already eaten lunch before we decided to go there, but I put in a stirling effort and managed to stuff in all of this!
Ball Park Dog
A Ball Park Dog (from the Mini Dogs menu). These are mini hotdogs, about the size of your fist. It wouldn’t be enough for a meal if I hadn’t already eaten, but it was a good snack size. It’s great to see a smaller option on the menu, because often when I’m out I just want something to eat (besides a packet of peanuts) and the only options are huge main meals.
Handcut chips
A share of handcut chips. These aren’t marked as vegan on the menu, but I asked, and they are vegan if you get them without the aioli. These were SERIOUSLY good chips. Probably the best I’ve eaten since the a legendary brown paper bag of handmade chips I bought from a Bendigo milkbar in the 1980s.
Taiwanese Donut Sandwich
And even though I was absolutely stuffed full after my two lunches and a Mountain Goat Steam Ale, I couldn’t leave without trying the Taiwanese Donut Sandwich. And I’m glad I did! I warn you that this is MESSY and you have to eat it FAST before the ice cream melts! But it’s absolutely worth it.
The two doughnuts were HOT and sweet and crisp on the outside, and sandwiched in the middle was a nutella-type chocolate sauce, crushed nuts and soy ice cream.
By the time I’d finished it, my face and hands were sticky and dripping with melted ice cream…but I would have had another one! In fact, I want to go back there right now and get one!
Fancy a picnic in the Edinburgh Gardens?
I even saw on Facebook that you can get takeaway food for a picnic in Edinburgh Gardens – and who doesn’t love a picnic in Edinburgh Gardens on a warm, sunny day? Just don’t get a Taiwanese Donut Sandwich to take away, because it won’t be pretty.
Where is the Tramway?
The Tramway Hotel is on the corner of St Georges Road South, Rae Street and Church Street in North Fitzroy. Get there by tram, bike, car, bus or if you live where I did, you can just walk down the road.
Here’s a blast from the past, when the Tramway had live music, a pool competition, Space Invaders machine, dart board and juke box. This was the most popular song on the juke box…
The Lentil Institution 
Ooh that dessert donut looks absolutely amazing!
Yeah, I think I’m going to have to try making it…or something like it.
wow those little hotdogs look good – I sometimes want something small that isn’t just deep fried food or plain boring so I love this option – and I appreciate you stopping for a photo before eating the dessert – am sure it was a quick snap 🙂
Haha, yeah, when I took the photo I hadn’t realised how quickly the ice cream was melting!
Wow that all looks great! Donut sandwich!!!!!!!
I almost needed a shower after it – but it was worth it!
Michael pointed their new menu out to me a week or two ago! Thanks for reporting on the food, I’m keener than ever to try the latest options. 🙂
There’s lots to choose from, so I’m looking forward to hearing about what you try when you go.
I am beyond entranced by that donut sandwich – hot and cold and just about perfect! I mean, the dog looks great, but the sarnie is a whole different level of wow.
It was fantastic, and unfortunately a lot of people must agree. We went back a few days after I wrote that post and they only had one left! And there were two vegans in our group! We had to chop it in half, which made an even bigger mess.