jmj9905

My wife and I are visiting Australia for the first time. We have a flight from Cairns to Mel on QF arriving around 5:00p.m. We connect to a Virgin Australia flight around 8:30p.m. Can any one recommend some restaurants for dinner?

I did search. The only thread I could find was from 2002.

og

IMHO 3:30 is only enough time to eat at the airport. I assume you'll need time to collect and re-check bags. You'd need to allow 1 hr each way (including waiting) if you got the bus into the city - by which time you'd really want to be heading back to the airport. You'll be able to get a reasonable meal at the airport, but nothing really "special".

trinitygirl

Hi there, I assume you are asking about offerings inside the terminal. I only ever eat in the Qantas club at the airport, but assuming that this was not possible for whatever reason, I would head to Cafe Vue - part of Shane Bennett's empire. The take on board boxes are good value IMHO and I have always assumed that the eat-in food would be tasty. Here's the link - you can check out the menu etc: http://www.vuedemonde.com.au/cafe_vue_melbourne_airport

My second choice would be the outpost of my favorite tapas bar, Movida: it's called Bar Pulpo and is almost opposite Cafe Vue; link here: http://melbourneairport.com.au/shopp...po-by-movida-/

There is a short video on the Bar Pulpo page which demonstrates the offerings at both venues. hope that this is the kind of info you were looking for.

jmj9905

og thanks but I was looking for restaurants in the terminal.

trinitygirl thank you. That's exactly what I'm looking for.

jmj9905

trinitygirl I just looked at the menu and the you tube. It looks like those are in the international terminal. I guess I should have mentioned I was talking about the domestic terminal.

og

MEL domestic and International (land side) are in the same terminal area with no problems for walking from one to another.

Mwenenzi

Landing at QF and going out on VA you walk through the landside international area (as post above). Take the stairs up 1 level. Takes all of 3~5 minutes. Just pick any place.

The Parkroyal Melbourne Airport hotel is connected by walkways to the terminal, but hardly worth the effort to go there for a meal

jmj9905

Thanks all.

JClasstraveller

Cafe Vue has an outpost between the Virgin and International Terminals landside called Cafe Vue Express. I'd second this suggestion. In terms of quality, it's probably the best.

DownUnderFlyer

[mod hat] As this isn't QF specific I will move to the appropriate forum for better coverage. [/mod hat]

Baghoarder

Some of the outlets that have been mentioned are airside in the international terminal, so OP won't be able to access those assuming both sectors are domestic.

I don't fly Virgin much but I understand you can pay for one-off access to their lounge pre-departure. This might offer another dining alternative.

harvyk

Between the QF and INT terminals there is a little collection of restaurants. Don't quite follow the signs to INT and T3, instead once you get out land side on the departures level, head towards the international terminal but take the corridor on the right. From memory there is a few places along there to eat, and that's where I'd be walking past if I was in your position.

As others have said, to get from T1 (QF) to T3 (VA) you need to go via the international terminal (T2). That said everything is all in the one building. There is also a food court in T1 which gives a nice look across the tarmac on the QF side.

Can't tell you what you'll find on the T3 side, since my only experiences there without simply heading for the lounge was 7 years ago.

trinitygirl

Hi there, I am sorry: I didn't realise you were talking about domestic travel - selective reading I guess. I second the suggestion above about Cafe Vue Express: it has the same quality menu items although the set out is not the same. I don't think any of the domestic terminal offerings are high quality, but Vue would be the best of the pick IMHO. I also second the opinion that walking over to the ParkRoyal is probably not worth the effort: it's certainly a lot more expensive but pretty mediocre (although to be fair, I have only eaten there twice and both times it was on Qantas after flights were delayed overnight). The terminals are easy to walk around and there are the usual distractions - 3 hours will zoom by.

JClasstraveller

This link provides an overview of terminal maps.

http://melbourneairport.com.au/fligh.../overview.html

This one is probably most useful: http://melbourneairport.com.au/docs/...-1-v2-copy.pdf

There is also PJ O'Briens (a chain Irish pub) if that is your thing.

number_6

Cafe vue express has superb food but is a snack bar (think hamburgers). Definitely the best of what you can access in-terminal. Other choice is the Parkroyal hotel which is 20m from the domestic terminal across a bridge so quite easy walk to reach -- and you have no choice but to go landside connecting to Virgin. Pretty good food and the only real restaurant within reach http://www.parkroyalhotels.com/en/ho...estaurant.html