Location: 100 Victoria ,Carlton
Phone: (03) 9347 3344
Cuisine: Pub-style
Overall Impression: 5/10
I must say I was fearful of what was to come. No, not of the vampires or draculas I would face. Instead, it was all the warnings I had received about the Dracula's establishment. My foodie friends had warned me of inedible food accompanied with entertainment that was downright tacky and devoid of any entertainment value. But on the other hand, I had also heard that even so, it was something worth experiencing during one's life time nontheless. So, against my better judgment, I decided to take J there as one of his birthday presents. I really wanted to take him out for a meal so I gave him the choice of having dinner at:
a) a hatted restaurant; or
b) Dracula's.
I remember asking him over the phone and the silence that came after. Finally, a few conversations later, he decided he would prefer to go to Dracula's because, (I quote) "it would be hillariously bad".
So, we were finally there, with the tickets in our hot little hands and to my surprise the queue was ridiculously long. I was suddenly very excited to see what it would be like inside. Unfortunately, photography is not allowed inside so I cannot share my journey with you through pictures this time.
And soon it was our turn to enter Dracula's abode. It was wonderfully themed. Everything fitted into the blood-sucking/Vampire theme. And to my surprise, everything worked really well. Yes, the show was tacky, but it delivered everything it promised. It would be unfair to compare the performances to the likes of The Phantom of The Opera. Such a performance would be in a completely different league. As such, like should be compared to like. And for a bit of fun, I thought Dracula's was an enjoyable night out. So long as you're not looking for something amazing that might awe you with theatrical exuberance. So, with the right frame of mind and level of expectation, it was very much enjoyable.
The Menu
Entree: Crispy wonton cupfilled with asian-spiced chicken, served with a mild capsicum relish and dried spring onions
Main course :Grilled prime eye fillet steak
Served on a bed of creamy potato mash and seasonal vegetables, topped with a brandy and peppercorn jus
Main course :Glazed pork cutlet
With herb-roasted chat potatoes, seasoned greens, fruit chutney and sweet potato shavings
Dessert:Death by chocolate
A decadent dark chocolate coffin occupied by a sinful mix of butterscotch schnapps mousse, honeycomb and freshly dug chocolate ‘dirt’
The above was what J and I had ordered from menu. Let's just say, I would highly disagree with the phrase written on bold and in large fonts on the website: "The food alone is worth the ticket price". No. It. Is. Not. At best it is of the same standard as an average meal I would get at a food court. That said, it was definitely not inedible. In fact, I quite liked the Glazed Pork Cutlet. It was juicy and well cooked. The pork itself was well seasoned and had a good flavour to it. The accompanying elements were however, insipid and lacked basic seasoning. I would not recommend Dracula's for a fine culinary experience but my point is that the food was OK. Not great, but OK.
As a whole, however, the experience was a good one. If you are looking for a stress-free, fun night out with nothing too fancy or elaborate, Dracula's might just be the sort of outing you are looking for.
We even got ourselves a little coffin-shaped souvenir to remind us of the fun we had!
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