“Soup first, then cards”: Lilly Pilly Lounge, Orbost
Soup, roasts and puddings are served first at the Lilly Pilly Lounge, in the old counter hall of a timber company office on Nicholson Street, Orbost. Behind the double doors, the former board room holds the casino room: roulette, blackjack and poker, played in person on chips that have no cash value. A dinner reservation and a place at the tables are two separate requests, and the booking form asks about each. Nothing is played online, the house has no pokies, and every guest must be 18 or over.
“Come in out of the weather”
The first rule of this house is that supper comes before cards. I say so at the door to anyone who looks as though they have come straight for the tables, and I say it with a smile, because the kitchen would take it personally otherwise.
My name is Belinda Newman, and I manage the floor at the Lilly Pilly Lounge. The building at 82 Nicholson Street was put up as the office of a timber company, with a long public counter at the front, a pay window at the side and a panelled board room at the back. It has had other lives since, but the bones are the same.
The old counter hall is now the dining room, and the board room has become the casino room: one roulette wheel, one blackjack table and two poker tables on green baize, under lamps that I adjust myself every afternoon. Dinner is a matter of soup, a roast and a pudding, cooked by Stuart Butler in the kitchen behind the pay window.
Everything is played in person, on house chips that carry no cash value. There are no bets, no prizes and no winnings, and there is no online version of the house, no app and nothing on this website beyond information and a booking form.
There are no pokies and no gaming machines in the building. Guests must be 18 or over, and I will ask for identification, politely, whenever there is any doubt. I should add that the lounge is quiet, that nobody is hurried and that the tea is always hot.
- The counter hall
- Soups and roasts at long tables from five
- The board room
- Four tables under lamps, through the old double doors
“A kitchen behind the pay window”
Stuart Butler cooks in what was once the clerks' office, and he serves through the old brass-framed pay window, which now acts as the pass. His menu is built for cold, wet evenings: pea and ham soup, roast pork with crackling, baked chicken, a beef and vegetable casserole and puddings that arrive with custard.
Wherever possible, he buys from East Gippsland. The beef comes from properties along the river flats, the cheese from a dairy within a short drive and the vegetables from growers near the coast. For drinks there is tea, coffee, hot chocolate, apple juice and a ginger cordial that Stuart makes himself.
- Soups
- Thick, hot and served with bread from the oven
- Roasts
- One roast each evening, carved at the pass
- Puddings
- Steamed, baked or crumbled, always with custard
“Where do I park, and other questions”
Is there parking?
Yes. A small car park lies behind the building, entered by the lane on the left, and the kerb along Nicholson Street is open to guests after four. Caravans are best left near the highway.
Is the building accessible?
The dining room and the casino room are on the ground floor and are reached by a ramp at the side door. Please mention any requirement when you book, and I shall see that a table is ready.
Must I reserve?
It is wise at weekends. During the week, a table can usually be found for a party of four. Reserving a dinner table and asking for a place at the tables are separate requests.
When does the kitchen close?
The kitchen takes its last orders at eight o'clock. Puddings, tea and coffee are available until the house closes at half past ten, and the tables remain open throughout.
Are dietary needs met?
Usually, yes. Please say so when you book, and mention any allergy again to your waiter. Stuart adapts soups, roasts and puddings readily and would rather be told than guess.
What should I bring?
Photographic identification, in case it is asked for, and a jumper. The board room is cool in the evenings. Nothing else is needed, since chips, cards and the tea are supplied.
Is the venue free of pokies, machines and online play?
Entirely. There are no pokies and no gaming machines in the building, and nothing is played online. Every game is dealt by a person at a table in the board room.
“Where to find us”
- Address
- 82 Nicholson Street, Orbost VIC 3888
- Telephone and email
- +61 3 5154 8267 · bookings@lillypillylounge.com
- Hours
- Wednesday to Sunday, 4:30 pm – 10:30 pm; closed Monday and Tuesday
“Hour by hour, from the door to the last hand”
“Through the double doors to the casino room”
The casino room occupies the former board room at the back of the building, and it keeps the room's original character: tall windows, a plaster ceiling and walls panelled in messmate that has darkened to the colour of strong tea. The tables stand where the long board table once did, and the lamps hang from the same hooks.
Roulette and blackjack are open to every guest. Poker is dealt as Texas Hold'em and Omaha on most evenings, and as Seven Card Stud or Five Card Draw when the tables request it. A dealer is present at each table, and I am generally at the door of the room, making sure that nobody is waiting without a chair.
- Roulette
- One wheel, with a croupier to call each number
- Blackjack
- One table, with the rules explained at your own pace
- Poker
- Two tables of six for Hold'em, Omaha, Stud and Draw
“A few rules, plainly put”
- Guests must be 18 or over; identification may be requested.
- Chips carry no cash value and remain in the room.
- Nothing is staked, and no prize is awarded.
- Telephones are silent at the tables.
- Only the dealer touches the cards.
- Courtesy is expected of everyone.
“The lounge as it looks”
Four marks to bring you in
The river taught this town to value a good channel marker. Ours are simpler: four signs that lead you from the road to the door.
Marked for arrivals after dark
“Book your evening”
Tell me the night, the size of the party and whether you would like a place at the tables after dinner. I shall reply by email or telephone.
Book your evening