The Montague Hotel

Overview

West End is known for food. For drinks. For being a place where you can go on dates, group hangs and sit-down dinners. Whether you're on Boundary Street for beers or Hardgrave for pho, you can pretty much guarantee a good time. And while we love our tried and trusted haunts, we could hardly ignore the huge new pub on Montague Road. Aptly named The Montague Hotel, this new spot — which has room for a whopping 400 people — has been christened The Monty (because four syllables are way too many) and apart from turning out some pretty great feeds, they also do $10 espresso martinis. All the time.

Got your attention? Good. If you're lucky enough to work closeby, you shouldn't have too much trouble wrangling a crew together for a post-work drink and some snacks. For grazing, their sweet potato fries ($9) are chunky, decadent and crispy. The haloumi fries ($13) also definitely warrant a look in. If there's a few of you, a sharing board with buffalo wings, beer-battered pickles, assorted fries and onion rings ($39) is the business.

If you're in here for dinner, you might grab a cheeseburger ($14), a lemon and rosemary half roast chicken and veggies ($26), or share a pizza. At lunch, The Monty is doing a $14 superfoods menu, which lets you pick up a mushroom burger, a detox salad or a rainbow wrap between noon and 4pm. It's a smart move to persuade some cafe-goers to the pub at lunchtime.

The interior is all greenery and polished copper, with an eye-watering number of beers to choose from (last count was 17 on tap) snaking from a massive vat above the bar. There are numerous spots to sit — once you've locked down your food order and got the first of your espresso martinis on the way, you can people-watch on the street or take it easy on the terrace. Not too arduous a task in such a fine location. The Monty is still a new bar, but they seem to have nailed the vibe of the perfect after work or weekend drinks spot, and with great food and a pretty spot-on drinks list it's just a matter of time before they're one of you West End go-tos.