Melbourne's Best Pub Experiences You Can Now Enjoy at Home

Australia's social-distancing restrictions and venue closures have gone and left a big ol' pub-shaped hole in our lives. Whether it's the parma nights, the midweek trivia sessions or those freshly poured pints you're missing the most, life's not quite the same when a cheeky jaunt down to your local is off the cards.

Luckily, there are a few Melbourne venues serving up the next best thing — a pub fix you can enjoy from the comfort of home, socially distanced and with zero cooking effort required. From takeaway pub feeds to home-delivered brews, these local joints are dishing up the pub experience, to-go. Dial in an order and transform your living room into a front bar tonight.

If you choose to pick up your pub goods rather than have them delivered, have a look at the latest COVID-19 advice and social-distancing guidelines from the Department of Health.

Brook James

THE EMPRESS HOTEL, NORTH FITZROY

This northside gem might be closed to dine-in customers for now, but you better believe it's carrying on the strong tradition of weekly pub grub specials nonetheless. You'll still find classic deals like Wednesday's $15 burger and tinnie combo, and $10 pizzas each Monday, only they're now available to order online (or by phone), for pick up or for delivery within a two-kilometre radius. If you fancy a bit of booze to match, there's a fridge stocked full of takeaway wine and beer, plus a locally focused tap list that's getting quite the workout. And The Empress is even answering a few of those live music cravings, kicking off tonight with a virtual gig from Jack Poulson of local band Vic Park. He'll take the stage in front of the pub's darts board for a special solo show, streamed live on Instagram from 7.30pm. If that's a success, we're sure there'll be more tunes to come.

THE EDINBURGH CASTLE HOTEL, BRUNSWICK

If you're a northsider battling some fierce pub withdrawals, best put Brunswick's Edinburgh Castle Hotel on the radar. This long-running local is coming to the (iso) party, offering a stack of growler refills and a whole raft of weekly food specials, available for pick-up and delivery. You can replicate the pub magic at home with deals like a Wednesday night pie and stubby ($20) or Thursday's parma night ($20 including a beer), for which there's always a tasty vegetarian option on offer. The bar's also slinging a solid lineup of takeaway beer and wine, with combo packs and add-ons available if you're after the full pub meal experience. And, thanks to an impressive list of tap beer options, you can top up your one- or two-litre growler with drops like Coburg Lager and Jetty Road's XPA, starting from just $12. It's open from noon each day, taking orders by phone or via the website.

THE CHERRY TREE HOTEL, CREMORNE

It's safe to say the Cherry Tree Hotel has found its groove during these strange pandemic times, endearing itself to even more locals when it launched its upbeat, loo roll-toting, ute-back delivery service last month. The unconventional home drop-offs are still going strong, delivering pub meals, booze, merch, groceries and more to a stack of inner suburbs, on orders made through the website. Otherwise, you'll find a pick-up point and handy makeshift bottle shop operating out of the pub's front window. From cheesy parmas to local tinnies and bottles of Crittenden Estate pinot noir, this spot has all your cravings covered. There's even a cracking lineup of food specials for anyone missing their usual routine — think, $10 lunchtime counter meals, a smokehouse pop-up on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and $3 tacos each Tuesday.

THE CURTIN, CARLTON

This legendary live music haunt might be making a lot less noise these days, but it's still pumping out plenty of pub-related goodness for you to sink your teeth into. For hungry punters, resident kitchen Sonny's is cooking up its full menu of signature fried chicken, sides and burgers, available for delivery with Uber Eats and Door Dash. Live nearby? There's also a click-and-collect option which will save you a cheeky 15 percent off the bill, while the pop-up bottle shop has a tidy selection of takeaway beer and wine to round out your meal. And while The Curtin's bandroom is closed, stay tuned to its Facebook page for links to the odd virtual gig, best enjoyed while cosy at home, smashing some wings and fries. Last month, it was Mo'Ju playing a soulful live set for Couch Concerts.

THE PLOUGH HOTEL, FOOTSCRAY

Inner west pub-lovers will find plenty of solace in the Plough Hotel, which is now open for takeaway beer, wine and pub grub, Thursday through Saturday. The beloved Footscray local is whipping up a menu of signature pizzas, parmas and lasagne — in classic beef or duck and gorgonzola — which you can pre-order and then pick-up from the car park from 3.30pm on each day. Like any pub worth its salt, this one's also got a primo drinks offering to match, even if you've got to enjoy it on your couch instead of at the front bar. Nab a bottle of something like the 2011 Reschke cabernet sauvignon to-go or bring in a two-litre vessel to fill with top-notch tap beer from the likes of Hop Nation or Hawkers. Always big on community spirit, The Plough is also donating one meal to a local healthcare worker for every $30 spent on takeaway.

THE PALACE HOTEL, SOUTH MELBOURNE

This much-loved South Melbourne boozer is keeping the pub spirit alive every Thursday to Saturday, with a menu of eats, drinks and grocery boxes now available to-go. Order online or via Uber Eats to get your mitts on goodies like steak sangas, fiery buffalo wings, and beer battered fish and chips, along with a few select beer and wine options. Pick-ups are also available if you fancy a tiny dose of human interaction, or you can leave your licence plate details and have your order run out straight to your car. The Palace's famously crafty tap rotation is also helping to fill the void, with a weekly-changing lineup of draught beers available for growler and squealer refills. The team's even doing local home-delivered grocery packs — with optional drink add-ons — starting from an easy $55.

THE GROSVENOR HOTEL, ST KILDA

Normally filled with punters watching footy and tucking into weekend beers, this modern St Kilda pub has reinvented itself as a drive-through bottle shop, takeaway kitchen and food store. The supercharged Grosvenor Cellars has the goods when it comes to that at-home pub fix, slinging a full menu of classic pub-style eats alongside plenty of top-notch booze. A new daily delivery run is servicing surrounding suburbs for an $8 flat-rate fee (free for orders over $100), or you can phone in your order and swing past to pick it up. The kitchen's cooking up a storm from 5pm daily, offering favourites like porterhouse steaks and loaded Angus beef burgers, while the extensive bottle shop selection has your thirsty needs sorted from pilsner through to pinot. A tidy selection of groceries and pantry staples rounds out the offering.

THE LOCAL TAPHOUSE, ST KILDA

It's long been a favourite among Melbourne's craft beer aficionados and even during these strange times, The Local Taphouse is giving its punters what they want. The St Kilda spot is dishing up an alternative pub fix by way of takeaway food, beers to sip at home and a jam-packed program of virtual fun. Enjoy artisanal pies and Friday-only serves of fried chicken, ordered online and collected via the takeaway window. To match, there's a curation of takeaway tinnies and some heavily discounted cellar stock. Or you can bring along a sealable vessel to be filled from the beer taps, currently pouring gems like Firestone Walker's Bretta Weisse wild ale. The Taphouse also has a few treats in store for your social calendar, taking a bunch of its weekly events online. Catch live-streamed comedy shows, Sunday trivia delivered via Zoom, and even virtual beer appreciation sessions.