Melbourne's Best New Pubs of 2018
Honouring the best new additions (and returns) to Melbourne's pub scene this year.
Melbourne's Best New Pubs of 2018
Honouring the best new additions (and returns) to Melbourne's pub scene this year.
Scroll down the page and take a look at the pubs listed. Recognise a few names? That's because most of them aren't new, but overhauls of historic buildings and pubs that were closed or burnt to the ground. But these overhauls aren't just new paint jobs — they're impressive. The East Brunswick Hotel has returned, sprawling across three levels, with its famed band room making a long-awaited return; the Albion hotel has risen from the ashes with one of the city's biggest rooftop bars, and a Carlton favourite is back and buzzing after laying dormant for two years.
There are two new pub, too, one that deserves to be on this list not only for its tasty brews but for its commitment to sustainability and eco-friendly production. But, more on that below.
At Concrete Playground we encourage exploration and showcase innovation in our city every day, so we thought it fitting to reward those most talented whippersnappers pushing Melbourne to be a better, braver city. And so, these six new pubs — and impressive overhauls — were nominated for Best New Pub in Concrete Playground's Best of 2018 Awards.
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The revamped District Docklands entertainment precinct continues to nab some good’uns, including a seven-storey artisan market and the first Melbourne instalment of Archie Brothers Cirque Electriq. Now, a sustainable craft brewery has been added into the mix. Urban Alley Brewery opened the doors to its massive new brewpub and production facility in September 2018, and it comes complete with onsite bio-waste and water treatment plants, gas emission offsets and biodegradable packaging to boot. The brewery’s flagship session ale is already available in Melbourne venues and the brew is available in bottle shops, too — packaged in biodegradable E6PR six-pack rings, which are made from spent grain and can be eaten by marine life. This eco-focused attitude is at the forefront of Urban Alley Brewery, with sustainability practices around waste, energy consumption and gas emissions front-and-centre. Sure, you’ve heard of breweries going solar, but Urban Alley’s facility takes environmental-consciousness to the next level.
Words: Marissa Ciampi.
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Since the 1920s, it’s been a sentry guarding the corner of Grattan and Bouverie Streets. To this day, the Prince Alfred Hotel’s light stone and brick façade is symbolic of its past, as a popular gathering point for uni students and hospital workers since opening in 1926. Regulars will recall the simple worn-out interior — which was all fine and well until it closed in 2015 and sat empty ever since. But the Carlton has been given a new lease on life. The 100 Burgers Group has come on board to commandeer the pub’s revival. As before, it spans two levels, each with a bar, and a beer garden. In addition to a permanent kitchen serving traditional pub fare, there’s a shipping container turned into another kitchen which will showcase visiting food pop-ups. The pub pours from 60 beer taps which highlight local, Victorian and larger well-known brews. The wine list showcases solely local and Victorian wine and the cocktail menu takes inspiration from the pub’s regal theme.
Words: Jonathan Ford. Images: Giulia Morlando
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Sitting pretty on that northern stretch of Lygon Street, the East Brunswick Hotel has seen a whole swag of incarnations in its 130 years, though locals of a certain age will remember it most vividly as legendary live music haunt, the East Brunswick Club. Now, after 18 months of vacancy — and six years after the famed band room hosted its last gig — the historic pub has moved into its next phase of life, with new owners and an extensive makeover. Making its official return in August 2018, the refreshed East Brunswick Hotel unfolds over three sprawling levels. First up, there’s the industrial-style front bar, on the ground floor, complete with soaring ceilings, a central bar made from reclaimed timber and a stage that pays homage to the space’s history. A solid live music program will see it hosting gigs from Thursday through Sunday. Upstairs, industrial gives way to luxury, with a sophisticated cocktail bar decked out with chandeliers, marble and plush lounges. Twelve boutique hotel rooms complete the upper level, while all the way downstairs lies an underground cellar, functioning as a cosy private dining space.
Words: Libby Curran. Images: Brook James.
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The Albion Hotel is what you’d call a true ‘risen from the ashes’ story. Two years ago, the historic South Melbourne pub took quite the beating, burning to the ground just ten days before it was due to reopen. Now, its team of owners has brought the venue back to life, as it returns to its original name of The Albion. The mammoth three-level space is crowned with one of Melbourne’s biggest rooftop bars. Up here, find yourself quaffing gin cocktails and tap beers, matched to sweeping views of the city skyline. One floor below lies a plush lounge bar, decked out with leather booths and brass accents, while a modern front bar takes over the ground level. It’s an all-encompassing venue that’s been designed to cruise easily from daytime to the after-dark hours, with a state-of-the-art sound system and a nifty 5am weekend licence pegging it as a favourite for late-night dancefloor sessions. Meanwhile, the brand new kitchen is plating up a menu that celebrates both local produce and global flavours, featuring the likes of soft shell crab bao, cider-braised pork belly and a seared nori tuna.
Words: Libby Curran.
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Albert Park’s Beach Hotel has entered a new phase of existence, and has been reborn as a classic Aussie pub. The longstanding beachside boozer has reopened after an extensive makeover, sporting a fresh look across its dining room, public bar and courtyard. It’s the latest project for new owner Tom Walker, who also had a hand in revitalising other southside pubs like the Middle Park Hotel, Newmarket Hotel and Albert Park Hotel. In The Beach’s new kitchen, Head Chef David Marshall (Middle Park Hotel, Wilson & Market) is plating up a mix of Aussie and British pub classics, with an emphasis on honest comfort food, done well. Meanwhile, the bar’s also shaking things up with a reworked selection of over 100 wines, both contemporary and old-world, along with a hefty lineup of tap beers and a slew of classic cocktails. And there are more changes afoot, with plans for an external facelift and a name change back to the pub’s (great) original moniker of The Bleak House Hotel — both slated for completion by the end of the year.
Words: Libby Curran. Images: Brook James.
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Fixation Brewing Co, the Byron Bay brewery that’s a joint venture between Tom Delmont and the Stone & Wood Group, is responsible for some pretty tasty brews. Well, one type of brew specifically: India Pale Ales. Brewing hoppy IPAs is the company’s calling card — and its fixation, if you may — and now it has opened a hoppy tasting room right here in Collingwood. Smith Street is home to The Incubator, a tasting room for the IPA-dedicated brewery. A bar and brewery all rolled into one, it’s creating and serving up a slew of IPAs — including some of its signature brews, and some Melbourne exclusives. Two new ones you can taste are The 86 IPA and the Easey Street IPA, poured straight from the tanks. The brewery bar isn’t just good turf for those who want to drink, though, it’s also the right place to be to learn about the brewing process, and IPAs in general. With the tanks right up close to where you’ll be sitting having a tipple, be assured that any questions you might have are going to be answered by those IPA-obsessed folk in the know.
Words: Kat Hayes.
Top image: East Brunswick Hotel by Brook James.
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