Backyard at The Alex

Overview

Beloved pub The Alexandria Hotel has reopened to the public after half a decade, with new owners Merivale unveiling a new dog and family-friendly outdoor dining space called Backyard at The Alex. The new outdoor area boasts food trucks, classic pub eats, pop-up bars and live entertainment.

"What we're trying to do with the indoor space is kind of flip the traditional concept of you get your drink inside and you head outside to the beer garden," The Alexandria Hotel General Manager Sam George told Concrete Playground. "We want to make this the backyard of this community. A place where you go, have fun, relax, listen to some good music, have some good drinks, eat some good food."

Backyard at The Alex is open for lunch and dinner Wednesday–Sunday and shares similarities to Merivale's fan-favourite beer garden at the Vic on the Park with long communal tables, grandstand seating, a basketball court and a large outdoor screen for sports.

As for the food and drinks, a rotating assortment of food trucks runs alongside the kitchen. Each time you head down you'll find a different selection of vendors with the reassurance that the kitchen will also be on hand with cheeseburgers ($20-25), next-level nachos ($18-24), chicken wings ($15) and shredded chicken chimichangas ($20). While the food is ever-changing, an assortment of by-the-books cocktails, beers and wines are on offer, reminiscent of Merivale's other pubs.

When plans were unveiled in 2015 to bulldoze 150-year-old pub in order to turn it into an apartment complex, the community banded together to save the pub. The result of a public push to maintain the venue resulted in the purchase of The Alexandria by Merivale in 2016.

"Institutions like this must be preserved, they reflect our history and help shape our culture — especially when they mean as much to their local community as The Alex does," Merivale owner Justin Hemmes said back in 2016.

Images: Steven Woodburn