Uninspiring pub grub at O'Connells

One thing I miss about living in London is the pubs.  London pubs have a great sense of history and often you can get a really good meal at them.  Most Melbourne pubs have the emphasis firmly on the booze rather than the food but one pub which has consistently set itself apart as a "gastro pub" is O'Connell's in South Melbourne.

O'Connells looks pretty fancy these days

O'Connell's has just been renovated and the menu revamped so my sister's birthday was the perfect excuse to revisit it for a family lunch.  Wood panelled walls painted dark grey give a sense of theatre to the pub and crisp linens and shining glassware signal that you are not in any ordinary watering hole.  The prices of the drinks are also a bit of a giveaway, order anything other than a Carlton Draught ($4.50) and you will find yourself paying a whopping $8.50 for something like an Asahi.  That's an expensive beer!  

There's a parma hiding there somewhere behind the undercooked chips at O'Connell's

There are now two menus - one for the restaurant proper and a more simple bar menu.  We ate outside because it was a sunny day and so were limited to the bar menu.  The bar menu mainly sticks to classic pub grub like burgers, pies and steaks, all reasonably priced.  Unfortunately these classics were not perfectly executed.  The main problem was the accompanying fat chips which came with each meal.  They hadn't been cooked enough and were a pale yellow instead of bronzed, crisp and fluffy inside. 

Inside O'Connell's

The chicken schnitzel ($24) was dry and slightly rubbery and the steak ($28), while perfectly cooked to medium rare with a smoky char from the wood fired grill, was pretty tiny weighing in at 200 grams.

The pie at O'Connell's - sadly let down by the accompanying chips

The best dish on the bar menu was the pie of the day ($20) which was beef, slow cooked until it fell apart at the fork.  Topped with a hat of burnished puff pastry it delivered where the other dishes did not.  While O'Connell's now certainly looks like a serious gastro pub the food at the bar menu doesn't live up to its reputation.  

Essentials

Details: O'Connell's, Cnr Coventry and Montague Streets, South Melbourne (Ph 03 9699 9600) 

Damage:  Reasonable. 

5/10

The Builders Arms

If you remember The Builders Arms back in the day you will be pretty surprised by its transformation.  Its the most recent addition to Gertrude street by the prolific McConnell brothers, this time it is Andrew behind the new look pub.  No longer a true boozer the place is all polished up although the bistro itself is pared back and very minimalist withe the only real decoration being some neon installations on the walls.  The new look comes at a cost and you get stung on the drink prices but the food is top notch quality and offers an interesting twist on the usual pub food.  

Fish pie at The Builders Arms

Captain Melville

Bushrangers are back! Captain Melville is the newest place in the city housed in Melbourne's oldest pub.  The old bluestone building was most recently called Mac's hotel but has been reinvented as Captain Melville, named after one of Victoria's most notorious bushrangers.

Slow cooked lamb in brik pastry at Captain Melville

Soho - South Melbourne Hotel

I love getting tips about new restaurants so was happy when my friend JJ said a Gourmet Chick reader had a recommendation for a recently opened restaurant in South Melbourne.  Soho is new enough that it doesn't show up on Google Maps properly yet but just look for the old Palace by Luke Mangan.  The place has had a makeover with the restaurant flowing easily between inside and outside thanks to lots of courtyards which even include a tiki bar.  It's the perfect place to head on a summers night.

Son in law eggs at Soho

Middle Park Hotel

The Middle Park Hotel has really transformed itself from the days when I used to live just around the corner and it was a fairly standard pub with parmas on the menu.  These days the place has a polished wooden bar, sports memorabilia on the walls and a modern British menu from chef Paul Wilson.  There's also a strong focus on wine at the Middle Park Hotel with a proudly all Victorian wine list and the pub hosts a regular series of wine dinners, one of which I was invited along to.

Our first wines for the night at the Middle Park Hotel

The Newmarket Hotel

For a pub that used to host schnitz and tits nights* the Newmarket Hotel has come a long way.  The venue has a touch of the trendys about it now with a modern but retro feeling fit out thanks to Six Degrees.  Concrete arches span the ceiling and there is the same indoor/outdoor feel as The Royal Saxon.

Inside the Newmarket - featuring Greedy Diva's cardigan

The Graham

Head over to Melbourne: Hot or Not for my guest post on Melbourne gastro pub The Graham. The chargrilled prawn salad was amazing and this was a place with service that went well above and beyond what you would expect.

Chargrilled prawns

Essentials

Details: 97 Graham Street, Port Melbourne, 3207, Australia (Ph +61 3 9676 2566)

Damage: Pricey

8/10

Links

If you liked reading this you might be interested in my review of Royal Saxon which is another great place to lunch in Melbourne. For a gastro pub in London try The Cow.

The Royal Saxon

I must be back in London. Queues out the door on a Friday and Saturday night for a bar/restaurant? No, I'm still in Melbourne but I'm eating at Royal Saxon the oh so cool venture from the people who brought Melbourne The Public House and the Albert Park Hotel. My friend Sophie works around the corner from Royal Saxon and is already a big fan even if it is painful to get in on a weekend. The place looks amazing, no money has been spared by architects Six Degrees to create a multi levelled space with a lofty warehouse vibe. Inside and outisde is cleverly mixed with the bar area opening out into a paved courtyard where the focus is a beautiful old Moreton bay fig which was apparently transplanted at great cost to Royal Saxon.

The menus serve as placemats as well and are packed with exactly the type of things that you want to eat once you have had a few drinks. The food is Italian and features antipasti made for nibbling at and more substantial fare such as pizzas, risottos and pastas almost designed for soaking up alcohol. Napkins are cheery red and white striped tea towels all the better for trying to remove pasta sauce from your shirt.

From the antipasti section of the menu, crispy zucchini flowers ($14) are served dipped in a light tempura like batter alongside crisp sage leaves and slices of lemon. Doused in lemon juice it is light, refreshing bar food with a twist. The proscuitto pizza ($16) is thin based with a rectangular shape and arrives on a serving board. The dough is slightly charred and elastic and the pizza topped with silky folds of prosciutto, mushrooms, sprigs of thyme and fontina cheese.

Royal Saxon is a more of a bar than a restaurant so there are extensive beer, wine and cocktail menus with over ten beers on tap including boutique offerings such as White Rabbit and Pipsqueak cider. Good food, good drinks, a "we are so busy that we don't take bookings policy" and lots of beautiful people, I'm starting to see why this place is so popular.

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Essentials

Details: 545 Church Street, Richmond 3121 (+61 3 9429 5277) Australia

Damage: Pricey

8/10

Links

If you liked reading this you might be interested in my review of another new opening in Melbourne, Three Bags Full, for new openings in London check out my review of Yalla Yalla.