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MELBOURNE | Garden State Hotel is Melbourne’s newest pub and judging by the lines on a Friday night to get into the place after work, word has spread about it very fast. Why are so many people keen to check out the latest venue from Sand Hill Road group (Prahran Hotel, Terminus, Bridge Hotel) that site on the site formerly home to 1980s and 1990s dining hot spot Rosati’s? Well let’s break down the stats for you.
Garden State is 2,000 square meters and can cater for up to 840 across its 4 levels. Designed by Techne (who also designed Tonka, Fonda and Lee Ho Fook), there are a variety of zones to experience in the refurbished 1896 building. Enter on Flinders Lane and you’re greeted with what looks like a regular pub, walk a bit further though and the entire space opens up into a covered outdoor beer garden full of wood and lush greenery and trees. Keep on walking and you can head upstairs to various nooks and crannies or downstairs into the USA Prohibition era meets Paris bistro-like basement bar and restaurant.
Overseeing the food is head chef Ashly Hicks (ex Circa). The main section’s dining area “The Garden Grill” features pub favourites using quality ingredients such as Flinders Island lamb and a short-order kiosk that serves up toasted sandwiches and other comforting bites in 5-10 minutes. Downstairs at the “Rose Garden” it’s a more refined affair on the food front with sommelier Marcus Radny (ex Royal Mail, Vue de Monde) helping diners choose from the extensive wine list. There’s also a private balcony dining room and function room.
Across the venues several bars you’ll find a good selection of wines, beers and cocktails. We must admit when we first walked in and saw the rows of CUB tied beer taps we felt somewhat dejected but thankfully when you peer into the fridges you’ll notice that they are filled with, amongst the Peronis and other commercial lagers, a surprisingly decent range of Australian craft beers. Even our favourite IPA of recent times, the Pirate Life IPA can be found in the fridges. For the best range of craft beer bottles head to the Rose Garden.
Places like Garden State that open with a lot of hype can tend to disappoint but Sand Hill Road group have done a fantastic job here. It’s a well thought out space and a lot of fun. Just be aware that this place gets packed on Friday and Saturday nights and you will have to wait in line. Our advice? Head in during a weeknight or in the afternoon to get an opportunity to really explore the different zones and soak in the atmosphere.
Garden State Hotel
101 Flinders Lane
Melbourne
Victoria 3000
Australia
Telephone: (03) 8396 5777
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://gardenstatehotel.com.au/
Open
Mon – Sun: 11:00am to late