Melbourne's Top Pubs

July 22, 2014, by Crafty Pint

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Melbourne's Top Pubs

Several of Melbourne’s top craft beer venues were among those honoured at the inaugural Time Out Melbourne Pub Awards. Pub of the Year went to The Terminus in Fitzroy North, People’s Choice went to The Local Taphouse St Kilda and Best Beer List went to the startling success story that is The Park Hotel in Werribee. Other gongs on the night went to Fitzroy’s Rose Hotel, which picked up the Legend Award, the Builder Arms took Best Pub Food and the owners of Footscray’s Reverence claimed Publican of the Year, with Best Family-Friendly Pub going to the Edinburgh Castle in Brunswick, Revival Award to the Savoy Tavern in the CBD and Best Entertainment to Mick Thomas' Yarra Hotel.

The awards took place last night (Monday) at the Gasometer, opened by Time Out editor and recently published author of Cherry Bomb, Jenny Valentish, before the mic was handed over to Good Beer Week co-founder Miro Bellini for the remainder of the evening, which, in a neat touch, ended with him handing the top prize to the owner and manager of the pub that has been Good Beer Week’s Festival Hub for the past two years.

Being named Pub of the Year continues a fantastic run for The Terminus. Long renowned for the quality of its restaurant, it was transformed little more than a year ago when a drive-thru bottleshop was demolished and replaced with a “craft bar” and beer garden. Now it has 32 taps pouring 16 frequently changing beers, two kitchens offering differing cuisine and staff that know their stuff – yet remains a pub where you go and watch the footy too. In the space of six months, it has been named Melbourne’s best by both the Herald Sun and Time Out Melbourne.

“I was shocked,” said owner Russell Griggs (pictured above holding the award), who teared up while accepting the award with manager Edward Harley. Having invested heavily in improving the pub over the past four years, he said: “It’s great to win it against a fantastic list of pubs; I said beforehand I thought it would go to the Great Northern.

“We invited a load of the staff along, not because we thought we were going to win but as a thanks, so this is great for them. At the end of the day, as good as the beer is and as good as the food is, the main thing people take away is the type of experience they have and that is down to the staff – they make the place.”

 

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The Park crew celebrating Best Beer List

 

For the team from The Park, which opened in nothing less than a craft beer desert less than two years ago promising to bring 16 taps of quality beer to Melbourne’s west – plus heaps more in bottle – it was yet more confirmation that there was method in their apparent madness. Seriously, who would have forecast a pub in Werribee winning Best Beer List in Melbourne two years ago?

“I’d have said, ‘Bullshit!’,” says Park co-owner Isaac Zietek.

“We’ve had as many as 500 beers on our list and they fly out the door. With each week that goes by we sell more of the good stuff.

“People [in that area] were asking for a good place to go and have appreciated what we are trying to achieve and enjoy the variety of what we offer.”

The People’s Choice Award will have to squeeze into the trophy cabinet at The Local Taphouse alongside all their others, with co-owner Guy Greenstone saying: “It means that people are enjoying what we’re doing.”

 

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Another gong for The Local Taphouse

 

It’s no mean feat, with the venue opening as a dedicated 20-tap craft beer bar seven years ago – well before the craft beer scene took off in earnest and south of the Yarra where the beer scene lags well behind the north – and it has continued to blaze a trail, coming up with a host of firsts in terms of events, tap takeovers and more. The secret to keeping things fresh, says Guy, is “encouraging our staff to come up with new ideas, whether that’s in the kitchen or behind the bar.

“Ultimately, it’s about great craft beer, great food and a great environment but also about having fantastic staff.”

The winners appear alongside other pubs in a new publication from Time Out Melbourne: a guide to the city’s 50 Best Pubs according to their writers.

The full list of winners from the Pub Awards is:

Best Pub
The Terminus

People’s Choice
The Local Taphouse St Kilda

Legend Award
The Rose Hotel

Best Pub Food
The Builders Arms
Highly Commended – The Fitzroy Pinnacle

Best Beer List
The Park Hotel
Highly Commended – Gertrude Hotel

Best Entertainment
The Yarra Hotel
Highly Commended – Northcote Social Club

Family Friendly
Edinburgh Castle
Highly Commended – Reverence Hotel

Revival Award
Savoy Tavern
Highly Commended – Prahran Hotel

Publican of the Year
Reverence Hotel
Highly Commended – The Terminus

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