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    College Lawn Hotel

    3.2 (15 reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 12:00 AM (Next day)

    College Lawn Hotel Photos

    COLLEGE LAWN HOTEL ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Outdoor seating

    Recommended Reviews - College Lawn Hotel

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    Outdoor dining!
    Darryl S.

    Due to a holiday function, our blokes' hump-night get-together got moved to College Lawn. It's only a few blocks from home, so it was a nice stroll along Greville Street to get there. The place is large, with spacious indoor dining and sitting areas, as well as a large outdoor, astro-turfed terrace, perfect for warm spring/summer days/evenings. It's decked with park bench tables and large umbrellas, and a good-sized bar, with several taps. Great way to start an evening with the blokes! As it turned out, there's no wait staff in the outdoor area, so we had to mosey-up to the bar to place our food and drink orders. A thirst quenching pint of American pale ale ($11) hit the spot. (Interestingly, I asked the bartender if there were any porters available and he had no clue what that was! All that was on draught were pale ales and ciders.) The pub's menu ran the gamut: crispy vegetarian spring rolls ($3 ea.); chicken/bacon stuffed quesadillas ($17); chicken and avocado salad ($22); fish and chips ($24); mince burrito ($21); steaks ($29.50-$38); various pizzas ($11-$20). Pretty much there's something to suit virtually any taste. My mate and I decided we'd share the College Lawn tasting plate ($38), consisting of saganaki skewers, mushrooms, chorizo, black olives, veggie spring rolls, arancini balls, honey-soy chicken drummettes, complemented with eggplant, beetroot and sweet-n-sour dips, along with some rustic bread slices. It arrived looking mighty hearty and would've satisfied four. (We were sharing this as a main, for two, and it was plenty.) Taste-wise, the items were hit-n-miss. The saganaki/olive skewers (4) were very tasty -- the rich flavors of the saganaki (cheese) and kalamata olives worked well -- although on the greasy side, and was enhanced by the sweet/sour dipping sauce (which we could've used much more than was served). Crispy veggie spring rolls were very good -- which, for me, was surprising, as there was a distinct flavor of green capsicum (bell pepper) that I normally loathe; but, it was subtle and edible in these rolls. There were a couple -- Yes, Ladies and Gents, TWO! -- slices of sautéed white mushrooms; maybe three (albeit, tasty) slices of the chorizo; there might've been two or three slices of black olives. Arancini balls...??? Nada on the plate. The honey/soy chicken drummettes (4) were baked, as opposed to the American deep-fried wings, so it wasn't quite what we were expecting; nevertheless, they were meaty and tasty, without the crunchy skin. The uncredited bread slices were..., well..., bread slices. Beetroot and eggplant dips were unimaginative, bland, and pretty much didn't work with anything else on the platter, except for the bread. Fortunately, the fine company made up for any deficiencies in the meal. To be honest, I was a bit skeptical about College Lawn because of my fellow Yelpers' reviews. As it turned out, my skepticism might've been warranted. That said, as pub food goes, I suppose it was wholly decent. The place was packed by the time we left, so I don't think it would be too farfetched for me to parallel it's popularity to one of those middling Hollywood blockbuster remakes that's simply immune to any sort of criticism, and is gonna pack 'em in no matter the gastronomic consensus.... (Curiously, of the 20 pics that's been uploaded onto Yelp!, my shot of the tasting plate is the only one showing food. I will say, though, that my blokes' various dishes all looked really hearty and picture-worthy. But, I leave it up to them to make their own reviews....)

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    Review Highlights - College Lawn Hotel

    We had a lovely lunch in the sun, and there's some nice beers on tap like Furphy's.

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    Prahran Hotel

    Prahran Hotel

    3.1(17 reviews)
    0.3 kmWindsor
    $$

    Ummmmm.... What happened to Prahran Hotel?…read more This was generally my favourite pub in town (I live down the road) and I used to love coming in here anytime for a nice pint and some classic pubfare (fish and chips, burgers, etc). I came in this weekend, to find out they've switched up the menu with a new chef that now leans more towards a French/Italian wine bar, or something. There was no more fish and chips (instead, a fancy fish of the day), there was no more pints of peroni on tap (I used to LOVE these), and what used to be an amazing burger, was really quite bad and dry compared to normal. The fries were skinny and uncooked/half hard when they used to be fat and crispetc.. also why the new plates, where are the wooden trays? I liked those :( We also ordered some pickles to start, thinking that we'd get some gherkins for the burger or something, but instead it was like shavings in a vinagrette sauce etc. And the music and the vibe (white table clothes, jazz/Mediterranean music etc) was leaning more towards a french wine bar? When we asked they said a few months ago they've tried to redo the place/menu... Why? What happened? I usually love coming to Prahran Hotel for a classic pub experience (albeit a little modern), but now it felt more like a pricey wine bar with a fancier chef who didn't have a have much interest in basic menu items. And to top it off, $160 for two people, for a pretty bad meal, didn't feel great. All of a sudden it felt like this otherwise tried-and-true spot had an identity complex or something :/ I'd come again just to see if it was a one-off, but if this is the norm/a new direction the place is trying to move in, it's not at all what I personally looked for when I used to come here etc

    Four stars alone for the renovations on this pub. I'll admit wholeheartedly that my desire to visit…read morethe Prahran Hotel was not even remotely for a lunch of 'pub-grub' but rather to take a sticky beak at Justin Norththrop's architectural make-over using concrete water pipes. His vision has turned the dining area into a visual feast with dining pods where you dine within the cut-out of the waterpipes. There's pods for two or for a more bountiful group the first floor pods are ample for a party of six. Unfortunately, it seems that along with tarting up their appearance to be something pretty special, their menu has been left by the wayside or at least it seemed that way when we dined in for lunch. $50 for a chicken parmigiana, my eggplant parmigiana, a ginger beer and mineral water was, honestly, a bit rich. The items were still at a counter meal level, which is a-okay, but just not for that price tag. But as I said, I didn't come for the food and my expectations of the space far exceeded my disappointment at the food.

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    Prahran Hotel
    Prahran Hotel
    Prahran Hotel

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    The Dick Whittington Tavern

    The Dick Whittington Tavern

    3.9(7 reviews)
    1.7 km
    $$

    I'll keep this brief. I think this restaurant attracts a certain clientele and if you like nice,…read morequiet and sober people, then this isn't for you. It was rowdy, drunk people swearing and laughing way too loud. The service was good. The food was sadly average. I know the staff were doing the best they could on the night, but they really need to keep the loud drunk people separate from the diners and have the staff dress more professionally. Everyone at the table liked their meal, but didn't love it. Sadly, I wouldn't rush back here. But that's just me ...

    Aside from The Local, the Dick is my other favourite pub but it's a bit more chilled out and…read morecasual. I've been here so many times and I love the place - there's outdoor seating along Chapel St, there's a bar area inside which is good for a beer with mates and there's a more fancy restaurant space which has been spruced up recently. There's also an upstairs area too which is for functions but I didn't check that out. We were in for dinner and I fancied something light so just had a platter of dips which was lovely. The only thing I wasn't a fan of was the falafel chips it's served with but no big deal. It was actually a generous portion and would definitely do for a main at dinner. I tried some of the chicken parma and it was lovely as well, nice and crispy. Staff are friendly and welcoming and there's even some familiar faces from when I used to live down the road 6+ years ago. So that's nice to see!

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    The Dick Whittington Tavern
    The Dick Whittington Tavern
    The Dick Whittington Tavern

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    The Woods

    The Woods

    4.2(16 reviews)
    0.8 kmWindsor
    $$

    Awesome olde world bar with a great feel. Dark and woody, very atmospheric, old 1940s music…read moreplaying when we entered. Very nice polite bartender on duty. We ordered a Negroni, a Japanese whiskey (I was talking so much, I missed the name) and a cocktail called Dorian Gray. The Dorian Gray is described as "born from the grandfather of martinis, this is a smooth gin martini has a subtle English twist". Tanqueray, vermouth Rosso, tea, maraschino and bitters. The Negroni was absolutely superb. As good as I've had anywhere on the planet. The Japanese whiskey was well received as well. The Dorian Gray wasn't great though. A bit overdone with too much sweet cherry taste. Fantastic bar overall though. I'd come back anytime.

    Wind back your clocks 70 years and step on in to The Woods Of Windsor for dinner or drinks at the…read morebar, under the watchful gaze of a the mythical stuffed Jackalope on the wall. This place is delightful - from the beautiful monogramed menus, the classic tunes, crystal glasses - down to the resplendent bathrooms that are fitted out with trinkets, photos and a box of toiletries if you need to touch up your hair or make yourself smell pretty. I only had time to sample drinks - a Negroni and Southside that were finely made but head plenty of time to take in the scenery and appreciate the effort that has gone in to make this an experience of a bygone era at every level. Next time I will be back for the eats as the cheeses landing on the tables behind me looked incredible.

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    The Woods
    The Woods - Drinks over the bar ...

    Drinks over the bar ...

    The Woods

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    College Lawn Hotel - bars - Updated May 2026

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