Let's be straight here - I love this pub. I guess it simply has a lot to do with it sitting on the…read morebanks of the Maribyrnong River, and for me, a pub on the banks of a river is always going to be a pretty good pub, if only for the views. Actually, it is quite a nice river as well, but as for the pub, well the pub is nothing short of fantastic. Even without the river (which would take a point off by the way), it has a great beer garden, and there is also a pretty awesome selection of beers. This is definitely one of those pubs you could really relax in.

A rating of 1 is extremely generous…read more This place ruined my birthday dinner. I booked a table for 20 people for a Sunday night dinner (during the phone conversation no information was given about the specifics of the venue, including the dress code) and upon arriving at the venue, some of my guests were not allowed to go in because they were "too casual" (they had hoodies and zip up jackets) while people with thongs and shorts wondered freely inside the venue. I was informed by a security guard to call anglers tavern and ask to speak to a manager. I did. I called and was told the manager was not available to talk to until the next day (even though he was inside that night) I asked to speak to another manager and was told no. What kind of venue that is customer service denies a customer the right to entry then denies them the right to speak to a manager? Absolutely horrid. Not only were the security guards rude and arrogant, so were the other staff we dealt with in this short amount of time. I had to relocate my party (at the very last minute) to another venue because why would I spend money on a place that has no understanding of the basic concept of respect and has no consideration for customer satisfaction. Avoid at all costs.

I wouldn't necessarily say that this was a random pub that I visited, namely because I knew that it…read morewas here, and I intentionally got off the train to go and check it out. Well, I guess it was a good thing that I did so since I found this place to be quite nice. Actually, they had a pretty large outdoor area as well, though their selection of beers wasn't all that great. Still, it was quite a nice pub.

An inner city pub that hasn't been touched with the wand of gentrification is as rare as hens…read moreteeth. I usually enjoy these dive pubs and can happily sink cheap beer for a few hours. Not so much at Hardimans. I almost immediately screwed up my nose and began to mentally refurbish the decor, which didnt include the ingrained regulars. This place is just a touch too bogan, I get they have their clientele but im just not a fan of footy on the big screen above my mains. Anyway a friend and I were resolute to get the Thursday $12 parma/pot special. The service was fine, cant complain for $12. The parma was massive with a wee side salad and chips, look it was pretty dry but satisfied a baser carnivorous instinct. Theres the front bar/pub/dining space which also has live music occasionally. Out the back is a "fancier" dining space open for lunch and dinner. I cant comment on the other food besides the parma but I would stick to the pub basics. Not rushing back in a hurry.

I wouldn't feed this food to my dog. The burgers were like eating rubber and we all left them…read morebarely untouched. Waste of money!

Steak and chips special was nice, service was fast. Staff were friendly and very helpfulread more

I'm not really sure whether I should be giving a pub such a high score simply because it has a…read morerooftop deck, but I am and I have so I guess I can move on. Well, it is a little more than that because the deck was pretty cool, and especially on a day as the day I was here it is a great place to sit with a beer. Okay, I wouldn't necessarily say that the views are pretty good, but it still has a nice charm about it that makes it a great place to spend some time. Oh, and it also has craft beers, at least upstairs.

Really good dining experience. The restaurant is actually called Bistro 289; the attached pub used…read moreto be known a hangout for shady types, I'm told. The dining room can be a hangout for hungry types now, for sure. I took my folks because we were staying at a nearby B&B and didn't want to venture too far in the rain. It worked out well, as we all had a very good meal. It's at the high end of pub restaurants, with veal saltimbocca, chicken bacon & mushroom risotto, pumpkin ravioli, that sort of thing. Really tasty, every dish. And a good wine list. It's not too bright or loud, service is friendly and responsive. A quality meal.

A must stop hole in the wall pub great service great Guinness…read more First time in Melbourne an ill be recommending this place to everyone

This is the best Irish pub in Melbourne and it's all down to Siobhan. I don't know how she does it…read morebut she remembers everyone and even though she seem to always be working she's always friendly and happy. Of course keeping the Guinness at the best standard you can get in Australia is a plus! Although I don't think it is drinkable outside Ireland/England but that's a whole other subject. There is live music too. The only food is simple toasted cheese sandwiches which are just awesome. There's usually two tables out front on the street which are generally communal.

If there was an option for negative star ratings this place would be a 5. We had a meal that cost…read moreover $120 for four. Fish & Chips was $32.00. I swear it was Basa from the freezer at Coles. The Chicken Parmi had a choice of one sauce "Napoli". The mozzarella topping looked & tasted like plastic, the sauce was so watery it was akin to a small serve of soup & the chips were cold. I swear they were cooked the night before & even then weren't great. Pasta dishes were between $25 & $36. I got packet linguini topped with a jar of some sort of white sauce which was absolutely NOT Carbonara & exactly 4 frozen prawns. One choice of burger, which was tasteless & cold on the smallest Brioche bun I've ever seen. That cost 27.00. Even the garlic bread came out of a packet. The beer garden is a sad smoker's lounge & that's about it. Don't think they've emptied the ashtrays for a week but that's OK as most of the patrons just seem to prefer to stub out their butts on the ground. Staff were cold & unwelcoming & so were many patrons. On the bright side if you're a big drinker, they seem to serve people far past the point where they ought to have been offered a coffee. Shame really as from the outside it's all heritage charm but the inside seems to be only inviting to those who want to get legless sit in front of a row of poker machines losing their pay packet.

I found this pub when I was on my way to an engagement party one Saturday, though because I had to…read morego to the party I couldn't suddenly change my plans and go inside. Mind you, when I left to go home a couple of friends asked me if I wanted a lift, to which I politely declined explaining that there was a pub that I discovered that I hadn't had a beer in as yet - being this pub. Well, there isn't all that much that really stood out about this pub though - it is what you would expect from a suburban pub. There was a TAB, pokies, and a restaurant, as well as an outdoor area out the back, which was full of smokers (which doesn't make it a really enjoyable experience if you are not a smoker, and I would hesitate to call it a beer garden). The pub itself wasn't bad, but it is certainly not one that I would travel all the way out to Essendon just to visit.

This place has had a complete makeover, to the point that it is almost unrecognisable. This used to…read morebe one of those pubs that I would basically avoid, and it seems that I had come back at just the right moment to see that it has become a pub that I quite like. In fact they have some pretty decent beers on tap, and the bartender is not only friendly, but will even recommend beers - they are even trained to answer the difficult question. In fact, this is probably one of the best shopping centre pubs that I have visited to date.

Gotta love the brunny! Wednesday night's been a usual spot for me and my mates since we found out…read moreabout open mic night. Last semester a bunch of my international friends would muster up the courage after a few drinks to play but now I just go for the 10 dollar jugs & random acts. I don't come here enough seeing as it's literally only a block away but this will change once exams finish up. I'm super bummed I can't go tonight which is why I've decided to get the word out for any one who may be available. With the ram stop right outside theres no reason for anyone to pass up the opportunity to chill at the brunny. Go grab some cheap beer and head here for a comfy night lounging with live music ASAP! There are always random bands playing from around the area and it's always fun to hear new music. The best part though, yeah you didn't think it could get any better did you? Well, the best part is the beer garden. You know a place has got to be good when they've mastered the layout of each room to suit pretty much anyone and everyone.

My two crazy russian friends had arrived home in Melbourne safely from the adventure around Europe…read moreand were having a 'welcome back' party here. I'd never been before but everyone seemed to think this was a good venue for cheap drinks and relaxed atmosphere. That is exactly the perception i got out of it. You cannot miss that crazy purple sign above the door and once you enter the dimly lit venue has not a lot going for it, but everyone inside is totally chilled giving the place a real laid-back feel. We arrived and they were sitting out back so i ordered a drink and headed out to the large beer garden. There's a large wooden communal table with small slum-couches scattered around. The venue is usually busy but never really feels 'packed out', such a great little place.

Great location with nice rooftop bar. Awesome staff and service. Great events like Bottomless…read morePancakes/Chicken Waffles where it is almost like fine dining (you wouldn't get these at Pancake Parlour). Must try the Savoury Bloody Mary (substitute Saracha for Tabasco--divine). Am bringing mates!

Well, it certainly took me a while to finally get around to visiting this place. Well, not quite…read morebecause I had been here a few times in the past, but it was only recently that I managed to get around here while there was still some daylight (so that I could take an outdoor photo of the place). Well, all I can say is that this pub is awesome. A huge range of beers, some really friendly staff, and a pretty awesome beer garden out the back. Oh, and there is also a pretty nice retro feel about the place as well.

Had a very disappointing experience at this pub. We just finished attending a citizenship ceremony…read moreat the Coburg Town Hall. We then wanted to enjoy a good ole Aussie meal at a local pub. When we arrived at 8.20pm and went to order food, we were told the kitchen was closed. When I asked why they were not serving any food (after we had already ordered drinks) they said 'should have come here at dinner time'. Need I say more