so absolutely recommended to locals and visitors... fantastic atmosphere & friendly staff read more

PJ O'Brien's Irish Pub was a short walk from our Southbank Hotel in Melbourne and after a long tour day, we were ready for a nice meal in a convenient location. Another couple had been there a few days before and raved about it, so off we went. Although we were seated relatively quickly, ordering was slow, and delivery from the kitchen even more so. OK, the drinks came quickly, although I was served a Heineken (Lager), when I clearly ordered a Kilkenny (Irish Red Ale). That's kind of embarrassing for an Irish Pub to mix up those 2 very different beers. The wait for our dinner so long that a couple just finishing up at the next table offered to try to find our waitress who had disappeared. We found her later at the bar with a friend, probably just off work, and with a poor handoff. Someone else eventually delivered our meals, which was pretty good, particularly Gayle's Chicken Parma. My issue was that half of my Mussels were "welded shut", despite my messy attempts. After several minutes of trying to find someone, I basically told that flustered person to take the plate away because I was done with this place. To the restaurant's credit, they took the Mussels off the tab with a half- hearted apology at the cash register, not our table. A much need snack at the local 7-11 finished off my evening meal. Let's just call it a bad night from a franchise Irish Pub that failed these customers. read more

Had a great time at this joint. Very lively at 6p on a Monday evening. Had the mussel pot with garlic wine sauce and chips. Very tasty, nice sized mussels and tender. Flavoring was awesome. Chips were crispy and added some vinegar and yummy!!!! Washed it down with some of my favorite cider and bonus it was on tap - Magner's. Great evening, great service and awesome environment read more

PJ O'Brien's Irish Pub - Garlic wine Mussel Pot with chips. - Irish Pub Near Me - Melbourne, VIC

Really a legit Irish pub in Melbourne. We went on a slow Monday afternoon and sat at the bar. The bar is legit and is surrounded by a copper ceiling. Tons of green dot Irish whiskeys and the Guinness pints were a plenty. Service was very good and you pay as you go. Lots of other Irish folks in the pub so maybe legit enough to attract them. No smithwicks on tap, but Kilkenny instead for a nice black and tan. Overall, highly recommended! Sláinte read more

See all

Top Irish pub. Great food, very friendly staff, lovely pint of guinness and great live entertainment. Highly recommend.

The PJ O'Brien's franchise has been around for almost as long as I can remember, and to be honest, I've never been a really big fan of them. I guess it has more to do with it being a franchise than anything else. The other rather sad thing is that whenever I think of an Irish Pub, I usually thing of PJ O'briens, which sort of gives a bad reflection on all Irish pubs. Yeah, this one, well, this one is no exception, it certainly isn't my favourite, and I rarely come here as it is. read more

See all

Great Irish themed bar on southbank. Nice place to knock off a few beers after work. Very friendly atmosphere, and well worth it.

Had lunch today, with two friends. We all had the Sunday Roast, roast pork with Yorkshire pudding. We've had lunch at PJ O'Brien's on several occasions. PJ's is highly recommended for locals and tourist, and accompanied children are welcome. PJ's have very friendly staff, excellent food and a wonderful atmosphere...definitely 5 s read more

So Nice We Went There Twice I knew we were in for a treat with all the dark wood ambience and the rich Irish accents coming from all the staff as well as a couple of the customers. I ordered a Pale Ale to sip and enjoy the quiet away from the Promenade. For mains I ordered the Guinness Beef Pie. It was rich and delicious and everything I hoped for and paired very well with the Guinness Stout I ordered to go with it. Three days later we were in the mood for a pub again. On our second trip I stuck to cider to drink with chicken wings for entree and fish and chips for the mains. Both were delicious, but the fish was slightly underdone. The only other slight ding against the restaurant is it is somewhat colder than the outside. If you are dressed for a Melbourne summer you might want to bring a sweater here. The other highlight of this pub is as nearly as I can tell all the staff are Irish and are very personable. We had lovely conversations with everyone we met. read more

Really wanted to rate this pub higher, but the food was not very good. Australians evidently prefer reef fish over cod when making fish and chips - I just can't stand Reef fish (or whatever fish they used at P.J. O'Briens). As a result, I didn't enjoy my meal - but loved the cold beer. We tried to make a reservation since it was a Saturday night, but no one ever answered their phone. Since we had no reservation, we had to settle for tiny stools with no back support (think upside down bucket), but we had a very friendly and informative server which made things a bit better. Love to rate them a 4, but just can't after this initial experience. read more

PJ O'Brien's Irish Pub - Irish Pub Near Me - Melbourne, VIC

P J O'Brians. Saturday, April. 26, 2019 Irish pub, live music on Sat. Evening but finished by 9:00. Very crowded, very enthusiastic, younger. ( We're early 70s) clientele for the most part. Decor appropriate, brown woods, classic Irish/ British pub atmosphere. Music not Irish but pleasant guitar/ vocals some sang to. .Typical pub fare; burgers, sandwiches, Irish Stew, Shephard's Pie, Beef and Guiness Pie, Fish and Chips. Good selection of Australian beers on tap. This was just what we wanted after traveling. Food was good, beer was good, prices fair. As seems typical in .Australia, you get your own drinks and order at the bar then someone brings your food over. Food came disarmingly quickly but no complaint. Being weary travelers and due to the frenetic atmosphere, we tamped down our desire to stay and play and relinquished our table to some deserving youngsters and left, being quite happy with our meal and experience. We recommend if a pub experience is your desire. read more

PJ O'Brien's is exactly what you expect an Irish Pub to be with a good choice of beer on tap & hearty sized plates of food. A nice relaxed atmosphere with plenty of seating. Three sections to the pub means you can find a comfortable place to sit be it in the restaurant for food or the more relaxed bar. Half price oysters on a Friday is a must if you're a lover of those. They also have live music every night of the week. We sampled the Kilkenny fish & chips (bizarrely served in a bowl when a plate would have made more sense) & Irish Chicken Schnitzel both were satisfyingly large plates (or bowls) of food & I believe good value. Although I do wish chefs wouldn't drench accompanying salads in oily dressings. If in need of a good feed before attending a sporting event as we were then this is the place for you. read more

PJ O'Brien's Irish Pub - The Bar - Irish Pub Near Me - Melbourne, VIC

See all

Great atmosphere. Really loved the place! The beer and the food were fantastic. There are nightly specials combining eats with beverages. The pairing I had was a meat pie with a local red. Great combo. Nice, Warm and Friendly place. You'll love it! read more

It is funny what I consider to be a traditional Irish Pub these days. Sure there has always been Guinness on tap, four kinds of pie on the menu, some dark wooden walls and an Irish bar wench or two. But now no Irish pub is complete until it is conversant in the use smoke machines, pop dance music and attracts a crowd that has probably never seen a good pipe let alone smoked on one and who probably can't tell you the difference between Irish, Scotch or Bourbon Whisky. P.J. O'Brien's is in all these ways the quintessential modern Irish Pub. P.J. O'Brien's is set on Melbourne's swanky South Bank, and as such is quite upmarket for an Irish Pub. But don't be fooled. It is an Irish pub. They have a couple of screens to watch the footy on and serve up a good Sunday lunch. They also have live music on most nights of the week. read more

See all

My large Irish family had a family reunion here a couple of years ago - most families would have a big party or go to a fancy dinner, but hey, like I said we're Irish so the pub was the perfect place for our catch up. Its a laid back bar with great large plates of pub grub and tv's for the local Irish and English crowd to watch thier beloved English Soccer League Games. There are big booths to fill with all your friends, and its nice to find a really comfortable place in a fairly upmarket area for when you done feel like sipping on wine or minding your manners - though the bouncers will be sure to throw you out if you get too rowdy! The bartenders and waiters are very friendly, and are great for a chin wag provided that the bar isnt too busy and under the pump. The occasional cover band makes an appearance too providing many sing along opportunities after a few beers! read more

See all

Have been here a couple of times. Went the bar a couple of time for a couple of pints to try the Irish beer. Was a live band and the music was quite good. Place was packed with patrons and party goers. Have also had a meal in the lounge part. Walked past one day and noticed the food looked good that people were eating so we went back that night. Walked in and saw someone having the Guinness pie and it smelt great so I got that and it was very nice and was accompanied with some chunky veggies. Yum. read more

PJ O'Brien's Irish Pub - Beef and Guinness pie. - Irish Pub Near Me - Melbourne, VIC

See all

Stopped in for a bite & wasn't disappointed. I ordered the beef & Guinness pie. It was quite tasty. I was quite surprised that many of the staff are from Ireland. Not something you'd expect so far away in Melbourne. read more

Authentic Irish pub despite its ill-matched, commercial setting in Southgate. Good Guinness pours and friendly bartenders. Rowdy Irish crowd, was taken here by a Belfast native. read more

I love Irish pubs. Just like J.C Wooloughans in Las Vegas, this pub was built in Ireland, disassembled , shipped to Melbourne and reassembled. They even carry daily Irish newspapers. It starts with a proper pint of Guinness. Sometimes they arrive very quickly but they should take time. Here it takes time and was sublime. I ordered the Guinness and steak pie which was just perfect; flaky crust, sumptuous fillings and a bit of brown gravy. Perfect accompaniment to the pint. The atmosphere very warm , Irish music playing and even the barkeep was Irish. read more

PJ O'Brien's Irish Pub - Guinness and steak pie for lunch - Irish Pub Near Me - Melbourne, VIC

I am primarily writing this review based on their embarrassing excuse for a steak night. Don't do it. By far the worst "steak" I've ever had in my life. All three of our steaks were overcooked, fatty and so tough I couldn't even cut through it. Completely inedible. Decent bar otherwise if you're looking for a dark Irish pub to have a drink in the winter. read more

I can only vouch for Irish pub P.J. O'Brien's on St. Patrick's Day which kind of feels like cheating but it is passable as an Irish pub. Albeit an Irish pub within the swanky confines of Melbourne's upmarket Southbank. A small and polished affair, PJ O'Brien's may call itself an Irish pub but it feels more like a bar to me. Serving a good range of wines, beers and ciders alongside classic pub grub and even a - slightly incongruous - oyster bar, PJ O'Brien's is like a gentrified version of an inner-London Irish bar. Ok, it feels kind of soulless and rather than playing classics such as the Pogues when I spent the evening there for St. Paddy's, PJ O'Brien's is prone to playing a little Major Lazer or some Rihanna for good - non-Irish - measure. I wouldn't bother with PJ O'Brien's other than to celebrate an Irish festival or event. Even then though, with its generic feel and only vague Irishness, PJ O'Brien's is a close call for me. read more

I went here for a family dinner on a Friday and had the best time. Such lovely staff and was very pleasantly surprised by the meals, delicious seafood chowder, beef and Guinness pie looked amazing. Nothing was too hard. Our Irish waitress Mary was just delightful. Looking forward to going back. read more

PJ O'Brien's Irish Pub - Seafood Chowder at PJs Southgate - Irish Pub Near Me - Melbourne, VIC

We were looking for a place to hear live Irish music in Melbourne, and ended up staying longer than expected so we had dinner as well - Beef & Guinness Pie and Fish and Chips. Both were wonderful; much better than we had expected as "bar food" - we would definitely eat there again. The service was great and very attentive. And yes, the music was great! read more

Lovely little Irish bar with reasonable drink prices for Melbourne. Staff were well trained and friendly.

Great pub. Staff are very friendly and service is attentive. Pub meals but well cooked and delivered in good time. Clean loos and great ambience all round. Our night here was certainly enhanced by the staff. It does not take much to be friendly, nice and service oriented. And it really makes a difference. The place was quite busy but I did not notice anyone 'twitchy' through lack of service. Would definitely go here again. read more

Recently had a function at Pjs. Fantastic food, fantastic service, fantastic venue. Very deserving of 5 stars

Good for Irish food and drinks, otherwise food was mediocre. I had the seafood chowder and it was one of the worst I've ever had. The soup part was very runny and not at all thick as stated on the menu, it's hearty as it's full of vegetables. Then a little seafood was mixed in, and a whole prawn on top, which was way over cooked - it was so tough, we all tried a bite and couldn't eat any more so we left the prawn half eaten. The chowder also didn't have a lot of flavor. My mom had the vegetable shepherds pie which was really good, and my dad had a porterhouse steak which was also mediocre, he said it wasn't very warm. read more

Hello, used to love the place for the food and decor. not sure what's happening but: drank 3 Guinness, 2 Kilkenny (pints), and 1 single malt scotch in under 2 hours. ALL of these tasted off and diluted. The single malt scotch (Macallan 18) wasn't nearly what my bottle at home tastes like. Friend was drinking scotch and coke with the same result - not even tipsy. Got home sober and disappointed and paid over $100 in drinks Will be avoiding for the next year and going to Last Jar or Irish times. The food or decor might not be the same but they won't try to sell us water. read more

Sub par service and food. Beer was fine. We ordered at the bar and were told that the food would take 25 minutes, for no reason that we could discern. It wasn't really worth waiting for. Essentially, a lackluster place in the standard Irish pub vernacular. read more