This pub is in Brunswick, and is pretty grungy meaning that it is a destination for live music,…read morewell, most of the time, namely because one evening during the Christmas period a friend and I came here for a drink, and some live music one Friday night only to discover that it was shut. Well, that was a real disappointment because, well, we were looking for some cool, and free, live music that we could chill out to with a beer, not that the live music would be considered chilled in this part of town. I guess that is why I love pubs like this one.

The Victoria Hotel is just so laid back & friendly, you might mistake it for your own backyard,…read morethat of course, with the option to have a beer on tap & some food brought to you! Nothing flashy on the inside, but a nice outdoor seating area out the back and a few out the front too. A great place to have a chat with friends, while drinking a local Brunswick beer or cider.

If you are a fan of ales and other quite hoppy beers, then you are likely to be a fan of the Great…read moreNorthern. They have an extensive list of beers at good prices and they also feature my favourite beer of all time (right now anyway) - the Hargreaves Hill ESB. With a massive beer garden and a steak night on offer as well, it is pretty good for food lovers too. The steaks are consistently good and hefty in quantity. They also have a bottle shop and show plenty of sports to boot. Overall a pretty damn good pub then.

A downgraded review. Whilst the beer is as good as ever, the food isn't up to scratch…read more Against my better judgement I tried the $14 steak. It was only after I ordered I noticed that unlike all other steak nights I go to this had rump steak and not porterhouse (sirloin) for the same price. The steak was tasteless and chewy (even when rare), the salad had a hideous dressing, the sauce tasted like it came out of a pack from Aldi. The chips was nice though. ----- Another craft pub venue that's been a local for many years. The quality of the beer is always top notch and the bar staff warns you it's strong, warmer than standard or expensive - that is always appreciated. This however is a summer time pub for me, because I really don't like the inside, especially the back room. The front bar is ok but usually packed or the TV is on loudly. What makes it a summer time pub is the marvellous garden. It's huge with all sizes tables both under cover and in the sun. It's easily the best beer garden in Carlton. Downside for me (upside for many) is the enormous screen that shows various sports games and it's very busy. The food is standard pub grub and not up to my standard though - I wouldn't eat anything but a bowl of chips here.

There are a few draw backs to this place: a bit of a surly TAB crowd, an all-too inclusive 'local'…read morevibe, and you're guaranteed a few lingerers around the periphery. Equally, there are pluses: hearty pub food, warm lounge bar in winter, friendly staff, and (most importantly) they show live music. I will never begrudge any place that supports the live local music scene, so the Clifton Hill Hotel gets my (albeit small) tick of approval. They don't show the kind of stuff I'm really into, but they do cater to a slightly older (forty-something) audience and in doing so, they do the youngsters the service of keeping these folk out of the trendier bars in the area. So, whippersnappers, before you roll your eyes and go 'what a shit hole, I wouldn't be caught dead in that joint', spare a thought for your future drunk-arsed self and imagine the kind of haunts you'll be patronising. If it is to be the Clifton Hill, you're future's not as bad as it could be.

The first time I came here years ago there wasn't all that much about this place that impressed me,…read morethough it was a pub, it served beer, and that pretty much satisfied me. However that was when I first came to Melbourne so I hadn't caught onto the bar scene yet. Over the few years my tastes have changed, and so has this pub. What used to be a standard pub has been transformed into a craft beer bar and micro-brewery. I have to say that it is a pretty cool place to grab a beer, especially with their various options available. They also have a pool table, a small beer garden, and seating out the front (and well as a fancy looking restaurant). What is also cool are the huge vats sitting in the middle of the pub. I have to admit that this is a pretty cool place.

The Woodlands is now owned by the King Brothers, who also run Fitzroy's famed Rainbow Hotel. Since…read moretaking it over they've brought the same great quality of service, food, and drink to the Woodlands. The Woodlands was always a great pub, but now it's even better with the addition of a proper beer garden out the back. The Woodlands has always been missing a great outdoor space and now it has a place where you can sit outside, have a drink and a meal, and remain socially distanced (while we need to keep doing that). If you're a local, try it out again. If you're not -- it's worth the journey.

I've eat here many many times but this was the first time in the upstairs bistro. Omg amazing. The…read moreMonday cheap steaks is what we normally have and they are great but this was just beyond great - fantastic. He had the eye fillet and I had the bavette. Totally amazing, no more than than that happy with the steak. Best Northside pub steak imo. Beats The Terminus hands down and on par wit La Luna.

I guess the thing that annoyed me about this place is that it wasn't quite open when we were here…read more I say wasn't 'quite' open, namely because the bottle shop was open, and you could actually buy a drink from then, and then take it out the back to the beer garden where you could sit down and drink it. Yeah, that I did think was pretty cool, though it was a shame that I couldn't quite see what it was like inside. However, the beer selection was pretty awesome, and they have a great beer garden as well. Yeah, this place actually wasn't too bad.

A warm welcome, just the beginning?!?…read more On arrival (after 1pm) we were 'enthusiastically' informed that check in was from 3pm without 'prior written arrangement'. Although hilarious, a simple hello and welcome would have been nice. If the room is ready why not let guests check in a little early? When offical check in time did come around, I asked about in house dinner reservations, where we might order some casual drinks, what facilities the hotel offered. Finding out any information was like extracting teeth. No information about what might make the stay more comfortable was offered. The room itself was comfortable but very basic. No bar fridge for that bottle of wine acquired from the Yarra Valley, no built in robes - 2 coat hangers (with a do not remove sign) hung from a shelf. 'Hotel policy - they shouldn't have'.... On checkout, I went to settle the bill for incidentals with the same card that I registered upon checking in. Surprisingly, I was informed the hotel doesn't accept that type card. Very strange considering that the same card was accepted and processed by their colleague just the day before. Apparently a breach of policy. My firm view is that staff at the Healesville could greatly benefit from some basic hospitality training. If you're happy to share a bathroom with the other hotel guests, an acceptable room awaits - certainly not a 4 star hotel and certainly not worth $200 per night.

GOOD AVERAGE PUB FARE BUT FABULOUS LIVE BAND...!!!…read more Have been here twice now, in the last few months... The first time, a Sat night, we heard live music, so went in, had a few drinks and shared a couple of items from the snacks menu - mini spring rolls and chicken wings - spring rolls were fresh and crisp with a nice little dipping sauce, the chicken wings, hot and spicy...both around $7.50 each...all good...!!! This next time, a group of us decided to book a table..again a Sat night, again a live band... It was busy...don't think staff were expecting a crowd...am sure they weren't expecting a crowd, cos the full dining room was definitely too much for them to handle.. Hey, it's okay - they just got to learn.. Anyway it took a long while to get our mains...a very long while...nonetheless when they came - Pasta Carbonara was generous and tasty, Fish Chips & Salad was just what the 'doc had ordered', Chicken Parma's were well cooked, juicy and the meat was thicker than the crumb, Salt & Pepper Squid was the real thing...all good... eventually... finally... Oh, and they were all around the $15 mark..which was pretty okay.. No complaints there..!! What was fantastic was the band - 4 hours of live loud 70's and 80's Aussie Rock - From Australian Crawl to The Angels to AC/DC - Crowd loved it - We loved it... Fabulous band - 'No Soup For You'... A new group, apparently - Four 50's something life-hardened Rock Angels... With one mean playing bass guitarist and another harmonica virtuoso.. These guys are all passion... Well worth a look in and well worth the long wait on those mains... Look, when these guys are playing, we will all definitely be there - to eat, drink...and have a really memorable night....!!! Visited Sat 5th Sep 2015 as part of a group of friends for Dinner

Good solid pub food which is conveniently priced. I had the fennel Pork sausage which came with a…read moregenerous serve of chips and salad ($12). It's counter service. You order and they give you a buzzer to tell you it's time to collect. You can get drinks, but you have to go around to the front bar of the pub. All up it was a good cheap outing for the family. I'd go back for s

I'm not really sure why it took this long to get around to reviewing this pub, and how it landed up…read moredown near the bottom off all my pending reviews since it actually isn't all that bad. Mind you, it is a bit of a hike to get to since it is about 50 km from the centre of Melbourne, but fortunately there is a railway station across the road (though getting off the train simply to have a drink at this pub is probably not the best of ideas). I remember seeing this pub as a kid since my Grandparents used to live out here, but it was years before I managed to get around to actually having a beer here. It has a really nice country feel about it, and the sports bar is pretty much separated from the bistro and dining area. There is a huge garden, but you can also sit out on the veranda and watch the cars all go past. Certainly a place to check out if you are able to get up here.

Decent pub with good beers and food ok the outskirts of town. Came in for some fish n chips n beers…read morewhile passing through and loved it.

This place has changed a lot since I was last here, but then again it might have been the time of…read morenight when I eventually wandered in through the door of the front bar. This time I went into the other section and honestly, I was absolutely amazed. The place was great. They had some decent beers on tap, the staff were really friendly, and they had a pretty cool beer garden out the back as well (though only for the smokers). Yeah, I actually quite liked this pub and should make an effort to come back again.

Decent pub food at reasonable prices. Their parma is well made but not spectacular. The specials…read moreoccasionally have something interesting to offer. They sometimes have live music which totally drowns out any dinner conversation. It's loud enough that you have to shout to the person next to you. I recommend asking to be away from the music when booking a table.