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Hotel Esplanade

Thursday: 12:00 – 11:00 PM
11 The Esplanade, St Kilda, VIC, 3182
Phone
(03) 9534 0211
Website
hotelesplanade.com.au
Instagram
@hotelesplanadestkilda

Read time 3 Mins

Posted 30 May 2023

By
Larissa Dubecki

With 12 bars and two proper restaurants, the Espy is a seaside party palace delivering a brilliant beer choice, easy-going cocktails and Cantonese classics along with pub fare.

St Kilda esplanade pub in Melbourne
Why you goIf these walls could talk, they’d tell a million stories too outrageous to print. Looming like a multi-tiered white wedding cake over the St Kilda Esplanade, the Espy is the grande dame of Melbourne’s pub scene, with the colourful history to match. Proving that change is a part of life, its rougher aspects were smoothed several years ago when a squillion-dollar revamp achieved the seemingly impossible of adding a veneer of party-ready glamour without losing its heart. Inside you’ll find multiple venues-within-a-venue, meaning that whatever you fancy is likely to be found at this hallowed address, and that no matter how busy it gets (and it gets very busy indeed) you’ll always be able to find your own space.
Why you stayA pub with the gravitational pull of a black hole, the Espy is easy to find and difficult to escape. There’s so much going on, from 12 bars to two proper restaurants and a snack-friendly Main Bar, plus two stages doing their bit to uphold Melbourne’s lively music scene. Design lovers will be taking snaps of the deliberately faded Victorian grandeur for their mood boards, while party hounds will be loving the DJ-led energy of the main bar where the retractable roof makes sure the seaside summertime vibes are high.
people enjoying at hotle esplanade melbourne
drinks served at hotle esplanade
What drink to orderFirst, what bar to choose? Some embrace sunshine and views, others opt for dark and moody magnificence, and you can add to the mix the street-facing beer garden where dogs and humans happily coexist. Then it’s on to the stuff of serious decision. A list described by comic and TV footy guy Mick Molloy as “the Willy Wonka factory for beer drinkers” includes the big guns on tap (that’s Heineken, Asahi, Carlton and Melbourne Bitter), along with Balter, Furphy and Stone & Wood. Giving up your pot or pint and heading into cans and bottles yields Moon Dog, Stomping Ground and Young Henrys. Cocktails are as easy-going as the venue, with Spritzes riding high and the Frozen G&T “a thing”. The wine list tops out at vintage Dom Pérignon at $395, but otherwise contents itself with an affordable mix of mostly well-known Australian drops and a smattering of French and Italian.
What to pair it with More choice beckons when it comes to bites. The Espy Kitchen is the eating heart of the operation, plying the modern pub canon of salt and pepper calamari, wood-fired pizzas, buttermilk fried chicken sangas, and fish and chips, with the same menu straying across to serve the Main Bar. If you fancy an Asian fix in a drool-worthy space, first-floor restaurant Mya Tiger is waiting upstairs with a menu of Canto classics – dumplings, duck fried rice, Peking duck and more – in surroundings that conjure a vision of Old Shanghai.
Why we love itSeeing a gig at the Espy is a Melbourne rite of passage and the Gershwin Room remains a crucible of full-throttle rock ’n’ roll, with a regular line-up of bands shaking the roof. If your tastes are more sedate, genres extend to soul, jazz and comedy (they even let the occasional folk musician onto the stage). The Basement is the place for free entertainment, including open-mic Tuesdays and Sunday blues. As is befitting a neighbourhood landmark, there’s a palpable sense of community, with events ranging from free trivia every Wednesday night in the public bar and life drawing to school-holiday events for kids, including discos and magic shows, bringing sweet relief to stressed parents. It’s also a staging post for celebrations such as the annual Pride March. Bottom line: get on the socials to avoid missing out.
beckons served at hotle esplanade
Make it fancyHead to the top floor for “secret” bar The Ghost of Alfred Felton. Named after the 19th-century arts benefactor who once lived here, it mixes some serious cocktail action with stunning views of St Kilda Pier. Time your visit for Sunday evenings to hear the resident pianist tinkle the ivories. 
Who to takeGot visitors to the city? This is one spot truly deserving of the tag “iconic”. Bring your out-of-town buddies and dazzle them with a sunset drink on the balcony overlooking the bay before hitting a gig inside.
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In partnership with Melbourne Food & Wine Festival
Authour image
Larissa DubeckiLarissa Dubecki has been a journalist for more than 20 years and specialises in reviewing restaurants and bars.
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Drinks DirectoryBarOutdoor areaRestaurantGood for groupsPet friendlyWheelchair accessibleMelbourneKiller cocktailsVego Food OptionsPubHappy hourNon-alc OptionsMelbourne – Inner SouthParty vibesBrilliant beer listAfter work drinksCasual catch-upMeal and a bevA+ spirits listGreat tunes
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