3454 Midland Highway
Blampied, Victoria 3350
(03) 53 457411
Out among the rolling pastures, potato fields and rolling hills, on the road between Daylesford and Ballarat, sits the tiny Swiss Mountain Hotel. It's a funny little place, bustling and full of travellers and local farmers one day, forlorn the next. We've been in for Sunday roast a few times and the food is hardy fare, as you'd expect for such a rustic setting. There's nothing much special about the Swiss Mountain apart from its setting, but it is generally welcoming and comfortable.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Cricketer's Arms Hotel
69 Cruikshank Street,
Port Melbourne
(03) 9646 3306
Every neighbourhood should have a pub like this. Turn down the narrow inner-city street and there, in between the neat homes, sits the Arms, and it's everything a pub should be. I'm even willing to overlook its poor selection of tap beers (yes, it's a CUB pub). But the wine selection is good and you can sit on stubbies of the Melbourne-brewed Cricketer's Arms Lager all day. The food is excellent and service is also first rate. It's got a comfortable bar and lovely dining room, plus a very good beer garden out back. I haven't noticed if there was a pool table or dart board, but there are TVs and a sports theme in the front bar, so it would be a great place to watch the footy on weekends.
Port Melbourne
(03) 9646 3306
Every neighbourhood should have a pub like this. Turn down the narrow inner-city street and there, in between the neat homes, sits the Arms, and it's everything a pub should be. I'm even willing to overlook its poor selection of tap beers (yes, it's a CUB pub). But the wine selection is good and you can sit on stubbies of the Melbourne-brewed Cricketer's Arms Lager all day. The food is excellent and service is also first rate. It's got a comfortable bar and lovely dining room, plus a very good beer garden out back. I haven't noticed if there was a pool table or dart board, but there are TVs and a sports theme in the front bar, so it would be a great place to watch the footy on weekends.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Village Belle Hotel
202 Barkly St
St Kilda VIC 3182
(03) 9534 2200
www.villagebelle
For many years the only thing missing from the Barkly Street end of St Kilda was a decent pub. The Village Belle was a monument to lousy pubs: unfriendly regulars, boring drink and food fare, and indifferent staff. A few years ago that all changed, and now the Belle is a superb place. Everything was changed, from the floor plan to the staff to the people who frequent the place. Some might attribute this to the demise of St Kilda, the yuppification of the area and the way it’s gone from being a place where people could live cheaply to a trendy, high-rent tourist town. All this is true, but that doesn’t detract from the Belle being a first-rate pub. The restaurant is good and affordable and the drinks selection is OK, especially in the attached Doulton Bar, although let down by a below-average wine list. It can get pretty crazy on sunny weekend afternoons, but during the week it’s a fine place to spend a few hours.
St Kilda VIC 3182
(03) 9534 2200
www.villagebelle
For many years the only thing missing from the Barkly Street end of St Kilda was a decent pub. The Village Belle was a monument to lousy pubs: unfriendly regulars, boring drink and food fare, and indifferent staff. A few years ago that all changed, and now the Belle is a superb place. Everything was changed, from the floor plan to the staff to the people who frequent the place. Some might attribute this to the demise of St Kilda, the yuppification of the area and the way it’s gone from being a place where people could live cheaply to a trendy, high-rent tourist town. All this is true, but that doesn’t detract from the Belle being a first-rate pub. The restaurant is good and affordable and the drinks selection is OK, especially in the attached Doulton Bar, although let down by a below-average wine list. It can get pretty crazy on sunny weekend afternoons, but during the week it’s a fine place to spend a few hours.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Daylesford Hotel
YYY
2 Burke Square, Daylesford, Vic 3460
Phone: 03 5348 2335 or 03 5348 3723
http://www.daylesfordhotel.com.au/
This is the most convenient pub is Daylesford, located right in the centre of town. For this reason, it is also the most disappointing as it has consistently remained just average in every facet of pub-ness. It's a great old-fashioned pile of a place, full of rooms and corridors and nooks and crannies, including accommodation (I haven't stayed there so can't comment). There is a wide upstairs veranda around two sides, ideal for warm-weather hanging out. So what's the problem? Well, for one thing, the public bar (with pool table) is not an especially friendly place. They usually have something nice (non-Carlton Draught) on tap, but the locals who hang out there aren't the most welcoming to strangers, or even semi-strangers. Service in the various bars and food areas also tends to be lacking in hospitality. The country-pub meals being served can be fine one time and less-than ordinary the next. Also on the plus side, it is the drive-through bottle shop for Daylesford so the selection of wine by the bottle is good.
2 Burke Square, Daylesford, Vic 3460
Phone: 03 5348 2335 or 03 5348 3723
http://www.daylesfordhotel.com.au/
This is the most convenient pub is Daylesford, located right in the centre of town. For this reason, it is also the most disappointing as it has consistently remained just average in every facet of pub-ness. It's a great old-fashioned pile of a place, full of rooms and corridors and nooks and crannies, including accommodation (I haven't stayed there so can't comment). There is a wide upstairs veranda around two sides, ideal for warm-weather hanging out. So what's the problem? Well, for one thing, the public bar (with pool table) is not an especially friendly place. They usually have something nice (non-Carlton Draught) on tap, but the locals who hang out there aren't the most welcoming to strangers, or even semi-strangers. Service in the various bars and food areas also tends to be lacking in hospitality. The country-pub meals being served can be fine one time and less-than ordinary the next. Also on the plus side, it is the drive-through bottle shop for Daylesford so the selection of wine by the bottle is good.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
News from Britain
Robin Millard reporting from London for AFP writes: "While Britain is in the grip of a recession and its world-famous pubs are closing at an estimated rate of 52 per week, the traditional craft beer industry is celebrating its annual bash in a cheery mood. Despite a poor year for the pub and brewing industries, cask ale sales performed comparatively well, dipping by 1.3 per cent, compared to 8 per cent for the total beer market. Meanwhile The Society of Independent Brewers estimates its members' sales are growing by 10 to 11 per cent a year. About 60,000 beer lovers were expected to attend the event organised by CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale, which was founded in 1971 and has just passed the 100,000-member mark. As well as fighting the incoming lager tide, CAMRA is fighting high pub prices, pub closures, beer taxes and the dominance of global brands. 'The good news is that real ale brewers are doing very well and some companies have been reporting double-digit growth,'' CAMRA chief executive Mike Benner said. 'There's a real, genuine move by consumers back to local products and people are looking for drinks with provenance that actually mean something to them. Consumers are getting fed up with having these huge, global, over-marketed brands shoved down their throats.' ''
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Dooley's Old Hepburn Hotel
YYYY
236 Main Road, Hepburn Springs VIC.
Phone: 03 5348 2207
oldhepburnhotel.com.au/
If you're exploring around the Daylesford/Hepburn Springs area, the Old Hep, or Dooley's, is the last outpost on the way out of town on the way to Lavandula. Jason Dooley and his crew run a friendly, comfortable neighbourhood pub that does most everything right, from well-cooked traditional country-pub cuisine to a tap-beer selection that of late has included Squires Golden Ale and Coopers pale. There's also an impressive wine-by-the-glass list and a good choice of beer in stubbies. They also specialise in some fairly exotic-sounding cocktails. There's a pool table, dart board, and plenty of big windows with nice views. It's in frequent use as an entertainment venue, a good place to listen to live music or, as we experienced recently, some bush poetry (not as bad as it might seem). They also operate a shuttle bus into Daylesford and back.
236 Main Road, Hepburn Springs VIC.
Phone: 03 5348 2207
oldhepburnhotel.com.au/
If you're exploring around the Daylesford/Hepburn Springs area, the Old Hep, or Dooley's, is the last outpost on the way out of town on the way to Lavandula. Jason Dooley and his crew run a friendly, comfortable neighbourhood pub that does most everything right, from well-cooked traditional country-pub cuisine to a tap-beer selection that of late has included Squires Golden Ale and Coopers pale. There's also an impressive wine-by-the-glass list and a good choice of beer in stubbies. They also specialise in some fairly exotic-sounding cocktails. There's a pool table, dart board, and plenty of big windows with nice views. It's in frequent use as an entertainment venue, a good place to listen to live music or, as we experienced recently, some bush poetry (not as bad as it might seem). They also operate a shuttle bus into Daylesford and back.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Savoia Hotel
YYY
69 Main Rd,
Hepburn Springs VIC
(03) 5348 2314
This is a true local pub in the tourist town of Hepburn Springs. It is also a pub struggling mightily to keep going. It hasn't been done up or changed to attract tourism; it's a big pub with lots of room but not a huge amount of business. It is spotlessly clean and serves good traditional pub food. On a recent Friday night the kitchen delivered a couple bowls of salt-and-pepper squid for bar snacks that was some of the best I've ever tasted. Beers on tap are Coopers pale, Guinness and, of course, Carlton Draught. It is also the local (drive-through) bottle shop so the selection of wine and packaged drinks is good. There are two pool tables - because space is not an issue here - and a massive open fireplace. This a friendly place where the locals are happy to welcome strangers into their pub.
69 Main Rd,
Hepburn Springs VIC
(03) 5348 2314
This is a true local pub in the tourist town of Hepburn Springs. It is also a pub struggling mightily to keep going. It hasn't been done up or changed to attract tourism; it's a big pub with lots of room but not a huge amount of business. It is spotlessly clean and serves good traditional pub food. On a recent Friday night the kitchen delivered a couple bowls of salt-and-pepper squid for bar snacks that was some of the best I've ever tasted. Beers on tap are Coopers pale, Guinness and, of course, Carlton Draught. It is also the local (drive-through) bottle shop so the selection of wine and packaged drinks is good. There are two pool tables - because space is not an issue here - and a massive open fireplace. This a friendly place where the locals are happy to welcome strangers into their pub.
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