Emilia reviews Melbourne’s best British pubs
Press PLAY below to hear Emilia’s full review
Throughout this week I’ve been to Abbey Road, Piccadilly Circus, Regent Street and Oxford Street. I’m surprised I didn’t the rest of the Breakfast team at any of these London hot spots!
Well… I at least felt like I was there when I hopped round Melbourne to some of the best English pubs, trying my best to get the true British experience!
If you, like me, unfortunately can’t make it over to London to peruse the food and drink options – fear not, Melbourne has you sorted. Head up Collins Street – just down the road from us at 3AW studios and you’ll find an array of English pubs to choose from.
You know what I noticed, jumping pub to pub on a Tuesday during the middle of the day? These pubs aren’t quiet, despite it not quite being knock off time. All the pubs I visited open at 11am and are open 7 days a week. There’s not many restaurants that can keep those kinds of hours – so it goes to show how popular they are.
My first visit was to the Mitre Tavern in Bank Place, it’s across the road from the Savage Club – boasting members like; Ted Baillieu, Robert Menzies, the late, great Barry Humphries. The Mitre Tavern has a rich history — it’s been around since 1837 — and it shows just from looking at it. Great British fit out as well as a couple of those cheeky English-humour signs you were telling about earlier in the week… be careful when you’re there, it’s said to be haunted. Here, a Taverners Tipple House Larger was consumed and an Irish cider, Bulmers. As a start to the tour, it went down a treat.
Then, if you travel down Collins Street, just over Elizabeth Street, you’ll find the Charles Dickens pub downstairs under the Block Arcade. As you travel down the stairs you’re transported to the bustling streets of London, and the cold snap in Melbourne has been really setting the scene for what feels like an icy London winter.
Sitting amongst the British decor and the UK paraphernalia-ridden walls I could have sworn I was round the corner from you guys having a pint and a pub meal. Even the bar staff had UK accents to complete the immersion. I could’ve been in any given Wetherspoons on some corner of Bermondsey.
Here at Charles Dickens we ordered the Corned Beef & Guinness Pie and the chips topped with curry sauce. Sticking to their British Classic menu served us well. You know what I will say about British food, it’s not cute to look at but it is hearty and consistent. They know the flavours they do well and they stick to them, Guinness is in everything, so you can’t go wrong. I loved trying a slightly more modern English delicacy in the hot chips and curry sauce, it was definitely re-orderable!
The prices were completely reasonable, sitting at $25 each for a full plate. Here we drank a Charles Dickens lager they had on tap, described as “extremely drinkable” and another Irish cider – Magners.
The menu was extensive with pub favourites, starters and plenty of vegetarian options. Most meals sat in that pub price sweet spot around $25, steaks up to $35.
There were sports screens showing The Ashes and they do a Sunday roast every Sunday — can’t think of anything more a UK expat might want!
Lastly, we walked our way back up Collins Street to the Sherlock Holmes Inn and popped down the stairs. I love the experience each pub takes you on as you descend into the warmth and the hustle and bustle. Even at 3pm on a Tuesday there was a bustle, people were meeting in their suits, another sat at a table reading while travellers with suitcases lugged their luggage down the stairs for a drink (I wondered if they were coming or going).
Save yourself the 24 hour flight, choose your fighter; historic, memorabilia-laden or character-focussed… or if you’re feeling a bit sorry for yourself while scrolling through more Euro photos go to all three!