Pub Of The Week: The Beehive Hotel, Hawthorn
The Beehive Hotel
84 Barkers Rd, Hawthorn
Phone: 7052 9052
Press PLAY to hear Tony’s full review
What a glorious return to pub-life have the new owners of the Beehive delivered.
Having been through some iterations over time since run by great publican Pat Reardon, the new eyes have gone back to roots of this great looking boozer, restored the expansive front bar and set up a neat diner with the partially exposed kitchen in view.
With its contrasting maroon/cream exterior, replicated inside with its sturdy pub carpet, the motto of the pub is lived up to on entering: A place for the people.
Small beer garden to the rear, with retractable awnings, it is the public bar a joy to behold. Perimeter seating, long curvy bar to breast, the comfort levels with the warm welcome hit 10/10 from the start.
Each night (ex Saturday) the Beehive provides a spoil with $25 pub classics, happy hour, and local nights with $4 beers (ponies/glasses).
Indeed the old school approach is confirmed with its beer sizings. 200ml glasses of beer, a rarity nowadays, are available across their tap range including CD, Peroni, Mountain Goat.
The dining room is drop dead gorgeous, beautiful tiles, cork cladding (very effective) with properly set out tables (good condiments, heavy cutlery), and the response to the reopening (around 5 weeks) has been met with much relish.
Pokies: No
Tab: No
The food menu is elevated pub classics, that are common to many pub menus but elevated without being overdone. The pride and joy of the kitchen is the woodfired oven, and its octopus, saffron potato, parsley sauce, black olives ($22e) bears testament to great subtle cookery with banging flavours.
A range of focaccia starts at $10, with six different toppings, the gruyere and leek croquettes, ‘Beehive’ Hot Honey (three for $15) makes for a perfect starter.
The pub does its classics at the right price, e.g chicken schnitzel, ricotta salata, pickled zucchini, chips and salad ($30), eggplant parma, napoli, three cheeses, basil, chips, salad ($29), but it is the oven charcoal grill that goes another level, e.g lamb rump, mint pesto, cavolo nero, smoked potato aioli, leek croquette ($37), prawn linguine, tomato, chilli, pangrattato ($32) and pan roasted blue eye cod, lemon roasted fennel, harissa, watercress ($35).
Monday nights you will get a very good spoil on their classics.
Beer was great. Carlton Draught $6 a glass, tasted perfect. Wine by the glass starts at $14, with only a few drops offered.
The pick was Toolangi chardonnay at $16. There is a small museum showcase of legendary Australian wines; grange, Mount Mary, Henschke. Bring Card! While the list is well thought out, the fact there’s no bottle under $64 is something they could address? It is a proud pub after all.
Highlights. Pork and fennel sausages, mash potato, apple chutney, wow wow sauce ($35). Brillant top notch snags, packed tight, big flavours, great support cast. The sauce, a conglomeration of ingredients, provided a hot but sweet base to the sausages.
The entree of gruyere and leek croquettes were also a highlight.
The Beehive has introduced a “Medallion Club”, no doubt spoiling loyal customers.
Cheaper drinks Friday nights give faux credence to the arcane axiom of pub life: “The more you drink, the more you save”.
Off to a flying start, the Beehive has a long and successful run ahead.
SCORE: 15.4