Pub Of The Week: Tony Leonard reviews O’Connell’s Centenary Hotel

O’Connell’s Centenary Hotel

407 Coventry Road, South Melbourne.
9810 0086
www.oconnells.com.au

When? October 22, 2022.

VENUE

Still glorious looking inside and out, OConnell’s has deservedly won praise for being a trailblazing pub in food and drink, not only in Melbourne but across the State and a reputation for delivering fine hospitality while sticking to its pubs DNA.

Outside the look of this double storey Victorian remains imperious, supported by one of the two most gorgeous ‘Beer Footpaths’ in Melbourne when late in the day it is easy to stray there and watch the world roll on. (The other great pub footpath is in Rathdowne st at the front of the Kent).

Inside much is neatly and adroitly squeezed in. Front bar to the right with a couple of booths and  a semi circular old style bar to breast. You are comfortable as soon as you enter.

Small private function room on the left, slightly elevated plush and warm dining room with exposed kitchen slightly further through with some other small private rooms on first floor named in honour of the great chefs that have graced this  wonderful pub – Greg Malouf, Cath  Kalka , Adrian Richardson.

Food and Beverage has always strived to be delivered at a higher level at O’Connell’s and many favourites still remain. Yes you will pay more than at your local, but this isn’t any other pub.

Staff is attentive and courteous, ensuring that all needs are met with a proper cadence without hovering. 30 years go, (it could be longer?), the pub took a brave course to ramp up the quality of everything and stand out from the crowd. Years on, O’Connell’s is still a destination pub to head to in Melbourne.

This pub, for any occasion, is still as bankable as any and  it shows no signs of easing up.

FOOD/DRINK 

The pubs bar and restaurant menus read so well – not overloaded but carefully crafted that all elements support each other. From the bar menu, there are 7 entrees/ 7 mains and a handful of desserts.

Three cheese croquettes, aioli, (4/17), or Beef, Pork, Gruyère sausage rolls w/tomato relish, (3/18),

Make for interesting reading and then the mains are a roll-call of classics;  Cape  Grim Chuck and Brisket Burger  (27), Big serve of Fish and Chips, butter lettuce, tartare (28), Beef Cheek, Guinness, Mushroom pie, full whack @$30. All servings are generously plated.

A range of popular tap beers carefully presented and the Carlton Draught was spot on 7/pot – hmmm but it is full table service. Balter, Mountain Goat Steam, CBCo are also available.

There is no surprise that the wine list runs to many pages, covering a vast range of local and overseas, with the massive big hitters (prices in proportion to status -2015 Grange  to go with the Burger?!). For those that love to pore over a wine list then this is one to savour.

• Entrees: $16
• Mains: $32
• Desserts: $16

Tried was;

• Hawkesbury River Calamari, lemon. $23. Good size plate of deep fried squid, excellent bite and flavour, popular starter on all pubs menus, slightly pricier but very well sourced.
• Veal Schnitzel, parmesan, pickled fennel/apple slaw,  caper  butter, fries. $33. The Signature Dish at OConnells. Never to be removed. Very good as always, two very good sized fillets, all flavours perfected over the years, easily their #1 dish over the journey.
• Pork Belly, whole grain mustard cream, vegetables. $36. Again another on of this pubs favourites, on special,  delivered in the fashion that is expected at O’Connell’s. The 3 main elements of Belly – Meat, fat, crackle, 2 generous slabs, made for an fine main course, at a better level of pub dining.

Summary 

Another cool and wet Friday in Melbourne (when isn’t it?) and you can be certain that pubs will be going well , so it’s a reflection on O’Connell’s popularity that you are greeted with a ..’got one table left, 1230, though’. You walk in and without doing anything, there’s self satisfaction that the right decision has been made.

And as stated earlier here, the path this pub took years ago to go next level was seen as trailblazing years ago and to an extent many pubs share this platform now, be it the Grand in Richmond, Town Hall Fitzroy, Station Footscray, Lincoln Carlton to name a few, but after all these years O’Connell’s does not shrink by comparison.

You never tire of heading to the MCG to watch a big sporting event and similarly that sentiment applies applies here. Rather than stand out as it once did, O’Connell’s is proudly a  place of comfort and service and remains a shining  Melburnian example of how great our pubs are.

SCORE: 15.1/20