Pub of the Week: Tony Leonard reviews the Gertrude Hotel, Fitzroy

The Gertrude Hotel

148 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy.
0404 827 418
www.thegertrude.com.au

When? July 15, 2022.

VENUE

A welcome back to trading is this most popular venue that ceased to operate some time ago.

On a street that boasted the Rob Roy and the Champion, (both the pubs and street to be avoided some 25 years ago), the Gertrude (formerly the Renown) has stared all guns blazing.

This pub is impossible to miss with its Aladdin Sane Lightning bolt exterior, and the inside with plush velvet banquette seating on a split level, tables and chairs about to dine, all smothered in a black/pink/purple colour scheme, you are transported back in time when Area, Croydon was the go to enjoy the music of KC Sunshine Band, Gloria, Donna, Earth, Wind Fire and all the other natural elements.

Above all, the custodians of the Carlton Club in the CBD, and the Windsor Castle, Windsor have taken over so the smooth running of a modern pub is in secure and trusted hands.

Essentially two parts; level one with private function rooms, with the ground floor your traditional stand at the bar or take a seat and enjoy the hospitality.

The mood is set with music at the right level, falling into seductive Jazz tones as you take it all in and ponder: How did they come up with this?

Food, drink, hospitality all working cohesively, much packed into a small space.

A very fine and beloved return to the Melbourne pub scene is the Gertrude.

FOOD/DRINK

Short, punchy, and on point, the Gertrude ventures the road less (pub menu)  travelled with 7 entrees, a couple of big shares, 8 or so mains and a couple of desserts.

Along the way there are some banging food specials (steak night is real value), with a wine list that doesn’t tick the boxes but does have some very big hitters on it.

Entrees? How does Crumpet, shitake mushroom, macadamia butter (12), or Skull Island charcoal prawns, nduja butter (3/$18) sound. The latter tried and were monstrous, gorgeous, meaty beasts.

The share plates are whole baked flounder (45) or Roast Chicken (42) and are generously sized. Pork schnitzel, apple sauce, fennel (29), or Cheeseburger, tomato, pickles fries (24) are a couple of pub favourite mains.

Beer is all craft: Byron Bay lager was the preferred from a range of 12 or so taps while the wine list has genuine points of difference, highlighted by Sevenhill Riesling (11/55)*.

(*This order of the Jesuits is the one to head to if the Priesthood is your calling).

The average (bistro) prices are;

• Entrees – $16
• Mains –  $25
• Dessert – $12.

Tried was…

• Comte Tapioca Fritters, jalapeno relish. $14 e. 4 Gorgeous golden deep fried rectangles of tapioca, plenty of spice with the dipping sauce, these made for a welcome change than your standard arancini/croquettes, with a smooth and creamy taste. Neat, different starter.
• Porterhouse steak, 250g, fries, salad. $25. (on special with a beer/wine, Wednesday nights). Who doesn’t love a pub special? Good meat (thin rather than thick cut, hmmm), nice charred taste, with a generous whack of chips and salad. Byron Bay Pot included, very fair shopping.
• Fish and chips. $25. What worked was the rockling fillets, (2), that were plentiful and hot. Not so much was the thick batter, (like a Chiko/Chicken roll casing) that was too heavy and overcooked. Good representation of this pub standard, just a little heavy on the cooking.

SUMMARY

Refurbished, rejuvenated, the Gertrude is back in business, after a long (and largely unexplained) closure of some years: at least 4 maybe 5 years.  A surprise, really, as the previous offering was excellent.

To my eye, the Gertrude Mk2 is more nighttime focussed with DJs, separate function rooms (level 1) and the kaleidoscopic  blaze of pink/purple/ black to the fore, and will enjoy a long and successful run.

But more power to the owners in retaining a full working front bar to socialise in a traditional Fitzroy pub setting.  The new Gertude is well worth the trip if for no other reason that all of us loved Disco/Glam at some stage of our adolescence.

And we did.

SCORE: 14/20