The Courthouse Hotel

Going coming Saturday night. Can’t wait to go through menu but so much appeals to me. I think I’ll have to order for the others! I will then upgrade stars and new post and will take photos of the food. I know it will be «ab fab». Salivating!

I was about to write this place off after my first visit, however when I was back down around North Melbourne one Friday evening I decided that I would give the place another go. I’m glad I did because that second time I came here I have to say that I quite liked the place. The thing that caught me eye was not just the craft beers on tap, but the barrel over the bar with the words ‘craft-​beer’ prominently displayed. The other thing that I liked about this place was the lounge bar down the side. Now this place looked like a pretty nice lounge room. In fact it looked like one of those places that I could spend quite a bit of time in reading a book and sipping on a beer. Oh, I should also mention that the staff were very prompt in serving me as well, which is a bonus.

The surroundings are casual and relaxed and staff friendly. This s little pub is popular among locals and backpackers. The food is moderately priced and not your usual pub grub. The pulled pork with salsa and slaw with tortilla was fine though nothing to brag about but still fine if your looking for a casual meal. I wouldn’t go out of my way to recommend tourists come here for dinner as there are many other options on offer but if your passing by then do drop in. They have over 40 beers and ciders on offer including international and gluten free beer, never knew that was a thing?

Établissement qui fait restaurant et pub dans un pur style anglais. L’ambiance est chic.
Il y a un grand choix de plat ou snack et une carte d’alcool impressionnante. La cuisine est délicieuse et rafinée.
Les prix sont assez élevés mais semblent justifié quand à la qualité de l’établissement.

North Melbourne has a crazy amount of great breakfast options. Auction room is just across the road with hordes of punters waiting outside to grab a table. Mean while the court house is fairly quiet. I don’t know why? Maybe people find it weird eating breakfast at a pub? I don’t. In fact I like it.
The menu is pretty standard and the juices are from a bottle which I guess could be improved. But hey, it’s a pub, what do you expect?
I had the big breakfast (why even have any other options on the menu?), and for $ 18 — it was well worth it. Everything was cooked to perfection. I made the rookie mistake of adding salt before I tasted which made it a little too salty, but that just means it was perfectly seasoned before.
The addition of the two crispy onion rings were a pleasant surprise. And the mushrooms… oh the mushrooms. I’d be happy with a big plate of them alone. The eggs and bacon were cooked just right.
Being a Sunday morning after a fairly big night a Bloody Mary was needed — Stat! I usually make my own, which means when others make it I’m disappointed (coz I make I a mean Bloody Mary — i’d rename it a bloody Mat, but that’s just cray cray). However I was very happy with the drink presented.
The service was warm, friendly and honest. Making me and my group feel welcome. Can’t wait to try out the day menu!

Pub of the decade no more! The Courthouse has recently changed hands and things aren’t looking good for fellow craft brew aficionados who, like me, had grown accustomed to the excellent selection of beers that had long made this a go-​to destination in North Melbourne. The last time I was here I was blissfully sipping a 3 Ravens ESB from a hand pump. Now the most adventurous thing they have on tap is Fat Yak. (The bottle selection, alas, wasn’t any better — unless you’re a fan of Peroni.)
Caught off guard, and having made plans to catch up for a drink after work, my friend and I decided to stick it out for a bit and give the new owners a chance. Shortly after sitting down with my drink, the proprietors commenced noisy construction activities with power tools in the back bar room thereby making conversation impossible. We left my half empty wine glass on the table and made our way out. Not sure I’ll be back.

I’ve been here many times and I love the bar area. The range of beers and wines is great with lots of microbrews from local brewers and further afield.
The food is decent, but too heavy on the meat for my liking.
I’m not a fan of the restaurant side. I took friends here for the degustation and it was all fine and tasty, but we weren’t wowed by anything in particular.
If I had a tip, it’s to eat in the bar area and enjoy the diverse mix of locals that drop by here. It’s one of the best places to get the local vibe of North Melbourne.

Most North Melbourne pubs are old, kind of dreary, and have nothing special going on. From the outside the Courthouse looks the same, so for the longest time I bypassed this pub. Turns out I should’ve given it a chance earlier.
The décor inside is quite nice. Its comfortable, yet modern and classy and the crowd is largely made up of local young professionals, that come for the atmosphere, food and great drinks.
I havent eaten here, but its a great pub to go for a few after work drinks. They have some lesser known beers, and some fantastic Australian wines. I love to try new things, so when i step into a bar and they offer something different thats always a thumbs up for me.
If you like wine, try the Massena Vineyard Barbera fron the Barossa Valley for a wonderful big red.

Pub of the decade. That’s what The Courthouse Hotel was recently awarded by one of Melbourne’s biggest radio stations (3AW). It’s a huge shout but when you go in to The Courthouse you can begin to understand why.
From the outside it looks like it’s been built in 1960s Eastern European communist era with it’s brick façade and not many windows however once you step inside it’s completely different.
Plush is the word I’d use. The front bar is well stocked and the bar staff are pros who know the wine and craft beers inside out. It’s not cheap but you come here for an experience not just a brew or vino. Trumer Pilsner — voted the world’s best pilsner is a winner, the most expensive beers are Belgian at 14 and 15 bucks a pop but the St Bernadus is 10% and will knock your socks off.
The menu is pricey but extensive at the same time and although I didn’t eat there the meal sizes looked more than reasonable.
The location’s not ideal in terms of places nearby but considering the competition to get pub of the decade in Melbourne it has to be worth a look.

From the outside, the Courthouse Hotel looks like a pretty plain affair: a slab of a brick building on the corner of Errol and Queensberry St with darkened windows and a few scrappy outside tables that never have anyone at them.
Inside, however, you’ll find a real gem of Melbourne’s pub scene and an award-​winning restaurant that leans further towards fine dining than pub grub. We’re talking the likes of confit duck leg with ras el hanout, smoked eggplant and pine nuts ($ 20 as an entre), and kataifi-​wrapped king prawns, lentil tabouleh, crumbled fetta ($ 32 main). I don’t know what some of those words mean either.
If fine dining isn’t what you’re up for, don’t be put off. The dimly-​lit, quiet front bar is a great place to hang out with friends and a couple of pints. And the selection of tap beers is second to none, featuring a revolving cast of local and international brews, including a personal favourite, Byron Bay’s fruity and summery Stone & Wood lager.
The wine list is long and the bartenders are great at recommending something, telling you about the label and describing the flavours.