NEWMARKET HOTEL

 34 Inkerman St, St Kilda 9537 1777

Blink and you’ll miss it. Seriously. I used to go to a theatre down the road, and always wondered if the grubby old pub on Inkerman St was actually occupied, and you might ask yourself the same question as those who’ve done the very impressive renovation (with the help of 6 Degrees architects) have left the façade completely unchanged – down to the grafittied Foster’s Special Bitter signs. The “Schnitz and Tits” sign seems to have been removed, though.

But step inside and it’s a whole new world. This is as impressive a makeover as I’ve seen. The most striking feature on this sunny St Kilda day was the openness of the establishment – we didn’t want to sit in the direct sun, but also wanted to capitalize on the fresh, warm day – and all seats inside the Newmarket hotel have the uncanny advantage of feeling like they’re by a window somewhere. Huge glass windows lining the side of the establishment open fully, leaving patrons along the length of the joint to enjoy the cool breeze. Huge concrete arches run almost the length of the interior, tables are simple timber and the seats are comfy, black leather swivel numbers.

Our waiter tells us the “new” Newmarket Hotel has been open for four weeks, and we screw up our faces. It can’t be possible. The place is heaving. There were only two tables left when we arrived at 2pm on a Sunday – this without any advertising, White Pages listing, or website. There’s something to be said for track runs (the owners are already booming from the success of the Albert Park and Middle Park Hotels) and word of mouth.

The Newmarket calls itself “California Inspired”, but it’s certainly the Hispanic flavours of that US state that it’s channeling. Standing out immediately from the menu are entries including Latin staples like chorizo, morcilla, bocadillo, tacos, carnitas, chipotle and quesadilla.

The biggest problem with this menu is that it’s oh-so-expansive, and so many things sound good that decision-making is a nightmare. It’s definitely the sort of place best tried in a group, so that you can taste a good variety of dishes and share the love. Still, we managed to scoff entrees including seared Spring Bay scallops with watermelon & Vietnamese salsa ($14); and two types of soft taco – spicy calamari with guacamole & tomatillo salsa ($14 for two); and wood roasted bone marrow, chimichurri and ranchero style brisket ($16 for two). The bone marrow tacos were the standout, filled with coriander, sweet corn, chewy marrow and wrapped in a thick, homemade soft corn taco – they were subtle but memorable.

To accompany the smalls, it was St Louis cut pork ribs with the thickest, sloppiest, tastiest BBQ sauce ($35). A heap of tang, a decent kick of spice, and gloriously messy. Staff correctly anticipated that we’d need a water bowl and extra serviette – how very perceptive! The ribs were accompanied with a refreshing, creamy apple coleslaw.

I desperately wanted to tack on a “cocoa” (Catalan pizza); red mole barbecued pigeon; or wood roasted free range chook – but the former really was enough tucker, and I was determined to leave room for dessert. We went with the Chocolate and chilli ice cream with local cherries, light almost gelato like icecream with the most subtle chilli hit on the back of your throat, that’s sweetened with crumbled honeycomb and then whacked with a sour cherry punch at the end.

Couldn’t go past the Newmarket’s cocktail list – the Chilean Charge is a sweet and sour dream, with the national drink of Pisco as a base, rhubarb liqueur, pomegranate syrup and more; or for the more adventurous, the thoroughly original Mexican BBQ is the smokiest beverage you’ll ever taste, a mix of Mezcal, lime, smoked agave syrup, ginger liqueur and topped with some BBQ-ed pineapple.

Most affordable is the Newmarket wine list – limited to non-labelled Victorian wines that come out of a TAP via the barrel. House wines from $6 a glass and $34 a litre (bigger than a bottle) up to $8 and $44 for their “fine” stuff. We tried the Rose and it did what it says on the tin.

Considering we went all out with a number of starters, shared main, two cocktails, two wines and a dessert – a bill coming in under $140 seemed extremely reasonable

One word of advice, with no advertising or online presence to date, the Newmarket is already enjoying the popularity of a well-established, well known eatery – if you want to check it out, book early and get in soon!

AUDIO: Ela Carte review of Newmarket Hotel with Ross and John