Pub: Maori Chief Hotel

Where: Cnr. York and Moray St., Sth Melbourne
Phone: 9696 5363
Date: 11 June 2010
Score: 13.5/20
Internet: www.maorichief.com.au

I am at page 15 of the omniscient Google, searching for other Maori Chief Hotels in Australia and finally give up the chase.  

To the best of my knowledge, none exist in Victoria, and probably no more in Australia beyond that in South Melbourne.

Why the Maori Chief?  So named in 1867, it was to honour the aforesaid head living in the district (if my memory serves me correctly when I visited last week), complete with a massive painting adorning the bar.

Fast forward to the present and this pub, a triple story Victorian building with a facade resembling a raspberry splice, achieves an urban cool without extending itself.

How so?  First up the location.  If South Melbourne has a hard to find area, the Chief is located there, on the corner of York/Moray between Clarendon St., and King’s way.

Second, the outside with its fading cream upper stories, looks like it could do with a freshen up,  but somehow it is that challenge of going in somewhere that doesn’t look like a clinic that gives a point of difference.  Beer garden on top floor gives great vistas of Melbourne.

Third, the front bar is old school or more precisely ancient as the old wooden floor boards, pool table and wooden bar screams wild west/1860’s saloon, but very comfortable.  Excellent draught beer (3.7/pot) and music at the right level continue the feel.

Although over three levels, the action is on the ground floor and stepping through to the bistro (past the side bar) and you go back in time again, this time to the 1960’s.

How the MC has gathered every last Laminex table and chair of various colours in Melbourne is a feat in itself, but every baby boomer sat around a table like this when they were growing up.

You want a take a walk on the nostalgic side then this is the place.

Food, fully plated is very fairly priced and is good straight up and down pub grub.  Except for the 350g aged porterhouse, veg/mash or chips/salad and choice of sauce (28.50) all mains fall under $20.

And as we dined on Tuesday, the steak was $15 all day.  Ordered, it didn’t miss.

Shared was

 -  a trio of house made dips, Turkish bread and olives (13.50).  Generous, creamy, filling, all three had been prepared from the kitchen (beetroot was the best) and the offer of a plate of olives was a neat touch.

 -  Calamari (e13, m16), lemon pepper coating, salad leaves, tartare, chips.  This was a recommendation from the wait staff and easily met expectations.

A main that wasn’t shared was the Red Chicken Curry @ $18. If there is an area of pub grub that is getting better each year it is in the humble curry. This was a medium warm hummer, rice, roti and raita and the thigh meat used was simmered to perfection.

A bottle of Boston Bay Sav Blanc ($28.50) completed the meal, fairly priced and a very good drop from the Eyre Peninsula.

Every Friday night, Melbourne’s best and enduring stand-up comedians, led by Tim Smith present a show “The Chat”, in front of a live audience (there is a charge) which is reproduced as a podcast (its free).  Go to www.timsmith.com.au

And so, 4 of us had a very good meal, a couple of beers, and a glass of wine for $30 per person.  But just going to the Maori Chief reinforced to me why Melbourne pubs are so envied.

Like so many of its ilk, they just work without any gimmicks but rather by creating a happy, safe environment, laced with good old fashioned hospitality.

Tony's Pub Of The Week 2010

Tony Leonard is back again this year providing readers with reviews from all the pubs he visits on the Neil Mitchell program every Friday after 11:30am. Your home for all of the reviews - 3AW.com.au/pub2010. More here.