Pub of the Year 2010

In 2010, a total of 41 pubs were reviewed. As explained previously, a mark from 13 – 15 is where most pubs will fall and in keeping with past scoring, (I have always maintained it is an inexact science with me!), 6 fell below that mark and 7 above. And the winner is...

• Pub of the Week on Mornings

De Bortoli Wines

Proudly Australian and family owned since 1928.

Review: Rose Hotel

"Day or night, it is the quintessential extended home away from home, and three years from my last visit, the friendly vibe remains intact, the food and drink prices still offering real value, and the beer is served cold, fresh and in 7oz glasses Yay."

Review: Limerick Castle

Review: "The pub year is coming to an end and with my last two reviews, it’s time to go back to the very essence of hospitality and that is the local corner pub."

Review: Richmond Seafood Tavern

"The main dining area is bright, well spaced, with both booth and table seating available. Service to the table, napery, water, bread, completes the package. The blackboard screams try everything."

Review: The Gertrude Hotel

"In its beautiful understated manner, water, bread, butter, is brought; menus are presented. The choices do not overwhelm, and are limited to 5 entrees and mains, supported by a couple of specials. They make for different reading but do not intimidate."

Review: Portland Hotel, Melbourne

"The Portland Hotel makes a big effort to put together an engaging hospitality package with the emphasis on the beer as much as any other part of the pub." Read more.

Review: The Prince Alfred Hotel

"I love Port pubs. In the space a square kilometre, every style of pub, be it high end food, local boozer, hang out and look cool, is covered. While the price of housing may be off the Richter in the borough, it is worth stumping up the extra if this is something you value." Read more.

Review: Millers Inn

"For me, going to the Millers Inn brought back some wonderful early 20's memories for me; of cherished friends from different church/youth groups/cricket teams in the west that have all moved on and contact (with most) long lost."

Review: Mentone Hotel

"The Mentone is a fantastic, multi storey, Victorian style hotel. Externally the sandy colours exude warmth; inside the high ceilings, fabulous looking courtyard promise so much. But in my opinion, something falls short."

Review: Young and Jacksons

"It is comfortable and comforting, old world, iconic, but above all, it is one of Melbourne’s most identifiable landmarks."

Review: The Palace, Sth Melbourne

"Gastro Pub, High end Bistro, Formal Restaurant – what ever tag you want you want to attach to it, the Palace is another fabulous addition to Melbourne’s pub landscape." Read more.

Review: Barkly Hotel

Review: It is unmistakeably St. Kilda the location of this pub – corner of Inkerman and Barkly with a massive ad for Linenhouse and Nick Rewoldt staring straight at you.

Review: Skinny Dog Hotel

"The SDH plays it sure and steady with its offer; nothing outrageous to scare away the Indians but certainly nothing so remarkable as to stand out from its brethren either."

Review: Commercial Club Hotel

"The small front bar welcomes. Background music is playing at the right level. The bar top is a sealed and polished concrete slab. Someone’s attempt at the All-Australian team is scrawled out on an old blackboard. I think they got 13 of the 22." Read more.

Tony Leonard's 2nd Quarter Awards

Find out who picked up the gongs as 3AW pub critic Tony Leonard reveals his awards for the second quarter of 2010. Also, read all of Tony's reviews for the year if pub grub is up your alley.

Review: The Kent Hotel

REVIEW: Would you ever design your home so that your shower is exposed to the passers-by so that they can make an assessment on your personal hygiene? Answer: No (unless your favourite holiday destination is Maslins Beach).

Reviw: North Fitzroy Arms Hotel

REVIEW: There are pubs that Irish/English, pubs that are sports bars, parma havens, have 70 beers on tap but there isn’t one like the North Fitzroy Arms.

Review: The Yorkshire Hotel

REVIEW: Like footy teams, I find myself barracking for owner/operator pubs: they are the type that are easily championed and, to continue the footy analogies, have to kick into the breeze for 3 of the 4 quarters.

Review: O'Meara's Elgin Inn

Review: Some pubs chug away quietly, away from the glare and gaze of critics, and build up a fiercely loyal following. I have bored long time readers sideways about the innate virtues of hospitality but once you bottle that fickle mistress the rest usually follows suit.

Review: Laurel Hotel

Review: Entering the Laurel Hotel on Thursday night, 650pm, (in my mind I see the time and date at the bottom of the TV screen as Scully and Mulder go in search of the unknown) and the bistro is humming. Near capacity, I take stock.

Review: Bell Tavern

Review: "Why the Bell Tavern, a 100km round trip? Can’t really say, other than I haven’t been there before. The web site? Well it says it has a TAB (it doesn’t) but that’s a long way to go for a bet." Read the full review. (Friday 9th July)

Review: Metropolitan Hotel

"We are lavished with options here, and the Metropolitan, as one of the (consistent) big 10 of Melbourne (IMHO), strives to remain at the cutting edge of pub hospitality." Read the full review. (Friday 2nd July)

Review: Pascoe Vale Hotel

Review: So here’s the rub. In spite of its tricky-to-find location and a clear attachment to the local community, it is an OK boozer, the like of which can be found in most suburbs, normally much further out than Pascoe Vale. (Friday 25th June)

Review: New Bay Hotel

Review: 'I visited 3 years ago when it open as the NBH and it started out as a suburban pub doing pub Chinese and made a pretty fair fist of it too. Now more modern bistro, the pub belts out very good pub tucker in most comfortable surroundings and ticks over very nicely with the locals.' (Friday 18th June)

Review: Maori Chief Hotel

Review: 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. Read More

Review: Royal Saxon Hotel

Review: The Royal Saxon, across the road from Bryant and May is the hottest new spot on the Melbourne pub scene, certainly grabbing all of Melbourne’s PYT’s late in the week. Read the full review.

Review: Montague Hotel

Review: If you are thinking posh pub, hold the horses there; It’s not. My criticism of the Montague three years ago was that the front bar felt sterile. In essence, come in, have a beer and let’s gets you into the bistro. Not now. Read the full review.

Review: The Vine Hotel

Review: Nine years on since it was the DeBortoli pub of the year in 2001, nothing has changed and for once, this is a good thing. Melbourne should rejoice that in spite of trends in pubs (some good, some not), that the Vine in Collingwood delivers what pubs in our City are all about. Read the full review.

Tony Leonard's First Quarter Awards

Find out who picked up the gongs as 3AW pub critic Tony Leonard reveals his awards for the first quarter of 2010. Also, read all of Tony's reviews for the year if pub grub is up your alley.

Review: Mountain View Hotel

REVIEW: In the best traditions of a pub having a second reference, this week’s pub, the Mountain (Mt) View, will always be referred to as “Barassi’s” pub. It has to be at least 20 years since Ron and Gags (Gallagher) ran this pub..." Read Tony's review.

Review: Imperial Hotel

REVIEW: "How appropriate that today’s pub, the Imperial, was once the site for a circus some 160 years ago, then a theatre, then some retail shops and finally in 1863, became a pub." Read Tony's review in full.

Review: Woolshed Hotel, Docklands

REVIEW: "If you are prepared to extend the CBD to the Docklands then Melbourne’s newest pub, is the Woolshed Pub in the shadows of Channel 7 and Etihad Stadium. An absolute bonus for the pub is its visibility from Harbour Esplanade." Read the full review.

Review: Bridie O'Reillys Hotel

REVIEW: "What struck me there was none of the overt, in your face, Irish-ness that these pubs trade on. Good. However the authentic Irish colleen behind the jump made the ordering ever so sweeter!" Read the full review.

Review: Terminus, Clifton Hill

REVIEW: "In keeping with the tradition started by the Herald Sun of '10 reasons why we say Christine Nixon must be sacked!', I thought I'd give you the equivalent in support of this fine old pub at the Clifton Hill public transport interchange." Read full review.

Review: All Nations Hotel

REVIEW: "It seems that barely a month passes in epicurean Melbourne life that a chef of some standing doesn’t ply his/her skills in an inner suburban boozer and knock out tucker that causes a long lost relative to turn in their proverbial and hard nosed reviewers to go weak at the knees." Read full review.

Review: Nash Hotel, Richmond

REVIEW: "Maybe if you are travelling on a crowded train to your office you want the change immediately: not so if you are a publican, with one of the quaintest beer gardens in Melbourne and relishing the conditions to bring the numbers in. And this pub is thriving in the tropical heat." Read full review.

Review: Daiseys Hotel, Ringwood

REVIEW: "Ever been to a stand up comedy show and noticed how a funny thing has happened to said comedian en route to the gig? Why don’t funny things happen to dentists, accountants or pub reviewers on the way to the surgery, office or hotel? Well funny things happened at Daiseys this week, a large outer suburban pub in the east suburbs, although I suspect that any humor was unintentional." Read full review.

Review: Union Hotel, Ascot Vale

REVIEW: "The Union Hotel is an institution in the inner North and is far superior at every level to its nearest competition, the Waterloo cup and the Anglers. In its colourful past, it had a fearsome reputation for very hard men to gather and then wheel and deal, but not anymore." Read the full review.

Review: Orrong Hotel, Armadale

REVIEW: "So it was off to visit an old mate, The Orrong. Nothing had changed on entering, not a thing. Depending on your point of view, that is feast or famine. The old charm is there, the beer was as good as anywhere in Melbourne and the girls run it in an efficient, friendly manner." Read the full review.

Review: Barkers Wine Bar

REVIEW: "Let’s crank up the stereotype-gram here. Wine bar – When you hear those words what do you think? A group of overly earnest men and women, (men with goatees/skivvies, ladies with a gold chain on the rests of their glasses) discussing how The Times Cryptic doesn’t do it for them anymore or what’s on Radio National?" Read the full review.

Review: Royal Oak Hotel

REVIEW: "Funny one this: Simply I don’t know whether to have an expansive review of my recent experience there or just give a skeletal summary of the Royal Oak, Richmond." Read the full review.

Review: Middle Park Hotel

REVIEW: "I don’t care where you live, the fundamental essence of a pub is to have a thriving front bar to meet, greet and generally crap about on about nothing in particular." Read Tony's review in full.

Review: Grandview Hotel

REVIEW: "The old fable of the tortoise and hare could not be more appropriate when reviewing the Grandview; simply it does the basics well day in, day out and doesn't swim outside the flags in spite of its increasingly chic locale of Fairfield."

Review: Mona Castle Hotel

REVIEW: As you know self praise is no praise but I thought I would lift their words from the website (good) as to what they think of their little pub: "A sure candidate for an endangered species list – a small, friendly, dependable local pub with all the trimmings." Now, accuracy can be rubbery when praising your own work, but this is spot on! Simply it is what you would want your local to be.

Tony Leonard: Welcome to 2010

TONY LEONARD: "Greetings and welcome readers to the DeBortoli Pub of the Week for 2010 as the search around Melbourne and Victoria commenced 22 January and will take in around 40 hotels for the year." Read Tony's welcome.

2009 3AW Pub Awards

3AW's Tony Leonard's year-long - and in this case decade-long - search is over. Find out his Pub Of The Year for 2009 and Decade (2000-2009) and take video tours of both venues.

3AW Pub Of The Week 2009

3AW Pub Of The Week is back - and better than ever - on 3AW.com.au. Take the tour through Victoria's best and worst pubs with our expert, Tony Leonard.

3AW Food - Eating Melbourne

3AW is Food: Melburnians love to eat so it's fortunate we live in the culinary capital of Australia. On this dedicated food page you will find the latest recipes by Bob Hart as well as Tony Leonard's Pub of the Week reviews. La Luna head chef Adrian Richardson also serves up a dish from his own cook book and food reviewer Ela Carte visits one of Melbourne's hottest eateries weekly.