REVIEW: Keilor Hotel

Pub:          Keilor Hotel
Where:     670 Old Calder Hwy., Keilor
Phone:        9334 0400
Date:         16 October 2009
Score:         14/20

It has been four years since my last visit to this quaint, almost (big) country pub in the city and a number of changes have, and continue to, take place. From the spacious courtyard doing small plates on the weekends, to a Sunday market, this pub gets better in my opinion.

Never though, in 14 years of going to pubs around Victoria, have I known of a pub doing a certain type of renovation.

In 2010, there is a chapel to be built in their massive gardens: yes, a church.

Somewhere to exchange vows, legally, and then walk 20 metres to the reception. An explanation follows but this is one stop shopping for those considering something other than your local reception centre.

But, back to the basics. The Keilor Hotel is a superior offering to the run of the mill suburban pub, having been in the one family for over 150 years.  It is large for sure, but is no barn.  In fact the brickwork screams proper English tavern and with its low lighting, the Keilor creates a very warm atmosphere as soon as you walk in.

Pokies , no TAB, are set well away from the bar and dining room.  The front bar is strictly old school and the beer on tap is a beauty.  Without the horses or dogs going off every 10 seconds, it is extremely pleasant to meet up friends and colleagues, minus the usual interruptions.

The dining room is large, fireplace in the middle and bangs out superior tucker to most pubs in the suburbs.  Ok, it will cost a dollar or two more per plate, but at least you will get real value.  

I make a plea to managers of other venues who have pokies; go to the Keilor, pinch the menu and adopt it in your hotel.  At the very least consider, as based on what I had, it stacks up nicely with most pub meals I have tried this year.

Tried (on a shared basis) was;

•    San Choy Bau ($11.9 – 3 or 4 servings depending on size of filling).  The chicken and pork mince had a ripper bite to it, more a dry curry to my taste but I liked,

•    Chilli Calamari, chilli/lime dipping sauce - $12.90.  Cooked perfectly, the chilli did not overpower.  A nice variation to standard salt and pepper,

•    Seafood tasting plate - $18.90.  A nice mix of oysters, tempura prawns, marinated calamari. Presented on a rectangular p[late, the visuals were good, food better,

•    Asian style pork belly salad, passionfruit dressing - $22.90.  Six sticky, moist, fillets, rather than a block came amidst a salad of bean shoots, carrot, coriander, lettuce and the kitchen made dressing gave it an extra lift.

As I said at the start, the food has gone up a notch and in its own way, is breaking down pre-conceived ideas of pubs and pokies.  Donna (ex- Bells) has joined the team and her experience is to the fore in the kitchen.

Ok, back to church on the pub site.  The Keilor has the biggest garden area of any pub I have visited.  A state of the art sound system is housed inside a monstrous marquee which can do functions/receptions for up to 200.  

But with plenty of land left over, why not build a chapel at the end of the garden, and after the service go straight to the reception?  The plans are with the council at the moment, but for sheer ingenuity, this is a 10/10.

If nothing else, go and have a look at the set-up with the courtyard/marquee; it is impressive!

And so is the offer as far as food and beverage goes.  I really liked it.

Thank you for taking the time to join me in another year of going around Melbourne, (and where possible Victoria), in search of the DeBortoli Pub of the year in 2009. I am.