Pub Of The Week: Tony Leonard visits the Stone Hotel in Fitzroy
PUB: Stone Hotel
WHERE? 298-300 Brunswick St., Fitzroy
PHONE: 9419 6413
SCORE: 13.5/20
WHEN? 27 October 2017
WEB: www.thestonehotel.com.au
VENUE
This is my first review.
Converted bank branch, then nightclub, the Stone has been operating on this busiest of corners for 2 years and has settled in nicely to its work.
Shining brightly from a newish coast of white paint, inside is neatly minimalistic from sealed concrete floor, bare timber tables/ benches/ chairs, exposed bluestone walls and a centrally located bar championing mainly craft. No TAB/No Pokies.
Due to its compact size, upstairs bar is a feature as you look over Fitzroy back to town. This is a ripper spot that will now come into its own in the hot weather.
The food is interesting and very reasonably priced pub grub of generous proportions. The wine list, like the food menu, like the pub, is compact. You will find something you like.
Weekday food specials around $15 run to a familiar course, but based on my experience will offer value for money. In a most understated way, without any element or gimmick being a standout feature of the pub, the Stone ticks over in spite of the surfeit of leisure dollar choices in this block alone.
The Stone would fit in area of Melbourne.
MENU
Good mix of options depending on your taste/preference. Hickory smoked lamb ribs – $18 – a serve will feed 2/3 people. Same deal with asian chicken ribs w/sweet/sticky glaze- $16. Pie of the day – fully encased is $22, Burgers @ 17-18, Parmas, $23, Pork tenderloin, $21.
Steak, fish, pastas, fill out a competent, effective food menu.
Entrees $16, Mains $22, Desserts $8
TRIED
Thai fish cakes, asian salad. 3. $16. Very Good. Housemade, distinctive flavours, great salad of cabbage, beanshoots, onion, carrot, Fish cakes were wonderful. As you know, these can taste like a mouth of asian flavoured clark rubber if not cared for but the kitchen did them proud.
Steak and veg pie, chips// salad. Good. $19 on special. A tad more filling, little less pastry would have elevated this, but nonetheless, this is the way they should be presented. Tasty for sure but stew in a ramekin it wasn’t; Hallelujah!
Chicken Caesar salad. $22. Good. There are so many variations of this. This one with 2 well seasoned fillets sit atop a jumble of lettuce, egg, croutons. The dressing needed to be a bit more prominent.
DRINK
One Carlton tap, the rest a mixture of craft, e.g. Stone and Wood pacific, MoonDog old mate, Mountain Goat Steam. A fiver for the Carlton, 6 for a pot of S&W.
The wine list is similarly left of centre and has many smaller producers represented. Gleeson and co riesling was tried at $11/glass. The prices reflect the standard for pubs in Melbourne.
SERVICE AND STYLE
Two members on staff that day on a quiet Thursday but that was more than enough. Happy to explain the history of the pub, push you one or two ways to what is popular, and provide table service in more serene times. No issue here.
SUMMARY
The Stone is another good addition to the outstanding pub scene in Fitzroy. In spite of a glorious abundance in an ever decreasing landscape for your ‘local’ , each pub in this suburb is easily able to carve out its own territory.
The Stone is no different. Good food and bev, well priced, comfortable, it is what you would want your pub to be.
If I were to offer some gratuitous, I’d pull down the paper signs on windows saying no change for parking or walking in to use the dunnies. C’mon team, you can wear that!
This is so competitive the area here and the Stone is more than holding its own.