Hotel Railway Brunswick

Following a three-year hiatus and major facelift, Brunswick’s heritage-listed Hotel Railway has opened its doors and beer taps to the public. The mammoth venue (one of the biggest hospitality venues in the North) is perfect for hosting casual diners, cocktail aficionados, foodies and friends looking for a Friday night haunt that’ll be spinning tunes till late.

The stunning venue may have undergone some big changes, but it still retains a lot of heart and soul - Guests will find original pieces of history preserved from the old Railway throughout, such as the original fireplace in the beer garden outside.

With five different dining spaces, there truly is a place for everyone. Patrons can enjoy a cocktail in the corner bar, a long lunch in the dining room, a cool beer and boogie in the main bar, or a classic pub meal in the beer garden and courtyard.

We loved tasting our way through Hotel Railway’s dining menu which is carefully curated with flavours inspired by Brunswick’s migrant past, taking cues from Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and Southern European cuisines.

An open fire kitchen delivers mouth-watering meat, fish, vegetables, with vegan and vegetarian options available.

We opted for the $65 banquet menu option and were completely spoiled! Highlights of the menu include the hummus and za’atar flat bread; roasted pumpkin, kale, hazelnut and burnt butter hollandaise as well as the incredibly juicy and tender rotisserie ½ chicken served with crunchy twice cooked kipflers and house made gravy.

The banquet also includes two incredible desserts – both of which were beautiful. The citrus cake with kumquat marmalade and PX sherry ice cream was light and beautifully balanced while the whipped cheesecake with fig jam and gingersnap crumble was wonderfully decadent.

The venue also boasts an extensive Australian focused drinks list with some of the best cocktails in town. Expect unlikely twists on classics such as the Beetroot Negroni made with Beetroot infused Wyborowa, Madenii Sweet vermouth, pomegranate juice and Campari as well as the Funk’n Furio which is made with a heady mix of Olemca Altos reposado tequila, triple sec, fermented mango and chilli, Vida mezcal, grapefruit bitters and smoked paprika.

Location: 291 Albert Street, Brunswick

Phone: (03) 9118 1740

Link: hotelrailway.com.au