Regular readers of this blog will know I'm a fan of the classic Aussie pub. When it comes to the
Napier Hotel (210 Napier Street, corner of Moor Street, Fitzroy), a lot of rave-phrases (hereonin referred to as
phraveses - just cos I can) have been thrown around. Reviewers point out the pub's 'commitment to the old-school Fitzroy vibe', its support of the long-defunct
Fitzroy Lions*, and inevitably mention its infamous Bogan Burger - a meal which the pub is no doubt trying to disassociate itself from, at least somewhat (as revealed by the words "Not Just Bogan Burgers!" on the
menu section of its website) - possibly due to the gentrification of Fitzroy overall, and the prolific rise of foodies in Melbourne (ahem).
And here comes the crunch: Although I like the Napier, I don't love it. I don't mind it. There are better pubs around, in my opinion. Despite this, it is still very popular, raking in a 92% approval rate on
Urbanspoon at the time of writing.
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| Original features |
The food's good. The layout is messy and I find the place cluttered and a bit tacky. Some of the artworks are fun, lots in a retro style, and are obviously the sum total of years of collecting and amassing random items. Most of the building's original features have been retained, which give it a nice 'local' feel, and it is easy to find, nestled in the heart of Fitzroy, behind the grandiose
Town Hall.
The pub definitely has a sense of history, and it does cater for everyone, with bar areas, street seating, an outdoor courtyard, a dining room, one or two TV screens, an ATM, fireplace, music, footy memorabilia, et cetera. However, the bar tables and built-in courtyard tables are pretty squishy: comfortably seating two, four to six at a stretch.
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| Courtyard |
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| Front bar |
I was there in a group of six for dinner; we had to commandeer part of one of the larger dining room tables, sharing the other end with randoms. It was effectively our only option, if we wanted to sit together. It was also a very noisy environment, making conversation difficult.
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| Main dining room |
The specials board was hard to read in the dimly-lit dining room, but the food was varied, pertaining to many of the more common food requirements, and it was tasty and well-cooked. I've not tried the Bogan Burger, frankly because it sounds disgustingly overfilled (containing steak, chicken schnitzel, onions, cheese, pineapple, beetroot, egg, potato cake, bacon, lettuce AND tomato), but I did try kangaroo for the first time at the Napier (hmm, not really my thing). This time, we went for slightly more generic food options, all of which were great:
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| Steak |
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| Dahl |
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| Goat curry |
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| Barramundi |
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| Prawn risotto |
The wine was on the affordable side, which I liked. Service was a bit hit-and-miss, but perhaps that was due to how busy the place is, consistently. (Benefit of the doubt is my specialty!)
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| My sis enjoying the wine, maybe too much?? |
One interesting - and distinguishing - factor of the Napier is its upstairs artist-run
gallery space. I haven't seen it, but apparently it has existed there for many years now. Might have to go have a look soon...
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| Firewood on the way out to the courtyard |
The Napier would probably be one of my favourite places in Fitzroy if I lived around the corner from it. The food is great value and the vibe is pleasant, ideal for groups of two or three (but I wouldn't go any more than that). You forgive almost anything when it's your local (grumpy service, white noise) and there are many good points to the Napier. It's definitely worth checking out, but I personally prefer to stop in at the
Union Club,
Standard or
Rainbow.
*In the five years I've been living in Melbourne, I've noticed a cult-like dedication to the Aussie rules football club that was merged with the Brisbane Bears in 1996. THAT'S ALMOST 20 YEARS, PEOPLE. I daresay many of the newer residents of Fitzroy don't give a crap about the Fitzroy club. Or maybe it's just me. =D
