Marquis of Lorne

The Marquis of Lorne has sat on the corner of George and Kerr Streets for more than 150 years. When new owners Matt Vero and Steve Rowley (Tall Timber, Touchwood and Station Street Trading Co.) and Will Benjamin and Cal Hitchens (previously bar managers at Newmarket Hotel) took over the old pub they decided not to turn it into something it’s not. Instead they’ve restored it to its former glory.

The three-level hotel was given a good spit and polish, so it retains its classic pub feel. It is light inside with a sunny upstairs rooftop. There is a 12-seater private dining room and chef Jacob Swain (Epocha, Builders Arms) is taking care of the food.

The menu is available on all three floors and includes bar food such as potato cakes, Pacific oysters and grilled octopus as well as counter meals such as chicken schnitzel, a 250-gram scotch fillet and a cheeseburger. With a focus on meat, there is also slow-cooked lamb ribs, a chilli and fennel dog and a lamb roll.

Wooden tables still sit out the front for a knock-off pot in the sun, and there’s even a TV screen in one corner playing the footy sometimes.