Grace Darling Hotel

Are an awesome jerk chicken burger with homemade fries which I live, and decent selection of wines. Recommend the WA white wine if having the chicken

When I first visited this pub back when I first came to Melboure I took a shine to it because the name reminded me of some really cools pubs (or at least one really cool pub) back in Adelaide. However after having visited it a few more times the shine really stared to wear off. I’m not sure what it is that caused this to happen, but I suspect that it has a lot to do with there being so many more pubs in the area that I have found that are much better than this place. Okay, it is pretty popular, and the couple of times I’ve been here it’s been packed, however it isn’t one that I’ll be returning to anytime soon.

This used to be one of my locals when I lived in the neighbourhood. But it was during day/​afternoon/​early evening when I used to visit.
It turned totally knobish later in the evening and used to be insufferable on a Friday or Saturday night with a DJ playing shit dance music on the broken speakers at ear bleeding volume (sounds terrible).
During the time of the day I visited it’s wonderful. I love the building and the layout inside. The beer selection is excellent and bar staff friendly. It’s a beautiful building and the interior is cosy and welcoming.

We had our wedding reception upstairs at The Grace early April.
I can’t begin to say how happy we where. The night was amazing, the staff so easy to deal with. We had to have minimal input into how we wanted everything setup as what they do themselves was perfect anyway.
It was relaxed, the food was delicious and the chefs even cooked one of our own recipes for us.
Honestly, thank you guys for helping make it such a memorable and amazing night.

Was walking past this place and stepped inside to check it out briefly. They were playing amazing obscure music like early Cure records and Cleaners from Venus so decided to stay for a drink. Lovely little spot to have a drink/​chat with outdoor benches. Stayed for a couple of rounds and had a good time. A bit hit or miss with the staff though, some friendly, some not. I’d return though if in the area.

Was here on a sunny busy Friday for after work drinks — where a ton of people had similar ideas, the throng spilling out all around outside pretty much onto the road and well down the street, pints in hand (no way that’s technically legal considering how tight liquor laws are here, but loved that it reminded me of a London pub in summer.)
Happy hour prices were good, and obviously a big draw as half the place vanished as soon as the clock struck a minute past. Up to then it was shoulder-​to-​shoulder stuff, with music pumping way too loud for civil conversation. We all had sore throats from yelling by the time we headed off to Huxta to grab some burgers (too loud to eat there for us, and cant imagine we’re the only potential dinner patrons that has turned off.).

The Grace Darling is one of my favourite pubs in Melbourne. It’s well known as a hipster hangout and once you walk in you will see why. Calling it a pub is a little misleading as the food and drinks on offer are top notch and the staff, while usually looking grumpy and bored, are pretty cool and do a decent job.
It’s great as a after work drink or catch up spot because of the range of group seating (massive couches or tall tables) and the great $ 5 pints of Coopers! They do pretty good pub food and always have good music. The pub looks quite nice and fancy, not a dingy old pub. There is wifi that says guest but none of the staff ever know the password so useless. Check the bar out though!

I wondered what an «inside out parma» was. Now I feel robbed, humiliated and a little bit violated. A full quail size chicken stuffed with a tomato based substance, some lettuce and NO chips is NOT a parma!

Ten dollar jugs during happy hour? Sold. But if you need more…
So the food is seriously awesome. The menu changes all the time and there is always great specials too. If you ever see lamb shanks on the menu order it. There are really great vego options that are way more exciting than just a veggie burger. Their pastas are always cooked to al dente perfection and I had an actual carbonara from here made in the proper way withOUT cream. The burgers and parmas look pretty good but for me I always find something more enticing from the broader menu/​specials list.
The wine list and beer selection is fantastic. My red pick is the alpha box and dice Sangiovese (but you’ll have to buy a bottle oh well). The tap beers always offer really good craft beers to enjoy as well as some familiar ones (coopers, trumer pils)
In terms of set up, there is an upstairs bit that they have gigs in, lots of dark corners for second dates and heaps of high tables to have a good old session at. There is also a quieter dining area and a long table good for a bigger groups that you can book out. And for the people watchers and smokers the outdoor area offers a great view of smith street.

10 things in one, bustling with something for everyone!

When it is busy it is just too loud for dining.
I had the wagyu carpaccio which is great, but the steak was not up to scratch.
Music being pumped in was too loud. With a large booking next to us there is just way too much noise generated in the downstairs area which echoey as it is. Perhaps size restrictions are needed.
I must be getting old. I’m mostly criticising the noise, but it matters a lot when dining with friends.

Oh, people need to be more articulate when calling up this place — the first time I came here, I circled the block like five times (searching for a park space as well) looking for a «Grey Starling». Finally after standing right out the front and ready to bite my mates head off, it clicked in my head that it was actually the Grace Darling. After a ship. Right.
Very nice interior, especially around five pm when still light outside, but when it gets dark, the interior lighting is rather dim. The formal dining area is tucked away beside the bar and has a garden setting which is really nice. Menu wise, some decent sounding restaurant quality food is offered and you won’t find average pub fare here. Same goes for the beverages. They definitely have a more upscale focus here. Even though it got considerably packed after six, service at the bar was good, at least I got served whenever I approached.
People tend to spill out onto the footpath, drink in hand with a smoke. I remember seeing someone so drunk she went and sat in the middle of the road!

I’ve only been here recently, but I assume it has been given
a make over as much of the former grungy and derelict smith street has.
Some good tap beers are on offer, which is in the immediate front area;
a Coopers, and and a Orion from Japan. No Carlton draught! Ace!
That stuff taste fowl! Hipster beer for everyone. You do get hipster
service which is patchy and indulgent in taking it’s time.
The bar opens up into a dining area, with ample seating and tables. The
food menu looks good, but is pricey. The interior has been given a reworking,
and it looks quite good. A Little arty, a little warm, and not so white walls &
polished concrete. There are open fireplaces but they’re of the fake gas kind.
Live bands and music is on here too.
All in all, it’s a pretty good place to hang. Not too bogan, but not too classy
either. On the higher end of the middle ground.

One of Melbourne’s more attractive pubs with beautiful rooms featuring fireplaces, wooden floorboards, lovely garden, outdoor seating at the front for optimum people-​watching, and a great little gig room upstairs.
The drinks here are so good that you won’t be able to just have a quick one. You’ll inevitably want to stay for another especially once you’ve settled yourself into a nice corner table. There’s also a dining area to enjoy your better-​than-​average pub fare if a slightly more formal setting is what you desire.
The Grace used to host the weekend Hello Sailor Vintage Market, which was fantastic. A pub where you can shop for a vintage dress and down a pint as well. Genius.

This place got taken over a couple of years ago, and was transformed from old man drinking pub to young man drinking pub — with music.
The downstairs area is a beautiful looking space with polished floors and plenty of tables to sit the hordes that wander in around dinnertime. This place gets packed on the weekends. And rightfully so, the food it quality.
After you munch on the nosh downstairs, you can either drink up a storm at the bar — which seems the done thing. Or you can head upstairs and see some music.
The bandroom has got a smick sound system installed and the tunes sound crisp.

Sadly, the one and only visit I’ve had to this pub wasn’t a good one.
It started off by not getting served for a few minutes while I stood patiently at the bar without any other customers in sight. Then the bar guy decided to wander over and say, «Sorry guys I’m just really #@**$@) hung over».
Ok, that’s fine it is a Sunday after all…
Then we ordered White Rabbit white ale’s, he poured White Rabbit dark ale, we corrected him and he ignored us and walked off…
Sadly, I wasn’t impressed, even though the dark ale was pretty nice, it wasn’t what we ordered and I was in a bad mood from then on…

Nick Cave fans take note: if you squint a little almost every bartender at Smith Street’s Grace Darling Hotel looks like the much celebrated Aussie himself. All long hair, beards and slightly scarecrowish air, The Grace Darling Hotel’s staff are as artfully unkempt as you could ask. The Grace Darling Hotel itself? Nothing of the sort.
Somewhat insalubrious in appearance from the outside, The Grace Darling Hotel is actually a damn good pub. Boasting a never-​ending roster of gigs, a frankly amazing looking restaurant which borders on gourmet for a pub — I’ve been reliably informed that The Grace Darling’s steaks are incredible — and a great drinks list taking in some premium wines and ciders.
Seating is a mixture of chairs and very comfy couches and although this place gets packed at the weekends, if you can get in early and nab one of The Grace Darling’s said sofas you’ll be more than set for a great night.

Going to the Grace is a decision about where you’re spending your night. This ain’t no drop-​in pub, this is a find-​a-​corner-​get-​a-​drink-​and-​bunker-​down kinda place.
Of course, that has a lot to do with how packed it gets on weekend nights — it’s hard enough to move around, let alone find the door to leave.
But there’s also no reason to leave: a bar with excellent tap beers, wines, bar foods and bartenders (Joel’s the man); a classy and well-​run restaurant just off the bar, and a great upstairs band room booked with emerging local acts (if people are talking about a new band, they’ll be playing here soon enough).
There’s also a den downstairs that is the perfect private party room, and in summer you can get fish’n’chips in a cone to eat outside for $ 12.

Decked out like an Irish Pub (in the same fashion as several new Melbourne pubs of late), the Grace has a cosy charisma that carries throughout its three levels of bars. The basement is a small bar (lacking ventilation) that feels even more intimate due to the low lighting and low roof of exposed beams — it’s a little dingy, but charming, and makes for a great late night private party venue. The ground floor is the main pub space with an open fire, a pool table, and a bistro (that has a small menu specialising in some damn good pies). The top floor is the band room (with two more pool tables), which more and more these days is booking quality bands from Melbourne and abroad.
The Grace has a really good vibe about it, particularly in Winter, when the open fire is a real drawing card and the old-​school Irish layout feels most inviting. In Summer on the other hand, the space feels a little stunted by the fact that it lacks a beer garden or any real space where you can drink outside. Even so… the Grace offers good drinks, good food, good music, good vibes. Definitely worth checking out.

This Smith St bar is an institution in Collingwood having been the birthplace of the Collingwood Football club. I imagine that sentence sums up the crowd fairly well.
This is man’s pub — cold beer, big parmas and dark dingy lighting. The hipsters behind the bar bring in the younger crowd on Friday and Saturday nights, and during footy season this place is packed. Tradition brings everyone here after a Collingwood game.
This is a great winter venue with its cosy, candlelit tables and fireplace in the side room. Their outside area is limited and guaranteed you will be the envy of everyone in Collingwood if you manage to snag an outdoor table in summer (seriously, you will get stink-​eye from passers-​by.)
The restaurant area of the Grace brings a touch of ‘fanciness’ to the joint and the kitchen does not disappoint. Be warned: the Grace gets PACKED most nights due to their sensational happy hour of half-​price pots and pints of Coopers and cider, 4pm to 7pm.