Builders Arms

Well let me say we went for a quick drink and stayed for an amazing meal. the staff kindly set up a table for us even though they were very busy and we hadn’t booked (next time we will). A great place to go with a group of friends not really a romantic dinner venue. Food was way better than expected and service, staff were top notch.

Food is much fancier and a touch pricier than you may be expecting if you just walked in off the street looking for a pub bite, but after changing your expectations you’ll find that the Builders Arms has a lot to offer.
We had the cheeseburger, obviously the one thing kept on the menu to appeal to those there for pub fare, and that was excellent, but others at our table branched out and all meals looked great and next time I’ll be branching out for sure. Some delicious smaller brewery beers on tap and great wine list make this an all-​round solid dining option along Gertrude St.

Came here for a midweek dinner, it was quiet, but that offered a relaxed atmosphere. The décor is pretty sparse but felt inviting and the staff seemed nice enough.
It’s not cheap, which for a pub kinda kills the vibe but it’s defintley positioned as high end by it’s owners; Cumulus etc. The burger was superb, the fish excellent and we got through quite a few bottles of a delightful french white that wasn’t too expensive.
Pleasant experience.

Gah! The dreaded «I wish I could give half star reviews» syndrome has hit me. I love Andrew McConnell and pretty much everything he does but after a number of visits to the Builders, I really can’t bring myself to give 4 or 5 stars.
The food here is excellent and is the perfect place to please a family with diverse tastes. Steak for Dad, fancy and pretty bits and pieces for Mum, a shared lamb shoulder for me and my +1, a burger for Miss 4 and a delicious selection of wine that keeps the wine nerds happy.
BUT.
Service ranges from superb to downright neglectful as the room fills up and hungry diners demand attention. The noise, too, increases in volume and at times I found myself yelling across the table at my companions. It’s not the worst thing in the world, but nor is it «YAY I’m a fan» worthy of that 4 stars from me.
For a great feed then this is one of the best options on Gertrude Street, especially if you can make it earlier in the evening and get attention before the room fills up. Or, better yet, keep it super casual and grab a table in the front bar for a counter meal.

The first time I came here was on a Thursday afternoon when I was exploring Smith St and noticed that it was full of people in suits and ties. I suspected that they were having some lunch and spending the rest of the day drinking (namely because there is no office buildings in the area). I liked the beer garden out the back, but didn’t really think much of the rest of the pub. When I returned recently I noticed that the place was still pretty much full of suits and ties, which really isn’t my scene, so I finished my beer and left (though I still liked the beer garden).

Me and a friend did the «water under the moon» degustation went all out 5 course and wine matching. More like 8 course once u count all the little extras. Food was devine! Had both meat and vegetarian both were deliciously created and yummy. The room mood and setting was a bit «stiff» no real atmosphere but was nice enough. Also here the pub/​bistro area is always great food. Will be back to give that a go soon.

Was here Sunday, August 11^th. Love this place! It’s a fancy looking pub with great food. The guys behind the bar tend to be nice and very cute. However all the female waitresses we had were sooooo bitchy and rude! No amount of smiling or asking politely could help get that stick out of their butts! They hardly made so much as eye contact and forget getting a smile or friendly service! If they lived off tips, I would have left them zilch! Can’t see myself coming back here again, food and drinx are pricey to boot.

Great gastro pub fare. Lovely side dishes. Fun pub to hang out in. Good wines by the glass.

Firstly a couple of disclaimers:
1. I’ve eaten here before a couple of times so i was already a bit of a fan
2. When i went here the friends who were organising the evening made a bit of a mess of the booking so I won’t be holding the pub/​restaurant responsible for the hour long wait for the table.
Met some friends her on a Friday for a pre dinner drink in the bar at 7:30 with a table booked for 8:30. It’s just as well it’s a nice bar to relax and have a couple of drinks in as we didn’t end of sitting down untill 9:30 owing to the aforementioned stuff up with the booking. They have at least a half dozen beers on tap, plus a good range of wines on the pour. One of the bartenders seemed to be kept very bust making some pretty darn good looking cocktails as well. (I’ll get you next time cocktails!) Crowd wise the bar is… eclectic. A mix of the old guard who don’t seem to care if there local front bar has been tarted up, cool young things and some kind of trust fund kids who have just let their parents buy them dinner.
Onto the restaurant. I love a good round table so was a bit happy when out group was seated at a nice round table. From here we go coasting down a slightly winding decent like a nice coastal road. Firstly the rotisserie was done for the night. Shut up, I know right! It’s 9:30 what did you expect? Secondly just cause we didn’t get seated till late doesn’t mean you can ignore us for the table adjacent ordering their 6^th bottle of pretentiously overpriced, decanted by candlelight, bottle of Chateuneuf du pape or whatever region you had discovered that week. We would like to order at some point ok? So at this point the road flattens out and a lovely young lady gives us some good service, brings us some of that lovely bread and takes our order and (finally) gets us some drinks.
Food arrives and now the foot is firmly pressed to the floor as we attack a steep incline. Steaks are flavorsome and cooked perfectly. Baby barramundi is, well, I would probably join fat bastard in his love of eating babies if they all tasted like this. Juicy, tender and delicious. A few sides were shared and the go to has to be the chickpea salad. So much going on.
We gently begin to coast again as we wait 20 or so minutes after our plates are cleared before someone get’s our not so subtle hints that we would like some attention and brings dessert (desert) menu’s. Unfortunately the go to desserts are all out. A couple of people tried something but by this stage i had stopped paying attention to the food.
As usual the food doesn’t disappoint. The service seems to drop off the further you go into the night. So my big tip is to make an earlier booking than we did, or perhaps more appropriately make sure your friend doesn’t stuff up the booking so you have to wait for another table full of customers who are «lingering»
I’ll be back for the elusive rotisserie one night soon, and i’ll be going early.

Recently I have been taking refuge in Andrew McConnell’s properties more often. On this occasion, I undertook a good brisk walk to Fitzroy so I could enjoy the Builders Arms Hotel on Gertrude Street which is much closer in comparison to my last few journeys to Golden Fields in St Kilda.
You could mistake The Builders Arms Hotel for any corner pub and probably be misled into thinking it is just another drinking hole if you didn’t know any better. There is a bar area that is very welcoming and you could easily pull up a stool and spend a few hours drinking Cricketers Arms Lager and be virtually unaware that through a connecting door, a bustling restaurant awaits that flows to an outside terrace area. Fortunately for us, we were not distracted by the beautiful sound of beer pouring into jugs and the soft murmur of friendly voices in the pub and when we presented ourselves at the restaurant, the aroma of bread and the sounds of pleasant conversation distracted me sufficiently from my dry mouth.
Service was happy to take us to a table even without a reservation. The restaurant retains a hotel-​pub feel and an ambiance which was inviting. the tables are far enough apart so that you are not distracted by other diners. In typical Andrew McConnell style, there is a minimalistic design. There is little art to distract or even annoy which is refreshing which in turn encourages you to have pleasant conversation with your dining partners and be enamoured by the food and beverage on offer.
We ordered in a convoluted way that saw us requesting Claire de Lune oysters ($ 3.50/each) along with olive toast with Ortiz anchovies and peppers ($ 4/​each) as appetizers and cold poached chicken with English cream and breakfast radish ($ 16) paired with the seared tuna, celery, potato and white anchovy ($ 16) as entrée plates to share. Murray’s Whale Ale was offered in a jug ($ 25) so I thought it would be a convenient way to start proceedings with the demon drink.
Although the oysters tasted a bit alkaline, with a bit of lemon and of course the beer, the meal started off well. I really enjoyed the olive toast with the single Ortiz anchovy as I am a huge fan of the brand. Frequently I will stop around at Cumulus, Inc. and just order a beer and Ortiz anchovies and enjoy them at the bar however for this appetizer, I found the pairing of the anchovies with the olive element to be excellent. It would have been easy just to order 24 of these and sit around and drink beer all day, but I knew that there were more exciting things in store.
I like the concept of having a few entrée plates to share. The English cream that is poured on the poached chicken when it arrives is a winner and when combined with the radish made for a wonderful combination of tastes and is certainly a good light dish. The seared tuna was just that. A bright magenta colour and when sliced down the centre and combined with the celery, potato and white anchovy, made it my favourite dish from the experience. I just couldn’t get enough of the little soft cubed potatoes and the introduction of the salty anchovy ultimately made the tuna taste even better.
Another jug of beer was ordered along with mains. The fish pie which had smoked trout, prawns, rockling and sorrel ($ 32) and and offering of steak tartare ($ 24) which included chips seemed appropriate to order considering the beer. The pie turned out to be deceivingly large with a big bulbous top crust however once you slice into it, you find that it is not completely filled with product and there is a a fair amount of air however you do find a fair amount of fish and the pie is really enjoyable. My dining companion could not stop raving about the steak tartare and insisted that it is one of the best that he has had and put it in the same league as what you get at Movida. I ordered a tomato salad ($ 14) to accompany my pie and I was happy that I did.
Service remained very attentive throughout the two hour extravaganza. The team were always coming around to swap out dirty plates, utensils and to make sure that our table was clean. There was always water available and we never waited long to have our supply of alcohol replenished. I liked the casual feel of the place but also the professional flare. My very enjoyable meal set the foundations for further beer consumption at the Gertrude Hotel down the road and was certainly a stand-​out experience in the recent past.

Do not come here expecting pub food! I think this is a necessary disclaimer given the sub-​par reviews for this place.
The food is freaking incredible. Oh lordy.
It is not a big slab of cheese-​laden chicken for $ 17 with a pot *shudder*. This is the work of Andrew McConnell, of Cumulus/​Cutler & Co/​Golden Fields fame. This is a pub you go to for an amazing meal and evening out.
If you’d rather steak tartare seasoned to sweet perfection over a surf and turf, pull up a chair.

I will spare you the nostalgia, but suffice to say the Builders Arms was once a paragon of the down-​to-​earth gig pub. Enough said.
Now it’s a gastro-​pub/​wine bar. The interior is bright and refreshing. The seating is mix of bistro tables and larger share tables. Shares tables seemed a stretch, given the prices, but we got placed on one and were quite happy.
The service on this occasion was confident, helpful, and attentive. Food was delicious and the wine was well matched by our waiter.
There is a bar not too far from the seated dining but it proved no interruption as the mood is sophisticated but relaxed.

Prime location with high prices. Steak was OK, but not good value. Mains are $ 25 – 35, and you will definitely need a starter on top of that.

It’s not my favourite pub in Melbourne but I like the Builders Arms– I like the location and I find it really comfortable. This is a place where I know what to expect — there aren’t any surprises and you can catch up with friends, have a drink or a meal and take things as they come.
I really like the Builders Arms at this time of year. The long, warm evenings are perfect for sitting outside under the trees and watching the customers along the Gertrude Street strip. Just make sure you bring some mosquito repellant.
The food here is great, and while it is a little bit dearer than other venues I will happily pay for the quality. The crispy pig’s cheek with quails egg, garlic sauce, and the radish and parsley salad ($ 15) is delicious, and the hand cut chips ($ 8) are the perfect accompaniment to a glass of white or a beer in the summer.

There are so many concessions you have to make at the Builders. The food is good but it’s more expensive than the likes of the Union and the Napier. The seating out the front is great on a sunny afternoon, but it’s hardly private and the unmovable tables are bad for groups. The inside bar is better for groups, but it’s a bit dark and dingy. The tap beer selection is fine, but no better than anywhere else, and again, more expensive. It has a back courtyard, but it’s not set up well or nicely.
It does have a pool table… I’ll give it that without any qualms, as well as the fact that it has a very decent little band room with a roster of excellent local and interstate music — whoever books this place knows their shit. But without any other big drawcards, and the fact that it costs more to have beers with your tunes than other places, it’s rarely enough to get me there.

The Builders Arms used to do a $ 20 all you could eat Sunday Barbeque, which included a delectable spread of seafood — or at least so I heard. They definitely don’t do it now, so sorry if I got you a little excited there. But it is all to point out why I was excited about this place for so long.
You see, I never did make it to that famed Sunday feast. But the knowledge of its existence somehow made the Builders Arms a desirable place for me to go. Well, more than two years have gone by since I first heard of this summer dining experience and the memory has long since faded. I now find myself popping in there and wondering why I bothered.
It certainly isn’t the bizarre fixation on monkeys this place has– so interestingly (and a little scarily) displayed with its weird art. And it isn’t the atmosphere — as I find the broken up spaces in this pub a little un-​enthusing.
But then I remember that this place isn’t so bad after all. In fact, it is a great place to pop in for an easy pint or meet up with a large group of friends. I think the food is also pretty good, and although I have the begrudging memory of said BBQ, I have easily been won over with their good burgers and even better Canadian style chips, gravy and cheese!
So there, I am decided. This place is good regardless of whether or not they bring back the summer BBQ. But for the record I think they should. Even if just for one night, so I get get that monkey off my back (ho ho ho sorry that pun WAS intended).

I’d been to The Builders Arms for a glass of wine, usually while waiting for a table at one of Gertrude Street’s neighbouring eateries, and my abiding impression of this popular Fitzroy pub was nothing more enthusiastic than an apathetic little ‘meh.’ On Friday that all changed.
Friday didn’t bring a particularly persuasive brand of hedonism nor was I converted to The Builders Arms by its service. No, it was The Builders chips, gravy and cheese that finally turned me on to one of Gertrude Street’s most patronised pubs.
A simple old fashioned drinking hole nearer the Smith Street end of Gertrude, The Builders Arms is as old fashioned and undone a pub as you’re likely to find around these parts.
Go to The Builders for a glass of wine, sit in one of its cute — and inexplicably Japanese butterfly themed — enclaves if you come as part of a group. Just don’t leave without trying The Builders Arms’ chips. Elevating ‘meh’ to ‘mmm’ since God knows when.

The Builders Arms is a basic pub with some decent beers and ciders on tap and a reasonable menu. There is also a bistro-​styled restaurant section at the rear that offers more expensive food that one would imagine is of a higher standard (though I haven’t eaten at the bistro myself).
The food at the pub is fairly standard (perhaps a little over priced for what it is) — but nice enough.
What IS really good about the Builders is the fact that most nights have food specials, such as Tuesday night fish and chips (with its cheap corner store fish’n’chip shop style menu — and stick around for Tuesday night Trivia) or Paella Wednesday (which again is very well priced, comes with sangria and is delicious), and so on. Most weekdays have a food special that’s worth checking out.
The atmosphere doesn’t really overflow at the Builders, so it sometimes has a bit of a stale vibe that doesn’t scream «party». But if you’re looking for a casual beer on a sunny afternoon, it has an outdoor drinking section at the front that provides a great people-​watching vantage on the Gertrude Street hipster fest.