Review The Provincial Hotel - Fitzroy

Even with the weather being as bad as it was I had the best time with my friends today!! I can not thank Shrav, Tess and Matt for showing us a great time and turning what we thought would be a boring time into one of the best outings we have ever had. We were offered custom cocktails that were out of this world and the food was amazing to match, I promise we will be back again and again and will be telling friends and family to make this a regular spot for our future get togethers, I look forward to talking more with Samantha about booking the salon for my birthday this year as well as was suggested by staff, honestly 100/10 and 20 stars if I could. You guys are amazing keep up the good work!!

I booked the courtyard for my 30th here on Saturday night. The functions staff Arthur and Sam were great to work with, organised an amazing night and were very accomodating including with some tricky dietary requirements of guests and some change in guest numbers. The space looked great, the food was delicious (and plentiful), the drinks package was perfect - including a really wonderful non alcoholic package for non drinkers - and everyone really enjoyed the night. The team also kindly packed up the leftover grazing board items towards the end of the night and stored them for me to take home which was really thoughtful and a great way to prevent food waste. Highly recommend a function here!

We celebrated a hens on the rooftop with the bottomless brunch option. The staff were amazingly friendly and went above and beyond to cater for my dietary requirements. The bottomless had so many drinks to choose from; mimosa, passion fruit cocktail, aperol, and spritz on tap. The rooftop vibe was beautifully designed. We then headed downstairs to the private function room and bar and the staff were still super friendly and looked after us really well. The private function room was a decent size, perfect for any event. I would highly recommend this venue both rooftop and function room.

Couldn’t be happier. We held our wedding reception yesterday in the Salon Room. Samantha our venue and events manager was sublime. Nothing was too much trouble, the room was decorated beautifully, service and food was amazing. Highly recommend for functions

Went there for bottomless brunch with a big group of friends on a busy weekend. Whilst there were a few glitches with waiting for drinks and slight mix up with the food, the staff really did everything they could to be friendly and accommodating. It's always super tough especially with a large group of people to make everyone happy but the staff really did nail it so we had a great experience. Highly recommend!

A fine pub with a very generous happy hour ($8 pints!). We also went on a lovely Monday afternoon and were able to grab some $10 pizzas; very good value for the area. That said, the quality of the food was not worth much more than the promotion price, and I would not advise one visit the Provincial with a dining experience in mind. Very friendly and helpful staff and some decent views of Brunswick St on the rooftop, however, there are only a select few spots that get those nice views. All in all, a lovely afternoon at the Provincial but the venue lacks any special character or charm to draw you back.

Staff we really sweet but we left within 5 minutes of arriving. We were told the beer garden would be quiet enough to talk in and when we got there the music was blaring to the point of windows shaking and the massive heater turned up so high one of our party started to get faint and we had to leave.

Seems like the venue had big night last night, good for them, but today the crew seems to be super tired and non responsive. The ordered cheese burger n chips used to be alright, but now turned up at the table cold and unspectacular. So much so that i thought a Maccas burger deal would have been much better deal, would've saved myself $38 easy. Hope to see you guys do better. A bit disappointed!

Was well surprised when stumbling across the roof top bar, as the views, food, drinks, atmosphere and staff were all 5star plus. Highly recommend and will be back.

Great area for a Sunday lunch catch up for the 10 of us! Would have been room for 50! Beautiful space with great roof to see the sky! Happy with the food and highly professional staff made it a great day

Firstly, if you are tall, be careful not to hit your head while going up and down the stairs. The rooftop is a nice space, although the views aren’t that spectacular. Being a Sunday, it was very busy, but we were lucky to get a table immediately as a table was vacated when we walked in. My husband went to the bar and ordered a beer and an Aperol Spritz. He came back with his beer. I asked where my Aperol Spritz was, and he replied that it was coming. There was a dedicated barman making cocktails, so mine was obviously added to his list. However after 10 minutes (it may even been 15) I asked a waiter as he passed by why my drink was taking so long. He told me he would look into it, but as they were new, they were still finding their feet. And then a waitress arrived with my drink. Nice, but in a smaller glass than I am used to, and too much ice. I much prefer crushed ice. Well the drink only lasted about 3 or 4 minutes. It was blowing a gale and neither of us could think of any reason to stay, particularly when it cost $28 for those 2 drinks! Rude!!! We thought the Builders Arms was bad, but the Prov has them covered. There is no reason why the Aperol Spritz could not have been made on the spot. Not good enough. We won’t be in a hurry to go back. Maybe through the week during the day when it’s warm, and it will be 2 beers or a wine. Naked in the Sky a much better venue and the drinks are immediate.

Delicious pub food but served in dispoosable containers. I can't even imagine the waste this pub must produce, not good enough!

Cracking roof top bar great space can get a little warm but then the breaks. Good food great staff will be back for sure. Cheers 🍻!

I went there on a sunny day. At the roof top.Had a good cocktail at the price of cocktail bars of CBD. The space is nice, although I would add a few stools around the bar. The people working there are friendly and with a big smile. The one thing I didn't like was that the slow service. The place was far from full but took too long to prepare two cocktails.

Wish I could give this place zero stars!!! Arrived at 10 pm after 3 beers down the road with my brother, was told that unless we were there for an event we wouldn't be let in. Told security that we were coming for a friends birthday, at which point another security guard accused me of being drunk (which I definitely wasn't). Cheers guys, missed my friends birthday... Will not be coming back!

Cool beer garden nice staff and good beers on tap. And don't forget the food was not bad as well. Been there three times nice cool spot to chill.

One upstairs toilet for this giant place!? What the hell lol

Helpful staff and great cold range of tap beer. I didn't have a meal but the meals I seen look great. Close to all restaurants. I will be going back.

$11 for a schooner (not a pint!) of average beer? Dreaming. Won't be back even if the rooftop had charm. Friends agree - they've lost a few customers.

Came here for the $60 bottomless brunch. Was it with it? In my opinion unfortunately no. <br/>🍴 I ordered one of the breakfast pizzas (broccoli, zuchinni, mint and confit cherry tomatoes). Despite the pizza only have four ingredients my pizza had no cherry tomatoes. Luckily the kitchen were quick to rectify the issue. My friend ordered the Northside Avo which was essentially smashed avocado with a raw kale and broccoli salad - was pretty basic. <br/>Drinks-wise the menu only offered 3 gin based cocktails and beer/wine. No usual suspects such as espresso martini’s... the brunch also involved an ice cream cart. However, it’s limited to a single scoop. Additionally, one of the vegan flavours was not even available.

Had a few drinks in the rooftop bar at the Provincial Hotel tonight ahead of dinner elsewhere. You really do get the most Magnificat views over my favourite part of melbourne from on top of this building. There were some serious Grandfinal screens set up and plenty of reserved tables so we were fortunate enough to find a table. I drank the refreshing little creatures Elsie while Kellie enjoyed a local variation on an Aperol spritz Alex the Spritzroy. Which I’m told was delicious. Food looked good. <br/><br/>We have had drinks and food downstairs previously and on balance I think the Provincial is only a winner with its upstairs roof top bar... a much more pleasant experience.

One thing that Melbourne is renowned for is it's rooftop bars, and the Provincial roof top in Fitzroy is up there with the best. In fact, when the weather is good you will be hard pressed to find a place to stand, let alone sit. It's open air hip vibe has the crowds lining up out the door to get in on a weekend, it's that popular.<br/><br/>I love the pastel and marble decor, and all the luxe greenery gives it more of a tropical vibe even though it's dead centre in the middle of arty Fitzroy. It is such a great place to grab a drink or two, and it has fabulous cocktails. The bar staff are so lovely, even though it gets so hectic at times.<br/><br/>There are loads of bar snacks, share plates, pizzas and burgers if you are hungry; and we always grab several plates to share so that we can try a bit of everything. We've never been disappointed with the food. It's always fresh,tasty and often with some fun spins on classics.<br/><br/>There's really nothing better than relaxing on this gorgeous rooftop on a sunny day. Whether it's for catching up with friends, a cute date, or just watching the world pass by below.

Been here with a couple of friends. Ordered salt and pepper squid which was yumm, wild mushroom pizza which sounded and tasted exquisite and a mountain of pulled pork nachos - delicious. Good quantity but a bit expensive.

great after works drinks, the place is an absolute icon on brunswick street. Great pub meals on offer with some ripper weekly specials. The views from the roof top are stunning

I have been here many times over the years, it is always a fun place.  The back room where the DJ is can get very crowded with people having fun dancing and mingling.  Still worth checking out though. <br/><br/>I came here recently and went upstairs to the new roof top.  What a great space, very spacious with a lovely vibe.  No city views unfortunately but still a nice stop.<br/><br/>The outside area downstairs was also great, lots of room.  There was a front restaurant area which had lovely decor,  judging by the comments I probably would avoid eating here though.  <br/><br/>A great pub for a drink - or two!

The rooftop bar is set up really nicely and the wine list was not bad. Unfortunately the worst vego burger I think i’ve ever had in Melbourne, with a limp bit of lettuce, one mushroom, some goats cheese and a little bit of mayo on a dry bun. Forget it there’s plenty of better options around

As you walk along the heart of Brunswick Street, you’ll come across ‘The Provincial Hotel Rooftop Bar’ a cool Fitzroy rooftop bar that is very popular with the locals.  Whether you’re in the mood for cocktails, beer or wine, the Provincial Hotel Rooftop Bar offers a great selection of cold beers on tap, local & international wines by the glass and a refreshing line up of creative cocktails that are sure to impress.

Memo to the Provincial: You're not riverside, you're not in the city. Therefore you can't justifiably charge over a tenner for a schooner of beer, especially after I've climbed four flights of stairs to get it.<br/><br/>Sure, you're probably saving up to install a lift, or keep that silly misting thing maintained properly, but if I wanted to be ripped off I'd go to somewhere near Flinders Street station.<br/><br/>The people over at Naked For Satan seemed to be having way more fun, probably because they hadn't been subjected to extortion on arrival.<br/><br/>On the plus side, your chips are rather nice, and the bar staff at ground level seemed quite pleasant each time I made the eight-flight trek up and down until happy hour ended...

The roof top looked inviting however they definitely pack way to many people into such a small space<br/>Go on a weekday afternoon perhaps as it has a lot of potential

This week's Wednesday excursion took us outside the CBD limits and into the heart of Fitzroy.  The Provincial Hotel has been around for years and visited at least once by most of us Melbournites in the last decade.  Today I was seeing it with fresh eyes...or broke ones at least.<br/>Upon entry we walked through the bustling front bar and the original dining room.  This would lead us to a newer indoor/outdoor extension which appeared to be suited to more dining. Beyond that room you are led further to an even more outdoor area adorned with string lights, bright mosaic tiling and ashtrays.  People were scattered around chatting and enjoying their dinner.  Families and post work crowds alike.  The vibe was warm and friendly. <br/><br/>On the Ground Floor Happy Hour is every weeknight where $7 schooners of all tap beer between 4 & 7pm makes for some excellent value. The Wednesday share deal should not be missed! With snack and starter plates usually averaging $10-$12 each, you can either have 3 for $18 or 5 for $25.  We of course went for the 5 and were stuffed for a measly $12.50 each! We partook in chips, fried chicken, sashimi, fried jack cheddar sticks and mini tacos. Nothing fancy going on presentation wise, but certainly nothing bad about the flavours.  <br/><br/>The Provincial Hotel was not a bad venture! Giant floor plan and friendly vibes all round.  Would love to have experienced the same costs in the lovely surroundings of the rooftop bar, but it's nothing to complain about. Definitely get yourselves down there if you're on a tight budget in Melbourne. <br/><br/>For the full blog and more of our excursions visit my blog:

Really enjoyed the food here! Tried the calamari, pizza, tacos and also did have a side of chips, the lemon pepper flavour was really great. Food came out reasonably fast and everything was cooked well. Really good pub food!

Ordered the Parma, came out in 5 mins. Definitely precooked and reheated. Cheese was already cold and chicken very dry. Do yourself a favour and don’t eat here. My wife got a pepperoni pizza, pretty sure the salami was bad. Drinks great, staff friendly and food terrible 👎🏼

We went for the all-you-can-eat crepes and bottomless drinks brunch. Staff were polite and as prompt as they could be considering how busy it was, but the brunch itself was a little underwhelming. Toppings were just processed, pre-packaged options anyone could pick up from the refrigerated section at their local supermarket and the options weren’t that vast either. Drinks selection was good. So I guess what you’re really paying for wit your $49 per head is drinks and a rooftop view?

Great venue. Had a few small gatherings here and always had fun. Rooftop is amazing but only thing it gets packed quite quickly and hard to get a table to get in early. Also if it rains it’s isn’t very good as it’s not all undercover. Cocktails are nice and great wine list and food it really good. Get the truffle fries!!!!!!

I love the vibe of the rooftop, and they really are quite clever with their menu. I had the Baseline burger during the Australian Open - and it had Swiss Cheese, Chorizo, Ajvar, and Beef... took me a while to figure out it represented Federer, Nadal, Djokovic and Murray. The yellow bun was quite a treat.<br/><br/>Just be careful, they don't do the special deals ($6 steak on a Monday, Burger night on Wednesday) on the roof top, you'll have to decide if you want the ambience or a cheap feed.<br/><br/>The bartenders are always friendly and helpful...

The view on the rooftop is insane!! But incredibly overpriced. I would only ever go here for 1 or 2 drinks and definitely don't eat there. A lot of other places you could go on Brunswick St to get better value for money

The rooftop has great atmosphere. Especially on a Friday when they play old skool rnb tunes. Their cocktails and mock tails are delicious and taste fresh. The staff are exceptionally nice and accommodating. Ordered the vegan pizza and it was a hit. It had an interesting mix of flavours which worked really well together. Have been back a few times now and will keep coming back.

Slowly become a regular here. The vibe at the rooftop is just too good. Love the cocktail something punch something and the calamari is to die for. Only complain is price is a bit high so can’t visit more regularly.

Love the rooftop bar! Its beautiful on a great summers day. The staff are lovely and deal well with hoe busy it was. Great vibes and views of course

Not a great experience. Table of 4 of us, 1pm on Saturday afternoon. One couple ordered just before the other and were served within about 10 minutes. The other couple were still not served 40 minutes later (despite 2 requests for our meal) and asked for (& got) our money back. The server said the reason for the delay was that a party of 30 had been waited on in between our two couples. We weren’t impressed that a pub couldn’t handle a partially full dining room on the weekend. We were going to sit in the beer garden, but the music was so loud it was like a nightclub in there. <br/>The thing that made it worse was that the meals were all served in wax cardboard boxes rather than actual plates. We noticed that the entire venue was being served like this and asked the waitress why. The reason given was so that no plates would be broken when servers went up and down the stairs to the rooftop. We called BS on this and are convinced it is to either save time or money on washing dishes. We are appalled by this terrible environmental decision. Will definitely not go back.

The new rooftop bar at the provincial hotel is simply gorgeous and will definitely go off this summer! With gorgeous views of the surrounding buildings and a great balance of shaded and sunny areas, we loved it!! The cocktail and drink menu is incredible and the food is delicious. We cant wait to go back.

Attention Management of the Provincial Hotel,<br/><br/>I am writing in regards to several serious incidents that occurred at your venue last Saturday (14/10/17) night. I was present for a friend’s engagement and am extremely distressed at the lack of regard you clearly have for your patron’s safety. <br/><br/>At approximately 11.30pm whilst on the dance floor area a large fight broke out between approximately six males. This lasted for about 90 seconds and resulted in serious injury to multiple patrons. At no time during this brawl did security staff intervene. Bar staff were left looking extremely shaken as were patrons. There was a large amount of broken glass and blood on the floor and whilst some bar staff did their best to clean it up it posed a major biohazard to remaining patrons. <br/><br/>At 12.30am I left the venue to go home and on exiting saw my friend outside. He was intoxicated and clearly needed to go home and I told him as much. He reported that he couldn’t as his fiancé was still inside with his belongings and he was no longer allowed in the premises. This was reasonable as he was inebriated. I advised him (I wasn’t drinking) that I would go back in and get his fiancé so that they could go home. I explained the above to the security guard on the front door and advised that I needed to get my friend to take her fiancé home. The security guard in question (ID 512) cut me off and stated I needed to line up in order to re-enter the premises. Again I explained that I did not wish to re -enter the venue, rather that my friend had been kicked out and needed to go home, however could not as his fiancé was inside with his belongings. The security guard ignored me and asked me to step out his way. I again explained that I wished to go home however could not until I saw my friend looked after and taken home. The security guard cut me off and told me I needed to line up. He was unreasonable and unprofessional in his manner, he refused to maintain eye contact and brusquely cut me off. He then made a comment about the inappropriateness of my shoes stating he couldn’t let me in wearing them. Again I patiently explained I was on my way home and had my high heels in my bag should he wish for me to put them on I could do so. I suggested he locate my friend if it was not acceptable for me to re-enter the venue. At this he became irritated, telling me to get out of the way and loomed forward towards me making me step backwards or risk being stepped on. I do not believe it is an unreasonable request to ask that a patron be able to leave the premises safely. In this instance it was your security guards specific actions that put a patron, my friend at risk. I do understand what a difficult job security guards have, however am extremely distressed at how this was handled. <br/><br/>I have serious concerns as to your protocols regarding the safety of your patrons. There was inadequate security within the venue to allow for appropriate crowd control, bar staff were having difficulty adhering to RSA laws and evidently require further training and the security staff you did have on hand further endangered patrons by not allowing them the means to leave the venue safely. <br/><br/>I certainly will not be frequenting The Provincial again.

Lovely looking venue.<br/><br/>All is not what it seems though, first they mixed up the booking and eventually was sorted by a lovely staff member, second they had no idea about the voucher, which they gave out as a prize back in September and think the staff needed to know as I did make mention of this in my booking, but it was extremely embarrassing I had to show them emails and Facebook posts to prove that they had that set up.<br/>Once again it was sorted by a lovely staff member.<br/>Drinks were a bit overpriced and that stairwell I narrowly missed bashing my head as did my friends.<br/>The burgers were okay, but nothing to write home about.<br/><br/>Mixed feelings about here, but my 3/5 ratting could of Beene worse rating if the friendliness of the staff didn't come into play.

In the heart of Brunswick Street’s food and dining precinct, The Provincial Hotel is an iconic pub with a restaurant, bar and function room. Their newest addition, launched just in time for the summer, is The Provincial Rooftop, which overlooks Brunswick Street.

Wandered along here for the happy hour, $10 parma and trivia night. Had a mighty time. Lined up a few $7 happy hour priced reds before 7pm which were very nice. The parma was extraordinary value for $10. It was huge and very nicely cooked and presented. The accompanying chips and salad were great too. We adopted a strategy of joining with some demonstrably cluey people and did well at the trivia as well. The trivia is interesting and thoughtfully and skillfully designed and run. Nice staff at this venue too. The guys on the front bar tonight were the stars. A top night all round.

We came here for dinner but the kitchen was closed ... oops... we did not realise that it was 10 pm!<br/>We opted for a dance in the little night club area along with some red wine. It did the trick 😉.<br/>

Came here on a whim one sunny Sunday afternoon and had a classic burger and beer combo. The beer garden is super chill with lots of plants which made it feel extra cozy while eating and drinking. Burgers were delish even though the beef one was not cooked however, they are helpful and polite and offered us free drinks in order to make up for the undercooked burger. Bathroom facilities are not great and need a little tlc. Would definitely head back for another burger and beer!

Definitely rate this! Best pub food around fitzroy, probably even better than the one fine dining around the area. Must try the wings & mac and cheese bites! Steak was delicious & the burger was amazing!

Ordered the 3 sharing plates for $27. Bargain hey... not really when we worked out the quality of the dishes. The Buffalo Wings were over fried without much meat. Bread tasted off and the fries were the only thing that was edible - however there were only a small handful of these in the serve. Avoid for food - stick to the beer.

Had a great time in the provincial wonderful staff very friendly, was told they had a new chef so ordered some food and it was absolutely lovely.. would tell all my friends to go here!! Don't hold back go and spend all your money there!!

As a first time visitor, I assumed this would be your classic corner pub with below average food. Well was I surprised. Met a few friends there for a 40th last night. The bar staff were really responsive and polite, drinks were very reasonably priced and live music by a one man band made for a terrific and entertaining evening. We sat by the fire with a few beers enjoying the chatter along with laughter as the muso guy yelled "gan bei"<br/><br/>We decided to go with the pub classic burger meals. I had the crispy chicken, my wife has the Angus beef (minus Beetroot of course) and they were both satisfying and flavoursome. The fries being beer battered weren't really to our liking (bit too greasy) but we managed to have 1/3 of the bowl that came with the burgers.<br/><br/>On the whole a quality establishment with good pub food, relaxed crowd of people and no sight of any bearded, pretentious latè sippers!

As hotels go, The Provincial caters to a wide customer base. There's street seating, a dining area with televised sports, group function area and a smoke & chill backyard.<br/>The range of beers on tap is admirable and there's some very attractive meal deals.<br/>Monday's in particular sports you $5 Steaks!<br/>There's mixed vibes permeating, but I could see this hotel bar being a regular stomping ground.

We use to come here as semi regulars for good food and a good vibe. Well tonight that was not the case at all. The kitchen was out of half of the entrees (on a Sunday) and the ones we got were average. The kitchen "mixed up" our meals so our mains and entrees came out at the same time. My medium-rare streak was well done and as tough as a boot. The rest of the mains were under-seasoned and average to say the least. In a strip full of flavour and atmosphere a place like the provincial can't afford to be bad. And bad is what it was. We won't be back, that's for sure!

Literally the worst food I have ever had!<br/>Not to mention the arrogant 'manager' who was incredibly rude.<br/>Our food took over 45 minutes to arrive and was so terribly dry and tasteless, the only reason we ate what we could of it was because we were so starving.<br/>My partner and I eat out a lot, and are by no means overly fussy, we love our pub grub!<br/>But this venue has some seriously bad food and attitudes.<br/>

If you are thinking of getting good pub grub at this place you are sadly mistaken. If you like a meat pattie that is un chewable then this may be the place for you. If you like a tonne of ice in beverages this is also the place for you even if you ask for ''No ice" maybe they just really admire the ice bar down the road.  I would rather eat my own foot then return to this place.

We came for our end of year function, to an upstairs room, which was lovely.  I was looking forward to it as I had had a lunch there (admittedly, a number of years ago) downstairs and it was delicious.  However, the food was perhaps the worst I've had for a long time.  The entre was passable - but the eggplant parmigiana came with three slices of eggplant suitable parmigianed and nothing else.  No salad, no greens no vegetables.  When we asked about this, they just said that that was how it came.  And it was reasonably uninspired - it would have been ok from a fast food place!  But we were paying $60 per head for the food . . . Then dessert - I did try the chocolate brownie which was good. However, my choice was apple and pear crumble - which came in a pastry case with mushy pear and apple and some sort of non crumbly top.  Reminded me of something I could have gotten from the frozen food aisle of the supermarket - but that would probably have been tastier.  Altogether an extremely disappointing experience.  Thank goodness for the company.

I highly recommend you visit during the week on steak night. Cheap meal at a central location located on Brunswick Street. Stick around after the meal for a drink or visit the many bars that are close.

I attended a 21st birthday party on the 24 October, 2015 in "The Salon". The pub is clearly undergoing renovations, so the grunge surroundings should be vastly improved when completed. "The Salon", which is situated on the first floor and accessed by a wooden staircase, is a large space and sparsely decorated in  shabby chic French Provincial style. Dark polished, timber tables covered with white cloths and burgundy leather couches added to the charm. It has traditional, dusty pink drapes, heaps of downlights and two very attractive chandeliers and mirrors. The night I was there, the hostess had very cleverly decorated the room with toning streamers and balloons which created a welcoming party atmosphere.On arrival, we were immediately put at ease, seeing security on the door.Plenty of space for dancing, with a restored timber floor, but girls, if you are wearing stilettos, be careful of the cracks. Windows open, so not sure about air conditioning, but the climate was very comfortable.Not sure who organized the DJ but while music played all night without a break, it was so loud  no one could be heard speaking without screaming in others' ears. OK for clubs but crazy for an event of this nature.  By 11 pm, anyone over 40 had left.Finger food was all tasty, mostly fried, rustic style morsels with a good variety and served HOT. Cool water on centre table and separate bar, a flight up from the function room.Despite several requests to staff for paper serviettes, none were supplied so if you book the room, be prepared to take your own.Overall, an enjoyable, happy event and you could do worse elsewhere.

We like to go to the Provincial on a cold day and enjoy the open fire in the front bar. A number of sharing options on the menu and good range of pub food classics.<br/><br/><br/>15/10/17<br/><br/>Check out the new roof top bar !!

I’ve been coming to Brunswick Street in Fitzroy for almost 20 years. I regularly visited this eclectic street to check out my favourite bands either at The Evelyn Hotel or legendary, now defunct, Punters Club. Later on, I started broadening my horizons and began exploring some of the street’s favourite restaurants such as Vegie Bar, Yong Green Food and Afghan Gallery. <br/><br/>I admit, there were many times over the years that I would wander past The Provincial Hotel without even stopping. It was only through a recent discovery of their menu that some vegetarian options revealed themselves; easily veganised for customers like me. My wandering past simply had to stop as I was curious to check this place – and its veggie options – out.<br/>Check out the rest of this review of The Provincial Hotel in the blog post below.

Invited along to a birthday bash here we were pleasantly surprised to find ourselves in a very un-pretentious pub with perfect mix of twenty-thirty year olds all out for a good time.<br/>Since, we have been back every weekend just simply for the dance floor music, it's an excellent mix. Cudo's to the DJ here who delivers every time a perfect mix of new & old chart toppers/remix Justin Timberlake & Michael Jackson/throw in an Aussie classic here & there.<br/>Thank you Mr DJ !

Had the greatest chicken burger known to man kind. Wow it was delicious as all hell. Cheers

Ticking All the Boxes. Have been here a few times, always a hummmming selection of beers on top, the foods well priced and tastes delicious. <br/>The manager with the beard is the highlight of the show tho, no request is too hard and he does not make you feel silly for asking the stupid questions. He also makes a cocktail that rivals a Red Eye from Cocktails and Dreams. 10/10... go see the bearded dude for a jar of the prov's finest.

For twenty bucks? Yeah I’d give this parma another crack. The two-for-one cocktails definitely helped sweeten the deal. If the Provincial extended their “Schooner & Schnitzel night” to include parma toppings I’d be telling you to drop everything and go now. Well, not now, the next convenient Thursday night that the deal would be available. But you know what I mean.

The Provincial Hotel offers a great date-night experience in Fitzroy with intimate, cosy  surroundings and food to match I said in a previous post that I was keen to see what else Fitzroy had to offer. An opportunity came sooner than expected when a friend chose to have some late afternoon birthday drinks at Naked in the Sky – the rooftop bar and restaurant that accompanies the downstairs Naked for Satan bar. I have never been cool in my life and I believe this qualifies me, somehow, for knowing cool when I see it and Naked in the Sky is cool. When the birthday girl and her friends decided it was time to have some Jägerbombs, they were told by the staff that ‘they don’t do that here’. What Naked does, drink-wise, are flavoured-infused vodkas and accompanying cocktails, each in keeping with their quirky, sexy theme. $8.5 beers cut into my budget too quickly though and left me wondering about ‘cool’ versus a well performed pretence. The food looks interesting too. Naked are popular for t

Pan fried king prawns with roasted red peppers, couscous salad, chermoula and almonds. YUM :)

...offering diners the chance to sample local game meats - namely the guinea fowl, hare and venison.

All in all, a really good feast. Things are always awesome when there is superbly good pork crackling, intensely dark chocolate and amazingly good company.

What I liked about this dish was how delicate the meat from the pig’s head was. So tender and soft. The peach also went quite nicely by giving the dish a light subtle sweet flavour.

Like my mum, Chef Paul Cooper seems to know his pork.

It was a typical Melbourne night, the air was crisp, the traffic on Johnston road flowing consistently and Brunswick street was brightly lit from the street lamps and myriad of restaurants that sat along it. Mum and I managed to get a park, 30 seconds away from the junction and quickly jumped out and scuttled over to the soothing warmth of the Provincial Hotel where our coats quickly came off as the heat started sinking in. The dubbed 'duck enabler', Anna ( @eatnik ), had worked a little magic and organized another wonderful #duckfest. The last one was at Pan Asian , which turned from a small gathering to a bit of a soiree of bloggers, and was a raging success. This time, we were at the Provincial Hotel and it was a more modest and intimate affair. I had never stepped foot into the Provincial before, I don't mean to take the superficial hand, but on the corner of Johnston and Brunswick, I always just assumed it was your average joe pub/bar. But oh my, once you walk in and walk through

A cold and rainy night was sort of the perfect backdrop for my one and only outing to this year's Melbourne Food and Wine Roast Collection event calendar. The streets were unusually empty for a Friday night in Fitzroy, but you could hardly blame the punte

... It is absolutely beautiful to eat and the flavours are amazing but not many seem to realise it's beauty. Steaks and lamb chops all the time can get boring!

Our first official course was duck neck sausage, served Lyonnais-style with duck heart and liver, then finished off with poached duck eggs. Everything was perfectly balanced and so artfully arranged on the plate. Surprisingly, a gooey egg yolk set off the gaminess of the duck and its related offal really well. What a thrilling start to our #duckfest!

You know you've officially turned middle-aged at 30 when you go out for a proper sit-down meal before a gig at the Evelyn Hotel instead of grabbing something greasy from Souvlaki King and downing support act beers. Second confession. Even when I wasn't mi

Pleasant Province.. Rustic is as rustic described. Wooden floorboards and graffiti scattered wallpaper, laidback, exuberant consumers to me, are an advocate conceptualization of good faith. My hunch was supported after our meals arrived which those were; an array of crumbed eggplant wedges distributed by fresh tomato salsa, the batter light yet so vivid in tanginess. Furthermore some several devil sizable drummettes relished with fiery chipotle sauce. Yum. My fiancé was tucking into his chicken breast encased with feta cheese and sun dried tomato; and up until proceeding his second mouthful did we comprehend that this poultry was not cooked all the way through. Disappointed because the distinctive introduction to this dish was highly apparent, the herbs and spices beckoning balance and absolution. We raised awareness to our apologetic waitress after consuming the wedges & drummettes and the head manager without a hesitation; detracted the charge of the uncooked breast and he was even generous enough to offer dessert on the house. So I hope I've clarified our purpose for boomeranging this first glance chillzone. Not soulfully limited to delicious provisions, but ultimately the people friendliness and resiliency.

Their new menu is terrible compared to their old one. The eggplant wedges were so bland, didn't come with any kind of sauce so all you could taste was breadcrumbs. The vegie burger was ok but didn't even come with a side of fries on the side. Weird. They used to do amazing pizzas

Great Service. Booked for a large group last night - they were well looked after, food and service was great. <br/>The ribs and beef cheeks were the favourites of the night. Asked for a table that was a bit secluded and was given a perfect spot. Thanks for your help

Very nice pub atmosphere and good pub food. My wife and daughter both had stuffed chicken breast which was moist and cooked very well. I had the special which was Lamb Shanks but only turned out to Lamb Shank - tasty and cooked well but I needed the 2nd shank to give it full marks. Service was good and staff friendly.

Good quality food.. Probably a bit fancy for Brunswick St. Having said that the gnocchi was fresh and the prawns were sensational. Not cheap but very good quality.

Dinner. Great food and great service. Caught sight of the reviews on urban spoon and took a chance. Was pleasantly surprised by the conducive atmosphere and reasonable prices at this hip joint. Service was superb!

Enjoyed Sunday lunch here. Waitress was fantastic. Food was good. Really well priced and multiple vegetarian options. Extremely well priced menu and we used entertainment guide voucher so even better :)

Friendly staff and nice atmosphere. Had my christmas party for work here a couple of weeks ago on a stinking hot day. the food was great and so were the staff on what was a tough day!

Great food. Good service. We had pork belly with praws, gnocci with pinenuts, raisins etc. Really enjoyable, service was fantastic. Definatley recommend. We were just walking past and decided to have lunch there. Very pleasently surprised. And very reasonable prices.

Had a top notch porter here one night. Nice drop.

Green beans were fantastic. Ate them all before I got to take a photo. Definitely will be having them again. Service and atmosphere were great too :)

I ate there last night.. Best steak I've had in a long time...and that's a big call from me:). Thoroughly enjoyed the vibe in the main bar and the staff were great! Thanks provincial for a chilled night and I'll see you next time:)

What a shame...! I remember the glory days of the Provincial when we could barely squeeze into the front bar of the artistically distressed symbol of Fitzroy. Now...average food, dispassionate service, overpriced wine...Where's the love gone?

Bitterly disappointed in the Provincial. Neither the food or the service were even close to being worth the coin you're parting with here. You'd do well to eat elsewhere ;(

Had dinner there last night. Great service and atmosphere. Really good food- definitely try the pork and prawn dish. Hung around and played trivia after dinner. Great night- everyone enjoyed themselves. Will be back for sure.

Sunday dinner. That was some seriously delicious pork belly. Incredibly tender with great spices. <br/><br/>Also sampled the lamb ribs plus bread & butter pudding. Was equally impressed by the flavour of both. Good quantity of food too.<br/><br/>Wasn't super busy on a Sunday. The staff were friendly and on top of taking orders in a timely way.<br/><br/>Well priced for the quality. I would return.

Went here for a birthday dinner! Staff were so helpful and friendly! Everyone loved their food & the cocktails we had were amazing! Will be coming back for sure!! Thanks!

Better than Expected!. The Provincial offers good basic pub food with some nice specials on top. Firstly the service is outstanding! Seated quickly and the attention to our drinks was better than most restaurants. Serves were generous and tasty. Recommend the Provincial for a warm winter pub meal that doesn't break the bank.

Delicious Mum's Day lunch!. Booked for mums day lunch with the family yesterday - we were all impressed. Food was sensational, service was excellent and the vibe was warm and buzzy. and we even got spoilt with free bubbly!! overall a great experience, we will definitely be back!

Average and Overpriced.. The food is overpriced and the service slow and lacking. I ordered the blue eye fillet with a goats cheese stuffed zucchini flower. No zucchini flower just some goats cheese deep fried in batter. Not very nice. The blue eye serve was extremely small. My partner had the chicken burger - the chicken was deep fried and overcooked. It's clear to see why the restaurant was nearly empty with only a couple of tables full during peak dining time. Won't be back....

Always drop in when I am in Melbourne<br/>Friendly service and a warm fire

Had my birthday at the prov last night. <br/><br/>What an amazing night. The atmosphere was great, the staff and food fantastic. <br/><br/>They are bringing out a new menu in may, so I may have to have another birthday next month!

15 months ago i had an awsome meal here at the Prov ..today nothing short of horrible a veg burger revolting inedible bread roll yuck patie my friends seafood pasta tasteless waste of space a real shame. i recommend you stay away from the food. the wait staff and wine were good!!

I went back to the Prov because I've heard they have new management and a new team of chefs. The rumours are true, I am so happy to have my local back! Try the chicken wings for an $8 entree they were great. I also tried the dessert special - passionfruit meringue tart with raspberry sorbet, I was just blown away after one bite. The waiter was talking up the new chef, he was spot on. I will be back for sure.

I didn't eat here, so I can't judge the food, but I did get a drink - and it did take some time to get served even though I was the only person waiting and there were two staff at the bar. I got a glass of soda water, and it cost $4.50! If the food is priced on the same scale, I don't think I'll be going back...

Soooooo slooooooow. 20 minutes for a menu, 40 minutes for food to arrive, 1 meal was wrong so another 15 minutes for that to be replaced whilst the other meal went cold. Replacement meal was wrong again. I had the chicken burger which was actually quite nice except for the roll which tasted stale and sweet like a fast food bun but really nicely seasoned chicken breast. Beef burger, couldn't tell you as it never came. We were offered a bowl of fries as a condolence whilst we waited for the waitress to find the manager which took another 20 minutes. Eventually we got up to pay, told them flat out we wouldn't be paying for the beef burger, finally the manager actually came. To her credit she did sort it out quickly, shouting us our entire bill and apologising profusely. She blamed the waitress who brought us our meals saying she was on trial and had just walked out (good move running for it newbie I reckon you've dodged a bullet) even though she hadnt even taken our order! It was quite obviously the fault of the original waitress who took our order judging by the bill which had completely the wrong meal printed in the first place. She also seemed completely oblivious to how long she had taken and the fact she'd also never brought the drinks we originally ordered from her.

Great staff, food not so great!. Went over the weekend with a friend. Service was great, staff were attentive to our needs and very generally very nice. The food on the other hand was not good at all and over-priced for the serve and quality. I don't think I'll go again soon.

Pretty Poor all round effort. Bit like the Australian cricket team of late really. Looks good on paper not to bad to look at in person but at the end of the day can't win a game or get a meal right. service was pretty Mitchell Johnson one great server followed by a few shockers in a row. Entree scallops @ $11 for 2 tasteless morsels were a blind rip off. I ordered the Main "Rare Kangaroo" came out as a very slim strip of Med Well Fillet which barely could have been considered an entree size and very overdone. All in all a poor performance. Great venue but stick to the overpriced drinks and entertainment no wonder i saw the open door pub group advertising for a new venue manager today maybe try a new chef??????

Decent food, poor service. Ate here for a hen's night last weekend. It was very busy and noisy and service was terrible. Our champagne was sitting on the counter for 20mins and we only received it after asking several times. Our meals took over an hour, but I really enjoyed my chicken salad and apparently the calamari salad was very nice. The pizzas looked very average and I didn't ask anyone else how their food was. Handy that the venue turns into a nightclub but it was extremely hot

Ate at The Provincial last week in the dining area. We had great service and was attended to by the same waitress all night. I had the kangaroo which was cooked perfectly - recommend this dish. All the guests in my party were really happy with their meals. Wouldn't say this is a romantic venue but definitely a great place to catch up with friends.

Came here on a Sunday night, typical pub grub, my steak was ok my partners pizza was ok, dessert was ok, don't have any expectations and you won't be dissapointed!

Disappointing - slow service, rude waitress. It was my fiance's birthday yesterday and I had made a dinner booking at the Provincial Hotel 2 weeks ago. During the booking I notified the restaurant that I would be bringing a cake in as a surprise for him. I rang through last week again to confirm this. I came by on Monday night to drop off the cake and was assured that it would be a surprise and the cake would be brought out during dessert.<br/><br/>When we arrived yesterday evening I reminded the waitress prior to dinner about the cake and she assured me that it will be brought out. Service was poor from the start. She was flustered and clumsy, spilling water, dropping cutlery and clashing plates at our table. There were only 4 other patrons besides us in the dining room but the service was slow. After dinner we waited for close to 30 mins before our plates were cleared and another 10 mins before she finally came to our table again and asked us what we wanted for dessert......she had forgotten completely about the cake! When I finally had to tell her we had a cake waiting, her only response was that she forgot. I was very distressed by then as I had planned this weeks prior. In the end we just decided to settle the bill and left. She was unapologetic throughout and refused to look at us while settling the bill & when we were leaving which I found pretty appalling behavior.<br/><br/>It is bad to receive poor service on any given day...this was made worse by the fact that it was a loved one's birthday. We are regular patrons at the restaurant and my friends and I are also always there for a meal or drink. After last night I don't see any of us returning to dine here again, which is unfortunate as we have always loved the food and atmosphere.

Nice staff, cranky chef - we ended up eating an hour or so later than we expected w varying results. Next!

Night at the Provincial. 2 couples out for a relaxing diner .Us ,husbands enjoyed the scenery,most of the food,nothing very special,some french sounding recipes ,nothing really french in the plate,this was not too bad.Our wiwes had a different dishe,fish .My mate thinks his wife's fish must have been off ,for later ,she was badly cramped around the stomach,just short of having to run .

The food is so bland....I think they ran out of salt and pepper while cooking my meal...

Great night at The Provincial. Menu had many a choices and no one in our party was disappointed with their choices. Atmosphere was pretty good for a Tuesday night. Cannot recommend the trivia enough. Alan does a brilliant job - this could be the new local for Tuesday nights. Thank you to the great staff for making us all feel so welcome :)

The provincial has a small but varied menu. The atmosphere is very nice and the service is good. I am 'miffed' after my last meal there as I had ordered a whitebait entree which read well, on asking about the size of the serving was shown one that was to be delivered to another table. (the serving size was very good for a sharing dish which is what we wanted). On the delivery of the entree to our table it consisted of no more than salted whitebait batter and did not resemble whitebait in any way. We call this to the attention of the very helpful waitress who agreed it was not like the other dishes she had presented earlier and took it back to the kitchen. She came back and said that the whitebait had sold out and it was 'chinese whitebait'. On tasting it - it was as suspected just batter. the waitress apologised and said she would not charge it. The rest of our meals were quite delightful, but the dishonesty of the Chef in serving us a dish such as he did would make me suspicious of returning

What a DISGRACE!. Last night I had the worst dining experience of my life! <br/><br/>We were celebrating my birthday and we met at the Provincial Hotel in Fitzroy. This eventful dinner started going pear shaped when water started gushing from the roof (seemingly from the upstairs bathroom which was right above where we were seating that was flooded) soaking us with ‘not-so-clean’ water. We were promised two bottles of wine for the trouble and that our dry-cleaning bills would be paid for. <br/><br/>We were moved to another table and our meals started coming out. Two people had ordered porterhouse steak however there seemed to be some differences in the two meals. One porterhouse steak looked like the traditional porterhouse cut and the other looked like chuck bbq budget steak from the ‘reduced’ section of safeway. We protested that the two steaks which should have both been porterhouse looked NOTHING alike and that the one we were sending back was not only NOT porterhouse steak, (more like a meaty pancake of gristle and fat) had already been cut right through the middle. <br/><br/>This is when the night really got interesting – we were told by the waitress that the ‘chef screamed at me that it was porterhouse, offered to bring out the bucket of meat to show you and is insisting you pay for the meal that you don’t want to eat because there isn’t anything wrong with it – its just the end bit of meat.’ The meal was taken away and we still had to pay for it after being drenched with toilet water.<br/><br/> The rest of us quickly finished our meals (which didn’t take long because the portion sizes were small… and the food very bland and ordinary), paid and tried to exit through another door as the rainfall from where the roof was leaking was preventing us from leaving through the front door. <br/><br/>Unable to open the back door, we had to again walk through the rainfall of bathroom water, getting wet as we left the disgraceful Provincial Hotel Fitzroy.<br/><br/>The verdict?<br/><br/>Food – Poor quality, bland, small portions<br/><br/>Service – Patronising, cold, not good enough<br/><br/>Ambiance – Wet, cold and unhappy<br/><br/>Don’t bother – Melbourne has so many AMAZING places to eat, don’t spend your money and time eating in places that don’t care about the food or service that they produce.

The actual resturant was nicely fitted out & was very good however that is really the only good things I could say. It was vet noisy, the food was average and way over priced for Melbourne. Would not recommend & would not go back to eat there.. However would be a nice place to have a drink with friends.

We just thought it was a bit expensive for what we got. The fireplace and ambiance was nice but I think you can do better for the money (lamb shanks are $35 for example). We had some pizzas but thought Bimbos $4 would have been much nicer (I understand it's a very different place, but yeah). Urbanspoon should have this as a $$$, not a $$.

Terrible slow service with no communication: we had 3 different servers and apparently a miss communication in the kitchen led to our 39 minute wait or garlic flat bread (this was taken off the bill without us asking though.) food was delicious though and hopefully if we give this place another chance it will be better. Id give service a 3 and food a 7 out of 10.

Fantastic. Food absolutely great loved everything we ordered, friendly staff and great ambience highly recommend this quality restaurant.

Went here for dinner with friends last night. Not a great start with our waiter letting us know they were seriously understaffed for the night! We ordered quickly and the service and food were both good. Had simple steak served with rocket salad. Perhaps a bit too simple but tasty and well cooked. All in all, a decent meal and good venue for a larger group.

Mussel Madness. Headed along for the Monday Mussel Special - $29.50 for bottomless mussels, fries, and bread. Such a great deal! There are 3 flavours - my fave was the chilli, tomato, and corriander - to die for! <br/>The staff were very attentive, and were always asking if they should prepare anymore mussels, fries or bread for us. <br/>I will defo be back, and have told my friends to try it too! <br/>The Provincial Dining Room has a great feel to it, and it's nice to be able to finish with a drink in the bar area if you wish

Okay. Service: Excellent attentive professional staff<br/><br/>Food: Well presented, but dry steak and dry pork. Would rather pay a few more buck for much better food.<br/><br/>Setting: Beautify wood fire and relaxing atmosphere.

Gotta love it!. I had a faaaantastic experience, me and my sister shared the gnocchi and I had a nice cool lemonade, it was exactly what I felt like, a funky restaurant with the right decoration. The friendly staff made it all the more better.<br/><br/>It was a great welcoming to a new neighbor hood!<br/>Fantastic for a family.

Went for my mums birthday, she's very picky about her food. The service was second to none. Drinks in front of a fire and a five star meal in a beautiful French feeling restaurant. I'm very critical and I think this place has everything.

The menu minimal which made selection easy - all good. The staff attentive and fun but unobtrusive. Pork belly entre, sirloin main and parfait. Plenty of time between courses. Didn't feel rushed at all. A very enjoyable experience.

Excellent... but. I have dined at The Provincial several times and each time the service has been first class, food is amazing but the menu is very limited and seems never to change. A few more main selections, change it up a bit and it would be perfect

OMG!! What have they done?? New staff have changed the menu - no amazing pizza bread entres anymore, no magnificent salmon on mash, no incredible steak with french veggies and sauce. Everything very plain and ordinary. So sad to see a favorite pub fade away. Not happy...

Sad undersized, overpriced appertiser, The food was very tasty, but don't come here if you're hungry. Mains are more like $25-35 price indicator needs updating.

On a day off we had their special $60 four (or 5?) course menu with food sourced from Melbourne & Victoria... and it was a triumph. <br/><br/>Every course was beautifully conceived, cooked and presented, with high quality, fresh ingredients. The waiter was casually friendly but professional and knowledgable - perfect. <br/><br/>Outstanding meal for the price and can't wait to try more from their menu.

Been here many times, great food, service and prices. If I paid double the price for the same plate at a three 2 hat restaurant I would still be happy! Thanks to the chefs.

Great food, good value. I have been here three ot four times and have always been impressed the quality-value of the dining experience. Last night was a "12 hour, wood-fired roast of Lamb shoulder, platter for 2". We could not fault it. A whole, beautiful Lamb shoulder with the meat just falling from the bone. Tasty tender and delightful. <br/>What really impressed me was the fact that they were not afraid to provide a "doggy bag" in which I took the leftovers home.<br/>A fabulous meal out, well done!

Bottomless Muscles. We attended this event as a part of the Food and Wine festival and were pleased to discover it would be an ongoing dining feature. <br/><br/>Four different flavours available, with my favourite by far being Lemongrass & Kaffir Lime Coconut Broth. <br/><br/>But aside from the fresh seafood, great flavours and excellent selection of wine - the service was outstanding. <br/><br/>The staff went above and beyond to confirm our bookings, change our group booking, seat us comfortably, wait on us hand and foot and did it all with a sense of humour and smile. <br/><br/>Well worth a Monday night outing.

Good food, very slowly. I've been here twice now for breakfast and once for dinner. Incredibly slow service each time. This last time we were the only ones in the restaurant. It took 45 minutes for us to receive our three breakfasts. Nothing fancy either - they are just painfully slow.<br/><br/>But the food is good. Some thought has gone into the menu and even the breakfast isn't pedestrian. Dinner was still good, but not especially.<br/><br/>I think from now on I'll go two doors up to Mario's; the food is a little better but, as importantly, the service is exceptional.

Food sometimes variable, bad service. Food and service has been generally good, with food sometimes variable. Was refused use of Entertainment Book voucher on date of expiry, even where conditions of use stated that voucher was valid for date of expiry. Wrote letter to restaurant manager, still no response. We don't return or recommend this place anymore.

The meat was so tender and moist. The greens were still crunchy. The mash was super rich. It feels like eating creamy butter. So good but waistline seemed to expand with every bite.