Review The Irish Times Pub - Melbourne

Decked out as a traditional Irish pub, our interest was piqued from the beginning. Great ambience and eclectic finishes add to an atmosphere that lends itself to lingering over both food and beer. While the menu is not extensive, there is plenty to like and our choice of rib eye on the bone was delicious. Plenty of sides to choose from and share. The place filled quickly, with people meeting up and chatting over a pint or two right into the afternoon.

Highly recommend!! Homely comfortable pub with friendly service. Stopped in for lunch on Good Friday not expecting much and was completely blown away by the service, friendly staff, delicious food and drinks. Can't go past a perfectly poured pint of Guinness. We had such amazing food we forgot to stop and take a photo, Snitzel, Guinness pie, buffalo wings, onion rings. We were stuffed and couldn't stop eating!

Went for a quick drink with a friend. Gets filled very fast. We were seated upstairs near the kitchen and food looked good (unfortunately we didn’t have any).

Cute mini pub with an Irish atmosphere. It got loud/noisy when it was packed with people. Food was delicious and reasonable priced. I got the Shepard's pie with apple cider.

I had a long day and just wanted to grab a beer and relax🙌🏻. The environment is great, live music🎻, friendly service, and good prices. You can choose an extensive tasty dishes from the menu and awesome drinks such as beers on tap, wines and cocktails 🍸 🍻🍾🍷. Go and have an amazing time with your friends and family.

Well.......step back in time walking into this place. You forget you're in Melbourne when you enter, well we did anyway. Pull up at the bar and order a Guinness and forget you're worries of the day. You may even order a Guinness Pie? We did and it was absolutely delicious. Staff were wonderful, I don't get this single file lining up to the bar for service thing, it was a pretty busy night and the bar was full, spread out across the bar, yet the lady behind the bar just seemed to know who next in line to serve. Perfect. No-one left waiting. Definitely go back there next time my wife and I are in town. Enjoy. We certainly did.

The Beef and Guinness pie was nice with chunky pieces of beef. But would have loved some pastry or thicker mashed potato. Onion rings were good. Staff are very laid back.

Very nice place to have a fish and chips and a beer!

There is not a lot,not to like about this pub ,great place for a feed and drink,beer nice but food excellent. Highly recommend

The Publican Julian was an absolute legend. We needed a table for three adults and three kids at late notice on a Friday night before the footy, and he helped us out. He was even willing to call other pubs in the vicinity to ensure we got a table, if there was no spot available at the Irish Times. Absolute Above and Beyond service, great food, fantastic atmosphere. Next time we're in Melbourne we'll be visiting again for sure!

I love this place! It was the first bar I ever drank in, in Australia back in 2008 and everytime I revisit Melbourne I always come to The Irish Times. Staff have always been friendly and awesome! Thankfully it hasn’t changed much if atall in all that time 😃 Here’s to another 9 years! 🍺 ps you can’t go wrong with the Tower Burger!

Great food and staff were super friendly and helpful!! Definitely recommend and will be back! 🖒�

Liked it a lot. Very authentic place and good staff behind the bar. And the most enormous Tricolour outside ��

Lovely pub for a drink, or if you want a good meal. Nice staff. Good prices.

Good atmosphere, great food and a well pulled Guinness! Not to mention the wonderful staff!! What more could you ask for in a pub!

Lovely Guinness....and had tayto...lovely atmosphere..truely Irish feels...with rugby

Good spot to take a break for lunch and people watch. Serving all your favourite Irish pub food with a comfortable and easy atmosphere. Also – they serve great Guinness.

The Irish Time never disappoints! Came here for Guinness and their signature dish, Beef and Guinness Pie! It was amazing! <br/><br/>ORDERED: <br/>Beef and Guinness Pie (RECOMMEND) <br/>GUINESS

Very traditional, casual and unassuming.<br/><br/>The menu is old school pub favourites but the dishes are quite well executed – it really is hearty, comfort food.<br/><br/>Beef & Guiness Pie – so much flavour in this pie. Good chunks of soft beef, sweetness and body from the stout and a load of woster. The grilled cheese finish on top rounds everything out, and is an excellent winter dish.<br/><br/>I'd come back again when I need a little something extra.

My parents and I absolutely loved this place! The grub’s really rustic and is perfect #comfortfood. We dropped by on a Monday evening so it was more laid-back and chill. The service is great. Ambience is a 10/10. I adored their mashed potatoes.... YUM!

RUBBISH TERRIBLE<br/>Was really looking forward to it to having dinner here last Saturday night (1 September). The reviews on here paint a picture of quality food. I do have a love of Irish pubs. A favourite dish of mine is a Beef and Guinness Pie. One word for the Beef and Guinness pie as well as the Shepherds Pie served here; 'RUBBISH.' or should l say 'TERRIBLE'.<br/>We arrived and thought our table would be be upstairs. The female barmaid upstairs acted like we were adding to her busy night just by mentioning that we had a booking. No smiles here. She was unhelpful to be say the least. Happens, people have bad moments so was not so worried.<br/>There was 5 of us. Two of us had the B&G pie and another had the Shepherds Pie. Where this chef (or cook) got the idea to use some type of cheese as a main ingredient in these dishes amazes me. A friend called it 'a glug'. Is cheese a lot cheaper than beef? One barman asked a friend about his meal and replied that a lot of people don't like the cheese. REALLY? I accept that pies can have no pastry base but surely a pastry top would give it a pie title. No top here. Easily find the worst 'pie' l've had<br/>Two other friends had good meals. One enjoyed the Irish Stew and the other liked her Moroccan Lamb.<br/>I pushed my friends to go here and left bitterly disappointed. Bar the great Guinness, a waste of money'.

Nice cozy place, good range of drinks and food was nice. I ordered lamb and beef pie, both were piping hot well cooked served with some delicious bread which we ordered and they were so nice to give us extra bread for no cost.

Managed to get a complimentary dish with the zomato gold membership. Great deal! Chicken Parma was juicy and good service, if you wondering what to eat for lunch then this is the place!

Want to try the best Guinness in Australia? Then head to the Irish Times in Melbourne. Its now a tradition for our group to head over there or after work drinks on Friday and christen the weekend with a beautifully poured Guinness.<br/><br/>Food is good with all the classic dishes you want in a pub aswell

After dinner was looking for somewhere to have a drink and this was right next door to dinner. An Irish pub which had the footy on and was beaming. A beer in had we were happy

In my opinion, one of the top pubs in Melbourne. Brilliant staff, super helpful management, and delicious food - we're looking at you Shepherds Pie! Awesome vibe downstairs too - like having a little bit of home right here in Australia. I now take friends and colleagues here frequently - not had a bad experience yet :-)

😱Lizzie’s first impression: <br/>I came here for a lunch on Friday and I was pleasantly surprised. We tried their "infamous" curry chips which was topped with the traditional Irish curry sauce. Think a curry flavoured gravy. <br/><br/>🍩Lizzie enjoyed: <br/>I tried their famous Beef and Guiness Pie. IT WAS DELICIOUS. Think a stewed beef that's perfectly cooked with mushrooms, then a layer of mashed potatoes and then a quick layer of melted and crispy cheese on top. Honestly one of the best dishes I have tried in a while. Moreover, the fries with the curry sauce was a real winner also. I loved the flavours. <br/><br/>🍅Lizzie did not enjoy: <br/>I never realised how busy this place was, but the wait for lunch was excruciatingly long! I think we got in at 12:30pm on a Friday but after ordering in 5 minutes, we didn't have our food until 1:13pm. <br/><br/>🥇Lizzie rates overall: Next time, I would highly recommend to at least bring out the entrees even though the mains are not ready. But, even then I think this place was worth the wait!!

THE BEST CHIPS IN MELBOURNE!! Hands down the chips are unbeatable, they are the crunchiest and best seasoned chips I’ve had. I enjoyed that their chips were cut flatter and trapezium shape to maximise the crunch. The rosemary salt was also 👌 <br/><br/>I had the entree platter and it was HUGE! I actually had it as a main and the serving was generous and everything was tasty. The batter on the calamari was so crunchy so I reckon all their fried food is pretty top notch.<br/><br/>My company had the Parma and burger which both looked great.<br/><br/>Definitely will be returning!

Went there with friends and ordered the day’s special (bangers and mash), a chilled beer, buffalo wings and calamari rings. The food was fantastic and so was the service and the ambience. Definitely recommend this place.

Went for dinner tonight at around 6pm. My partner ordered the legendary guiness burger and I had the rib eye steak with mushroom sauce and mash potato. I’m a huge fan of mushroom sauce so I ordered double quantity thinking I would be swimming in it, but it is a very small gravy jug, so luckily I ordered extra otherwise one serving of sauce would not have been enough. My partner said his burger was average, that it was missing something. I enjoyed the steak very much, but the mash and the sauce were average. The cider however was one of the best ciders I’ve drank in a while.

Great beer and great atmosphere! It was so comfortable to sit down and be able to have a cold drink with friends. Although, the music was quite loud, we were screaming at each other from across the table but not a bad place to be on Friday if you want to avoid those overly rowdy crowds and still enjoy a beer or two.

Came here for a quick bite <br/>It’s a very nice and chill pub, the decor is dark but splendid <br/><br/>It was quite busy but we were lucky enough to sit in the booth under the stairs, which was quite cosy <br/>The service was great, they were very attentive and friendly <br/><br/>It’s good value for money in terms of quality and quantity <br/><br/>We ordered the spicy buffalo wings and the sizzling pork riblets along with a pint of Guinness <br/><br/>The spicy buffalo wings were a bit of a let down. They just seemed to be missing something. The salad and the cheese sauce was quite good though <br/><br/>The ribs were absolutely amazing. <br/>They were flavoursome, cooked extremely well, the meat was tender and just melting off the bone <br/>The chips at the end were also a nice surprise <br/><br/>The Guinness is also one of the better ones around <br/><br/>Will definitely be back

We came here for the Shepard’s pie and the signature Irish stew. The portion sizes were huge! The Shepard’s pie was tasty but was overpowered by the cheese on the top to be able to taste the potato topping. The stew was not bad but not great either; it was quite peppery. Overall, a good experience. The staff were friendly and the food came quickly.

Cosy pub. But my fish and chips were overcooked and greasy. The fish was too dark, the batter had been cooked until it was crumbly, and the whole meal has left me four hours later feel very heavy. <br/><br/>Large portion sizes but disappointing dish.

The Irish Times is a cosy little pub that serves up a reasonable pub meal. I've have come here with work colleagues for lunch in the past and absolutely loved the pork sausages. Some of the tastiest pork sausages around. Where this venue kicks into overdrive is the legendary after work drinks which on a Friday can be so crowded that it can be a struggle to move much let alone have a conversation. Upstairs tends to be slightly less crowded than downstairs so I normally head straight up. Good atmosphere in here and if you don't like Guinness (then you're crazy) then there are plenty of other options to choose from. <br/><br/>🍺🍺🍺

Guinness excellent, food very average. Had Guinness pie which had no pastry more like a casserole, meat chewy but flavour just ok. Partner had fish and chips, fish flavourless and had feel of frozen fillets, again very ordinary. Definitely wouldn't eat here again but beer is brilliant.

Excellent Guinness Pie, served with an extra shot of Guinness on the side. The pastry was crispy, and the meat was tender. The table service was courteous, and the staff were friendly.

Irish pub in the city, lots a beers to choose from, upstairs and downstairs seating areas, also do Irish food such as stews and the serving sizes are very large!

One of the better pints of Guinness around. I've never had food here but it's a handy spot to cure my Guinness cravings when in the city. Solid.

I had no idea there was a great Irish pub hidden in the middle of the city. I had the potato skins and whilst ok, felt there was something missing (more salt perhaps?). Then I had the Guinness pie. A nice casserole and the cheese on top is what made it. A great place to eat with a group of friends.

After a less than positive experience at the Groove Train, hubby and I walked down the road, and into The Irish Times. Greeted with big smiles shown to a table, seated, and had the daily special outlined, then given time to chrck out the menu, before we were checked on to see if we were ready. We both had the burgers from the daily specials (Guiness Tower for hubby, BBQ for me), and they were the best burgers either of us have had in quite a while - fresh, juicy, full of flavour, and a nice size, served complete with rosemary and sea salt chips. Coupled with a wine for me and a beer for hubby, a very satisfying lunch. Highly recommended.

Could not have imagined to come across a pub with great food! This is one of them. Had their famous Guinness pie and Irish stew for main, both were delicious and worth it! They used diced chunky beef (pie) and the lamb part (Irish stew) were excellent choice of meat! The entree were good too, but just a little plain for the loaded potatoes with bacon and cheese. Great pub atmosphere with the dinner in a small room less noise for diners and not drinkers. Will definitely go back.

Cassidy – I went to Irish Times for lunch this week; I got the salmon main and a lemon, lime bitters. Service was good, our orders were taken relatively quickly and came out soon after. The drink was generous on the bitters which was good, and the main was lovely. The mashed potato was really nice and creamy, and the salmon had a nice crispy sear. Price wise at $30 it was pretty up there, maybe a little too high. All in all I would go back and try some other dishes. <br/><br/>Cleanliness of the restaurant - 7/10<br/><br/>Cleanliness of plates/cutlery/glasses - 7/10<br/><br/>Cleanliness of the menus - 8/10<br/><br/>Service - 7/10<br/><br/>Wait time for food - average<br/><br/>Food overall - 7/10<br/><br/>Ambience - 7/10<br/><br/>Value for money - 6/10

We got the Groupon voucher and booked it for lunch over the weekend. Walked into the bar on the quiet little lane and felt like walked into a different world. The bar was already full of people drinking and watching sports even though it was only 1pm during the day. Small but cozy dining area at the back. The food is great. Love the Guinness pie. I wish I didn't have so much entree so I could finish the whole pie. The portion is big, if it's not the Groupon set menu, between me and my boyfriend, I think one entree and one main will be more than enough. Will come back again and have that Guinness pie again.

Came here mid week on a coupon and really can't complain. The starters are a reasonable size and the standout was actually the garlic bread ...sensational!! For mains hard to go past the "Guinness" Pie ....it is an Irish Pub after all. Friendly staff and good atmosphere. A good value ... No frills ( great ) night out.<br/><br/>Be careful with the jalapeño burger ....it's hot !!

Great decor, the owner has put in a lot of effort to recreate an Irish pub, complete with the map on the ceiling. Loved the woodwork and the cozy feel. Buzzing on a Monday night. Got the tuesday special, Guinness pie which was delicious. The right balance between the potato, beef gravy and cheese. A huge portion, and great value for money! They have a wide range of interesting food.

Good value for money pub food. Great spot for lunch. The service was quick, and the food was all fresh, so all enjoyed the broad range they had to offer.

What an authentic Irish Pub experience! Forget your more well know Irish/English pubs this is the one. Better food and beer on tap. Also...not full of uni students trying to shag each other.

The Swine may be a dirty filthy pig of a man but he knows a great pub when he sees one. The Irish Times is the Swine's fave pub of any pub in the CBD. As you'd expect there are a ton of drink options (hic!). The Swine endorses that the stout on tap here is as good as you'll get - Nice and thick and soooooo tasty!! Good enough to eat!!! Meals are also recommended, be it the classic parma, burger options or fish n chips. The Swine loves this place - loads of character and fabbo staff - SWINE APPROVED!

This place was an absolute treasure to find. My review is two-tiered. The first of my double-stacked compliment sandwich is comprised of "sweet lords" and "oh-my's" at the absolutely delicious dinner that my significant other and I enjoyed. The famous beef and Guinness pie, while not quite the flaky pastry encrusted pub staple that I was expecting, was so tasty and rich that I found it didn't need any garnish to diminish such saucy decadence. To accompany this pot pie of pure pleasure, I ordered myself a cold glass of Boags on tap and had the time of my life. <br/>The second half of my Irish Times experience was upheld by the traditionally influenced yet refreshingly energetic live band playing upstairs. A good handful of us were up and dancing by the end of 'Dirty old town', leaving the establishment in a whirlwind of good spirits and full bellies. <br/>5/5 atmosphere and good value for price.

Such a wonderful place to go to. The drinks and food are fantastic! The staff are also super friendly. Such a wonderful vibe at this place too.

Was my backyard CBD drinks place for years when I lived in the CBD and always good to return. This has got to be the best place for quiet after work drinks. Sensational pub meals and very friendly staff.

Food is 3/5.  Pub food. Good value for money in terms of quality and quantity.  I would like to try the shepherd's pie next time.  It looks yummy.  Venue gets a 4/5 from me with their casual and relaxed atmosphere and decor.  Service gets a 4/5 for quick delivery of orders and friendly staff.

Easily could've just walked past and never knew this place existed. Once inside, the place is dark, cosy and has all the decor of a typical pub (including the giant screen showing European Football at the back). Food here is generous in quantity and the meals are hearty and satisfying.

Great entre and mains. I went here for a lunch and tried to spicy buffalo wings with bleu cheese sauce and also loaded potato skins. Both were great. For mains I had the famous beef and guinness pie which wad delicious. I would highly recommend eating here.

Great dinner at the Irish Times. I took a group of 40 people for dinner last night in the upstairs restaurant. everyone was so happy with the great food, service and atmosphere, also the prices. we all want to go back. Thanks to Nathan and his staff - great. 5 stars for them.

Every March 17th, it has become customary for the wider population of the western world to partake in the drinking festival to celebrate Ireland’s favourite Saint.  Known for introducing the Irish to the holy trinity via use of the now iconic 3-leaf clover, St Patrick now shares this would-be religious celebration with the even more popular Guinness. For one day only, (two if you count the “half-way to St Patrick’s Day”), pop your best green clothing on, don a silly hat and drink copious amounts of black gold, (about 1.5 billion pints a year are sold worldwide).  And anyone concerned about their waistlines needn’t worry (too much) since a pint of Guinness only contains around 200 calories (about 880kJ). While there is plenty of family fun to be had at the Melbourne Irish Festival  in Fitzroy on the Sunday before St Patrick’s Day, for those looking for a last minute venue to get their Irish tipple on, here is a list of some venues around Melbourne that might be worth checking out: 1. PJ O’Brien’s – Southbank Located on the ground floor of the Southgate Centre on Melbournes Southbank, this place is always willing to put on a celebration for any Irish event be it Rugby, Soccer and they’ve even got behind Ireland in the Cricket.  This year PJ’s is putting on another St Patrick’s Day party and if their “half-way to St Patrick’s Day” was anything to go by then it promises to be a good day.  Plenty of Beef and Guinness pies, pints of the good stuff and no doubt another show of the giant Guinness Pint mascot. A lineup of 5 Irish bands will be sure to keep the party going, there will be Irish dancing at 9am and midday and get yourself a Big Irish Breakfast with a drink for $25.  If you can’t make Tuesday then they are holding a St Practice Day on Sunday as well. 2. The Irish Times Pub – Melbourne CBD This cozy little Irish Pub proudly flies the Irish Flag (literally) on Little Collins Street in Melbourne’s CBD.  Plenty of Rugby memorabilia adorn the walls in this pub and wit

The parma at The Irish Times isn’t particularly memorable but there’s nothing that offensive about it either – it’s middle of the road. They started with a great foundation of quality chicken breast but kind’ve fell apart from there. If they eased off a little on the spice in the napoli and did something about the flakey crumbs then it would be a great little find, but until then I’ll probably stick to the great music, quality guinness and free spring rolls.

Delicious!. We had a Groupon voucher for a Whiskey Tasting, amazing value! <br/><br/>The food was delicious, as was the whiskey! <br/><br/>Looking forward to our next visit to sample more of the food and more whiskey!

Friendly service and we were glad to see our table set up and ready to go after only making a booking one hour prior. It was a little busy but the food still came pretty quickly. Garlic bread was freshly baked and tasty, loaded potato skins were marvelous and for mains we had the hearty stew and burger which we also enjoyed. Thumbs up to this place :)

Great food and drinks but terrible organisation.... We love going here and the food and drinks are always decent BUT after making a reservation for 9PM we turned up and found that somebody had "forgotten" to put our reservation in the book and no table had been reserved. After a few minutes of waiting we were told a table had been found. We were taken upstairs to our table to find we had been seated in the middle of SOMEBODY ELSES function and right next to a speaker with live music. The waitress had to move platters of function food so our table could be used...needless to say we were getting some strange looks from people there for the function. We proceeded to look at the menu and after 15 minutes of not being served we decided that not being able to hear and talk to each other (due to the speaker proximity) and having been seated in the middle of a function would not allow for an enjoyable evening. Not surprisingly we left and probably won't be back.

Enjoyable Irish lunch. Bought some living social vouchers and promised my family some lunch but did get to do it until expiry date was near. Called up for booking and was told they are fully booked. Pleaded with the bloke over the phone and he went all out to secure a booking. Had our starters, Buffalo wings and Calamari with generous serving. For mains, we had Irish stew and the pies. Lots to eat and we enjoyed ourselves. The bloke at the pub was attentive and provided great service. Well done.

Do not waste your time. My partner and I went to The Irish Times today for lunch. There were only two other customers dining in, one table which had already finished their meal (from what it seemed). There were two staff members at the bar who greeted us as we entered and pointed towards the table we should sit at. <br/><br/>The waitress walked over and since it was her first day, so she said, she couldn't recommend anything from the menu. My partner walked up to the bar to speak with, the staff member who seemed to be a floor manager. He recommended the Tower Burger saying "it is massive". My partner then put the order in through the bar as oppose to at our table with the waitress. Not good service. Whatever. <br/><br/>We waited about 25minutes for what we expected to be delicious dishes, since it was taking forever! Considering the bar was pretty empty and the staff was behind the bar, basically standing around doing nothing... we figured the meals would be pretty good! They were NOT!<br/><br/>I ordered Potato Skins, which were decent, however the sauce it is served with was very bland and not very good. For the price of $11, and the three tiny potato skins I received... it was definitely not worth it. The waitress brought the Potato Skins out first. Waited another ten minutes for the burger to come out. Again my partner had to approach the bar to ask about his meal and for more water to be served at our table. His Tower Burger eventually came out and what a disappointment that was! For the time it took to prepare and the presentation.... it was not great. The bun seemed like it was 'smushed' down, as to be closer to the plate, as oppose to being full and appealing. The burger was NOT "massive" as the staff member advised and for $20.... it was a sad burger. <br/><br/>I would not eat here again. The food was below average. Staff were not knowledgeable or very welcoming. Prices are too high for the quality of their food. The wait time for food is unnecessary and given how slow of an afternoon they were having you would think the staff would be more attentive to the customers... they DID have. But no. For an Irish bar, they are not very "Authentic" either. My boyfriend is from Ireland and he was massively disappointed with the service, ambiance and menu options. <br/><br/>Do NOT eat here. It is no good. Not a good experience, whatsoever!

Sean. Visited Irish times on saturday 8th of march , as it says in the menu the BBQ Pork Ribs are a taste sensation it was one of the best pork i ve had , my partner ordered the Hearty Stew and for her surprise it was more that what she expected the stew was delicious, friendly staff and overall good guinness

Visited the irish times on christmas for lunch , wasnt expecting the food to be that great but the food was really good . Amazing pork belly good atmosphere will definately return

Another establishment that employs cooks instead of chefs. A chef will ensure that severe food allergies are tailored to, a cook will tell you what you want to hear. After two discussion with the "head chef" and one with the manager, I was ensured my partners onion and garlic allergy would be looked after. When her food came out it was clear they had not taken notice and after a long heated discussion with the manager and chef, they produced a stock that contained both allergens, ruining our night and making my partner very ill. As mitigation, they refunded her meal and said sorry. The apology was not genuine and the refund was not what I would call sufficiently ex gratia. Avoid this place like the plague.

Another Irish pub being lazy and living off its name.Poor pint of Guinness and on paddy's days. Went round the corner for a pint that was twice as good and didn't claim to be Irish.....

Fantastic friendly staff, quick, efficient, genuine. Best Guinness in town..... Good entertainment, good food :) <br/>Highly recommend here for a nice few drinks and good company

Amazing night. Wined and dined 27th may 2013 friendly and obliging staff great food and service. Would definately return

Wonderful place to eat and drink. I am so surprised to see such negative comments about this place - my husband and I have been on a number of occasions and it has always been top notch. The service is friendly and humorous, the drinks are satisfying and the food is delicious. I tend to have the mushroom and Swiss burger which is just to die for! The pub itself is clean (I have NEVER smelt urine there outside of the bathroom) and comfortable. It's ground floor is only small but has plenty of comfy booths/tables and 2 tv screens. The Irish Times is one of my favorite places to eat and drink - don't avoid it by any means. Give it the chance to wow you as it did us!

Not a problem. I find all these "reviews" a bit suspect (competitor's maybe???). I have been to the Irish Times several times with friends. I have had NO problems. The food ISN'T bland, the service ISN'T bad. <br/><br/>What is going on? I personally, as a regular customer, find the negative comments more than mildly insulting to the Irish Times. The staff try very hard to please. The food portions are very generous.<br/><br/>And NO. I am not an employee of theirs, just a regular who works in the legal precinct in William Street.

Avoid! No concept of time.. Avoid!<br/><br/>Six of us decided to go for a Thursday lunch at the Irish Times Pub. We purchased a GroupOn deal and expected it to be busy, so booked a week in advance. <br/><br/>On arrival the server said it'd be a twenty minute wait for food. We waited 50 mins for entrées and 100 mins for the mains! People around us who were not on a voucher, and arrived 40 mins after us, got their food before us. The server seemed apologetic and tried to compensate by bringing out more food (starters dishes) than we'd ordered. The food was cold, the garlic bread was stale and due to the 1 hour 40 minute wait three of our group had to leave.<br/><br/>If a restaurant is running a GroupOn deal you'd expect them to showcase their food and service to encourage repeat business. The server ensured that he'd call us to “sort something out” due to the ridiculous waiting time and because three of our group had left hungry. That was three weeks ago and we're yet to hear anything from them.<br/><br/>I'd strongly recommend that you avoid The Irish Times!

Have had decent guinness in the past but todays was poor. ate here for the. first time and the food was expensive and very bland

Went for dinner on monday night great friendly staff , enjoyed the bbq pork ribs and guinness , a great place for pork rib lovers

Nasty smelly Dive. Went in for a nite cap. place stunk like urine...........When I asked the guy behind the bar, what is the smell, his response was its an Irish pub........Left our drinks at the bar and walked out........Would not recommend this dive. I also would not trust anyone in this place to handle food.....

Went on a deal. Open voucher, so choices were ours. Carefully read previous reviews, so felt armed with knowledge. I ordered the 'Tower Burger'. It was good. Felt satisfied with that choice. My mate ordered the 'Famous' pie. It was very hearty! The Guinness was great to accompany the meal. It is a pub. Good atmosphere and casual dining. Great place to spend a few hours with friends on a cold wintery weekend.

The glazed BBQ chicken salad was just a flavourless sauce poured on top of the chicken pieces. The stew was ok and they forgot to give me a spoon!

Enjoyed a great Saturday night great food friendly staff

Best pint of Guinness outside of Ireland I've ever had! Well done to Nathan and team!<br/><br/>Slante,<br/>Fionán.

Playing games with vouchers. Beer good. Mmmm Irish beer. This is our local near head office. Look, it’s pub food. It is what it is. But I got a voucher. Booked for Friday lunch. Not often at head office. Got a call a few days after I booked telling me I couldn’t use the voucher at lunch on a Friday before 2pm. Argued the point, this is not listed on the voucher. It’s not listed on the offer on the website. It has the usual subject to availability, but I booked, and they accepted the booking. They guy told me “they were fully booked out on Friday lunches for the next 3 weeks”, and he’d told Groupon to list this condition. Well, Groupon didn’t, and if no one checked the listing then you’ve employed idiots. And as for being fully booked on Friday lunches.. well, that’s just utter tripe. When we ate there were empty tables, and we’ve walked in other times without bookings on a Friday and got a table. Wouldn’t have bought the voucher if I’d know, anyway they reneged. Can’t complain about the service, they’re always pretty thorough.

Great food , grilled prawns fantastic with guinness

New Menu New Vibe !!. Wow - you can really see the love spreading in this fantastic pub! <br/>Great new menu with friendly staff and a wicked vibe. You gotta check it out for a traditional Irish vibe and yummy Melbourne food. New manager is a chef - can't go wrong!! <br/><br/>Plus there is always live music on the weekends, its awesome.

Prices are unreasonable for generally over salted food.<br/><br/>dont be tricked by the "triple fried fatboy chips" - they are just regular frozen chips.

Great high quality pub-grub, great prices, great atmosphere.

Your Guinness is the best.... A quick note to appreciate a fine evening in Melbourne at the Irish Times...great ambience sitting next to the fireplace. Enjoyed your Parma and Guinness! My girlfriend was impressed with the choice of venue to celebrate our anniversary.

Oh my God. $11 for a pint of Kilkenny or Guiness?! I guess you're paying extra for the surly, disinterested service. Terrible. Go around the corner to the Mitre tavern. You'll save $2 on a pint and get a free smile and greeting from the bar staff.

Parma parma parma!!!!. All I seem to be reading on this sight is people whinging about chicken parma at whatever restraunt they visit. The Irish Times has a wide and varied menu to suit everyones taste. The club and steak sandwhiches are perfect for a quick, filling lunch and the pizza's and burger will rival any other that you will find in the cbd for quality and value. The selection of beer on tap and the wine list is sure to please anyone who visits this cosy and traditional establishment. Yes, the staff may be backbackers but In my experience of dining and drinking here over many years, they have always been polite and curtious whenever me and my friends have been in.

Waiting & Waiting. We came for lunch with a group of 6 and ordered 3 pizzas, 2 steak sandwiches and 1 salad. You would assume that the food will be ready within 20 minutes but in the end we had to wait 1 hour and 15 minutes and then the wrong salad was serverd. <br/><br/>We are not going there again

What an absolute load of nonsense from the whinging parma moaners! I moved to Melbourne from England in 2011 and couldn't find a decent pint of Guiness until I found this gem of a pub. Yes it's a pub not a restaurant. They serve great pizzas and that's what I have with my pint of Guiness. The staff maybe be backpackers but I've always found them polite and will bring the pint to your table, no problem. It has a great atmosphere. I have many Aussie mates and we all love this place. Parma? Dear me, some people needing it stuffing where the sun don't shine!!!!

Have never had a worse Parma. Lesson learnt, read reviews on urban spoon before selecting place to eat. No chicken, all bread crumbs which were burnt around the edges, and you could taste it! Small piece of ham in the middle and flavorless cheese and not much of a hint of Napoli sauce either. No dressing on the "salad", just plain leaves. Won't be back.

50th of the 50 Chicken Parmas I've eaten in my life. Could barely see the chicken in the parma, was more a heart shaped piece of deep fried breadcrumbs. Fries were edible. Staff member was a smartass. If I could get my money back I would. Won't be back.

There is better. The promise of a good parma and a Kilkenny brought us in, but the reality of what was served... well!<br/>Complete meal was<br/>1) the Parma itself, that was a battered and fried sheet of newspaper, cooked to a texture beyond rubber with blackened edges. Any thinner and the chef would have slipped it out into the restaurant under the door. Parma also had that 'just out of the box/ frozen food service' non-quality about it.<br/>Cheese and ham were also melted and almost burnt, and no tomato sauce!<br/>2) French fries - yep... food service / food court straight out of the McCains bag.<br/>3) 'Side Salad' - err.. well some limp lettuce anyway.<br/><br/>Service? See BH's review. When you pay backpackers to do service, you get disinterested kids more interested in hairstyles than service destroying your business.<br/>Highlight of the night was when the staffer asked if our food was all right... from the comfort of his position behind the bar, 20m away... Now thats service with a "who gives a rats toss bag" attitude.<br/><br/>For a better Parma, go to the Spread Eagle in Richmond... something not only to write home about, but you should also to write to your Aunty in Adelaide, and Grandma in Springvale Cemetery as well.<br/><br/>No Return!

WORST PARMA EVER in 38 years. Knob staff, poor service & crap food. Trifecta!. Well let's see. 2mm of chicken meat in 10mm of deep fried bread crumbs for $20? Oh yeah, and when the food arrived and we said "Thanks champ", the reply was "Champ? That's an insult where I come from!"..... What would you have preferred? Thanks d#cknose?<br/>Poor food and poor attitude all round. Won't be back. BH.<br/><br/>PS:Backpackers who don't want to give good service, don't work in hospitality then, we don't need you, go home and give your shite service there instead.<br/><br/>Update July 2010.<br/>Four months later no change it seems. Shame the owner isn't reading these reviews. The sooner this place changes management or packs up the better.

Chicken Parma processed luncheon meat battered & crumbed friend horrified. Beef Guiness pie not bad but not with pastry and bit dry!LJ Hooker

Good beer, dodgy Parma, pizza looked better

Hrmm. Ordered the "famous" steak and guinness pie. Don't know why they call it this because there is no pastry and very little steak. Should be called 'casserole with mash potatoes'. One of us on the table also didn't receive his lunch at all. The chicken parma looked good though.

Great pub with a lot of character. Went for lunch on a packed out Friday and got our food served in less than 10 mins. Food and beer really good too for the price. If you're hungry get the Irish burger