Review Empress Hotel - North Fitzroy

Love their Monday $10 pizza special. The zucchini pizza is to die for! Apparently the other ones are really good too. Also ordered the potato croquettes and they were yummy as well. In addition there are some interesting beers on tap which I enjoyed. Will definitely return!!

Came here for Thursday night $30 bucket of wings, chips, and 2 pots - wings were awesome! Best wings I’ve had in Melbourne since arrived 6 years ago from U.S. Flavors were excellent, right amount of spice, and the blue cheese ranch was good compliment. Will definitely come back for the wings!

Good selection of beers and really good pizzas. Friendly staff and plenty of space in the beer garden

What a great pub. Fantastic helpful staff, particularly the young lady working on Saturday night (5 Feb 2022), a great selection of beers and wine. The food was also delicious, well priced with generous servings. Check them out!

Probably the best pepperoni pizza my wife and I have had in our lives. Ambience is 💯 - chill vibes, love it.

The empress is a great pub with fantastic food and drinks. I come here regularly with friends. I also had an event here for an engagement party and they were very friendly and helpful when organising and hosting the party

Scratched my wing itch so good + the blue cheese ranch is a hundo % on point.

Our favourite place to catch up with friends in the neighbourhood! Great staff and great service! Monday pizza night has become a local tradition

I called in here for a pre drink as I had dinner plans across the road.  This is an old school pub, no real bells or whistles about it and I absolutely loved it.<br/><br/>Not only were there dogs inside sitting at the bar with their owners, I know right - how amazing! But there were locals sitting at the bar, chatting away and it felt so cosy coming inside and sitting with them.<br/><br/>A good beer on tap selection and I really did have such a nice and chilled time here.

This is one of our local pubs, but besides from it being nearby (with a nice beer garden & great place to watch sports), it is the great food that keeps us coming back: by far some of the best pub food in the area. They have a varied selection of dishes to choose from, with changing specials all the time, and on Sundays they fire up the smoker & serve up delicious, slow cooked, bbq-style meats and sides too! I don’t think I’ve ever ordered anything here that I didn’t love! :)

I called into this pub w a mate for a beer. The service was good.<br/><br/>This place has some good craft beer options on tap. I tried a watermelon beer which was really tasty, and it was reasonably priced.<br/><br/>The watermelon flavour to me wasn’t too pronounced so you could easily have a couple without a problem lol<br/><br/>Overall this was a busy pub and I’d be happy to go back.

Had a Sunday sesh with a mate. The food is definitely better than the average pub grub. I had the chicken wings, my friend had the pulled pork burger and we shared two sides- charred brocolli cms the green beans. The brocolli was so delicious that we immediately got on our phones to find a similar recepie! The prices are a bit steep.

Just popped in for a drink before an appointment. Great beers on the tap, chose the Mountain Goat Pale Ale infused with Blood Orange and grabbed a Schooner. Must say the Cauliflower fritters with caramalised onions was amazing, just melts in your mouth.<br/><br/>Service is quite relaxed and friendly. Has a separate dining area too. Few families around and great ambiance to catch up for few drinks before a big night.<br/><br/>

Popped in for a drink as you do when you’re a little early for a meeting in the vicinity. I liked the feel of the place instantly. It has a comfortable friendly feel. The people propping up the bar were all in a good mood too as were the guys behind the bar. The music playing was nice as well. Nice is good in my world. Always a great place to start. A shout out to the server who gave me a sparkling soda gratis. She’s not forgotten and instead in accordance with policy is specifically honoured in this little review. I’ll return here in future for a bite to eat. Locked in.

Good local pub with plenty of good beers on tap. The weekly menu specials include $10 pizza nights and plenty of pub staples. Give it a try for a good value night out.

If this were a straight forward review I'd give the place 3-4 stars but any place that's banned straws gets a 5 from me!<br/><br/>Food was fine, nothing groundbreaking but perfectly adequate in quality and price. I come here maybe 4-5 times a year and always get food. Venues pretty good, hasn't gone the full hipster thank god. Pool table is great but in an awkward spot. <br/>Great beer garden but having smoking and non-smoking in the same garden just highlights the stupidity of the new smoking laws.

Really disappointing.  Has been renovated and had all of its soul removed in the process!  Bleak, character-less dining room.  Dull front bar with no atmosphere, empty the night we went.  Hipster staff more interested in stroking their own egos than in providing genuine hospitality, borderline rude at times.  Hadn't been to the Empress in years and decided to give it a try because the menu looked good.  Food was okay but honestly, don't bother!  Such a shame, used to be a lovely pub.

This place has been renovated into the type of place that Mercedes drivers go to with their kids when they want to feel cool. The old vibe of the place has been totally killed and now it feels like a little piece of Chapel Street in the inner north. No thanks!

Very Easy place to be.<br/>Food is good.<br/>Always a good atmosphere.<br/>Staff are great.<br/>The guys watching the arm wrestling on tv we very nice and very funny. :)

A group of about 15 of us went and had a a meal at the Empress a few nights back. The staff were friendly but consensus was that the food was below average. Amongst the group we had ribs that were good, chicken wings that had a very unusual sauce covering that was bordering on being inedible. One person had Barramundi which he said was 'ok' and the burger had mixed reviews 2 of 3 that had it said they wouldn't get it again, it was poorly cooked, the 3rd had it cooked well done and said they liked it. The cauliflower fritters was a winner but a steak was returned as it has an off odour and couldn't be eaten. Overall the night was disappointing and it's unlikely any of us would return for any more than a drink.

Empressive.<br/><br/>An old favourite pub with a very decent kitchen in place. The Dear Luncher had an engagement to attend in the vicinity and was ecstatic to learn of a $10 pizza deal for Monday nights. With Hawkers Pale Ale on tap, this made for a memorable evening indeed.

Amazing menu with excellent service. Ribs are a must try. Loved our experience ,food was absolutely amazing.Came here as this place was highly recommended by a friend who is a regular.<br/><br/>We will definitely be back.

A cracking pub with strong and diverse beer list, and a very good menu. I particularly enjoyed their Sunday Low and Slow BBQ menu; they cook up a mean rack of ribs! I think I've found my Sunday tradition now.

OMG the ribs! I don't have much experience of ribs. It's a kind of new American thing in Aus, may have had them once before.... The $18 ribs on Thursdays is worth the trip. Super yummy, tender, abundant deliciousness on a plate. Went down well with a jug of Boatrocker hops bomb 💣💣

This week we went to the Empress Hotel in Fitzroy, to try a more unique chicken parma than we're used to and boy are we glad we did. We ordered and took a seat in what was one of our favorite beer gardens to date and soon enough, it was On-O'clock.<br/><br/>From the very first bite we knew this would be one of our favourites. The napoli sauce was the absolute star of this dish, it had a rich, unique, homemade flavour that tasted like it came straight out of Nonna's kitchen. Both the creamy cheese and the generous slice of prosciutto were quality. In the past we have frowned upon prosciutto on a parma but this was definitely a welcome exception. The chicken was fresh and juicy, just how we like it. The only negative comment we can give is that there wasn't enough of it!<br/><br/>The sides were refreshingly different; potatoes were cooked to perfection with the perfect crunch on the outside, nice and fluffy on the inside. With an interesting mix of cabbage, shaved radish, pear and mint - it's safe to say the salad was one of the best we've had.<br/><br/>Overall the Empress parma did not fail to impress, the authentic style and quality ingredients were to die for. This is one of our highest scoring parmas to date, so a big congratulations and thank-you to the crew, keep up the amazing work!<br/><br/>9/10

Long-time local live music venue, now more of a local dinner & beer pub. Kid-friendly, though the dining room is not very cosy or pubby - far too bright. Staff were mixed, as was the food - some good, some not. Probably nicer if you can get a seat in the front bar somewhere

The Empress is a well known institution around these parts, and although it is most commonly known for live music and beers on tap, but the Empress also does a decent feed.

The only thing remotely good about the empress is there impressive beer garden and sports showings. Other than that the staff are always unimpressed when you ask anything of them (for a drink even), the food is overpriced and very small. <br/>I still regularly go to The Empress as it is in a great...

It's been years since I've been to The Empress, but ill definitely be back soon. Delicious, high quality chicken parma, washed down with a lovely glass of rose. Yum! Super friendly staff.

Beautiful food, above your average pub meal. Friendly and quick food. A touch more expensive than your regular pub, but definitely worth it. Thanks all, will be back

I won’t be rushing back to the Empress to have their parma again, but I wouldn’t be completely against it should I find myself in the area. It’s a quality pub with a great atmosphere, and god damn those chips are tasty.

Shared the whole pizza menu between 6 of us. Only not great pizza was the margherita. The best one surprisingly to me, had kale on it! Both the pork and the prawn pizzas were great too.<br/><br/>From the drinking perspective...could do much more with their spirits! Get some decent rum please!

Amazing meal for a cold night. Prawn and rocket pesto risotto really hit the spot. Great food, beer, and service (and now a pool table). Cant ask for more.

Nice renovations. Whilst it'd still be great to have a band room,  the use of space with a new beer garden is a winner, especially now that it seems we are past the hump of winter. They have a good selection of beers on tap and a good take on the pub menu. I tend to get the parma, which comes with fried garlic potatoes... Get these things as a stand-a-lone item already! They are awesome.

Great place for some casual drinks with mates.  Friendly staff who are always up for a chat.The only downside is the beer garden closing so early, but I think they're working to have that changed in the future.Have made this my new local!

We visited in early May and enjoyed the hospitality, atmosphere, vibe, wine, beers and the woodfire pizza ... photo included above. Great place to have a drink and a sociable catchup with friends. The bar staff were awesome. reminiscing tonight, we need to head back there soon. A great Inner North locale. ( and the 'nice'  old squishy carpet and uneven floors has been ousted with the refurb :)  - we remember only too well).

Absolutely love this place and the Parma is the greatest!!!! Nice beers, wine selection and cosy pub. Love there other venue the Markov as well.

Have been here a couple of times with friends who live in the area and only have positive things to say about it.. The chicken parma I rate as the best in Melbourne with not too much cheese or sauce (too often done for a lot of parmas) and generous amounts of prosciutto as well as roasted potatoes and caper slaw (amazing!). The beer selection is amazing (may I suggest the oatmeal stout), ambience is great especially on the weekends when the footy's on and the service is always great with enthusiastic bar staff always keen for a chat. The beer garden is also a must in the warmer months.<br/><br/>The Empress is a must..

Am I Empressed?. I have been here twice since the renovations were completed. This used to be my local for many years. Gone is the pool table and the fire place has been obstructed by dining tables. Squeaky unstable floor is still there though! I was impressed with the selection of beer on tap and the staff are happy to discuss tasting notes and find something which pleases you. The beer garden is certainly large enough but could definitely benefit from some heating! I have eaten here once and couldn't fault the service - easy ordering system and fast service though there weren't many people in the pub that day. I had ordered the burger which came with a serve of salad and a large mountain of chips. Personally I could have done without so many sides and had a larger burger however it was hot, tasty and cooked to my specifications (its served pink but I don't do pink). I have to say that I am sitting on the fence about this place. It has lost a bit of its grungy charm along with its band room and pool table. There appears to be a focus on creating a more "family friendly" venue evidenced by the number of children, prams and footy on the tv. Not sure how I feel about that either. I guess the local demographic has changed to some extent and the new managers believe this is best way to capitalise on that. There is adequate seating but I wouldn't call it exactly cozy. While the service is good and bar staff are friendly, there is not much which differntiates this place from any other pub which has recently gone through a makeover. Perhaps I am looking at the past through the fingerprinted pint glass of crappy beers gone by - I am not sure that I will reclaim the Empress as my local but then maybe its time to move past the need to have a local....sigh

Divine Italian she knows what she's doing. Beautiful menu. Lovely, cosy atmosphere. The beer garden is one of the best in this area. Found it hard to choose from such a delicious selection so pretty much ordered one of everything and each dish was executed to perfection. Real Italian food with lots of flavour. A new favourite for sure. Great beer and wine selection too. Thanks guys.

Like Sitting in a Creche. Filled with children, no table service, average meal at $30. Not impressed. In ordering at bar, they got the order wrong, then took over half an hour to bring out 2 parmas. So service very poor also. One meal did not arrive at all. Attitude of staff ? oh well - but no apology. Gave up and went elsewhere. Too much money for sitting amongst someone else's screaming children (one was throwing the dining chairs about unchecked) and such poor service. If this is your clientele Empress bill yourselves as such and charge McDonalds prices.

Great service and great parmas! Although they desperately need a heater in the beer garden.

Stay clear of the gnocchi! Found it a pretty awful mushy consistency & the ragu was quite bland. Others said they enjoyed the wild rice & risotto dishes, but my wife wasn't overly complimentary about her burger either. The new fit out is nice & the service quick & friendly however.

Great food - portions too small. Chicken parma is very tasty. Steak was also good. Really good roast potatoes.<br/><br/>Only downside is that after spending $40 on a main and a side, I was still hungry and needed a few extras from super tasty rooster up the road to fill up.

Chicken Parma. Amazeballs! <br/>The best Parma in town... yes I said it!<br/><br/><br/>-----15 Mar, 2015-----<br/><br/>Best pub in Fitzroy North. Lovely service... lots of chat. <br/>Best Parma in town. <br/>What yall need to do is get down to the Empress and get down to their Parma. <br/>You're welcome.

REALLY GREAT EXPERIENCE. Used to be a punter at the old Empress hotel, at times food was average and so was the level of service but it had its own flair now that it has had a makeover its style and flair still rock out hard was super pleased at the level of service given by the staff seeing as they have 15 delectable craft beers on tap it can be a bit overwhelming but the friendly learned staff guided me through a wonderful journey of some crackin beers and 21$ for a jug of my new found favourite beers is amazing there Parma is somthing else great food at a decent price waiting for the beer garden to open then assuming I LL be living out there the majority of my days off ,so all in all super experience at the empress!!

Relaxed and welcoming atmosphere accompanied by excellent (better than just pub) food. We had the parmigiana and the pork chop - thoroughly enjoyed and came with tasty accompaniments - perfect potatoes and delicious green mango salad. Great range of beers and wines available and plenty of room and time for families, hipsters and long time residents or those just curious to revisit fond memories of The Empress from their youth! We'll be back.