Great atmosphere and great, friendly service with an imaginative and value driven menu. A truly outstanding place.
Good place for drink. Decent selection of Beers
Had a lovely Sunday lunch here today. Superb service never waiting for anything despite the place being full and people waiting for tables. The lamb was perfect nice pink and tender, my partners bare chicken bones spoke for themselves ! Lovely fire ( nice to have a real one!) will most definitely return soon
Came here for work drinks and I thought it was pretty standout for a pub. Decent crowd, fun but not rowdy. Sports playing on the screen, fabulous food and drinks and enough tables to go around. Ample off-street parking, tram out front and very friendly service. No complaints!
It’s been more than a decade since I’ve set foot in this venue. Very glad I did. The food was great and the staff were exceptional! With a full restaurant and a large table full of kids they managed to provide us with great timely service. The kids loved the pasta and fish n chips. Majority of us had steaks all round which were really good. I would have preferred a little bit of a chargrilled flavour. But nevertheless it was GOOD. My medium rare was not bloody ... simply melted in my mouth! Looking to return soon.
The food is just that little bit more interesting than the regular fare and that really makes all the difference when you're sorting through those classic pub meals. The beer selection is balanced with a few craft pearlers rotating through the taps occasionally . If you're looking for an affordable lunch with some mates then the lunch special is seriously good value and a bit of fun yo
A great pub! No wonder this place is popular on a Saturday night. I am thankful that they had space for my group of 12 people. I ordered the chocolate mousse. The presentation was spot on and the mousse was delicious. Other friends also ordered the apple crumble which they all enjoyed. I would definitely recommend!
Had the steak counter lunch. Good value at $18. Steak perfectly cooked. Couldn't fault the service. Only negative is that wine is very expensive at $13 for a glass of house shiraz. Apart from this I recommend trying the Mt Erica for yourself.
Tuesday steak nights are a must here. $18 - delish. Be sure to book though. Can be tough to get a seat!
A great table in front of the fire on a Winters night is perfect!
Good solid Aussie pub with above average food good drinks list nice staff
Great fit out. Very roomy lots of seating options good crowd aswell
This place has such a great vibe and is in a great location. It’s awesome for a drink and the food is great too. Either grazing or for dinner. They are very accommodating for large groups and birthdays too!
[rated 3.5] The Mount Erica Hotel is more elegant than your usual neighbourhood pub and I have noticed it to be pretty busy on weekends and weeknights. We visited on a Wednesday evening and the dining room was mostly full. We got seated as close to the fireplace as we could and the staff were friendly and attentive.
We ordered the half chicken with tomato and bread salad and the chicken schnitzel with a side of fries and both were really good.
A little more expensive than your usual pub food (and the same goes for the drinks) but we had a nice dining experience and would go back.
Great service... booked online for the Tuesday steak night, arrived early and they had a table for us in 5 minutes. Staff were extra friendly, steak was tasty! Will be back for more!
I hadn’t been to the Erica since their renovation, and it looks like a totally different place. Loving the sleek, modern new look and feel of it.
The service here is also impeccable, quick and really nice crew they have there.
I had their beef burger which was good, didn’t blow my mind but definitely did the trick to fill me up! My partner had their rotisserie special, beef rump which was cooked to perfection and he said he would have happily eaten it again. Definitely a good spot for a better-than-most pub meal :)
Is it the best bar?
Spell bounded by the dishes and the new renovation they have done is amazing.
They serve some amazing steaks and sausage rolls are just the best sides.
Fish was as good as it gets and a must try would definitely be the Beef Burger.
Beers here are a must try and the most recommended is Cucumber Hippie ( we take our personal assurance that you would like it )
Wines here are amazing and wine lovers this would definitely be the place for you
Overall we give this place a big thumbs up and the best and the most courteous staff too.
Nice refurb but super duper loud. Not a venue for a quite meal and catch up with friends. The acoustics make it feel like you’re in a concrete tunnel.
Menu is good but really pricey. I ordered the Parma which was about $25 and was the size of my fist. It had barely any sides so you need to order a few to fill you up. By the time you’ve add sides you’re looking at about $40. Not cheap for a Parma. Food was tasty and the Irish waitress was the best I’ve had in the last year.
Visited a second time for steak night. The place was absolutely rammed. They lost my booking but squeezed my group in at the bar. Steaks were reasonable for the price.
A nice addition to the neighbourhood!
We went back here last week for the second time after the rebirth. Just love what they've done with the place. The food really suits the vibe and is exceptional value for the quality of food. Try the terrine & Iamb rump - couldn't be faulted. One of the hardest things for a venue of this size is to serve quickly and they nail it. It's been really busy on both visits and you don't have to wait for bar service. The food also appears promptly which is another benefit of a small menu.
Had lunch here the other day, great new fit out and improvement on the previous incarnation. Great value counter meals, spicy italian sausages with radicchio and polenta were amazing, great beers on tap.
Great vibe with the new reopening of this neighbourhood pub. Popped by to try out their Tuesday Steak Night. Great value. Nicely cooked steak. Delicious sauce. Good drinks list. Yum! Would definitely come back to try other menu items.
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Had been itching to come here again after they spent months refurbing the place after new management takeover. Headed here with friends on a lovely Sunday arvo and perched ourselves around the side of the bar on a large table - the place was pretty packed and it looks awesome.
We were all starving so ordered some of the chippies which came with aioli and they were bloody good!
We were keen to order some starters to share but I wasn't amazed by any of the bar food options on the menu and same with some of the other girls, it all just seemed a bit thrown together.. I even asked one of the bar staff at some point what something was and she said she had no idea so had to whip out ye olde google to figure it out for myself, look maybe benefit of the doubt who knows it might've been her first shift but better to know your menu if the whole premise is to order at the bar... and in terms of the counter meals I was also pretty stuck.
I do love a good steak and burger but wasn't really in the mood for it but there just didn't seem to be much variety - I know you look at the menu and think what the hell is she talking about but if you have a good look it's all a bit the same - plus they seem to be going for this Mediterranean vibe which not all of us were keen on.
I went with the Chicken schnitzel with caprese salad and whilst the chicken was good quality it was just a dry meal - there needed to be some type of sauce over it or melted cheese or just something, it was just a big piece of chicken and wasn't balance out well with the salad, look I get that it's not your traditional pub food but it just wasn't doing it for me.
The staff at the bar could also uplift their moods a bit, it seemed like every time we went up to order some drinks we were disrupting their day and it was a huge effort to just pour some wine in the glass, got a bit of sass that day.
Look, I rarely give mediocre reviews but I just feel like this place has heaps of potential and we are 100% due for a great establishment in the area, so I hope they tweak a few things on the menu ..
I will return because it is still early days.
Just popped in on a spur of the moment and the new decor did not dissappoint! Its alot more up market. The place was packed for a Wednesday night, great atmosphere, friendly staff, possibly slightly too loud but good if your having drinks with mates or a quick meal. Friendly staff, amazing new menu..we shared a few dish’s and all were great! Im a local and will definitely be back!
Been here twice now and will definitely return, the food is really good and the service is lovely. The beef pappardelle is a must, it is beautifully cooked and so rich and flavorsome. The barramundi was just perfect with crisped skin and soft, juicy flesh. We also had some tasty little Spanish style share plates, side of greens and a beetroot salad. We didn't really have room for dessert but couldn't resist the creme a la cassonade which was a lovely way to end our meal.
A stellar selection of tap beers.. if you like em domestic. Ha. Had a house sparkling, very sweet and cider-like. Not to my taste at all. Poured some of the wine into White Rabbit White ale (?) and tasted better than separate for both. Weird ambience.
Pleasantly surprised, considering the combination of positive and negative reviews present here on Zomato and elsewhere... My wife and I were incredibly impressed by amazing service by Liam throughout the evening last night, who made an excellent suggestion for a wine to accompany our meal, as well as recommending a range a small plates or tapas to satisfy hunger for two. We ordered the pork belly, pappardelle and ensalada, which complemented each other beautifully. The pork belly was crispy on top and tender in the middle, with beautiful flavour throughout, whilst the papperdalle was perfectly cooked and flaking off the fork in tenderness with an exquisite taste. The ensalada was an excellent balance of salad, dressing and parmesan. The chef certainly knows how to combine ingredients together to extract maximum flavour!! We will most certainly be back to Mt Erica Hotel / Austin's (the adjacent courtyard where we ate last night). :)
Exquisite food and fantastic service, beautiful venue for all functions. Thanks you to Mt Erika staff for such a wonderful experience, we'll definitely be back
I cannot remember all of the menu but here is my synopses:
1. Eggplant chips - very good and liked by kids and adults
2. Piquillo Pepper - worth a try
3. Port Belly - small but tender and juice and clearly bad for you (but isn't everything)
4. House wine with voucher - great selection
5. Papadelle cheek of Beef - Rich, tender and lovely
6. Duck - small but good
Now I bought a voucher for this but at full price, its a bit exy for what you get.
However, on critiquing the menu, there are not many bad words to say on this menu however with other selections I have had in the past, it does not always resemble such an selection of quality.
Good eating but please have eyes wide open!!
The fellas at mt erica are awsome and make awsome bacon and egg buns even though it wasnt on there menue plus there freindly and have great service oh and i cant forget AMAZING COFFEE!! 👌🖒
#Yum #Lattefix
Surprisingly good. Great food, great service & great wine selection. I will definitely return. Only minor point which I find regular with Spanish restaurants is the small servings but only just.
Next level!
Did not expect it too be quite so great. Myself and four friends were here on Saturday night and we were all stunned at the transformation. Each plate comes from the kitchen looking more beautiful than the last. We got to try so many different share plates and they were all beautiful and full of flavour (the duck was my favourite) (Oh and the croquetta tapas!!). The wines by the glass have something for everybody and the staff are only too happy to chat you through the list. Lovely atmosphere and a very intimate experience for such a large space. Will be back....a lot!!
Been here 3 times and always good. Last 2 times opted for the 'feed me' menu, a selection food that requires no more thought in terms of what to order. Left sated on both occasions. Seafood and meat, tapas and share plates, and dessert. All delicious! Had a few sherries the last time too on the recommendation of the waiter. What a revelation. Fino is the way to go!
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4.5/5 - Was pleasantly surprised. Ross and the team were amazing!
As locals in the area this place used to dish up slop before it became the new incarnation / Austin's and my oh my has it changed for the better.
We were kind of avoiding the place as I saw the menu on here which is nothing like what the menu actually was when we dined.
We started with:
Artichoke hearts - lightly fried with zesty Mayo - really delicious!
Eggplant Chips with honey - really lovely and fried nicely and the honey is the best thing ever to go with the eggplant - was fabulous and generous serve x 2 (one wouldn't be enough for two people)
Queso was a bit weird - usually you get a chunk of cheese but this was a few shards of cheese with biscuits that broke when you picked it up - but tasty nevertheless!
Croquettes - ok my fave thing to eat and these had a lovely mix of béchamel and leek - perfect.
Now the main was a beef cheek pappardelle and wowsers we got two beef cheeks that were absolute perfection. I mean these were seriously good with home made pasta sheets. 5/5
Brussel sprouts were yummy too - needed a few more almonds! But at least the partner ate something green 😂
Chocolate dessert was waaay decadent and couldn't finish all but the pears were divine. Little one woke up by then and devoured them. Really good!
Wine list was GREAT. Really well thought out and good to see a choice from $50 to $250 as sometimes you want to splurge and next time we will - but in saying that it was $270 with wine so a splurge in itself!! 😩
Great find. Exceptional staff and the selection of tapas and shares plates was outstanding , great selection of Spanish wines to accompany your choices from the tapas menu. Save room for dessert.
The historic Mt Erica Hotel Prahran has been revamped, and is now home to Austin’s, a Spanish and Mediterranean inspired restaurant and bar. Named after the head chef Sunny Gilbert’s son, Austin’s uses locally sourced, seasonal ingredients to create innovative shared tapas dishes and daily specials.
AUSTiN‘s is the newly revived eatery alongside the Mt. Erica Hotel on High Street in Prahran. The restaurant gets its name from the son of the talented head chef Sunny Gilbert. The restaurant opened last week. To celebrate they invited along some of the biggest names in the Melbourne food scene and some local celebs for a champagne and canapés affair.
Had a fantastic meal next door at AUSTiNs, so thought we’d better try billies as well, especially as the chef Sunny Gilbert claimed that he would be making “the best burgers in Melbourne”. Are they the best? I am not making any comment on that ambitious claim, but I will say that they were pretty darned good. The chips, corn on the cob, and other accompaniments were also excellent. We weren’t there at the right time for the pig on a spit, but it looked and smelled amazing, so we are just going to have to go back again …
Had Lunch at Austins with friends. The service very professional and friendly. The food was absolutely fantastic. These guys really know what they are doing
Amazing food. Bought the young family down here on a wet cold Friday night. Table by the fire. Glass of beautiful Tempranillo. The prawns, barramundi and the ridiculously good lamb neck with our little girl engrossed in her fish and chips. A few glasses later very relaxed and walked home in the mist to put the little ones to bed. Delicious food, amazing wine and fantastic service. A perfect end to the week. Thank you!!
The kitchen is led by respected chef, Sunny Gilbert (MoVida Next Door, Orange) who has brought with him long-time colleague and venue manager Ross Murray (MoVida Next Door, Jamie Oliver Italian Kitchen). Together their efforts have transformed the once loved Mount Erica with a new direction inspired from their experiences.
The menu and food here is exceptional. A big focus on Seafood which is perfectly cooked with amazing sauces and spot on presentation. The kitchen is doing a lot of things right and is obviously very professional. We had a big group in for Mothers Day and the staff were very helpful allowing some to order a la carte and some to order the fixed menu. The wine list is solid with a selection of beers on tap and the food came out at nicely spaced intervals. The Barra was as good as I have eaten the only dish that did not measure up was the clams which were either overcooked or were frozen however the sauce/broth was good. Looking forward to returning for another memorable meal. The also have kid friendly food.
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The food here is outstanding but, and I was relieved to hear Heston Blumenthal say so on a recent food show 'food is only a small part of dining out experience' so with that confirmation let me say......The dining area has no soul, you are all huddled together (tables very close together) at the bottom end of a vacuous pub hall. Put a screen or something to block it from the rest of the space. The Manager knows his stuff, but so do many customers, so when you ask if we've eaten here before, and we answer 'no' please don't launch into a spiel about how tapas and shared plates work. We get it! The concept has been around a very long time, particularly in Spain!!!!
Crockery (fab earth green colour) and flatware are great but don't work together. The cutlery (full gloss) has a mind of it's own and continually falls into your food.
The biggest let down of all was, when booking, I said it was my friends birthday and could they please make a note and put a candle in her dessert. Gifts were being opened at the table, but not even a 'happy birthday' from the wait staff, who were efficient but again, where's the soul? The Manager looked out of place in a local pub. His funky hairstyle and casual clothes looked more suited to a trendy lane restaurant in the city. We heard, that's where he's from!
Lasty, I repeat, the food is really well executed here, and if it wasn't for the slightly salty quail I would say it was excellent and rate it 5. My rate is based on the food only, as I don't want to discourage others from trying this place, but hopefully to get the operators to look closer at every aspect of the business. Very disappointing to have no fuss over my friends birthday. Left feeling flat.
We had the chance to try this hidden gem on a living social deal. The ambience of the pl is cozzy, and rustic. Food was limited to our selection due to the policy of the deal, however this did not bother us too much. We had a selection of entrees, would recommend the pork croquette. For the mains, the prawns and beef cheeks were spectacular. To finish, the chocolate and rasberry sorbet was perfect. Keep up the good work, we'll be back for sure; the new revamp and chef is def working well.
Every Sunday, the Mt Erica Hotel transforms into a mini festival, complete with live bands and food trucks. For decadent Sunday afternoons, a rotating variety of food and entertainment will grace Prahran to help finish off the weekend. That particular Sunday, Toasta, purveyor of awesome toasted sandwiches;
Looks like new Owners who are Switched on, and on this side of the century! Outside seating, live sunday afternoon music, and great Atmosphere. Good luck Guys, all the best! Yet to Experience it ourselves but we can see the customers growing. Keep it Up!
As a mum of two young kids, I don't get out much. We spend a lot of time and money creating amazing food at home. So to say my expectations are high when dining out, is an understatement. Wow, this place delivered! Every dish tasted even better than it looked; and that's saying something. Great work, we'll be back for sure!
Oh my!! What a revelation.. As a chef that has spent 25 years in the kitchens of restaurants in Sydney & Melbourne, and to learn that one of the best is 500 metres away at my local pub in Prahran has made me so incredibly happy.
Had a divine experience with two of my chef Besties for dinner tonight.. Service & food was beyond expectations..
So much love in the food, and just wanted more..
Well done Sunny, your chefs & your front of house staff, you have the winning formula.. I'll be boasting to everyone I know.. We'll be back for another serve of awesomeness..
Wow!!! Dined at Austin's last night with my wife and another couple. Yum, yum, yum, so tasty. The four of us ordered shared plates of Calamari, Pork belly, Braised beef cheek & parpadelle, mushrooms and a fresh heirloom tomato salad. The quality of the food was amazing with each bite full of complexity and depth of flavour. For desert we had chocolate with raspberry sorbet that was just bursting with that real fresh fruit flavour and a fig and honeycomb desert with a sour cream icecream............................ now that was great. Compliments to the Chef and kitchen!!
The staff were really friendly and so attentive and we look forward to our next visit.
Thank you for a delicious dining experience.
Celebrated a friend's 30th birthday there. Great food, friendly staff, pleasant chilled-out ambiance... will definately come back again. Highly recommended!!
Posted by Chasing a Plate in Prahran on 15/02/2016. Chasing a Plate dined as guests of AUSTiNS. The Mt Erica Hotel has had a revamp. We hear locals are lamenting the disappearance of the TAB, instead they should be celebrating the new direction the kitchen has taken. The Mt Erica is now Billies, AUSTiNS and a deli/wine bar. Billies is where you can satisfy your craving for pub grub- think burgers, fried chicken and ribs. AUSTiNS focuses on Spanish and Mediterranean share plates and the deli and wine bar is where you can drop in for a glass of sherry and some charcuterie or pick up a coffee and a baguette on the way past.
The tired Mt Erica has morphed into Billy's which was the public bar and Austin's. (I have not eaten at the former). Apparently the pedigree of the new chef is exemplary. And OMG it shows. The tapas and share plates we lunched on we're as good as those I have enjoyed at Movida. Delicious. One titchy comment guys - just a tad too pricey to make it a frequently visited venue.
A gourmet pub menu that didn’t disappoint. Friends had the schnitzel and loved the freshness and uniqueness with the bocconcini and slaw. I had the burger and fries which were damn delicious, really good chips. Nice range of drinks too.
This is the perfect local pub. Got the seafood linguine, schnitzel and a bowl of chips. Gahd dayum, it was so good. The schnitzel was so refreshing with the slaw on top of it. Didn’t leave feeling really full and disgusting like I do with a parma. Overall, this place is delicious and so many beers on tap.
I had lunch at the Mt Erica.
The food was good, I have no complaints about it.
But it is, what it was...hotel/pub food,
yet like a lot of other pubs/hotels, are charging as if they are a full service restaurant.
Now don't get me wrong, I will pro go back to the Mt Erica, but if you are looking for an inexpensive meal, this is not yourplace
4.5
It is what it’s supposed to be: Pub steak night. Fast and efficient, steak came within minutes from our arrival straight off the grill with the bearnaise sauce made in their kitchen. Unbeatable value so will go again.
We had a table of five and enjoyed our time at Mount Erica Hotel. Great ambience that was enhanced by an open wood fire, perfect on a cold winter's night!
Food was good though service could have been better with some delays in receiving drinks plus one of the desserts wasn't available but we only found that out 15 minutes after we'd already ordered it. It was a very busy night so that may have been a factor.
Nonetheless it was a good evening and I would return again!
Great Saturday night dinner at our , almost, "Local". Very good value dishes. Including some Pub classics like Chicken Parma and Fish and chips.
Also very good value and interesting wine list.
We will be back.
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