Review The Fifth Province - St Kilda

Classic international style Irish pub. Good food, good beer and a warm welcome. Stopped by for a late lunch: Pint of Guinness and a Chicken Parma, both hit the spot

Very good pub food, including a house made chicken parma which must be one of the very few in the area not to be defrosted from a Bird's Eye packet shortly before serving. Good choice of beers and excellent friendly service. Lovely old interior, being part of the old St Kilda railway station. Ambient music perfect volume to create a nice vibe but not too loud for a quiet conversation.

Gee what a gem. Irish pub without the fakeness. Food great, beer even better with a 3 hour happy hour and terrific staff that want to be there. YES, go here.

The food was incredible, I eat at a lot of pubs and this place is among the best. Nice rich gravy, thick tasty onion rings. Full and delicious seafood chowder. Came on $22 steak night and was incredibly pleased, also turns out they have $8 pints until 7pm mon-thurs. Highly recommended, and can't wait to come back to try the rest of the menu. Not often you're keen to come right back to a pub

Great place. Food is so perfect for a cold winter night. Go raibh maith agat

Great spot for a beer, beer tastes fresh and came out at the perfect temp. Great service, didn't have to wait. Footy on the TV, tram stop right next door direct to the city of o boot.

Great atmosphere! Great food and drinks! Service made us feel so welcome and loved, and compliments to the chef John! Best character and great work.

We had the Parma special on a Wednesday and it was DELICIOUS with generous portions and mouth watering gravy. The staff that served us were all lovely and accommodating. Highly recommend

It would get a much higher rating for me other than the fact that despite recent law changes about smoking near food they still allow people to smoke just in front of the front door and it results in the inside of the pub being full of cigarette smoke. We have been three times now and really like it but this completely ruins the experience for us. We leave totally smelling of smoke and with our kids with us this is just not acceptable. The smoking rules were changed to protect people's health and this set up they have is just not good enough, it's the only place you can go to these days and come home sticking of cigarettes.

The most well presented chicken pie I have ever seen, and luckily it stacked up and tasted pretty damn awesome too! Definitely highly recommend. *****

Great staff, wonderful menu (which had a large selection of gluten free items) and brilliant food. The live music on a Thursday night was good for atmosphere. I will be back to make my way through the menu.

Best Irish pub in Australia. Fantastic service, lovely staff and great craic! It's a must if you're in Melbourne. You will go back again and again! Pint bottles ���

They don't come much better than this in regards to a proper authentic Irish bar. Hands-down some of the best beer and food you could ask for in a St Kilda pub setting.

They still let me in and hands down best pub in St Kilda

Don't order entree, you won't need it, meals are huge! I had the yummiest Cob Salad, in a huge tortilla bowl. Hubby had a beef & Guinness stew that came in a mini loaf of bread. Meals were awesome. Will be back!

Top bar staff, fantastic food, live music five nights a week, and more new and interesting beers from all over as well as the stayers! Easily my favourite pub in Melbourne!!

Not much luck, but I liked the place and the pricing format! Enjoyed the night! :)

Grand place to have a beer or two and the food is sensational. Atmosphere is unlike any Irish venue you will visit. ☘�☘����🍽

Excellent roster of entertainment, huge beer selection, great food; what more could one ask for?

Outstanding Venue, delicious food, amazing selection of beverages, brilliant entertainment and to top it off fantastic service😆

Enjoyed a Full Irish Breakie in The Fifth Province ...staff were attentive and lovely setting in St Kilda....would defo recommend...

This is THE BEST Irish pub I have visited since Ireland! Great beers on tap, great food, friendly service and the live music is the cherry on the cake! If it was in Ringwood, I'd go every evening!

Worth a look for the chicken pie which was so hearty and filling, atmosphere was slightly dodgy with a crackhead being asked to leave but the food was what you want from a decent pub. Check out the different specials per day

Reasonably priced drinks and a very extensive bar and menu. Great pub food and good deals during the week for the budget conscious. Perfect vibes for anything from a casual to more formal catch up with friends or colleagues.

As a St Kilda local, I have visited this Irish Pub on several occasions but it wasn't until this past week that I stopped in for their Steak Night Special on Thursdays. The Fifth Province naturally has a lively almost rowdy atmosphere, and being located next to a tram stop, as well as within walking distance of St Kilda beach - adds to it's popularity amongst tourists, backpackers and St Kilda locals alike. <br/><br/>Unlike most pubs, I appreciate the Fifth Provinces focus on quality meals over quantity (which is often the selling point for most Pub Specials). On Thursdays the $15 Steak Special gives you a 300gm GrassFed Porterhouse Steak with fries, a salad and choice of sauce. <br/><br/>It's a no brainer when ordering food on a Specials Night - the only challenge is deciding your doneness and sauces. I went with hot English mustard to pair with my medium steak and salad. When it came it was nicely plated and presented. The steak had a great char to it and smelt delicious. My steak was well cooked, a little more well done than medium but I was happy with what was served. I did think that the char added a depth of flavour but the steak was almost fringing on abit burnt as I felt the smokey flavour of the grill marks were bit overpowering. <br/><br/>Overall - I'd come back on a Thursday night again and will try the other specials.

Great food, always busy. Good atmosphere too. Breakfast late on the weekends. Amazing chicken pie! Popcorn chicken was nice and crispy but it was on the spicy side. The jaffle was nice but it was American cheese :(

Super comfy Irish pub. Fantastic hot chips, super creamy and an appropriate serving with the meal too (i.e not too much) Great porterhouse and for $15 (thursdays) you cannot fault this place at all. Good beer list and really friendly staff. Definitely coming back next time I’m in Melbourne

I recently booked a private event, which included canape options. Were large servings per person, great quality , tasted amazing. Prompt service and great atmosphere. 10/10

Great old school Irish pub.<br/>Pub food that will exceed expectations, good selection of beers with a lot of European imports that you won’t see around too often and a nice vibe to the place.<br/>Can get a bit rowdy and really busy at times so not always the best spot for a “quiet drink” but when the Irish locals flock in, it’s a great party spot

I came here for a roast and it didn't disappoint. Great selection of beers on tap, both mainstream and craft. I was impressed with the calibre of European beer on tap. Fantastic atmosphere and great service. Exactly what you would expect from a good Irish pub.

My Irish friend told me that it was good. I ordered bacon cabbage, tried barramundi and beef stew. The mains are good but not a fan of the soup and dessert.<br/>I honestly wasn’t happy with the service.I had to grab everything myself, cutlery, bowls and plates to share, pour my own water, clean my table. I might as well go and cook in the kitchen as well. Mind you that I was there early and there were only three tables.<br/>I think I deserve getting paid for doing all these.

In terms of pub grub I think it's one of the best in the city, they also have a very decent selection of craft beers for an Irish Pub.  Young guy from Galway playing music when I was there added to the atmosphere. Food plus good live music and tap selection makes it a favourite. Along with the Poet probably the best Irish pub in Melbourne.

Pubs are not my style (noisyness, drunk dudes cheering on the games, smell of beer everywhere) but this place does great pub grub! I've had several Parma's here. Friendly owner and quick service. This place is always pumping and busy which is great. Not my choice for a girls night but great for casual meetings (in the dining room) and to chill with friends

Was good for the first few times but started to notice that the crowd was rowdy and noisey, beer all over the floor and the toilets needed cleaning, staff re not the best either

I've been here a few times. Two times to eat breakfast and mmmmh nothing in particular. Very bad scramble eggs. No to many options and just bad food. <br/> <br/> <br/>They have a lot beer and big screen for sport events. <br/>Good place if you wanna drink beer and if you wanna eat chips after work.

As an Irish pub, The Fifth Province naturally has a warm and boisterous character, and being conveniently placed right next to a tram stop increases its popularity. As the night grows long and the crowds file in, the atmosphere is further warmed by live music. Quality over quantity is the menu’s focus, with weekly specials from Monday to Friday.

Came in on Thursday night for the steak but it had ran out, we thought " well we are here let's stay".<br/>The atmosphere was lively and the the customers looked happy this probably was the musican jamming and killing it.<br/>Back to the food didn't really venture out to Irish fair but decided in a classic. Chicken Parma and a burger! both lacked seasoning to the point I had the salt shaker out for every bit, I like salt but this was bad.<br/>Not sure if I'd spend money on food here again especially with other places around the area doing far better. Drinks are the norm and atmosphere fun worth coming back for that....!

It seems you don't need to travel the 17,000 odd kilometres for a taste of Irish fare, with The Fifth Province serving up a tasty Irish pub meal alongside all the trimmings of a grand old time.  . Complete with live music and an extensive bar menu, the dining experience at The Fifth Province was very much like something out of an Irish pub, except located in St Kilda.

The real star of the night however was me the traditional Irish Beef and Guinness Stew ($22.9). On first glance, you may think that the only remarkable thing about this stew is the enormous serving size, but you’d be entirely wrong. The chunks of beef were braised until they fell apart with the touch of a fork, whilst the selection of root vegetables were fluffy and hearty, having soaked up the amazing beef gravy, which bore the unmistakable fruity sweetness from the addition of Guinness. And if you’re not impressed by that, you have to be impressed with the Irish soda bread, which was dense, moist, and soaked up the stew like a delicious sponge.

Great atmosphere on a Friday night. The staff were friendly and efficient. We had the triple-cooked chips: Pretentiously named, but tasted great. All-in-all a brilliant pub.

"...GOOD PUB GRUB - REASONABLE PRICING - BIG SERVES - GREAT ATMOSPHERE..."                                                       <br/>We both had the same: real Garlic Bread to share, Filled Potato Skins, Chicken Parma with damn good thrice cooked Chips, dressed fresh Salad and Nelly's Nickerbockers - a mixed ice-cream concoction with plum pud brownie, chocolate n raspberry sauces n fresh cream... <br/>All delish.. Really delish..!! <br/>Serves are very GENEROUS - YOU WILL NOT LEAVE, THIS PLACE, HUNGRY - NO WAY ...!!!<br/>Only 1 tiny little criticism - Parmas were oven baked, which I like, but ours were in for a couple o mins too long: Just a little tough, but hey loved the crumb n that thick slice o 'style o the Irish' ham on top.. <br/>The place was flat-out - Loud, noisy n smelt o Guinness - An awesome spot.! <br/><br/>Visited Friday 19 Feb 2016 for drinks n dinner.

Good menu , large portions and reasonable prices. Couple of standouts , the homemade fish cakes were great. The Parma is passable , the lasagna was a bit underwhelming. But the gold star goes to the sticky date pudding ....sensational.

We loved the food, the decor, friendly staff, enormous serves and the value for money with our coupon deal. Unfortunately the deal breaker for us, and why we'll probably never return, was the level of noise in there. Wooden floors, walls and furniture and many people on a Friday night made it necessary to almost yell to be heard by our friends sitting across from us. Such a pity.

Above average pub food at better than average prices. Friendly staff, friendly venue, plenty of cheap parking nearby. We started with stuffed potatoes which were very fluffy, decadent and broiled just right. I tried the fish and chips with house tartar because I'd never had mushy peas before, faultless two large pieces of fish, I thought the chips were a bit soft. She had the chicken breast on the bone over asparagus which was perfectly prepared and had an imaginative sauce with a pinch of cayenne. The menu is quite changed from what's currently posted here but it's got a lot of Irish touches on it that you don't see often.

Terrific pub. Staff were great and very welcoming, food was delicious and Guinness was poured to perfection. One of the best Irish pubs I've been to.

Love the food, love the venue and love the staff. A great relaxed place to enjoy some<br/>Of the best pub food around. The love music is amazing and some great wines by the glass.

I liked the parma at The Fifth Province, but I didn’t love it, and $23.90 is pretty pricey. At the same time I’ll definitely be back as I liked the pub, and I’m keen to try the other meals they have on offer (I spied a burger that looked pretty tasty, and the smell of those curry chips still haunts me). For $23.90 you’re taking a gamble on this parma, The same meal is available on the lunch menu for a much more reasonable $17.90 – at this price I have no qualms in giving it a recommendation. Go and check it out at lunchtime just to be sure you like it before revisiting again for dinner.

Awesome food,awesome service, poor management. Upon walking in staff were friendly and helpful. Ordered our meal and enjoyed it. The food was outstanding. Best pub grub I've had by far. However, the way management speak to the staff made us feel awkward and disgusted. I do not know how these people can work for them and be spoken to like that. Wouldn't be back just for that fact.

One of the best dining out experience we have had in Melboure with our kids. Highly recommend for a family. I don't normally write reviews but I felt compelled to write one for the Fifth Province as we had such a positive experience. <br/>We have been here on 2 occasions, both for Sunday lunch, and each time the food and service has been very good but it was the service we received yesterday, from the male waiter (sorry I never got his name), that compelled me to write this review. This bar/restaurant does exactly what it says on the tin - traditional Irish cooking of high quality & like at all Irish Mammy's dinner tables you can be certain that you won't be leaving the table hungry. <br/><br/>We have 2 kids,aged 8 and 4, so going out to some restaurants can prove a bit challenging. However Mum, Dad and the kids love the food here and the price and quality for all our meals we have found to be excellent (the kids meals were no more than $10 each). <br/><br/>My eldest had the lasagne and he wolfed it down, as he'd been playing a footy game earlier, so when we asked for a second portion (minus the chips) the waiter couldn't have been more accommodating and he didn't even put it through as another kids meal but I think we were charged an additional $4 for this. I had the roast of the day, which came with all the trimmings & was divine, and my husband had the Ballymaloe Burger which he said was really good. We had more than enough food but seeing the Irish Curry Chips coming out we ordered a portion of those too to share. In total, including one mineral (I couldn't leave without trying the Club Orange....oh how I miss it), our meal came to $78. For the quality, price and service I can only give the thumbs up & I certainly will be recommending it to my friends who have kids and want a family meal in a child friendly setting. But be warned the portions are BIG - exactly what we needed after a long morning at the footy.

A proper Irish pub,the beef cheek is amazing and the 'craic' is good too!! Top marks

Best Irish Pub in Melbourne bar none!. I think PJ O'Briens may be rated as the best Irish bar in Melbourne among those I've spoke to. The Fifth Province is most definitely better. Me and my partner came here on a random Sunday afternoon expecting average service and average food. Whoa were we wrong!! The staff were exceedingly friendly and helpful. The speed at which the food came out was terrifying, the portion size was excellent, and the quality was super. We then stayed, gobsmacked at an Irish bar that is better than PJ's, and enjoyed the live Irish music for a while. We went home very happy. The following week we decided to do the same thing to see if anything would change. Nope! Exact same service, speed, and quality was delivered. We are now regulars. 10/10.

Great pub, finally.. Great addition to the area. Rotating taps is great with craft beers and Guinness is good! The food is massive portions but quality too. A little bit steep but worth it in the end

Snobs have no place in irish bars. Came here first time during the week with my irish husband and loved it,came second time with the kids on australia day,loved it,kids loved the food and i had a real craving for curry and chips and loved it,if you dont get the accent ,food ,working people or the craic..stay away,in aussie language piss off and leave this little peice of heaven to those who appreciate it...gets my vote

Consistently blown away!. Me and my partner came here by chance. Our first time left us a bit dumbfounded...the food came out 5mins after ordering, very generous portions, very good quality, very well presented, oh and at a fantastic price too. Not only this, the service is outstanding. Super friendly and helpful staff. Even the manager came over to offer assistance. Since then we have been back on weekends regularly and the quality in food and service has been consistent, never slipping up. Not to mention the great traditional music and friendly fun atmosphere. We cant understand why this isn't widely recognised as the best Irish bar in Melbourne. For those leaving negative reviews, you must fall into 3 categories, a competitor, someone who doesn't eat out very often, or a retard. <br/><br/>Long live The Fifth Province!

It's okay. The place does have a great ambience but the food is overpriced, the Parma wasn't great and the salad is just lettuce (literally).

When pub grub calls. Had lunch here with a friend but didn't feel like a huge meal so just went for the chips, gravy and cheese. Not exactly a canadian poutine, but I was told by the Irish staffer that this is the go-to meal in Temple Bar, so gave it a go. During a quiet lunchtime service, the meals were prepared promptly and presented nicely and neatly in little deep-fry baskets lined with paper so the gravy didn't go everywhere. <br/>Would have loved to have tried some of the other dishes but meal size aside, the dishes were on the higher end of the pub scale, but if the dishes deliver like the simple dish of chips, cheese and gravy did, I'll come back and shell out the dosh to give it a go.

Excellent. All really positive - We've been there twice now with big groups each time- the food, service and entertainment has been first class. Nice and clean dining and bar area, really nicely decorated. Just keep toilets cleaned throughout busy periods:-)

What can I say- this pub is beautiful, so cozy and so alive- the service I received was charming and attentive, the food was beautiful and they don't scrimp on portion sizes- def value for money. I had the ribeye and it was cooked to perfection, the potato gratin was so creamy and went wonderfully with the flavoursome peppered sauce. Me and my friends then shared the cheese cake of the day which was coconut and lime , it was so light and fluffy and the waitresses recommendation to have it was spot on. I cannot wait to come back here again and try a few more things on the menu.

I ate here with family and friends and have kept going back the food is amazing the bacon and cabbage is definitely a taste from the Emerald Isle! Would recommend to eat here service was fantastic!

Over priced and terrible service!!!. We waited and waited for this place to open and what a disappointment it has been! My girlfriend and I have been twice, unfortunately! First time we had terrible service by a waitress we couldn't understand because of her accent. She was rude and started the evening off badly, then the food wasnt great at all! Second time we went, the bar was full of drunk trades men all wearing flurecent jackets! They where loud, swearing and quite intimidating! St kilda could certainly do with a new bar/ restaurant, but what we have here is yet another ' Irish Pub ', I will not go into the terrible ' Irish music ' we had to endure... <br/>We will not be back and wouldn't recommend!!!

This place has slowly become my local. The food is amazing, and one of many reasons I find myself there weekly. The Stew, Chicken Fillet Roll, Homemade Coleslaw, & Broccoli Gratin are amongst my favourite and really have the same quality as home. The atmosphere at the weekends is great, live music and a lively crowd. <br/>Finding the snack bars at the bar was a great gem.

Very average. I was very excited to see this new place open, when I read the menu I could not wait to taste the breakfast. I was quite disappointed by what I got. The black and white pudding, the potato and soda breads were all quite tasteless and did not taste anything like the ones back home. My eggs were under cooked and had a lot of gunk on them. This was very over priced and not worth the $21, considering there are a lot cheaper places in St Kilda that offer a full cooked breakfast for $12-14.

As authentic as it gets!. Finally, a decent Irish bar in St Kilda! If you're from Ireland, this really is as close as it gets to the warm hospitality, great food, and music you will find in a decent Irish pub back in Ireland. The food is delicious and the portions are very generous. The live music is also very good and they have a great fiddle and acoustic guitar player. They must keep the messers out though and it's nice to see bouncers on th door if things get messy.

Great ambience, food and drinks. My new local!. Beautifully fitted out with a great selection of food and drinks. Not your standard tokenistic 'Irish bar', having an authenticity and warmth that is remnant of pubs in Ireland. Gets quite loud on the weekends with live music but this adds to its charm and lively atmosphere. Ordered the smoked salmon and brown bread from the bar snack menu. Was simply delish! The salmon came in thick slices and had been house cured and the crispy capers that accompanied it were awesome. The little added details really made this dish and I cleared the plate. Will definitely be back, certainly a fantastic new addition to Fitzroy Street.

Not suitable for Kids. 100% won't be going back. My OH was asking to go all week .He was born in Ireland and loves Irish traditional dishes. The place was jammers and there was very loud live music . It was not the most relaxing experience I did not enjoy my meal as the atmosphere was inappropriate. My 9 year old wanted to join us but my OH managed to fob her off. THANK THE LORD SHE DID NOT COME!!! . There was a table of young Irish boys sitting next to us drinking beer at a wicked pace. They were discussing the previous night , the language they were using and the references to one particular young women was disgusting. If my daughter had to sit and listen to this I would have walked out. It was early and the men were drunk , one guy appeared to wearing the clothes he wore out the previous night and there were drink stains all over his shirt . The tables are squashed together which means you cannot have a private conversation without been overheard. The queue for the ladies/gents was very long. My meal was served hot but I ate it cold due to the toilet situation . This place is a bar and should have more toilets for patrons who are drinking and out socialising with friends. The band playing loud music was inappropriate , a cd will relaxing Irish music would suit better. I had a headache leaving this place . I won't be going back . If you are going please don't bring your kids as the place is full of Irish backpackers drinking to get drunk . It is a shame really as the place looks well inside.

Disappointed. I’ve been there a few times and it never fails to disappoint. The decor of this new Irish offering in St. Kilda outweighs what is delivered. I suppose the target market is the fluro-green Irish tradies. The food looks and tastes good but the menu is so clichéd. Give this place a miss if there’s live music as you’ll be treated to another cliché. Why do Irish bars in Melbourne subject us to second-rate crap that we wouldn’t dare listen to in the old country? The bar offers the usual Guinness/Kilkenny on tap but its good to see craft beer as well. <br/><br/>Food 8/10 Music 4/10 Bar 6/10 Price 7/10. <br/><br/>(The Dublin barman with the cap is a champion and probably should find himself a better bar to work in.)

Chowder. Delicious chowder with brown bread Great flavour lots of good fish . Recommend it .

Think pub, then think Irish, then think yes. So I thought hmmm, an Irish pub with the usual trappings and average pub lunches masquerading as themed food. Nope. I couldn't be more wrong. With a really great, intimate fit out that feels like a cosy little hideaway in some corners, and a big wide verandah in others, The Fifth Province really surprised me and turned my thoughts about themed pubs a long way around. <br/><br/>The food was really interesting - seriously authentic Irish breakfasts, with soda farls, black AND white pudding and traditional fare served with respect for the traditions of real Irish food but handled with flair. I saw a few people tucking into a late breakfast and it looked like it was good tucker. <br/><br/>Lunch comes in two ways - full menu or bar food, so you can have anything from a slow cooked beef dish to a build-your-own chip butty. <br/><br/>My fish and chips were perfect. Perfect beer batter, and totally perfect chips. I'm in for the breakfast next. Yep.<br/><br/><br/>-----15 Oct, 2014-----<br/><br/>Fish and Chips. Perfectly beer battered fish and truly perfect chips, served with lemon in a classy muslin sleeve and really good tartare sauce.

Not a restaurant , bar full of drunks especially on weekends. This place is full of drunk Irish people, food is pretty good! Atmosphere is crap! Meeting place for builders!!! Shouldn't call themselves a restaurant , bar with food is all it is,

Genuine Irish Pub & Restaurant with a strong focus on good wine, craft beer and live music. Who’s behind it  The owners are Liam Ganley and Paddy Walsh. Two Young lads from Galway with a vision of how Irish pubs should really be represented abroad. The head Chef is Kerrianne McConville, who is a self proclaimed ‘feeder’. No nonsense pub grub with a fine dining aspect.