Grace Darling Hotel

Grace Darling Hotel

114 Smith St, Collingwood
www.thegracedarlinghotel.com.au

BarAmigo’s two pesos – a homely feeling pub great for a winter’s day and that beer or glass of wine.

When visited – Sat 5 May 2012 5.30pm to 6.30pm

Chill out at the Grace Darling Hotel with that glass or wine or beer and catch up with friends in a homely relaxed easy going atmosphere. Gotta love a fireplace when it’s cold and grey outside.

The bar at Grace Darling Hotel... and yes I can't take straight photos

Too much money is being spent this weekend… Friday night at Eau de Vie and the Imperial, Saturday night at the Local Taphouse and Revolver and now Richmond Club Hotel and the Grace Darling Hotel to finish the weekend off… Not good for the hip pocket and the liver (they’re kinda at the same spot right?)

The Grace Darling Hotel is a great spot for a chilled out winter’s Sunday session. Actually probably wouldn’t be too bad during summer either sitting outside on Smith St… although there aren’t too many tables outside. Inside, there’s quite a few areas to grab a seat and we have no problems at 3.30pm. People come and go throughout the arvo so if you’re looking at the pub area, maybe a slight wait but not too big a deal. The fireplace is raring and all I need is a beer. Actually could have got stuck into the wine (and many people are) but I’m feeling like a beer.

Decent range of beers on tap with Coopers Sparkling, Coopers Ale, Mountain Goat Steam Ale and quite a few others including Trumers Pils. Definitely not the standard but not quite the craft beer variety. $24 gets 2 pints of Mountain Goat Steam Ale and a pint of Bulmers Cider. Decently priced compared to city prices.

Atmosphere is chilled and relaxed but still feeling like something is happening. Not dead but not pumping busy. DJ provides some good background music suitable to have a chat and take it easy.

Crowd wise at the Grace Darling Hotel its kinda hipster. I guess a little typical for what you’d expect for a Sunday arvo in Collingwood. It’s a venue which does gigs every now and then so expect a little muso like. There is a TV in the corner showing the footy so not total muso like.

The roast and the burger at Grace Darling Hotel

If you’re looking for dinner, plenty of seats available at the restaurant out the back. We ate our food at our bar stool high table and stuck to the pub area. The roast ($24) certainly was a winner for a cold winter’s evening. The burger ($24) looked great… nice massive gerkin on top… Expect more gastro pub like food but at decent prices. A free range chicken parma with pancetta and pangrattata ($25) sums it up.

6.30pm and gotta head for indoor soccer. The Sunday evening indoor soccer really inhibits the Sunday session…

I’d recommend the Grace Darling Hotel for a homely, chilled out wine or beer on a cold wintry Sunday arvo. Chilled and easy to catch up with friends.

Salud
Eddie
BarAmigo – Your friend at the bar

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