builders arms hotel bar and bistro

$7 schooies of vale larger and 19 bucks for 250 grams of meatsmith porterhouse with chips, salad and sauces on a monday. i’m a fan of meatsmith meat, so not surprised the steak was great and was cooked to perfection. i ordered medium rare and it was a true medium rare, still very pink.

place was really busy too so vibes were good.

we came here for lunch on a friday at midday. we decided to order the whipped cod roe to share, the fish pie and the porterhouse steak with a side of onion rings. the whipped cod roe was to die for! the fish pie was nice but i wished that there was more filling in the pie as the seafood was abit scant. the porterhouse steak was also cooked to perfection and well rested. i would recommend this place to anyone.

a bit fancy for a pub. was impressed with the serving size of my veal parma. it was delicious and highly recommended. you have to order and pay at the counter but service was great and the food didn't take too long to be served.

very disappointed that i had a caesar salad today which was made up of cos lettuce, a few shards of bacon/ croutons, grated cheese, egg, soda water and i paid $20 for this?! it was hardly dressed so it was a dry salad. sorry guys but that's very steep for what you offered.

great place for an after work catch up with some mates. the dining area is good, although it feels a little empty as there is so much open space and not many tables. there is a super simple menu...i had the steak which comes with fries and salad and pepper sauce. it was probably one of the best steaks i’ve had for a pub...i dare say it came close to rockpool standard. cooked to perfection and i love how it was sliced which made it more interesting to eat. salad was simple, different types of lettuce with a dressing and the fries were good. would definitely return for the steak alone.

sophisticated pub style venue with attentive staff. the dumplings are great and the "ricky dog" is even better, especially with lunch time prices. great spot to have a drink with friends

old school pub with an industrial vibe. cozy place, but you're charged for the hipster locale. in saying that the service is also second to none. great meeting place before heading off elsewhere.

every time that i come here is a different experience. but today i was more than satisfied, the staff is so good an attentive in general at the restaurants of this group. i definitely come back with this kind of service.?

a pub with a great atmosphere and great food.  we had the baked trout (outstanding) and half chicken (very good) as well as potatoes (always too many) and a tasty broccoli and preserved lemon salad.  eating out in melbourne is always a pleasure as food is serious business in melbourne.  small but satisfactory range of wine by the glass and you can start a finish with a cleansing ale.  easily accessible by tram and a must try.

builders arms hotel epitomises the sophisticated modern australian pub fare. the highlight of my experiences here was the whole roasted rainbow trout. the fleshy fish was fresh and had a lovely hint of french (i suspected it was the burnt butter). the roast pork with "best ever" crackling is also a must-have to share between few people, albeit some parts of the meat was slightly dry and required mustard for enhanced taste. the fried cauliflower starter was also quite cumulus-esque which i really enjoyed. though i really liked the freshness of the mussels, i wasn't the biggest fan of the curry taste in its sauce. otherwise, the sides at builders arms were very quality too, along with an extensive wine list! overall, i've enjoyed my dining experiences at builders arms. it's perfectly wrapped up with the divine dark chocolate and orange truffle. the price you pay for the quality of meals here is very justified. however, i've rated this place lower than i'd liked due to slow, uncoordinated, and unfriendly service. the inattentive staff here seemed to have thrown decorum out the window and wasn't very hospitable especially when it came to moving tables (we were rushed out due to a two hour booking slot), and getting the bill. but when it comes to food and wine, you can't go wrong with anything related to andrew mcconnell so i definitely won't hesitate to come back for the food in hopes that service would improve.

attended a friends birthday here last night. beautiful food amazing service. very accommodating. would highly recommend.

excellent pub with mostly friendly team who make you feel welcome. their food is a smashing hit, really tasty bar food, simple is perfect, like the chicken schnitzel with iceberg lettuce. doesn't sound much but the thigh chook is tender and perfectly cooked. or try the classic new york reuben sandwich... tasty!!!
if you are really hungry or there's a small army in your crew you cannot go past the western plains roast pork. omg the crackling, the presentation, the feeling of satisfaction you feel when you see it coming to the table, not to mention the food envy looks you receive from people on other tables. it's a real must to share. brilliant saturday afternoon long lunch goodness.
the other thing i love about builders is their rotisserie serving up coal smoked roast meats. perfect pub for a quick beer, to stop a while or spend the afternoon!

a little good and a little bad. went there expecting great things as i've read plenty of top reviews. i'll start with the good- our staff were keen and happy. attentive and lovely. the food was pretty good. we ordered most all of the appetisers and they were smashing. the jamon balls were spot on. i ordered the fish pie and my wife had the parmigiana. both were delicious. but we simply couldn't find a good wine on the menu. we tried one by the glass which tasted flat, almost like it had been opened over night. we ordered a bottle but there was nothing which really moved us. the bottle we settled on was the best of a bad bunch of shiraz. mixed review.

don't judge a pub from the outside. looks like a very sad pub from the outside. step inside it's very modern and serves some great pub food. first time visit but would easily come back.

our experience was a bit of a mixed bag. staff friendly but not very attentive. pork shoulder was the highlight but chicken very disappointing and under cooked with no charcoal flavor and skin still not browned and impossible to eat. roast potatoes were also a disappointment and not crispy at all. broccolli salad and goat cheese were nice.