builders arms hotel bar and bistro

what a shame!. the phrase "who have you got to f!%k to get a drink around here?" springs to mind. the service was terribly light on, and when we were lucky enough to get served, the exchange was insincere and condescending. we had intended to stay for dinner, but moved on elsewhere. ripbuildersarms!

will be back. the food at thebuildersis as you would expect from andrew mcconnell, seriously good and from our experience, good value. our highlights from the bar menu were the sea bounty mussels with saffron & aioli (yum) and the whipped cod roe with turkish bread. the bar has a great feel to it, the original tiles and circular bar have been retained and service is still very pub-like. yep, pretty happy to have this place back.

went to thebuildersarms for their wine tasting festival. jam packed with happy drinkers, the day was fabulous with delicious nibbles, epic beers (literally) and a really interesting variety of wines.
the staff were cool, calm and super friendly. one staff member in particular was so helpful, and even happily checked a coat into the cloakroom (even though the bar was chockablock with customers). sounds like a small request, but i was very impressed at how accommodating the staff atbuildersarms were during such a big event. cannot wait for next year. thank you!

a great experience. went to thebuildersarms on a busy saturday night with a group of about 10. we had the set menu which was exceptional - the steamed mussels, served drowning in aioli, were wonderful, and the whipped cod roe was creamy and delicious. also fairly good value at $65 per head - and we were stuffed by the end! unfortunately the porterhouse steak was a bit of a let down. great experience but not in a great hurry to go back.

overall, dinner at thebuildersarms hotel was pretty good especially for a chilled out sunday dinner – it was the perfect atmosphere – casual, homely yet stylish.buildersarms is the kind of place that people would frequent quite often for homely and delicious dishes, as well as for a casual drink with mates.buildersarms is a great casual bistro in a great location.

oh how pleased we were on our first visit tobuildersarms- we enjoyed the food, their great wine list and the laid back spacious set up of the bistro. definitely not your usual 'hotel' - ba is on another level and would definitely return to try out their other dishes.

sunday lunch at thebuildersarms can't be beaten. traditional chicken parma with a twist is the go to on a cold wet winters day.

the atmosphere is relaxed and the bar staff are on point. the service staff and food was to die for. i had an issue with my meal and not only did the staff act promptly and offer to remake the meal, they offered a full cash refund upfront. good old fashion customer service with the right spirit. will be back for sure and sing there praises.

in a competitive restaurant market as inner melbourne. it's great to experience real service. five stars.

gene isaacs

was excited on getting some decent pub food andbuildersarms looked great, pub vibes without feeling too dingy. crowd and staff were nice if not overworked, but thats where it ends. the food was shockingly average. fish pie with decent but overdone pastry - clearly filled with frozen produce. everything tasted like old seafood. one prawn. for a high price of $35. the scotch eggs tasted like cheap sausage and the pasta was edible. usually im pretty easy with food but huge disappointment when the bread is the best part of the meal.

i enjoyed a variety of small plates in the courtyard on one of those “lovely” hard concrete banquettes, but under the shady trees. we shared some lovely fresh oysters as i continue to wean myself on them. as per many other positive reviews, the whipped cod roe was a winner: creamy, light and well seasoned served with crisp dipping fingers. i would have loved the fish pie as i am such a fan of this nz perennial but i checked with the kitchen and the sauce is still runny. no thanks. we also shared the cured salmon which was very subtle, fresh and light. the cheese on our heirloom tomatoes had already gone hard and rubbery by the time it got to the table. i didn’t even recognise that it was cheese. it was really difficult to cut through. it must have been sitting on the pass for a while. not a great result. the presence of the anchovies was a bit to subtle for me, but that’s because i can literally eat them out of the jar, and am not adverse to their intense flavour.
thebuildersarms is a really nice pub, particularly for mid week lunch when it’s quiet. service was excellent- really friendly. it’s definitely worth a return visit and is a great local pub.
tip: cushions for the concrete benches?

i came to thebuildersarms with work for a small xmas lunch/ afternoon. i wasn’t actually sure what to expect but we had a delicious fine dining style meal with great wine and plenty of atmosphere. we close the set sharing menu and where not disappointed, the cod dip was smooth and creamy, the oysters seriously fresh, those that had the slow cooked meat said it fell of the bone and my fish was exquisite. we all had panacotta for dessert that wobbled well, a lovely vanilla flavour.
kd

pretty reasonable food let down by a bit of a stuff up (which i will go into). however, this isn’t going to be my final score as they were pretty good at fixing it.


i have been to ricky and pinky a few times and had also been to thebuildersarms for private functions so i have been keen to try this place. it was very busy and quite loud; and everyone seemed to be having a good time. our reservation was found quickly and we were shown to our table. i can't exactly remember having the specials discussed with us, but they have a very interesting wine list with lots of organics, unfiltered etc.

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 atbuildersarms were very quality too, along with an extensive wine list! overall, i've enjoyed my dining experiences atbuildersarms. 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.

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 aboutbuildersis their rotisserie serving up coal smoked roast meats. perfect pub for a quick beer, to stop a while or spend the afternoon!

i have been to thebuildersarms several times for work lunches, including taking my team there for a very long afternoon, so when i took my wife there for dinner i was expecting a similar quality experience. sadly this was not the case. we arrived at around 7.00 on a friday, but the restaurant wasn't too busy. staff looked at us for a moment while we waited for them to give is a table.. the moment turned into several moments, became a little awkward and so i said. we would like a table for two for dinner. not an unusual request considering the circumstances but it still felt as though i had just asked where can i park a camel or what do they think of hazel nuts... it was just odd.. they processed my question and then suggested that i look outside..so off we wandered to find no available tables.. back inside then and found a free table.. ok guess we will sit here. now this sort of find your own table and sit yourself is perfectly normal for a traditional pub, but this place has linen table cloths and nice cloth napkins. each setting has at least two glasses. this is not a $15 pot and parma place! after finding our own table we were ignored for a while.... then another while.. and then when the whiles became ridiculous i got up, scrounged some cutlery and glassware and set my table myself. it was either that or do something more extreme to get attention and by the time i finished our table was all set for dinner. at this point our host who had previously been hiding behind the counter jumped in and told us that we were at a reserved table (that had no settings) and got quite agitated. now i don't need to spend a lot of money to be treated this rudely and i certainly wouldn't recommend thebuildersarms again. seems like their staff don't give a cr#p about their guests and frankly i think we were in their way spoiling their quiet evening.

that's ok we (or my team) are not likely to come back.

overrated. went here with a big group of friends, and most of them were chefs. we found the place to be lacklustre, the food lacking imagination. some of the mcconnell restaurants are great like cutler, butbuildersarms failed to deliver. on a good note, the dry aged steak was great. we much prefer venues with vibe & atmosphere, places like panama who have awesome food, or le bon ton for the wicked atmosphere and cool outdoor area (but not in winter!!)