the empress hotel

am i empressed?. i have been here twice since the renovations were completed. this used to be my local for many years. gone is the pool table and the fire place has been obstructed by dining tables. squeaky unstable floor is still there though! i was impressed with the selection of beer on tap and the staff are happy to discuss tasting notes and find something which pleases you. the beer garden is certainly large enough but could definitely benefit from some heating! i have eaten here once and couldn't fault the service - easy ordering system and fast service though there weren't many people in thepubthat day. i had ordered the burger which came with a serve of salad and a large mountain of chips. personally i could have done without so many sides and had a larger burger however it was hot, tasty and cooked to my specifications (its served pink but i don't do pink). i have to say that i am sitting on the fence about this place. it has lost a bit of its grungy charm along with its band room and pool table. there appears to be a focus on creating a more "family friendly" venue evidenced by the number of children, prams and footy on the tv. not sure how i feel about that either. i guess the local demographic has changed to some extent and the new managers believe this is best way to capitalise on that. there is adequate seating but i wouldn't call it exactly cozy. while the service is good and bar staff are friendly, there is not much which differntiates this place from any otherpubwhich has recently gone through a makeover. perhaps i am looking at the past through the fingerprinted pint glass of crappy beers gone by - i am not sure that i will reclaim the empress as my local but then maybe its time to move past the need to have a local....sigh

great localpubwith atmosphere which is hard to get. but the standout here is the food. presentation is really good. our crew had pizza, chicken parma and meatballs . all happy. there’s a good range of beers on tap.
what’s not to like.
well done guys there’s a lot of competition in the area and you’ve nailed it.

this is one of our local pubs, but besides from it being nearby (with a nice beer garden & great place to watch sports), it is the great food that keeps us coming back: by far some of the bestpubfood in the area. they have a varied selection of dishes to choose from, with changing specials all the time, and on sundays they fire up the smoker & serve up delicious, slow cooked, bbq-style meats and sides too! i don’t think i’ve ever ordered anything here that i didn’t love! :)

i called into thispubw a mate for a beer. the service was good.

this place has some good craft beer options on tap. i tried a watermelon beer which was really tasty, and it was reasonably priced.

the watermelon flavour to me wasn’t too pronounced so you could easily have a couple without a problem lol

overall this was a busypuband i’d be happy to go back.

had a sunday sesh with a mate. the food is definitely better than the averagepubgrub. i had the chicken wings, my friend had the pulled pork burger and we shared two sides- charred brocolli cms the green beans. the brocolli was so delicious that we immediately got on our phones to find a similar recepie! the prices are a bit steep.

good localpubwith plenty of good beers on tap. the weekly menu specials include $10 pizza nights and plenty ofpubstaples. give it a try for a good value night out.

empressive.

an old favouritepubwith a very decent kitchen in place. the dear luncher had an engagement to attend in the vicinity and was ecstatic to learn of a $10 pizza deal for monday nights. with hawkers pale ale on tap, this made for a memorable evening indeed.

a crackingpubwith strong and diverse beer list, and a very good menu. i particularly enjoyed their sunday low and slow bbq menu; they cook up a mean rack of ribs! i think i've found my sunday tradition now.

beautiful food, above your averagepubmeal. friendly and quick food. a touch more expensive than your regular pub, but definitely worth it. thanks all, will be back

i won’t be rushing back to the empress to have their parma again, but i wouldn’t be completely against it should i find myself in the area. it’s a qualitypubwith a great atmosphere, and god damn those chips are tasty.

nice renovations. whilst it'd still be great to have a band room,  the use of space with a new beer garden is a winner, especially now that it seems we are past the hump of winter. they have a good selection of beers on tap and a good take on thepubmenu. i tend to get the parma, which comes with fried garlic potatoes... get these things as a stand-a-lone item already! they are awesome.

chicken parma. amazeballs!
the best parma in town... yes i said it!


-----15 mar, 2015-----

bestpubin fitzroy north. lovely service... lots of chat.
best parma in town.
what yall need to do is get down to the empress and get down to their parma.
you're welcome.