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 thestaffare 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 the pub that 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 barstaffare friendly, there is not much which differntiates this place from any other pub which 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

like sitting in a creche. filled with children, no table service, average meal at $30. not impressed. in ordering at bar, they got the order wrong, then took over half an hour to bring out 2 parmas. so service very poor also. one meal did not arrive at all. attitude ofstaff? oh well - but no apology. gave up and went elsewhere. too much money for sitting amongst someone else's screaming children (one was throwing the dining chairs about unchecked) and such poor service. if this is your clientele empress bill yourselves as such and charge mcdonalds prices.

really disappointing.  has been renovated and had all of its soul removed in the process!  bleak, character-less dining room.  dull front bar with no atmosphere, empty the night we went.  hipsterstaffmore interested in stroking their own egos than in providing genuine hospitality, borderline rude at times.  hadn't been to the empress in years and decided to give it a try because the menu looked good.  food was okay but honestly, don't bother!  such a shame, used to be a lovely pub.

a group of about 15 of us went and had a a meal at the empress a few nights back. thestaffwere friendly but consensus was that the food was below average. amongst the group we had ribs that were good, chicken wings that had a very unusual sauce covering that was bordering on being inedible. one person had barramundi which he said was 'ok' and the burger had mixed reviews 2 of 3 that had it said they wouldn't get it again, it was poorly cooked, the 3rd had it cooked well done and said they liked it. the cauliflower fritters was a winner but a steak was returned as it has an off odour and couldn't be eaten. overall the night was disappointing and it's unlikely any of us would return for any more than a drink.

long-time local live music venue, now more of a local dinner & beer pub. kid-friendly, though the dining room is not very cosy or pubby - far too bright.staffwere mixed, as was the food - some good, some not. probably nicer if you can get a seat in the front bar somewhere

the only thing remotely good about the empress is there impressive beer garden and sports showings. other than that thestaffare always unimpressed when you ask anything of them (for a drink even), the food is overpriced and very small.
i still regularly go to the empress as it is in a great...

great place for some casual drinks with mates.  friendlystaffwho are always up for a chat.the only downside is the beer garden closing so early, but i think they're working to have that changed in the future.have made this my new local!

we visited in early may and enjoyed the hospitality, atmosphere, vibe, wine, beers and the woodfire pizza ... photo included above. great place to have a drink and a sociable catchup with friends. the barstaffwere awesome. reminiscing tonight, we need to head back there soon. a great inner north locale. ( and the 'nice'  old squishy carpet and uneven floors has been ousted with the refurb :)  - we remember only too well).

have been here a couple of times with friends who live in the area and only have positive things to say about it.. the chicken parma i rate as the best in melbourne with not too much cheese or sauce (too often done for a lot of parmas) and generous amounts of prosciutto as well as roasted potatoes and caper slaw (amazing!). the beer selection is amazing (may i suggest the oatmeal stout), ambience is great especially on the weekends when the footy's on and the service is always great with enthusiastic barstaffalways keen for a chat. the beer garden is also a must in the warmer months.

the empress is a must..

really great experience. used to be a punter at the old empress hotel, at times food was average and so was the level of service but it had its own flair now that it has had a makeover its style and flair still rock out hard was super pleased at the level of service given by thestaffseeing as they have 15 delectable craft beers on tap it can be a bit overwhelming but the friendly learnedstaffguided me through a wonderful journey of some crackin beers and 21$ for a jug of my new found favourite beers is amazing there parma is somthing else great food at a decent price waiting for the beer garden to open then assuming i ll be living out there the majority of my days off ,so all in all super experience at the empress!!