Commercial Club Hotel

As I was visiting a number of pubs in the inner North of Melbourne one night (or at least the pubs that I hadn’t visited) I noted that there was a little scribble next to this pub on my map that said ‘pretty cool’, though when I was standing outside I could not for the life of me ever remember actually going in here (and no, it was probably not because I was drunk the night I did go here).
Anyway the pub itself was pretty cool, and while it was a little quiet it had a decent beer garden out the back. What I really liked about this pub though was what I call the little hidey hole. There are a number of small alcoves around the place that you can hide away in with a beer and a friend and not be disturbed (with the exception of others sticking their nose in to see if the hidey hole is available).

Fantastic local pub, one of the best around. The staff are friendly, the food is cheap AND delicious, and there is a great selection of various ales and wines. Pool table and a big beer garden. It’s pretty much exactly what I look for in a local, which is good because it’s my local.

This venue is literally across the road from me (please don’t stalk me) and a close friend had her last birthday celebration at the Commercial Club Hotel.
We arrived at five in the evening and were greeted by friendly bartenders, the venue has that ‘warm local’ feel, a mix of young and old, both for drinks and for playing some pool.
There’s a large courtyard that could be thoroughly enjoyed on a day filled with sunshine (when i went it was raining pretty heavily), there’s some sofas sprawled around the place, pool table and bar stools out front that provides a lovely place to make your local drinking hole.

Located on Nicholson Street in a large nondescript building, the Commercial Club Hotel is a spacious venue with a large bar as it’s main decoration.
Considering how spacious the building is, there isn’t very much space for seating — there are a few tall tables with stools near the bar and a dining area behind the bar with two large tables. The rest of the place seems to be empty space or made for people standing and drinking?
Very friendly bartender with good food — I ordered their fillet medium rare with this amazing pepper sauce ($ 20). Other things on their menu include hamburger, steak sandwich, chicken burger, schnitzel, and parma for around $ 15. That’s a pretty cheap feed.
My only issue with the place are the bar stools — they’re this weird design that doesn’t have four long legs, but rather four really short legs connected to two long legs. I was not feeling the stools. They freak me out. But I’ll definitely be going back.

This is the kind of pub that you could go to with anyone and for any occasion. Ma’s birthday? Hot date? Sunday Session? Tick, tick and tick.
The Commercial Club is one of those illusive venues that is so relaxed that you almost want to move in. A varying crowd pops along to this local every night, from the young share-​house kids to the older tradies, this is the Every Man pub.
The Commercial Club also has a fantastic menu with all items very reasonably priced. For instance, you can get the incredible Chicken Burger for only $ 12 or a Scotch fillet for $ 20 (my personal favourite and so cheap!)
While still in Fitzroy it isn’t located in the busy part of the suburb, so you can be safe from running in to drunken stumble-​bums down Brunswick street.
The staff are young and spunky and maybe a little bit slow every now and then but that just adds to the laidback atmosphere — there’s no need to hurry when you’re here.

I doubt I would have discovered the Commercial Club if it weren’t for a tenuous link to one of the owners, Paddy (he played cricket with an ex). Being on Nicholson Street means there’s not a lot of walk-​ins — people who come here have made an effort to specifically come here, and there’s a few good reasons why…
Firstly, the food. It the classic pub menu is awesome and well priced. Don’t miss the bangers and mash.
Next are the drinks (of course). For a sport-​ish pub, they’ve got a killer range of wines. The team here know their stuff and can help you choose if you’re having one of those «I don’t know what I want, but I know what I don’t want» moments.
Finally, there’s the killer courtyard. The high fence and comfy tables give it the feeling of a private back yard, and toward the end of an afternoon session separate groups tend to be chatting to one another.
This is a laid back pub that has broad intergenerational appeal — go with your mates or go with your mum. Everyone will like it.

This place was renovated a few years ago from old man drinking pub to young man drinking pub, complete with polished concrete floors, rejuvenated beer garden with stylish nooks and crannies, along with happy hipsters behind the bar. Surprisingly quite for a Friday night, this place can be a real hit or miss with the crowds, yet always has a comfortable vibe. Preparing for a meal in the dinning room felt slightly stale and cold, so we moved to take a bench table in the front bar. The ergonomic stools are much more comfortable than they look and the bar chatter kept the mood light.
The girls behind the bar had more wine knowledge than expected and matched the scotch fillet with a Syrah perfectly. The soft groovy tunes sit neatly in the background and thankfully the TV’s have been turned off and we’re not subjected to poor commercials. A relaxed friendly environment that feels more like your visiting a friends place than a 100 year-​old establishment. The conversation flows smoothly and the interaction with in punters is easy and entertaining.