The George Reborn

The George Hotel has been a South Melbourne icon since 1865. What drew you to take on this particular venue, and how did its history influence the restoration? 

I used to run The Rising Sun in South Melbourne 15 years ago, and I’ve always loved the pub culture here — it’s unique, rich in history, and has real charm. The George always stood out to me. Every time I visited the South Melbourne Market, I’d think, this is the best-positioned pub in the area. It’s a beautiful old building, right across from the market. I filed it away in the back of my mind — if I ever took ion a pub in South Melbourne, this would be the one. 

How did your family’s history influence your approach to reviving The George? 
I’ve got a long family legacy in pubs; my great-grandmother and grandfather were both publicans, and my dad’s a hotel broker. But I fell in love with pubs myself while working in one, just trying to figure out what I wanted to do. What really got me was the history, the sense of legacy. You're only ever a custodian of a pub. I’m not interested in turning them into something unrecognisable. Maybe that’s the family influence, but I just love the idea of bringing an old pub back to life. 

Can you walk us through some of the key changes or restorations you made during the process? 

Our approach is never to bend a pub to our will. We always try to work with the building’s natural features, not just for budget reasons, but because I genuinely love pubs. The goal was to make the front bar feel like a space you want to spend time in. We opened it up and really focused on making it warm and welcoming again. 

The food has a great mix of old-school and new. How did you land on that? 
It’s always a balancing act. You can’t get away with boring or sub-par food in Melbourne. People expect quality. So yes, you need your staples — schnitzel, parma, steak — but you also want to offer things that are a little more exciting. We love bringing back old favourites, like sesame prawn toast. Given the competitive landscape in South Melbourne and our proximity to the market, we knew we had to lift the game a bit. 

How do you see The George fitting into the community now and into the future? 
Pubs always find their own identity, and often it’s not what you expected. I think it’s our job to listen to that — listen to the locals and the rhythm of the community. You can’t impose yourself on a venue or a neighbourhood. You become part of it by responding to what it needs and evolving with it. 

LEARN MORE https://www.thegeorge.au/