Hotel Barkly

Had a lovely lunch out at hotel Barkly today. For the price I couldn’t have asked for much more, only $23 (or £11.50) for a full plate of lovely food. Back home you could easily spend double the price for half the quality. Definitely worth a visit whether you just want a nice day out in st Kilda, or you’re a backpacker looking for a big, high quality meal for a low price.

***BEST PLACE FOR FOOD IN MELBOURNE*** This has to be the best Sunday dinner I have had and we’ve been in Australia for 2 months! The chicken is beautifully seasoned and cooked with crispy roast potato’s and veg all served in a huge yorkie…. It really felt like I was eating an English roast, all for 20 dollars too. The chef ‘matty’ is an absolute treasure to this place and welcomed us with a smile and made sure our experience here was the best it could be, he was very accommodating and super friendly with us which was really nice. Also 5 dollar jugs on happy hour to wash down this filling meal is an absolute steal! 10/10.

What can I say, it’s GREAT to be back. I’ll put in on record that all good stories start right here, at the Barkley. The friends and service will have me criss Crossing the country for pints and a good feed. -Come here and stay for awhile 🤙🏻

My fav pub in Melbourne! Hard to beat the $5 jugs at happy hour, and the food is also really good. My personal favourites are the fish and chips and the chicken parmy. The food comes in pretty large portions, so it’s definitely a great value! They also do $1 wings on Wednesdays and those are fire. The vibes here are really chill, there’s pool tables in the back and sometimes they have live music. My friends and I love going to trivia night, it’s always a fun time and a great way to meet people! I’d recommend this place to anyone in Melbourne, but especially solo travellers that are looking to socialize.

We came here for a Christmas dinner after our Sunday roast. Both did not disappoint. Very happy with both meals that remind me of home. Thank you Matty and the team

Very lovely and warm atmosphere, absolutely good medium rare steak and friendly staff

Had a Sunday Roast here and was lush! Was our first one since being in Australia and can highly recommend🤩 The chef was lovely and checked on us with our meals.

I recently stayed at summer house in Melbourne and really enjoyed the downstairs bar Barkley which had a really social atmosphere and affordable drinks. The prices of the food and drinks overall were great, but the $5 jugs of beer at happy hour are the cheapest I’ve seen in Australia. The staff were friendly and helpful, and the music and setting made it a comfortable spot to unwind. It’s a great choice if you’re looking to meet other backpackers for a casual drink without spending too much.

This place has been up and running for some time now and always pulls a decent crowd. By decent I mean numbers wise... I am not too sure about the quality. Its primary function is to provide accommodation and usually plays house to a ream of seasonal backpackers wanting to stay in the heart of St Kilda and enjoy the nightlife on a shoestring. They also have access to an underground style bar which I am not sure many are aware of that also plays host to a mired of travelers and the likes. Sunday night can be quite popular with nights being help on their roof top bar with a balcony showcasing views of the iconic Palais Theatre, Port Philip Bay and Luna Park.

We come here on Friday afternoons for a nice pub lunch. They're always very accommodating for our big group. There are good specials on each week, ie. fish and chips for $11 or lamb curry and a pot for $12. It's good pub grub! You won't be left hungry.

The first thing that caught my attention with this place is the window in the guy's toilets that looks out onto the stage, which means that if you are a guy (I don't know if the girl's have the same privilege) you don't get to miss any of the action on stage (meaning the live music). It sort of reminded my of the members area of the MCG. The pub itself wasn't bad, but it is a little way off of Ackland Street, though it does not necessarily mean it is a quieter part of St Kilda (it is at the corner of Grey, Inkerman, and Barkley). There is also a backpacker's hostel on the upper floors which means that you get a lot of backpacker's visiting this pub. It doesn't have an outdoor area though, only a few tables out on the street, however it is more the live bands that give this place some character than anything else. Not a bad place, but not one I would visit too often (since I don't live anywhere near St Kilda), but would be more than happy to come back for a live band.

This is going to be a pretty subjectively rated sort of venue (well, I suppose they all are). I can categorically say I won't be back. Was the staff rude? Nope, not at all. Functioned fine. Was the venue clean? Sure, for the most part, it's a pub, what do you expect? Was the location ideal? No, not if you live in the CBD, but that's not their fault. It's a genre thing for me. It's got betting, it's got beer, it's got pub food, it's got a lot of sportsball showing on the TVs. Is that your thing? If so, you're welcome to the Barkly. I'm thinking that if you're on a really tight budget, you like the ever-present risk of a drunken student tourist throwing up upon you, or never really left the Uni lifestyle yourself and find pub-grub haute cuisine, you're going to love this place. But if you're NOT into those things, and like more intimate surroundings and the ability to have a meaningful conversation without having to shout over hooligans ranting about their favourite sportsball team, well, best try somewhere else.

This is a wonderful local pub. Quality food. Good beer. Nice interior and lovely owners.