Hotel Esplanade

Hotel Esplanade is a must visit, we had a wonderful time there over Christmas. The food drinks and service were exceptional considering just how busy the place was I'd give it 10/10 with special mention to Dan and Aisha great service from you both. How you got around to everyone on a crazy busy day with a smile on your face ... Well not sure how you managed it but you made our day special. Next trip to Melbourne we will be back for sure.

📍 The location is excellent, situated right on the cliffside of the bay. 🍔 It’s housed in a building over 100 years old that once operated as a hotel and now functions as a multi-level restaurant-pub. 🎤 It has a sensational retro vibe from the 1930s-50s, complete with cozy booths, a great bar, good music, and really good food. 🎹🎷 Plus, it’s a legendary spot for live music in Melbourne, so you might catch some great concerts on the venue’s stage as well.

A total St Kilda classic with an effortlessly cool vibe. Super busy when we visited, but still easy to get a drink, which says a lot about how well it’s run. Live music created a great atmosphere without feeling overwhelming. One of the best spots in St Kilda to watch the sun go down over the beach. Perfect for a casual drink, soaking up the energy, and enjoying the view. Would absolutely return

Came here with friends for lunchtime mid week drinks and this place has such a vibe. The history within the place seems to sing out to you and with all the different bars throughout the establishment its like you're in many places in one. And the bathrooms are something straight out of a Harry Potter movie. Great selection of drinks and good prices. Would definitely recommend for day drinks, and look forward to coming back to experience the food menu sometime too.

Absolutely loved our experience at the Hotel Esplanade! The food was delicious, the drinks were perfect, and the staff were incredibly friendly and attentive. Such a great atmosphere and amazing service — can’t wait to come back!

We had a great experience here despite a bit of a wait on two of our meals. The real standout was the manager, who handled it brilliantly and went above and beyond by offering us a round of drinks on the house without us even asking. That level of service says a lot — genuine, professional, and customer-focused. The food was well worth the wait, and the way the situation was handled turned it into a really positive visit. We’ll absolutely be back and would happily recommend this place to others.

Hotel with great cafes and beach view! •the cafes are must-try! •beach view during sunset is really beautiful! •easy to find as it is located just near the highway

Amazing experience!! We had lunch on Christmas day in the sun room and it was an absolute delight! The food was incredible and they catered well to our food allergies/intolerances. Our waiter Aisha really made the day extra special for us. She was so friendly and helpful and just made the whole day incredible! Thank you Aisha ♥️♥️♥️

- spacious - very nice bar overlooking the beach - I love the excavated hotel decor - fast service - tasty drinks - variety of drinks - plenty of options for multiple tastes - sunny

Honestly, I a really, really disappointed with how this place turned out. Before the renovations, this pub was literally a Melbourne icon, but these days honestly, it is basically just another one of those inner-city pubs. Sure, it was crowded, but it has always been like that, but the thing is that it simply have moved up to accommodate a new class of people, and it really didn't come across as being that grunge pub of old. Yeah, I waited over two years for this place to reopened, and honestly, it is just not the same.

There seems to be a craze about this place but maybe only because it's the only decent restaurant near the pier? There is a bar area and restaurant area. Both have really nice vibes depending on your style. The food and drinks are average, and service can be hard to get. I'm not quite sure what's so great about here but maybe it's because I visited during the day time, and at night the vibe is completely different. The staffs are nice but I'm pretty sure they were judging me as a solo diner.

I have been here to the espy on a few occasions for some concerts! But have always been a little to much on the drunk side to actually realise much about the venue! However went here yesterday for an early dinner and there cheap $15 Parma nights!.. The place is massive, the espy has so much going on and even filming the rock wiz show while we where there!.. We sat in the outside seating watching the sunset and baskin in the amazing weather! I ordered a Mexican chicken Parma! And it was amazing! Nice big piece of chicken with lots and lots of cheese, chilli con carne, nacho chips sour cream and guacamole! Yum :-) with a side salad and chips! This was so nice, very well priced and tasted deli ships. Great location and amazing seating, a real nice charm in st kilda :-)

This is a Melbourne institution, and has moved ahead leaps and bounds in the last 20 or so years. I love coming here in Spring and Autumn, and summer, to catch the sun setting over the bay. The pub grub in the main, is well pub grub, I've yet to try any of the bars other than the main one, one day; one day.

The bustling heart of seaside St Kilda is home to a piece of Australian rock history. The Esplanade Hotel, named "The Espy" by locals, has a long and varied history as a live music venue and local pub. It is the type of place where anything can, and often does happen. The upstairs restaurant boasts one of the best views in St Kilda, serving classic Aussie pub fare with specials most nights (Don't miss the Parma night!) to patrons of all ages seated at tables or in booths! The two live music rooms attract local bands (both established and up-and-coming) as well as international acts and the pool tables and game machines do little to distract from the amazing view or people watching, which is extremely rewarding in this local haunt. The "Espy" is a little rough around the edges, but that is part of the charm. Its casual atmosphere and lack of dress code is refreshing among St Kilda's new nightspots and it's a place that welcomes everyone. Grab your table early as it is always crowded and get ready to take part in the history of Melbourne's iconic "Espy".

Ahh The Espy... Not many Melbournians could honestly say they had never visited this venue at some stage since its opening in the late 1800's, but for me it's all about the $10 all day breakfast! Only available on Saturday and Sundays "The Espy Special" is the perfect good morning (or even mid afternoon) wake up call after a big night out drinking. There is seating outside, upstairs and down for when the sun is out (wear your sunglasses if your still not ready to face reality), as well as booths and larger tables inside for a more intimate affair. The staff, are charismatic and funky and although it does get pretty busy on those nicer Sunday afternoons, the food served up will be well worth your wait. If you've recovered and are in the mood to sip a few beers with your breaky, better off pushing on to place nearby as drink prices far out do the food menu, and in a place like St. Kilda there are many worthy competitors.

The Espy, as it is known to Melbournians everywhere, is a landmark in St Kilda, and one of the great local live music venues in the city. Its definitely not fancy, and has kind of a grungy pub feel to it. That actually makes sense, because it technically is a pub- but the couple of times Ive gone to the espy, its been for a show so I guess I see it more as a music venue. Almost every night, the venue hosts all kinds of acts, from indie rock, to rap groups. Both local and international acts play here, and i love that each night you will find such a diverse crowd.I think its a great local venue and will definitely go back to see another show.

It's a big call to say a place is Melbourne's most iconic pub and night venue, but St Kilda's Espy deserves the title unlike any other. It's been an icon in the trendy bayside suburb for over 100 years and is a haven for locals and tourists alike. It's best known and most loved for the awesome live bands, and some of Melbourne's, in fact some of Australia's best up and coming acts perform here. Recent hot acts have included , which gives you an idea of the sorts of gigs played here. The Espy is open all day and offers pub meals including lunch, so on nice days the outside area is jam packed full of people enjoying a brewskie, but if you can manage to grab a table it's the best spot in the house on a beautiful afternoon. The inside is dark, stained and smells like a typical old pub but the many rooms and eccentric mix of the crowd, from backpackers to suit types make a night at The Espy interesting and energetic. Let loose, lose yourself in the awesome music and mix it up with the weird and wonderful people you'll meet.

I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with The Espy. Sometimes I go and it's great fun with a cool crowd of people no worries at all. Other times I go there and it's a bunch of idiots all looking to beat each other up. It has got that sort of alternative clientele because of the way that's is like a child with ADD. There is a lot going on to keep it entertained. There's downstairs, upstairs, the main stage, the outdoor area and even last time I discovered a bottom lounge with couches. So it can be a bit hectic but in saying this I've seen some really good gigs there and because they're open to "different" music styles, you can discover something really cool. That's Melbourne in a nutshell. Last time I went I stumbled across a really jazzy, contemporary band that blew me away. This is the reason to go there and the fact there were a bunch of very untalented white boy's gangsta rapping upstairs, I was super happy with listening to the cool jazz band.

There are many benefits and drawbacks of the Espy, but I think in a balancing act, the pros win out. Firstly, they show live music here every night. Every Night! That is a bloody amazing commitment, and given venues on the south side of the river are few and far between, they provide an important public service by doing this. They have three main stage areas. The Gershwin Room is the 'good room' and where the creme de la creme of touring artists play. It's got a great PA and a bar up the side of the room. As it's a long room, navigating routes through the crowd can be difficult on busy nights. The front bar shows more local music and the stage here is just kind of tacked into the corner of the room. Then there's a little bar downstairs where they showcase more emergent shit. They often have all day festivals of music here where they'll have all rooms working co-currently. If you get a chance to get to one of these gigs, it's a sight to behold and a shit pile of fun. They also have a great menu here and run weekly deals on food. They even have a late night menu for the night owls. It would be easy to focus on negatives such as beer prices here, but the Espy is still OK by me.

Wow, the "Espy" - love it. Really great place to see a band and one of my favorite places when I visit Melbourne (best city is Australia, by the way - take it from someone from the best city in America) First came here in 1999 and saw a punk band called Chixdigit - which was...eh, well - pretty damn bad. But what the crappy pop-punk band lacked, the venue more than made up for. Located right near the beach, this place has CHARACTER. Awesome staff, great selection of beer and spirits, and some great pub grub. I loved this place - a down and dirty music venue in a fantastic city. If you are in Melbourne, check out their schedule - you may be surprised by some great bands. And if the band sucks? Well, rest assured your still in a great bar.

Came here to support some local bands that were raising money for Sacred Heart Mission. The Espy is pretty iconic, so there's usually always a full house. The Gershwin room is a great little room with a bar and small stage area, which is where we hung out to hear live music. The Espy is good every once in a while for a bit of St Kilda-y type culture, it wouldn't be my regular bar though.

As a teenager, the Espy was the only place I could get into with my fake i.d. The bored heavily tattooed bouncers wouldn't even look twice, casually waving us inside to join the rest of the motley crew that makes this place so iconic. These days I appreciate it on a whole different level. Coming alive in summer, the Espy is the epicentre of delightfully seedy St.Kilda. Grab a seat out front if you can, and sit back for a drink while the sun sets over the beach. The crowd is mixed, the beer always flowing and the meal specials plentiful. Eternally casual, this is not the place to wear your mini and heels (try Prince around the corner). An insanely diverse range of bands play, so be prepared to be thrown an impromptu moshpit. Unfortunately the drink prices seem to have risen in line with the pubs increasing popularity, but it's a small price to pay for a great night out. While the Espy is as grubby and grungy as they come, it's definitely a must-see for anyone new to Melbourne.

In the heat of st kilda its an old hotel its probably the icon of st kilda all walks of life go there i recommend it backpackers and if you just want to sit down and watch a great live band its the spot one the few great pubs for live bands and socializing with friends four stars

Popped in during the day for a quick beer. I liked the inside, a dirty bar that obviously caters to music fans. They have shows with big named artists and they have shows with small local artists. Cool venue, wish I was able to catch a show... but all I got was a poster of an upcoming concert that I ripped off the wall. Maybe someday I'll be back.

Super impressed with this place. Staff: amazing and perfect mix of professional and friendly. From our waiter to the front of house. Everyone new their stuff. Menu was great, food was even better, and some of the best service I've ever had. Can't wait to go back

There's something almost touching about the Espy's dedication to dingyness. Walking around in St Kilda these days is a bit disappointing, to a broke bohemian like me. It's mostly up-market boutiques and expensive franchises. That little burger place on the corner of the Esplanade and Irwell st? Gone. Like so many old pubs I used to visit in the area, it's been taken over by something a little more commercial. But the Espy? Still the same place, more or less. You walk past the tattooed clientele sipping beers out the front, into a bar where the lights are never on. There's either a gig on, or someone setting one up. So you grab a beer, and sit outside, and watch the sun go down over the water (for me, the Espy will always be a dusk-time bar). Hell, they still don't have Eftpos, bless 'em their badly lit hearts.. Sadly, the only thing that's really changed at the Espy are the drink prices, with a pot of Carlton now setting you back a hefty $6 or so. It's still what it used to be, and the food is still surprisingly cheap, but you'll definitely have to pay for the privilege of drinking.

Standing tall on the Esplanade of St.Kilda, the hallowed white building that is The Espy has been delivering live music of all styles for over 100 years. With 3 separate rooms to catch bands, on any night you can spend your time wandering around the place soaking up the atmosphere. The Gershwin Room, situated at the back of the venue, is the only room where you'll need to buy a ticket, as this room is commonly hired out for gigs by bands and thus has ticket sales. The Front Bar and basement however, are free. With such a diverse range of music at The Espy, the clientele is also a mix of St.Kilda trendy's to rockers. The latter once held pride of place as The Espy's main customers, however these days, depending on the act playing, you'll more often find a bumper to bumper room packed with people who really don't give a shit about who's playing. If you're into your music dirty and loud, your best bet is to head down to the basement, where the rocker and punks have now been cast out. It's a small, very loud room, however it sums up the values that the Espy once held dear upstairs. With international acts stopping by frequently, and a range of local flavour also hitting the stages, the Espy remains one of the only free music venues in Melbourne. That said, sometimes its better to pay to be surrounded by more like-minded punters. The kitchen is open from noon til late during the week, even later on Fri and Sat and also does brekkie from 8am on weekends. Each night has its own theme, from burgers to pizza. In the past the kitchen was primarily dishing up burgers and chips, and even had a tap at the counter so you could grab a pot while you waited. These days with St.Kilda getting all fancy on us, the cooks serve up a mix of good old pub grub to dishes with more 'flair'. Check the websites pictures for an idea.

Top five bars globally. How sick is this. Quick service at the bar. Live music. Chill people. Can I move in?

A real insight into the music and band culture at an honest level. A great view and position too.

Not much can be said about the iconic "Espy" that hasn't already been reported on. One of the most popular establishments in Melbourne, famous for its beachside location and 'rock star' status, this historical venue has played host to some of the most well-known musical acts in the world. Not only a venue for the famed, The Espy acts as a musical hub for local artists too, with resident musicians entertaining the droves nearly every night of the week. Housing multiple rooms - including the famous Gershwin room where SBS television music show, RocKwiz is filmed - The Espy is a huge venue that takes advantage of every space, including the downstairs kitchen. The Espy kitchen serves reasonable priced meals late into the night (their hot chips and aioli a true favourite) making it even better when you start to get the munchies after one too many ciders. If you're wanting to hold a function at The Espy, there are three amazing spaces on offer, each uniquely enchanting and suitable for any occasion. Whether it's a wedding reception, birthday, engagement party or charity event the crew at Espy are able to create a memorable and entertaining experience to suit your event requirements. With its breathtaking views of the bay, the Espy is the perfect spot to immerse yourself in the local music scene, or simply relax with friends. Make sure you check out this legendary, cultural icon if you're in Melbourne.

Known to locals as 'The Espy', this venue is probably one of the most beloved in all Melbourne. Saved from developers who wanted to build apartments on the site, 'The Espy' is thankfully here to stay. Host to the popular quiz show 'Rockwiz', televised live here each weekend, this classic hotel overlooks the bay and is an excellent place to grab a drink, listen to great live music or simply watch the crowds walk by on a hot summers day. Unlike other Saint Kilda venues there is no dress code at 'The Espy' and the security are generally quite nice. With bands playing in the historic Gershwin Room or in the front bar, there's always something happening at the Esplanade Hotel.