The Courthouse North Melbourne

The atmosphere was lovely, the wines excellent, and the staff attentive and pleasant. The Courthouse Hotel served one of the best pub meals I’ve had in Melbourne. We started with kangaroo carpaccio and cod roe, both delicious. For mains, the chicken schnitzel was nicely cooked with gravy and tasty broccoli coleslaw, while the slow-cooked lamb shoulder was scrumptious. Highly recommend, and we’ll definitely be back.

We had a great afternoon at the Courthouse in North Melbourne. After lunch, we moved inside to the public bar, where dogs are allowed, and enjoyed a couple of cocktails. The atmosphere was great and the staff lovely. At lunch we sat outside with our little dog. We both chose the Roast Beef, after ordering a delicious chicken type entree. They explained it would come medium rare and offered to cook it longer if we wanted it medium or more. We were happy with medium rare, which is how we like our meat. There wasn’t much of a wait, and the thick slices came with Yorkshire Pudding, a nice touch for soaking up the delicious gravy. My piece, though, was blue, not even rare, while my daughter’s was closer to medium rare. We swapped plates because she can eat meat rarer than I can. I’m a beef farmer’s daughter and know my meat, though roast can vary in thickness. I could have sent mine back, but didn’t, so that part was my fault. I didn’t photograph my original piece because my daughter had already started eating while I went for more drinks. I did take a picture of the medium rare one I swapped for. If I order the Roast again, I’ll ask them to sear it a little more or leave it in the oven a few minutes longer.

We loved the food and the whole experience at this cosy spot in North Melbourne. It’s a cute place for dinner and doesn’t feel like a typical hotel restaurant. The friendly staff brought us a little binocular-style light to read the menu and suggested wine pairings that worked perfectly. We had Marinated Olives ($9), Pickled Octopus ($12), Grilled Snapper ($40), and Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder ($42). Everything was very tasty, and we’ll definitely come back.

We had a fantastic lunch. The Hazy Pale was spot on, the octopus was rich and yummy, and both the steak of the day, cooked medium rare just right, and the cheeseburger were really tasty.