From The Team Behind The Flying Duck Hotel, O’Connell’s Returns in Thoughtful Design, And Vibrant Hospitality
With 150 years at the heart of South Melbourne, O’Connell’s Hotel, reopened this week, with a menu inspired by wood-fired Australian ingredients and a refurbishment that repositions the historic venue for a new generation. The pub, a true cornerstone of Melbourne’s hospitality scene, enters an exciting new chapter under the custodianship of the team behind Prahran’s revitalised Flying Duck Hotel.
Led by Head Chef Michael Conlon and Managing Director Brenton Lang, O’Connell’s Hotel continues its approach to revitalising historic venues, balancing heritage with a more contemporary hospitality offering across food, design and experience.
“The menu has been centred around what we love about Australian food, think Aussie beef and seafood, native ingredients, with the relaxed environment of a pub,” says Head Chef Michael Conlon.
“The goal was to evolve O’Connell’s without losing what people love about it,” says Brenton Lang. “It’s always been a local institution, we didn’t want to lose that. But we also felt there was room to elevate the experience in a way that still feels relaxed and local.”
Centred around wood-fired Australian cuisine, the menu draws on native ingredients such as pepperberries, bush tomato and finger lime. At its core, the Josper oven uses red gum to impart a distinct depth of flavour, shaping the kitchen’s approach to open-fire cooking. Subtle nods to O’Connell’s alumni remain, including a tribute to the late Greg Malouf through the venue’s signature Silk Road Martini.
Menu highlights include:
- Wood-fired prawns with smoked macadamia butter and native bush tomato
- Veal schnitzel, herb butter, chips, gravy, salad
- Saltbush lamb shoulder, slow-cooked overnight and Josper-roasted, served with flatbread
- Doughnuts, Davidson Plum jam, vanilla cream
Alongside pub classics – fish of the day, chicken parma and a selection of steaks.
Further cementing the hotel as a true local, rotating weekly specials include:
- Monday: Steak Night
- Tuesday: Parma/Schnitzel Night
- Wednesday: Pasta Night
- Thursday: Homemade Pie Night
- Sunday: Sunday Roast
- Monday–Friday (4–6pm): Kids eat free with every main purchased
- Happy Hour: 4–6pm weekdays
The venue’s refurbishment by acclaimed Melbourne designer Fiona Drago draws on the pub’s rich history while introducing a warm, contemporary palette. Interiors feature tobacco timbers, maroon counters, beige and tan walls, and mocha-toned ceilings. Drago has left the two existing entrances in operation, allowing for abundant light and flow passage throughout the space.
Offering a relaxed, casual setting with high tables and stools, the front bar will be a vibrant space for drinks and catch-ups with live sports broadcast daily so guests don’t need to miss out on the action. The previous ground-floor private dining space has also been tastefully reimagined as an extension of the front bar, with integrated TV screens.
At the rear, a 48-seat dining room provides an intimate experience, complete with a fireplace, walk-in cellar and newly opened kitchen pass for increased connection.
Renowned for its outdoor terrace along the tree-lined Clarendon Street, O’Connell’s al fresco area caters to all seasons, with covered areas and heating for cooler months, accommodating 75 guests with food and drinks available to match its indoor offering.
Of its era, the historic building presents three intimate private dining rooms on its second storey with two spaces catering to groups of up to 12 and one larger room for up to 18.
Locals, businesses, and destination diners will revel in the latest reiteration of O’Connell’s Hotel, as a true Melbourne classic.
407 Coventry St, South Melbourne VIC 3205
Website: https://www.oconnells.com.au/
Instagram: @oconnells_hotel
Image credit: Kate Shanasy