Springrock Public Bar

THE VERDICT

Casual, elegant and nostalgic. You might think there aren’t many pubs in the CBD that tick those boxes–until now. Springrock Public Bar is a delightful amalgam of modern Melbourne and a good old fashioned pub experience. It’s the type of place where you'll find a curated wine list but also be able to join 200 other punters crowded around a game of footy on the TV. 
This is the third venue from the team behind Good Heavens and Fancy Hank’s, and the owners had a clear mission in mind for this project: conceive a unique inner-city pub experience that they themselves would want to call their local. 
“We wanted to create the kind of pub we would want to go to” says co-owner Mike Patrick, “which is something we were yet to find in the CBD.”
Keeping in tone with the rest of the project, Springrock’s interior is classic and nostalgia-evoking. It features soft lighting, leather booth seating, 70s style tiles from Japan and a horse-shoe bar crafted from Western Australian Jarrah timber. Paired with the huge windows that allow for people-watching across Bourke and Exhibition streets, it’s bold and aesthetically beautiful. 
For the food, think pub-style classics with a retro twist. Crafted by Jarrod De Blasi–former head chef of Izakaya Den–the menu features a delectable range of bar food and counter meals. Standouts include the braised lamb shoulder nuggets with jalapeno mint jelly (which is a play on De Blasi’s mother’s classic dish) and the grilled king oyster mushrooms with creamed spinach and pepper sauce. 
The desserts list invokes American diner vibes, with options like a bowl of chocolate dipped pretzels, a coffee bourbon sundae and a s’more. For liquid refreshments, Springrock offers an enticing variety of beers, natural wines and unique takes on classic cocktails like The ‘Victorian’ Negroni and Bloody Sidecar. 
All three of the team’s venues are located inside the same building. You can go from after-work cocktails on the Good Heavens rooftop to a barbeque dinner at Fancy Hank’s to a late night beer at Springrock without touching foot on the Bourke Street pavement.

Words: Mattea Kearney
Images: Springrock Public Bar | Chip Mooney

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