The Rochester Hotel

CONTACT

Ph: 03 9419 0166

202 Johnston Street
Fitzroy, 3065 VIC
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Opening Hours

SUN 12:00pm - 11:00pm
MON 3:00pm - 1:00am
TUE 3:00pm - 1:00am
WED 3:00pm - 1:00am
THU 12:00pm - 1:00am
FRI 12:00pm - 3:00am
SAT 12:00pm - 3:00am

The Details

Cuisine
  • American
  • Seafood
Need to Know
  • Good for Groups
  • Outdoor Seating
Serving
  • Lunch
  • Dinner
  • Late Night
In the mood for
  • Beer
  • Cocktails
  • Great Pub Food
Need to know
  • Bar Snacks
  • Full Food Menu
  • Good for Groups
  • Outdoor Seating

The Verdict

The Rochey is getting a rep for reinvention. It was given a new lease on life a few years ago, thanks to the team from Dr Morse and The Aviary Hotel. They saved it from its sticky, dive pub roots (as fun as those were).

And now it’s switching up again. Chef Mischa Tropp from We Are Kerala has come on board with a fresh new kitchen concept. Not a pop-up. We’re talking a permanent switch to southern Indian cuisine.

Mischa has done similar things before with Tomboy, Host and Etta, and when he approached Rochey owner Stu Moss, the two hit it off immediately.

“After tasting Mischa’s food we knew it could be more than just a ‘pop up’. It was something we could offer as a regular menu” says Moss. “Fitzroy has such an amazing offering when it comes to pub food, so we thought we could do something a bit different for the neighbourhood.”

Different is right. There’s not a parma in sight at The Rochey anymore. Instead, Mischa is dishing up Goan Sliders with Indian chorizo and onion masala, Egg Bonda fried in a sourdough batter, confit parsnips with a Kashmiri chilli crumb (our new fave veggo dish) and larger plates like slow-cooked beef neck with Kerala-style gravy.

The spice-factor really compliments the craft beers. The Rochey is running their own in-house lager on tap, plus Gage Rd, Young Henry’s, Brooklyn and a very interesting hazelnut brown ale from Bad Shepherd.

The cocktail list is solid too. Our pick is the Pride Rock: Plantation dark rum shaken with pimento, lime, sugar and absinthe. Seriously potent combo, that one. The guys are also still running Picklebacks for $10 and the trademark ‘Fancy G&Ts’.

If you’re an old Rochey fan (or just want to taste some epic Kerala cuisine), swing by and check out the new direction. It’s seriously spicy.   

Image credit: Ben Christensen


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