The Rochester Hotel

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