University Hotel And Bottle Shop

This is one of those pubs that I really struggle to say anything about — at all. I have never been all that enthusiastic about this place, and have only come here a couple of times to simply check it out and to mark it off my list of pubs that I have visit. Okay it is pretty airy, but it is also really dull. It seems to just be a bar that sits in a shopfront on Lygon Street and really has little, if anything, to offer me. In fact it has pretty much zero ambience, and honestly, I’m unlikely to come back here (unless I’m looking for a place near by for a quiet drink, but this is Lygon Street, so there are plenty of other offerings available).

Went to this joint for a 4pm snack with my wife after our couple psychologist session. They made a nice but bland bloody mary but hey I’m always happy when they have the tomato juice to even make one, they even had the celery stick like old school. The guy brought over the tobasco, S and P and worcestshire to add to my tasting and said he made it bland on purpose. I appreciate the thought but just make it to recipe in my opinion, if i wanted extra or less anything i woulda said. In saying that the staff are nice. The place is super clean and our nachos were rockin’. They used a nice ammount of everything so the chips weren’t drowning. They used nice salted CCs which i prefer too. The staff at the bottleo are super helpful but it’s expensive. The guy insisted on telling me where the beers came from when what i really wanted to know is what they tasted like (i know sonetines they’re related). They have a nice range.

Popped in for a quick beer before the movies yesterday not expecting much on offer. Was pleasantly surprised. Moon dog, hawthorn and dainton beers on tap and reasonably priced… $ 10 a schooner. I could see nothing vegan on the menu, not sure how accommodating they could be as we didn’t eat.
It’s a really basic pub, brightly lit with tv screens downstairs and more upstairs dining. Certainly nothing special, but drinks reasonably priced and at least a couple of craft.

The bottle shop is open until 3am on Friday and Saturday nights. That’s probably enough said, really — because how often do you find yourself on the way to a party at midnight needing a six-​pack?! It’s not the greatest bottle shop in the world: being fairly small, the range is limited, so at times other than the greatest hours of the morning I’d be more inclined to head to one of the chain bottle shops on Lygon St. But it has everything you’ll need to keep your night going.
The hotel part of this establishment next door has never lured me in: bland and bright with large TV screens. No thanks.

Okay, so the University Hotel isn’t the most stylish establishment around, but it has one thing going for it that none of it’s nearby competitors have — a bottle shop that’s open until 3am on Fridays and Saturdays! Yes, if you have a need for Passion Pop at 2am, head to Lygon Street to pick up the goods. It’s conveniently located next to 7 Eleven so you can get a packet of Twisties at the same time. Perfect!
The bar itself is a bit of a tourist trap with not much personality. I have a suspicion that the clientele is largely men who’ve come to Melbourne with their wives on shopping trips from the country, and use the bar as a hide out. It’s not bad bar though — pots of pear cider are only $ 4 and the outdoor seats are great on a sunny day.
They do so good meal deals — Tuesdays have $ 15 parma & pot deals, Thursdays are $ 20 steak & shiraz night and Sundays offer a whopping half a roast chicken and pot for $ 15. This wouldn’t be my first pick of pubs in the area, but it does the job.