Garden State Hotel

Garden State Hotel brings several distinct drinking and dining spaces together in Melbourne CBD, just off Flinders Lane. Its centrepiece is a tiered beer garden filled with greenery and large ficus trees, creating an outdoor-feeling setting within the city. The Public Bar has a more straightforward pub atmosphere, while the basement Rose Garden shifts the mood towards cocktails, late-night drinks and dancing. With room for more than 800 people, the venue is also set up for larger gatherings and private functions.

Food spans familiar pub fare and more produce-focused dining. The Public Bar and Beer Garden offer seasonal menus built around Victorian produce, with pub classics, snacks and dishes designed for sharing. Tippy-Tay provides a separate Italian experience within the hotel, drawing on the style of a refined trattoria and presenting food intended for relaxed, communal eating. Drinks cover local craft beer, cocktails and wine, giving visitors scope to settle in for a meal, meet for after-work drinks or move between spaces as the evening develops.

The Rose Garden is the most intimate of the venue’s settings and is reached via AC/DC Lane and Duckboard Place or through the beer garden above. It suits a late drink, cocktails and catching up with friends, while the Public Bar is positioned as a casual community meeting place. The venue’s range of spaces also accommodates boardroom lunches, cocktail parties, weddings and more informal functions. A new rooftop is listed as coming soon, with event packages available for 2027.

There is a substantial history behind the current hotel. The building began as a clothing factory, with the original structure dating from the early twentieth century and much of the existing building rebuilt after a 1938 fire. It later became Rosati, a well-known Melbourne restaurant and bar that opened in the 1980s and was associated with the city’s early warehouse-dining scene. In 2016, it became Garden State Hotel. The Victorian-era façade, high-arched windows and saw-tooth roof remain part of the building’s character, while the current multi-level layout gives the venue its mix of pub, garden, cocktail bar and restaurant experiences.

That variety makes Garden State Hotel a practical choice for groups with different plans: a casual meal in the Public Bar, a beer in the garden, Italian dining at Tippy-Tay or cocktails downstairs. It also offers dedicated spaces for organised events, rather than being limited to one style of visit.