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But he doesn’t want to fancy things up. The goal is to create a relaxed vibe like “a country pub that’s landed in the middle of Carlton”.
When the Brandon Hotel in Carlton North announced that it would be closing last month, punters were worried. Having lost the nearby Dan O’Connell hotel a few years back – and with many other neighbourhood pubs closing or morphing into fancier, trendier venues – losing the slightly daggy, wonderfully low-key Brando felt like a gut punch.
Last week, the pub’s Instagram page began showing signs of life, and last Tuesday, the creaky old doors reopened under new operators. They are Andrew Joy of the hatted Carlton Wine Room and Cameron McIntyre, a builder who has worked on many pubs in the inner city, including the nearby Royal Oak and Union House in Richmond.
So far, the changes are confined to food and drink. The menu has been pared back significantly. There are sausage rolls, a burger, a parma and a couple of heftier options. Beer and wine options have changed. For now, there are six whites, six reds, a rose and a sparkling. Everything is $12 a glass.
And while Joy and McIntyre do plan to eventually give the space a refresh, they’re holding off while they figure out what people want from this corner pub.
“We’re looking at the current pub scene, and we want to respect what the building is and what locals want,” Joy says. “Yes, I want it to look nice. But we want to live with it for a bit before we change it.”
Much of what they’ve done is remove, rather than add, things. “We’ve already taken a look at the facade and realised that there’s beautiful tile under all this paint.”
Joy emphasises that he wants the venue to be somewhere people can come for a cheap meal or just a beer.
A new chef will be on board in the next few weeks, but the food won’t be fancy. “I just want pub classics done exceptionally well,” he says.
“I’m from the country – I want it to feel like a country pub that’s landed in the middle of Carlton,” he says. “I want to see people playing cricket in the street outside.”
Lunch Fri-Sat; dinner daily
237 Station Street, Carlton North, brandonhotel.com.au
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Besha Rodell is the chief restaurant critic for The Age and Good Weekend.
