The Albert Park Hotel will reopen with a Chinoiserie-inspired cocktail bar and an Aussie Chinese menu

The Albert Park Hotel coming soon

Heritage-listed pub The Albert Park Hotel will pay tribute to the nation’s love of quality pub Chinese with a new Aussie Chinese menu and Chinoiserie-inspired bar when it reopens this month. Punters will be able to order a pint from the front bar and pair it with Spencer Gulf prawn toast or salt and Sichuan pepper quail from the new onsite restaurant, Happy Valley.

The interiors

A new refit by Six Degrees Architects reveals a jaw-dropping four-storey atrium that floods the venue with natural light. Original brickwood has been paired with leather lounges, teal carpet and overflowing greenery, which includes an internal native fig tree. Stylist Anna Roberts has filled the Victorian building with rare vintage finds, from antiques and artefacts to decorative Chinoiserie pieces.

The food

The main restaurant, Happy Valley, will trade in old school Chinese classics with an upmarket spin. Scoot into one of the red leather booths and order up big from head chef Ken Yuen’s produce-driven menu that includes banquet favourites like spring rolls, prawn toast, chicken and chive pan-fried dumplings and their take on beef and black pepper made from wagyu with Kampot.

The drinks

Upstairs, a Chinoiserie-inspired bar will shake up Asian-inspired tipples like the five spice old fashioned alongside prawn crackers and pork scratchings. The wine list includes 15 sips by the glass as well as an impressive selection of reserve wines. Pull up a seat at the bar or reserve one of the private booths enclosed by rattan screens.

Getting there

The Albert Park Hotel is located at the corner of Montague and Dundas Place, Albert Park VIC. Its opening hours will be Sun-Thu 12pm-11pm, Fri-Sat 12pm-1am. Restaurant hours differ. For full details, head to thealbertpark.com.au.