29 Lygon st, Carlton
03 9663 6350
www.johncurtinhotel.com
John Curtin is one of my locals for a few very good reasons. It's got a great rock pub atmosphere and it's actually close enough to the CBD to walk there from Parliament station or grab a uni tram up. They have live bands almost every night in there band-room upstairs which is really large and decked out well, with it's own bar and facils.
Downstairs you get to enjoy a good pub vibe, but with great music playing and normally a great japanese horror movie playing silently on the projector screen. The staff are great and the locals are all musos, uni kids and guys with beards and tattoos that makes me feel at home. The kitchen is back online and they are doing the pub classic, like burgers, parmas as well as some more exotic dishes like pork belly rolls and spicy shrimp, which are all done very well.On Tuesday they have a free trivia night and Sunday session when you can lounge out the front in the sun and enjoy $13 jugs all day. Great place to catch up with a mate or be like myself and just go for a solo session and talk to the cool bartenders like Reese and Rusty! Other notable features that i like, they do coopers for the same price on tap as Carlton and also have Gris and a revolving cider on tap.
Honestly if you're looking for a pub rather than a bar this is the best one in the Melbourne surrounds.
